What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 536

Kaia grabbed a change of clothes from the closet, shot Dexter a text, and headed to Finnian's presidential suite.

Dexter was already pacing the hallway, waiting for her. When she appeared, he let out a massive sigh of relief. "Dr. Chavez, thank God you're here. He's inside."

Kaia pushed the door open.

The living area was brightly illuminated by a single floor lamp.

Finnian was slouched on the sofa in a white bathrobe, the belt tied loosely. The collar hung open, revealing his collarbones and a patch of fever-flushed skin. He clearly felt miserable. His hair was still damp; he had likely tried to break the fever with a cold shower, a physical intervention that had spectacularly failed.

Hearing her approach, Finnian shifted his dark gaze toward her. His eyes were heavy, swirling with complex emotions.

"You didn't take any fever reducers?" Kaia asked.

He shook his head.

Kaia pulled a blister pack of pills from her pocket. Dexter scrambled to pour a glass of warm water and set it on the coffee table.

"Take two. We need to get your temperature down," she instructed briskly.

Finnian stared at the pills for a second. Wordlessly, he popped them out, tossed them into his mouth, and washed them down with the water.

Kaia couldn't hold her tongue. "How old are you? You get a fever and your first instinct is to whine to your five-year-old daughter? Is that really appropriate?"

He blinked at her, slightly dazed. "Brynlee called me out of nowhere. I didn't mean to complain to her... I just had a fever, and she noticed I looked flushed."

Kaia knew Finnian wasn't the type of man to seek pity from a toddler. It was probably just their father-daughter intuition at play.

"Just focus on resting. Go to the hospital first thing in the morning," she ordered, turning on her heel to leave.

"Kaia," his hoarse voice called out behind her. "Thank you."

She didn't respond. She simply opened the door and walked out.

Dexter watched the exchange, sighing internally. The boss had absolutely played the sympathy card with his illness just to lure Kaia over.

People really never valued what they had until it was gone.

Without another word, she walked out of the conference room.

Everyone left behind exchanged bewildered looks.

The standoff was complete. Neither side was willing to concede an inch.

Later, Kaia leaned back in a chair in the breakroom, her arms crossed. Silas stood nearby, venting his frustration at Cytogene's sheer greed.

Kaia closed her eyes. She knew exactly what was at stake. If she caved now, every future international collaboration Veridian pursued would be strangled by Cytogene's predatory terms. For the sake of the company's long-term future, she couldn't fold. She was the one in the driver's seat; she had to protect the integrity of the project.

The deadlock dragged on through the afternoon of the following day. Silas went a few more rounds with their executives, but they made zero progress.

As evening approached, Finnian, fresh off his IV drip at the hospital, walked into the hotel lobby.

Hearing he had arrived, Mr. Kent rushed to the entrance to intercept him. Kent openly admitted that Kaia was one of the most formidable negotiators he had ever encountered in his career, and subtly hinted that Finnian might want to step in and soften her up.

Finnian had come specifically for this issue, but his stance was going to be infinitely more unyielding than Kaia's.