What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 456

Kaia was silent for a long moment. "I can lend you the money. You'll sign an IOU, calculate it with bank interest, and pay it off within three years."

Leo's eyes instantly lit up. "How much?"

"Thirty million dollars."

The light died from Leo's eyes just as quickly. "Kaia, thirty million will only cover the bank loans and the loan sharks. I still owe money for the Cytogene AG project..."

"You need to figure out the Cytogene AG project on your own," Kaia cut him off. "I looked into it. The project is viable, but you have to manage it personally. Claw back whatever funds you can. Once it's finished, covering a fifty million dollar deficit isn't impossible."

Leo looked at her, his expression desperate. "Kaia, could you lend me a bit more? Fifty million dollars. I'll write the IOU. The second the project pays out, I swear I'll pay you back."

Kaia knew the project required seed money to stay afloat. She weighed her options. "Fine. But remember, you are signing an IOU. You have to pay me back."

Leo opened his mouth to say something, but swallowed the words. He nodded frantically. "I will. I promise I will."

Kaia let out a breath. "I hope this taught you a lesson. If you ever chase quick money or get greedy again, I'm never helping you."

Leo felt like he could finally breathe again. Tears streamed down his face. "I won't forget this, Kaia."

Kaia already had an IOU prepared. She placed the neatly written document in front of him, detailing the principal, the interest rate, and the repayment timeline.

Leo signed it immediately.

Just then, Warren and Jane walked downstairs. Seeing the signed paper, Jane's eyes welled with furious tears. Warren looked utterly defeated.

"I'll wire the money to your account tomorrow," Kaia said.

"Thank you, Kaia. Thank you for stepping up," Leo said softly. It took hitting rock bottom to realize that family was the only safety net he truly had. His so-called buddies had bolted at the first sign of trouble.

Part of Kaia's motivation for bailing him out was to protect their parents. She knew debt collectors used psychological warfare that her aging parents simply wouldn't survive.

Money secured, Leo hurriedly left. He needed to grovel to Sophia and clear his debts before things spiraled any further.

Jane walked over and gripped Kaia's hand tightly. "Thank you, Kaia. You saved us again."

"Mom, Dad, you gave him money too, didn't you?" Kaia asked gently. Even furious, parents rarely let their children drown.

Warren cleared his throat. "My teaching contract ends next month, and I'm not renewing it. Your mother and I talked, and we've decided to move closer to you. It'll be easier to help with Brynlee, so you aren't constantly rushing back and forth."

Kaia's eyes stung with tears. She desperately needed the help.

"Okay. We'll go house hunting together. I'm at the Veridian Future apartment now, but it's temporary. Let's find a nice neighborhood." Living closer to her parents sounded incredibly comforting.

"Whenever you have the time, we'll go look," Jane said, finally offering a small smile.

It was 3:00 AM, and Noelle Lawrence was awake again. Her anxiety had made sleep impossible. She chalked it up to pregnancy hormones.

Lying in the dark, she stared at the ceiling and rested a hand on her stomach. Her lower abdomen was starting to show; the twins were growing.

Her thoughts spiraled. She had secured her place in the Sanders family permanently, so why did she feel like an empty, hollow shell?

When she first joined the family as a child, she had been terrified of the dark. Finnian and Rafael would stay by her side, holding her hand and telling her she was safe.

And now? Rafael was gone, and there was no one left to hold her hand in the dark.