What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 286

"No. I don't want to worry her," Kaia replied.

"How many days are you staying here? What if she asks to see you?" Finnian asked, fully turning around to face her.

The moment he turned, Kaia immediately tugged her shirt down, hiding the exposed skin of her lower back. Finnian caught the subtle, defensive movement, and his gaze turned somber.

"Figure it out. Keep her distracted," Kaia demanded.

Finnian frowned. "Fine. I'll figure something out. But if she insists, knowing you're hurt isn't the end of the world. Families shouldn't keep secrets from each other."

Kaia sneered internally, refusing to acknowledge his blatant hypocrisy.

How many dirty secrets was Finnian hiding? Did he confess his decade-long affair to his family?

No. He hid it flawlessly.

"I don't need you lecturing me on that," she said, her voice dripping with ice.

Meanwhile, news of the factory fire had already reached the press. The media quickly caught wind that Kaia Chavez, the head of Veridian's R&D department, had barely escaped with her life. It instantly became headline news.

Even as she lay in her hospital bed, reporters were already swarming the hallway outside, desperate for a scoop.

As Kaia and Finnian sat in suffocating silence, shadows moved past the frosted glass of her room. Kaia tensed. Finnian crossed his arms, staring at the door. "Looks like the press found you."

Kaia sighed in frustration. The media was relentless when it came to farming clicks. There was no reasoning with them.

"Don't worry. I'll have my security team handle this," Finnian said smoothly. He immediately pulled out his phone and called Dexter, ordering him to clear out the reporters before it turned into a circus.

Dexter arrived promptly with a team of bodyguards and locked down the floor. By now, it was past four in the afternoon. Brynlee called to ask if Kaia was coming to her grandparents' house for dinner. Kaia made up an excuse about working late, and the little girl didn't push it.

Jane and Warren had already heard the news. To stop them from panicking, Kaia gave them a full rundown of her injuries. They urged her to rest and promised to take good care of Brynlee.

Seeing her hang up, Finnian glanced at his watch. "What do you want to eat? I can have Layla cook something and bring it over."

After the utter chaos of the day, Kaia was starving, but she refused to rely on him.

"I already asked my assistant to grab me food. If you have somewhere to be, just leave," she told him.

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he stared at her sleeping form.

Over the past seven years, they had barely shared a bed, so he rarely saw her sleep. He stood up, quietly walking around the bed. Bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, he studied her peaceful face.

In her sleep, the sharp, defensive edge she constantly wore vanished, leaving behind a soft, delicate beauty that finally matched her age.

Tracing the faint softness of her cheeks, Finnian realized something shocking—Kaia was only twenty-seven. Yet, ever since she slapped that project contract down along with her marriage terms, her brilliance and sheer authority had made him completely forget how young she really was.

It was as if he was seeing her clearly for the first time. He leaned against the wall, quietly admiring her.

He suddenly remembered Chad praising her beauty at dinner. At the time, Finnian had dismissed it, thinking Kaia was just passably pretty. But looking closely at her delicate features now, he had to admit—she was undeniably gorgeous.

Just then, his phone buzzed. Not wanting to wake her, he stepped quickly out into the hallway and checked the message.

It was a text from Mrs. Wagner. "Mr. Sanders, I can't reach Noelle. Her phone is turned off, and I don't know where she is."

Finnian's expression instantly changed. He immediately dialed Noelle's number, but it went straight to voicemail.