What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 178

"Right," Finnian said, keeping his expression neutral as he asked, "Leaving now?"

Brynlee immediately chimed in, "Mr. Silas said he's going to drop me off at school before he and Mom go on their business trip."

Finnian looked at Kaia again, addressing her directly this time. "Since you're in a rush, let me take Brynlee to school. There's no need for you to go out of your way."

"It's fine. It's on the way," Kaia said. She had just finished her breakfast, and Brynlee was full too. The little girl put down her spoon and slung her small backpack over her shoulder. "Dad, I want Mom to drop me off today."

Finnian gave her a helpless smile. "Alright. I'll pick you up this afternoon."

"Okay!" Brynlee grabbed Kaia's hand and practically dragged her toward the door.

Silas turned to Finnian. "We'll be taking off then."

"Drive safe," Finnian said, locking eyes with Silas for two intense seconds before delivering the warning.

"Will do!" Silas felt a sudden wave of invisible pressure, but he just turned and walked out.

Watching the three of them chatting and laughing as they walked out the door, a wave of inexplicable irritation washed over Finnian. He figured he had just been working too much lately, which was making his emotions run hot and cold.

It was a beautiful spring afternoon in Linwood City, the warm sun making the air feel crisp and fresh.

They had lunch in a private room at a high-end Japanese restaurant known for its exquisite ingredients and absolute privacy.

The bamboo blinds were half-rolled up, and a meticulously arranged zen garden sat quietly in the sunlight.

Silas hosted the lunch. The four of them ate and talked in the private room. As the lead engineer, Kaia spent most of the time breaking down the technical hurdles and solutions for the project, with Silas jumping in to back her up.

The conversation flowed perfectly, and the partner was clearly incredibly interested.

Because the partner had another engagement, they excused themselves around twelve-thirty.

Silas and Kaia walked them to the door. Checking the time, Silas smiled. "You were doing all the talking earlier. You probably didn't get enough to eat. Let's head back in and grab another bite."

Kaia nodded, not turning down the offer.

Silas asked for the menu again and ordered some bluefin tuna belly sashimi.

Just then, a group of people walked through the main entrance behind them. One of the men, wearing a dark gray casual suit and a warm smile, was none other than Simon Quinn.

It looked like he had just arrived for lunch with some friends.

Simon's eyes immediately locked onto Kaia. Surprise flashed across his face, quickly followed by genuine delight.

"Kaia? What a coincidence." Simon spoke first, then finally noticed Silas standing next to her. Simon paused, then his smile widened. "Silas. Long time no see."

Simon held his teacup, smiling without saying a word, but when Kaia said the word 'friends,' a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes.

"Speaking of the old days, it's actually pretty embarrassing." Simon seemed eager to open up the conversation. He cast a burning look at Kaia, then looked down at the cup in his hands. "Whenever you came over, I acted like a total statue. I always tried to avoid you. But how was I supposed to know back then that getting to see you would become such a luxury?"

Kaia burst out laughing, instantly transported back to the awkwardness of their teenage years.

"Avoid her? Simon, you always seemed pretty thick-skinned to me. Why would you hide from Kaia?" Silas looked like a dog with a bone. "Come on, spill it. Did you have a crush on her or something?"

Kaia looked a little embarrassed. Everyone had some cringe-worthy moments from their youth, but having them dragged out into the light now was a bit much to handle.

Simon's eyes lingered on Kaia's slightly flushed face for a second, as if he was finally confronting feelings he had buried for years. He joked, "I couldn't help it. She was just too brilliant. If I didn't hide, my parents would use her as the ultimate weapon to destroy my self-esteem."

Kaia looked at him skeptically. "Simon Quinn, you are a terrible liar. Your grades were top-notch back then, and there's proof."

Simon didn't try to be modest. He nodded. "True. But for some reason, whenever you walked into my house, the oxygen just evaporated. I had to hide just to breathe."

"Something's not adding up here," Silas noted, his radar going off. Why did all this teenage angst sound suspiciously romantic?

Kaia blinked, caught slightly off guard.

Simon looked a bit flustered himself. A faint blush crept across his handsome face and all the way to the tips of his ears.