What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 162

A flicker of surprise crossed Finnian's handsome features. "How did that happen?"

Noelle looked out at the wind and rain lashing against the window, her tone earnest. "At the birthday party, the day she officially welcomed me as her daughter... someone sent an anonymous text to her phone and told her."

Finnian's expression darkened. "Have you looked into who it was?"

Noelle gave a bitter smile and shook her head. "No. When Mom pulled me aside and showed me the text, I was terrified. I was so scared she'd be furious and disown me right then and there. Thank God... it turned out okay."

Watching Noelle put on a brave face, Finnian could only imagine the fear and panic she had endured. "Do you want me to look into it for you?" He wanted to give her peace of mind.

Noelle paused before replying, "Never mind. Whoever it is, whatever their goal was, I forgive them. As long as it doesn't change how you and Mom see me, that's all that matters."

Finnian pressed his lips into a thin line. "They definitely had an ulterior motive. Either they wanted to stop you from being accepted into the Sanders family, or..."

He cut himself off, leaving the thought unfinished.

Noelle's eyes flickered, but she didn't push him to finish. Instead, she straightened up, acting strong, and hugged her files to her chest. "Finnian, whatever their intentions were, it's in the past now. I'm fine."

She offered a small smile. "I should get back to work. I just wanted to let you know, so please don't overthink it."

"I understand," Finnian replied, his face betraying little emotion.

The only people who didn't want Noelle staying with the Sanders family were Grandmother and, quite possibly, Kaia. But since Grandmother had already agreed to the formal adoption, she wouldn't backtrack now. Which meant...

Finnian pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a wave of exhaustion. His gaze grew unfathomably deep. Who stood to lose the most if Noelle stayed with the family and gained more resources? Whoever that was, was the most likely suspect.

Two days later, at a project meeting for Evergreen Group, Finnian unexpectedly showed up to audit the session, bringing Dexter along.

The lingering chill of early spring and days of non-stop rain had left the sky a bleak, heavy gray.

After the meeting concluded, Kaia was immediately surrounded by a few technicians who wanted to discuss some operational details.

Preferring to avoid Finnian anyway, Kaia stayed in the conference room to chat with them.

Silas, however, walked out of the conference room shoulder-to-shoulder with Finnian. The two men were conversing as they approached Kaia's office. Finnian simply pushed her office door open and told Silas, "I need to speak with Kaia."

Finnian met her gaze head-on. He didn't look away, nor did he betray any emotion. He simply leaned forward slightly, resting his clasped hands on the desk.

"Based on your contributions to Aethelstan's R&D sector over the years, and... considering Brynlee's future growth and educational needs," Finnian lowered his eyes to the desk, seemingly weighing his words. "I proposed, and have already preliminarily discussed with the core board members, to increase your equity stake in the main conglomerate by two percent. Your future dividend rights and voting power will be adjusted accordingly."

He paused, looking back up at her face as if trying to decipher her reaction. "The specific pathways for the equity increase and the financial arrangements are detailed in the draft. If you have any reservations, you're welcome to have a lawyer review it."

Two percent? In a conglomerate of this scale, that was an astronomical figure—a colossal leap in personal wealth.

Kaia's expression inevitably shifted. Her fingers tightened their grip on her travel mug.

Catching that subtle reaction, Finnian continued in a steady voice. "Kaia, you are the indispensable technical core of this company. That hasn't changed. The company doesn't mistreat those who make real contributions. So, you don't need to worry so much. I will make sure you and Brynlee have the most solid financial security."

Kaia furrowed her brows, still struggling to understand his underlying motive. A windfall like this had to come with strings attached.

"What's the catch?" she asked point-blank.