What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 241

Finnian's voice came through the speaker, stripped of any discernible emotion. "Put your mom on the phone. Let me ask her."

Brynlee instantly bounded over to Kaia's side. "Mom, Dad wants to talk to you."

Kaia glanced at her daughter's smartwatch and spoke flatly. "What is it?"

"Buying furniture in such a rush?" Finnian's tone sounded deceptively calm.

"Yes," Kaia replied coolly.

"Why is Silas there?" he suddenly asked.

Only then did Kaia realize the true nature of this call—it was an interrogation.

"He's friends with the showroom owner. He happened to be passing by and offered a second opinion."

The man on the other end fell silent for a few seconds, his breathing growing noticeably heavier. "Right. Do you need my help with anything?"

"No need." With that, Kaia hung up.

Silas strolled over. "My cousin? What did he say?"

"Nothing," Kaia said with a faint smile.

Silas raised an eyebrow and didn't press the issue, though his gaze was thoughtful.

They spent the entire day finalizing most of the furniture selections. By the time they finished, it was past nine o'clock. To thank Silas for his help, Kaia treated him to dinner.

Now, Kaia was carrying a fast-asleep Brynlee back into the villa.

Finnian was sitting on the living room sofa, looking exactly as if he had been waiting specifically for her.

The overhead lights cast deep shadows across his face, and a faint trace of tobacco lingered in the air.

Kaia carried the sleeping girl straight upstairs, not showing the slightest intention of greeting him.

Though they lived under the same roof, their dynamic had devolved into that of total strangers.

Kaia gently placed Brynlee on the bed and fetched a warm towel to wash her face and hands. The little girl wasn't very cooperative; she simply puckered her lips, rolled over, and continued sleeping.

After getting her daughter settled, Kaia stepped out of the master bedroom. To her surprise, Finnian was leaning against the hallway wall, hands casually tucked into his pockets, looking as though he had something to say.

Just as Kaia walked past him, he suddenly spoke.

"The bed Silas helped you test out must be fantastic."

Kaia froze. The sheer absurdity of his implication hit her, and she almost laughed.

His words hit her like a bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing her desire to argue.

She stood there in a daze. When Silas said he was just passing by today, she had taken it as pure kindness. But framed through Finnian's cynical lens, that kindness suddenly felt like a double-edged sword.

"Thanks for the warning. I'll keep it in mind." Kaia let out a soft breath, her voice settling back into a calm rhythm. "But just because I'm your wife doesn't mean you can force me to live on an isolated island. I need friends. I need normal human interaction. So, regardless of what you just said, it won't stop me from living my life."

Finnian stiffened, catching the blatant defiance in her tone.

"I never asked you to become an isolated island for me," he said, his voice dropping low.

Kaia merely nodded and headed downstairs, unwilling to waste another breath defending herself.

Finnian stood at the top of the stairs, watching her grab a glass to get some water.

The sight suddenly triggered a memory from seven years ago, shortly after they were married. Whenever she went downstairs for water late at night, she would always ask if he wanted some, or if he was tired. There was even a time she set a glass on his desk, gently wrapped her arms around him from behind, buried her face in the crook of his neck, and begged him to come to bed early.

Finnian frowned. Why were these memories suddenly so vivid?

Over the last seven years, Kaia occasionally showed flashes of that tender affection, yet those moments had never really stuck with him. Now, they were clawing their way to the surface.

Monday, at The Sanders Tower, in the top-floor grand conference room.