What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 104

His voice was tight, thick with panic. He held her close for a long moment before finally pulling back to inspect her pale little face. The illness had made her look even smaller and more fragile.

Kaia hadn't expected Finnian to show up now. She stood off to the side, watching the emotional reunion before quietly saying, "I'm going to go talk to the doctor."

She turned toward the door.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Finnian's voice stopped her dead in her tracks, a sharp edge of anger cutting through his words.

Kaia turned back to face him. "You were out of the country handling 'important work.' Telling you would have only made you worry. It wouldn't have accomplished anything else."

Her words only fueled his fury. "Kaia, I don't care what you're thinking right now or what you're mad about. You need to remember one thing: I am her father. I have the right to know what's happening with my daughter."

Kaia stiffened, entirely caught off guard, unable to fire back a response.

Seeing the tension, a look of anxiety washed over Brynlee's face. She reached out with her little hand and covered Finnian's mouth. "Daddy, please don't fight with Mommy. Don't be mad at her."

Finnian wanted to argue, but seeing how scared and desperate his daughter looked, he swallowed his anger.

"Okay. No fighting," he said softly, gently pulling her hand away to press a kiss to her knuckles.

Kaia felt her legs go numb. She walked out of the room without another word. Clearly, Brynlee had used her smartwatch to text Finnian, and he had come rushing back in a panic.

But coming back with this much attitude? What, was his romantic getaway cut short?

Morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains of a luxury hotel suite. Noelle lay sprawled across the pristine white sheets. Just ten hours ago, Finnian had been right beside her, discussing business over expensive red wine.

Now, he was already touching down back in the States.

She sat up lazily and walked toward the bathroom. With a slow, deliberate movement, she slipped the strap of her nightgown off her shoulder, letting it pool on the floor, revealing her flawless figure in the mirror.

When Finnian had received the text from Brynlee, it was Noelle who urged him to rush back, offering to stay behind and handle the rest of their overseas business.

It was a tactical retreat. She needed him to remember her as the gentle, understanding, selfless woman he believed her to be.

She was willing to temporarily loan him back to Kaia and his daughter because she knew one undeniable truth: Finnian's heart had never truly left her.

Brynlee's sudden illness was suspiciously convenient. It felt like a desperate ploy cooked up by a neglected wife to drag her husband home.

But Noelle knew that once you sat down at the poker table, you had to play your cards patiently. As long as she held the winning hand, she would take the pot in the end.

Fresh out of the shower, Noelle saw Elaine's name flashing on her phone screen.

She picked it up immediately. "Mom!"

Kaia's heart sank.

"Mom."

"Brynlee is sick, and you didn't think to tell me immediately?" Elaine's eyes practically bored holes into Kaia. "She is a Sanders. I am her grandmother. For her to be admitted to the hospital without my knowledge—do you think that's acceptable?"

A few nurses walking past ducked their heads, pretending to look busy while obviously eavesdropping.

Facing Elaine's wrath, Kaia didn't have the energy to argue. She kept her voice low. "It was an emergency. Things were chaotic, and I forgot. I was just about to call you..."

"Noelle said the child has been here for over twenty-four hours! She's out of the country working and she still kept tabs on her, yet you, her mother, couldn't find ten seconds to send a text?" Elaine's anger was escalating.

"I wasn't alone. My parents have been helping me this whole time..." Kaia was dizzy from exhaustion, swaying slightly as she moved toward the room.

Elaine finally raised her voice, completely losing her temper. "I am Brynlee's grandmother! Kaia, you've been married into this family for years, and you still have zero respect for the rules?"

Kaia's chest tightened, a flush of anger rising to her cheeks.

She took a deep breath. "Mom, Brynlee spiked a fever in the middle of the night. Of course I needed help. My parents immediately drove us to the ER. But where was Finnian? Where was my husband?"