What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 216

Kaia smiled, taking her daughter's little hand, and walked toward her dad.

Warren Chavez looked at his daughter with his usual gentle expression. They had only been chatting for a few moments when the sound of a car engine cutting off came from outside the courtyard.

Warren immediately looked at Kaia. "Is Finnian here too?"

Kaia paused. She hadn't told him to come over. She glanced down at Brynlee.

The little girl shrugged her small shoulders. "I didn't invite Dad."

Just then, Dr. Miles Kendrick's tall figure appeared at the gate. He was carrying some gifts. When he walked in and saw Kaia, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, quickly followed by a warm smile.

Warren lightly tapped his own forehead. "I almost forgot. I put together some research materials for him and told him to swing by and pick them up tonight."

"Professor. Kaia," Miles greeted them with a smile as he approached the porch.

"Uncle Miles, what are you doing here? Did Grandpa invite you for dinner?" Brynlee asked, beaming.

Miles nodded. "I asked Dr. Chavez to help me organize some files, and I just stopped by on my way home to grab them."

"Since you're already here, and it's right at dinnertime, stay and eat with us before you go," Warren offered immediately.

With Warren insisting, Miles couldn't politely decline.

Besides, his gaze drifted toward Kaia, his eyes softening.

The dining table was filled with comforting, home-cooked dishes. To make the most of the evening, Warren had Jane bring the food out to the patio table. They sat in the courtyard, surrounded by the faint scent of blooming flowers, making the meal feel all the more special.

"Here, Brynlee, have some of these ribs," Jane said, her eyes full of heartache and tender love as she served her granddaughter.

She didn't even want to imagine how devastating it would be for the child when this family finally fell apart.

Brynlee sat in her booster seat, dutifully picking up the food with her child-sized utensils and popping it into her mouth. "Thanks, Grandma. It's so good."

Warren sat at the head of the table, chatting with the two younger adults about their collaborative project.

Halfway through the meal, the smartwatch hanging around Brynlee's neck chimed. She glanced at the screen and giggled. "It's Dad calling!"

Kaia's voice was flat. "Go ahead and answer it."

Brynlee quickly tapped the watch to accept the video call. Finnian's face appeared on the small screen. He seemed to be in his car, the blurry city lights streaming past in the background.

"Dad! We're having dinner right now. Did you eat yet?" Brynlee excitedly held up her watch, panning the camera over the table full of food, then scanning across the people sitting around it. Finally, she happily bit into a rib. "Grandma's ribs are the best!"

Was it really just a coincidence that on the exact night Kaia went back to her parents' house, Miles happened to be there for dinner?

It felt entirely too orchestrated for his liking.

After dinner, Miles took a walk around the university campus with Warren before heading back to his car.

Kaia was in the living room chatting with her mother when Miles came in to say his goodbyes. She walked him out to the gate.

"I'll head out now, Kaia," Miles said, standing on the porch.

Kaia nodded, her eyes lowered to the ground. He stood tall and straight, his gaze gentle and clear.

Miles didn't push for conversation. He simply turned, walked out the gate, and left.

At eight o'clock on Saturday morning, the early sunlight pierced through the mist, illuminating the grounds of the Sanders estate.

Finnian had just returned from his morning run. Dressed in gray athletic wear, he sat in the dining room sipping his coffee.

Just then, a white Bentley pulled up to the gate outside. But when the system scanned the license plate, an 'Access Denied' message flashed.

Seeing the prompt, Noelle Lawrence looked completely stunned.