What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 397

Finnian noticed the sudden redness in Kaia's eyes. He froze for a second before his defensive instincts kicked in. "Noelle and I are family, and at work, I'm her superior. You don't need to spin this into some wild conspiracy."

"Is that right?" Kaia shot back with a bitter scoff. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel, threw the door open, and walked out.

Finnian watched her rigid posture as she left, a suffocating tightness seizing his chest.

Her venomous glare and the words she seemed to swallow at the last second sent his mind racing. Did Kaia already know about Noelle's pregnancy?

An intense wave of anxiety washed over him. He couldn't let this leak yet. He absolutely refused to let Noelle face the brutal scrutiny of the public while fighting to keep her babies safe.

On Tuesday morning, Kaia was informed that she needed to catch a 3:00 PM flight to Cytogene's headquarters to negotiate the project details. She immediately rallied her team, ordering them to prepare all necessary documentation and stay on standby.

By 1:00 PM, the news had trickled down to Aethelstan. Wendy Vance, acting as Noelle's eyes and ears, wasted no time reporting the development directly to her boss.

"Ms. Lawrence, I just got an update on the Cytogene project. Kaia is flying out at 3:00 PM on Mr. Sanders's private jet. Rumor has it that Mr. Sanders is personally accompanying her."

*Personally accompanying her?*

The words pierced Noelle's chest like jagged glass. She gripped her phone tightly, her voice cracking. "I see."

"Ms. Lawrence, when are you coming back to take charge? The whole team is on edge, waiting for you to stabilize things. The Veridian executives are completely shameless. The second they heard you were sick, they swooped in and hijacked our project. Vultures like them don't deserve this win," Wendy spat out. As Noelle's most loyal subordinate, she felt comfortable speaking her mind—especially since her intense hatred for Kaia and her assistant, Laura, gave her every reason to throw fuel on the fire.

"Watch your mouth," Noelle reprimanded sharply.

Wendy instantly broke into a cold sweat and clamped her mouth shut. "Understood, Ms. Lawrence. Just tell me what you need, and I'll make it happen."

Noelle tightened her grip on her phone, struggling to steady her breathing. "Just focus on your job."

With that, she hung up.

Outside, the autumn chill was setting in. Heavy rain battered the falling leaves, and the dismal grey sky mirrored the suffocating dread closing in on her.

Noelle felt a bone-deep cold wash over her—not from the weather, but from the terrifying realization creeping into her mind.

Finnian was flying overseas with Kaia for a three-day trip. Yes, there would be team members present, but they would be in a foreign country, spending every waking hour together without Brynlee around as a distraction.

Worse, because of the high-stakes project, they would eat together, sit in meetings together, and practically be joined at the hip for the majority of the day. Noelle knew exactly how intoxicating that environment could be—she and Finnian had spent their own international trip the exact same way.

Noelle squeezed her eyes shut as a desperate, screaming voice echoed in her mind. *No. I can't let him go. I cannot give them an opportunity to be alone together.*

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