What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 161

Noelle paused, leaning forward with focused, gentle concern. "Mom, what's wrong? You seem so unsettled."

Elaine's gaze swept over her face before she finally made up her mind to speak. "Last night, when I took some soup up to the old lady, I overheard Kaia talking with her. They were discussing children and company shares."

Noelle's fingers stiffened, curling inward almost imperceptibly. "Mom, what are you suspecting?"

Elaine grew agitated, letting out a cold scoff. "Your grandmother still holds six percent of the conglomerate's shares. That's no small number. It gives her massive sway over the company."

Noelle nodded. She was, of course, well aware of that fact.

Elaine narrowed her eyes, her gaze turning sharp. "I bet Kaia is trying to use a child as a bargaining chip to get those shares from the old lady. She's got some nerve, thinking she can pull that off. She's not the only woman in the world capable of having a baby."

A flash of anxiety darted through Noelle's eyes, though she kept her expression perfectly composed. What Kaia wanted was exactly what Noelle was desperately trying to grasp: the core power of the conglomerate.

Hah. Outsiders always praised Kaia for being unbothered and peaceful, as calm as a still lake. Now it was clear that was just a carefully crafted facade to fool everyone. In reality, she knew exactly what chips she held, and she knew exactly how to play them.

"Mom, are you sure you heard right? I just don't think Kaia is that kind of person. If she really wanted to use a baby to secure her position, Brynlee is already five—she would have had two more kids by now. From the looks of it, she doesn't seem to care much about having more children." As much as Noelle wanted to tear Kaia down in front of Elaine, she couldn't let her gentle, understanding persona slip.

"Don't be so naive. To get to where she is today, Kaia isn't exactly a pushover. It's not that she doesn't want another child; she's just waiting until the price is right. Now that Rafael is gone, she's the only one who can produce heirs for the Sanders family, and it's gone straight to her head. She's got Grandmother wrapped around her finger, using the idea of a baby as leverage to seize the perfect opportunity." Thinking about it made Elaine press a hand to her chest, overwhelmed by the bitter regret of misjudging someone. "Kaia is too good at playing the victim. She played us all."

Noelle put on a flawless act of being too shocked for words. Her fingers, resting on the table, tightened slightly as she looked at Elaine with wide, panicked eyes. "Mom, how could Kaia do something like that? How can anyone use a child as a threat? Does Finnian know about this?"

At the mere mention of Finnian, Elaine's face darkened instantly. "I pulled him into my room to talk about it last night, but he didn't believe a word of it. He completely trusts Kaia. He kept insisting she doesn't have a manipulative bone in her body and would never go after the family's shares."

Noelle was stunned. She hadn't realized Finnian already knew. And what was worse, he was actually taking Kaia's side.

"Mom, I know you're anxious, but right now this is all just speculation. We just need to keep a close eye on her and see what her next move is." Noelle felt a heavy weight in her chest. She had assumed Finnian would take this seriously and put his guard up against Kaia. She never expected this...

Elaine's expression was grim as she scoffed. "I don't even know where Finnian's head is at lately. When I told him, he looked like he couldn't care less. It's driving me crazy."

Right now, Noelle couldn't figure out what Finnian was thinking either. Logically, losing control of the company should threaten his grip on power. He should care.

"Noelle, I love you like my own daughter. We have to stick together on this. From now on, you keep a close eye on Finnian, and I'll watch Grandmother."

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