What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 213

Kaia nodded. "I'm doing okay. It's just a bit busy, that's all."

Leo looked at his sister with genuine concern. "If you ask me, you've already made a name for yourself and you're financially set. You should just drop the clinic hours and focus solely on your research."

Kaia shook her head. "Leo, you know why I agreed to stay on at the Holistic Wellness Center. It was Grandma's dying wish, and Dr. Croft practically begged me. How could I just walk away?"

Leo paused, seemingly just remembering that detail, then let out a fond chuckle. "Kaia, you've always been the perfect student and the perfect granddaughter. Grandma absolutely adored you. She passed down every ounce of her knowledge to you."

Kaia smiled softly. "Mostly, it was because I actually wanted to learn. She tried to teach you too, remember? But you wanted no part of it."

Leo immediately grimaced and waved his hand. "Don't even remind me. Grandma tried to make me memorize all those medical texts. Just looking at them gave me a migraine. There was no way I was going to survive that."

Kaia laughed, vividly recalling the days when her brother used to get scolded for slacking off.

The siblings chatted comfortably until their lunch arrived. Leo served a generous portion of roasted duck onto Kaia's plate. "Eat up."

Kaia smiled, truly feeling the warmth of her brother's care.

"So..." Leo cleared his throat. "How are things with you and Finnian lately? I heard Mom and Dad talking a few days ago. They mentioned something about a divorce."

Kaia looked at him between bites. "Yeah. That's the plan."

Leo's hand froze holding his fork, his expression one of pure shock. "Kaia, are you seriously going to leave him?"

Kaia's expression remained perfectly serene. "I am."

Leo put his fork down, growing visibly agitated. "Do you have any idea how complicated it's going to be to untangle your finances? You two have an insane amount of assets! And what about Brynlee? How devastated is she going to be when she finds out?"

Kaia studied her brother's face, her brows knitting together. "Leo, tell me you didn't invite me to lunch just to talk me out of this."

"Of course not!" Leo backpedaled quickly. "I'm just worried about you. You're my sister. No one wants you to be happy more than I do. But... divorce isn't just about two people going their separate ways. You have a child to think about."

Kaia knew exactly what she was facing. But Finnian's heart had already checked out of their marriage. What was the point of compromising herself just to hold on to a hollow shell?

"It's..." Leo started, finding the words difficult to voice. "The distribution rights for two new pharmaceuticals. One is Aethelstan Biopharma's latest cardiovascular drug, and the other is a biologic that Finnian said they'll be bringing in from Cytogene. Oh, and we're partnering on a new industrial park project."

Kaia's fingers curled into tight fists against the tablecloth. Aethelstan was already an industry titan; securing distribution rights for their products was highly competitive. For Finnian to bypass the bidding process and hand her brother the rights to *two* flagship drugs meant he was funneling an astronomical amount of money into Leo's pockets.

"Kaia, Finnian said since we're family, he trusts me, so that's why—"

"Stop. I've heard enough." Kaia had completely lost her appetite. A crushing wave of heartache and exhaustion washed over her.

"So, this lunch was bought and paid for to convince me to stay?" Kaia knew her brother well. He was aggressively career-driven and brimming with ambition. He wasn't above playing dirty to get what he wanted—it was the ruthless nature of being a businessman.

"Kaia, I just want you to look at the bright side. Guys have wandering eyes, it's totally normal. But it's not like Finnian has actually crossed the line and betrayed you..."

"How do you know he hasn't?" Kaia cut him off sharply.

"Even if he has, for a guy at his level of power and wealth, isn't that just par for the course? Regular guys can barely keep their impulses in check, let alone someone with Finnian's status. The fact that he puts on a good face and keeps the family intact makes him a top-tier husband. Kaia, you need to live in the real world. Grown adults don't build marriages on fairy-tale romance. If two people can come together and build a profitable empire, that's already a match made in heaven." Leo stared at his stubborn sister, practically wanting to shake some sense into her. He wanted her to drop the romantic fantasies and realize that throwing away a billion-dollar marriage just because her husband's affections shifted was absolute madness.