What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 280

Kaia looked at him, blinking in surprise, before whispering, "I hired someone to help out. She'll have dinner ready for us."

Just as Simon was scrambling for another reason to make her stay, Mrs. Quinn walked up the stairs with a welcoming smile. "Kaia, the kids have already started eating. Please, come down and join us."

Kaia was speechless.

Her little girl really made herself right at home, didn't she?

A faint smile touched Simon's lips, and he didn't say another word.

Feeling a bit awkward, Kaia followed them downstairs. Sure enough, Brynlee was sitting right next to Anna, happily stuffing her face and chattering away.

Simon pulled out a chair next to Brynlee, gesturing for Kaia to sit.

"Mom, the food at Anna's house is so good!" Brynlee cheered, her mouth full.

Kaia didn't know whether to laugh or scold her. Layla's cooking was amazing, but Brynlee was always a picky eater at home; the moment she ate out, she acted like she had discovered a Michelin-star meal.

Simon took the seat next to his mother. Even though he was a thirty-year-old man, sitting beside his mother gave him a quiet, slightly shy demeanor. Noticing this side of him, Kaia couldn't help but glance his way a few times.

Mrs. Quinn smilingly urged Kaia to eat more. As dinner progressed, the conversation naturally drifted to old memories, and eventually landed squarely on Simon.

Simon tensed. When his mother brought up the fact that he had never even brought a girlfriend home, a deep flush crept across his handsome face. "Mom, my work schedule is insane. I don't have the time for that."

"Is it that you don't have time, or that you just don't want to? You know exactly what I mean," Mrs. Quinn shook her head helplessly.

"I'll think about it when I meet the right person," Simon mumbled distractedly.

"And when exactly is that going to happen?" she pressed.

Simon's gaze flicked instinctively toward Kaia before he quickly looked away. "Mom, please stop rushing me. I'm still waiting."

Mrs. Quinn sighed at his response. Her son was brilliant, decisive, and fiercely opportunistic in every aspect of his life—except when it came to women. His complete lack of initiative was maddening. Because he took Anna everywhere, people constantly mistook him for her father.

To make matters worse, Anna had snitched on him several times, telling Mrs. Quinn that whenever a beautiful woman approached them, Simon would actually introduce Anna as his daughter. It made his mother want to throttle him.

Halfway through dinner, Kaia's phone buzzed with a text.

She picked it up. It was from Finnian.

The large hand she had accidentally grabbed suddenly turned, wrapping around her slender fingers. A scorching heat radiated from his palm as he firmly pressed the payment envelope back into her hand. "Kaia, if you don't take this, we'll never dare ask you to come for a house call again."

Burned by the intense heat of his grip, Kaia instinctively pulled her hand back, though the envelope remained firmly in her grasp.

"Thank you for your hard work. Drive safe," Simon said. His gaze was filled with a deep, undeniable sincerity, and in the dim evening light, a faint blush was visible across his handsome features.

Feeling completely overwhelmed by their politeness, Kaia hesitated but ultimately accepted the fee, bidding the Quinn family goodbye.

Simon stood motionless, watching the silver Mercedes disappear into the night, a complex storm of emotions churning in his eyes.

Standing behind him, Mrs. Quinn noticed her son slowly curling his fingers into a tight fist. Understanding exactly what was going through his mind, she let out a quiet sigh.

It was true what they said—you really shouldn't meet someone too breathtaking when you're young, or you might end up ruining the rest of your life pining for them.

"She's long gone. Has your soul still not returned to your body?" Mrs. Quinn suddenly broke the silence, teasing him.

Simon whipped around to look at his mother, his face burning bright red. "Mom, what are you talking about? I don't know what you mean."

"A mother knows her son better than anyone. Do you really think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours?" Mrs. Quinn sighed helplessly. "It's just that fate is a tricky thing. You can't force it. If only you had confessed your feelings to her earlier, maybe you wouldn't have spent all these years waiting for nothing."