Chapter 71: Henry’s Threats

Chapter 71: Henry’s Threats

"So? Will you go back?" Sana asked.

"Yes. He’s my husband, after all."

Eira’s phone buzzed on the counter as she poured herself a cup of tea.

She glanced at the screen, expecting a text from Callian or maybe university. Instead, it was an unknown number.

-Come outside. Now.-

Her lips curved into a smirk.

She knew exactly who it was.

Tossing her phone back onto the counter, she grabbed her coat and headed out without a second thought.

The evening air was crisp as she stepped out of the building.

A sleek black car idled by the curb, its tinted windows hiding the person inside.

Eira rolled her eyes and walked toward the car, her boots clicked against the snow.

She yanked the door open, slid inside, and shut it with a strong thud.

The atmosphere inside the car was unreasonably heavy.

Henry sat in the driver’s seat.

"Not a fan of pleasantries, are we?" Eira said, crossing her legs and leaning back against the seat.

A couple of years ago, she would’ve been too scared to even face this man alone. But not now.

Not after everything he did to her.

Henry didn’t respond.

He shifted the car into drive, and silence filled the space as the vehicle glided through the city streets.

Eira glanced at him from the corner of her eye. His jaw was clenched, his knuckles tight around the wheel.

She smirked to herself.

’This should be fun.’

The car came to a stop at a park, quiet and empty under the small glow of the streetlights.

Henry stepped out without a word, leaving Eira to follow.

She did, trailing after him to a bench near the fountain. He sat in a rigid posture and motioned for her to do the same.

"I prefer standing," she said, folding her arms.

Henry ignored her. "You’re clever. I’ll give you that. But cleverness only gets you so far, Eira."

"Wow. Starting with the insults already?" She chuckled. "I thought we were going to talk about how charming I am."

Henry’s eyes narrowed. "This isn’t a joke."

"It is to me," she replied. "You text me out of nowhere, drag me to a park like we’re in some bad thriller, and now you’re acting like you have the moral high ground. What did you expect, Henry? A heartfelt apology?"

"You’re dragging my family through the mud," Henry snapped. "The Blackwood name is crumbling, our stocks are plummeting, and every tabloid in the city is running stories about this mess. And it all started with you."

"Ha ha ha!" Eira laughed, and that sound cut through the night.

"Oh, please. You’re blaming me? That’s rich. Maybe you should look in the mirror, Henry. You and your family are the ones who created this circus."

Henry’s eyes darkened, his voice dropped.

"This isn’t about me or my— ahem. This is about you, sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. You’ve made yourself a problem, Eira. And problems get solved."

"Is that a threat?" she asked, widening her smirk.

"It’s a fact," he said coldly.

Eira tilted her head. "Let me guess. You want me to quietly disappear so your precious family can go back to pretending everything’s fine? Hate to break it to you, but those days are over. You’re losing control, Henry, and it’s eating you alive."

Henry stood abruptly, towering over her. "You think this is a game? You think you’re untouchable?"

"No," she said in a calm voice. "I just think you’re pathetic."

His nostrils flared, but he didn’t rise to the bait.

Instead, he took a step closer. "You’re following the same path as your mother, you know. The same mistakes. The same arrogance. And we both know how that ended."

"Hahahahah!" Eira’s laughter rang out again, light and unbothered. "Oh, Henry. If you’re trying to scare me, you’ll have to do better than that. I’m not afraid of you. You’re nothing more than a bully in a suit, waving threats around because you don’t know how to handle people who don’t bow to you."

Henry’s lips twisted into a smile. "You should be scared. Because the next person I eliminate won’t be you. It’ll be Callian."

Her laughter stopped abruptly.

For a moment, they stared at each other, the tension crackled like static in the air. Then, slowly, Eira’s lips curled into another smirk.

"Insecure, are we?" she said sarcastically. "You can’t even solve your problems without dragging Callian into it. Pathetic doesn’t even begin to cover it."

Henry’s hand curled into a fist at his side. "Careful, Eira. I don’t take insults lightly."

"And I don’t take threats seriously," she replied back.

He exhaled sharply, turning away as if to regain his composure. "You’re testing my patience."

"Oh, I know," she said sweetly. "And it’s so much fun."

Henry turned back to face her. He had an icy expression. "Enjoy it while it lasts. Because when I’m done, you’ll regret ever crossing me."

Eira stepped closer, closing the distance between them. "And when I’m done, you’ll regret ever underestimating me."

Henry stared at her for a long moment, his jaw tight.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked back toward the car.

"I hope you know your way back."

Eira stayed where she was, watching him leave.

She didn’t flinch, didn’t falter.

Only when the car’s engine roared to life and disappeared into the night did she let out a slow breath.

"Coward," she muttered to herself before turning and walking back toward Sana’s apartment.

But even as she walked, her confidence began to crack.

"What a father..." she forced a smile. "Fucking bastard. Ouch!" She grabbed her stomach.

"Not now!" Eira gritted her teeth.

Liam was gone, Vanesa was too spoiled, and Eira hated him.

"You really are an amazing father," she chuckled while grabbing her stomach even harder.

Henry Reed wasn’t the kind of man to make empty threats.

And she knew this was far from over, but seeing desperation and pleading in his eyes was something Eira enjoyed the most.

"What could he possibly do to me or Callian to hurt us?"

"You know," a male voice appeared from nowhere, "you really shouldn’t mock Henry Blackwood to his face."

Eira turned around and saw a tall guy. He looked around the same age as Callian.

"Who are you?"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read