What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 211

Finnian closed his laptop, setting it gently back in its place. Outside, the sky had already surrendered to the dark. Footsteps approached the room.

Finnian quickly shut the drawer and walked out with his coffee in hand.

Just as he reached the door, he heard his daughter, Brynlee's voice. "Aunt Noelle, are you sure my dad is in here?"

Noelle's voice was exceptionally gentle as she replied, "Yes, the housekeeper said he came this way. Let's go take a look."

"I'm right here, Brynlee. Looking for me?" Finnian rounded the corner of the hallway, a warm smile on his face as he looked at his daughter.

"Daddy, you *are* here! It's time for dinner. Grandma asked me to come find you." Brynlee ran over happily, and Finnian scooped her up with one arm.

"Let me take that for you," Noelle offered from the side, delicately taking the coffee mug from his hand.

Now free, Finnian used both arms to hold his daughter and headed toward the dining room.

Trailing behind him, completely out of his line of sight, Noelle lifted his half-empty mug. Pressing her lips exactly where his had been, she took two sips of his leftover coffee.

At the Sanders family dining table, the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Kaia hadn't shown up, so Noelle naturally took over the duty of looking after Brynlee. The little girl sat squarely between Noelle and Finnian.

Josephine glanced up. Catching the older woman's authoritative stare in her peripheral vision, Noelle froze, her grip tightening around her fork. She immediately lowered her head, terrified of displaying even the slightest hint of overstepping her bounds.

Noticing Kaia's absence, Elaine couldn't hide her displeasure. "Is Kaia that busy today?"

Finnian was about to answer, but Brynlee chimed in loudly, "My mom went to give a lecture at the university! She's so amazing. Aunt Noelle, have you ever taught a college class?"

Caught off guard by the sudden pivot, Noelle gave an awkward smile. "I haven't given any university lectures, sweetheart, but I do teach some training courses."

"Oh. Then why don't you teach at the university? Did they not invite you?" Brynlee tilted her head, her question dripping with innocent curiosity.

Noelle's face flushed with inexplicable heat. The truth was, she had never been invited. In that regard, she simply couldn't compare to Kaia.

"I'm just very busy with my own work, so I don't really have the time to teach." Noelle brushed it off without feeling too humiliated; after all, everyone in the family knew exactly what her credentials were.

Elaine shot a glance at Josephine. Knowing better than to push her luck in front of the matriarch, she swallowed her complaints about Kaia.

The rest of the meal was a rather unpleasant affair for Noelle. As soon as she finished eating, she retreated to the sofa and busied herself with her phone.

For a long time now, Kaia had been nothing but cold and composed around him. It was rare to see her this relaxed, letting her guard down the way she was at this dinner. Even her smile looked completely, genuinely radiant.

"That's where the video ends. Finnian, I never realized Kaia was so popular with men. Dining with three handsome guys... I can't help but be a little jealous," Noelle remarked from the sidelines, plastering on an envious smile.

Finnian shot her a sidelong glance. "Are you implying something?" he asked flatly.

Noelle stiffened, then forced a dry laugh. "Nothing gets past you, does it? You always read right through me."

Finnian's sharp brow furrowed deeper. "Don't let Grandmother or my mother find out about this. And keep it from Brynlee, too."

Noelle looked taken aback, then muttered in a low voice, "Kaia is openly dining with other men in a crowded public restaurant, Finnian. Doesn't she care about your feelings at all? As your wife, she should really know how to keep her distance and avoid stirring up gossip."

Noelle's pointed remarks turned Finnian's expression downright stony, yet he managed to keep his temper in check. "You're overthinking it," he said dismissively. "It looks like a perfectly normal dinner to me."

"I'm not overthinking it! I'm just looking out for you—"

"And I'm not going to overthink it either," Finnian cut in sharply. "Kaia has her own social circle. It's completely normal. As her family, we should be supporting her, not tearing her down."