What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 556

Kaia accepted it, smiling and waving at him. Their effortless, familiar interaction brought a touch of undeniable warmth to the freezing winter night.

Finnian watched the late-night farewell across the street with an entirely expressionless face. But inside, it felt as though someone had kicked over a vat of vinegar, flooding his chest with burning sourness.

Simon watched Kaia's silhouette disappear behind the building's security gate before finally getting back into his car and driving away.

Finnian brutally crushed his cigarette into the car's ashtray. He jammed it down so fiercely that sparks flew onto the back of his hand, but he didn't feel a shred of physical pain.

Seizing the moment, he picked up his phone and quickly fired off a text to Kaia: "I'm passing by downstairs. Can I come up and see Brynlee?"

After sending the message, he stared blankly at the screen, realizing his heart was hammering aggressively in his chest.

He waited for just over a minute before Kaia's reply came through: "It's too late. Brynlee is already asleep. Next time."

Finnian had fully expected this rejection, and he let out a harsh, self-mocking laugh.

He ordered Dexter to drive away, watching the glowing apartment window shrink further and further in the rearview mirror.

Dexter parked the car at the entrance of the villa. Finnian stepped out. The sprawling house felt agonizingly empty, his footsteps echoing off the walls.

At this hour, the housekeeper was already fast asleep. A single wall sconce cast a dim, amber glow across the living room. Finnian paused in a daze.

He remembered how it used to be. Whenever he came home, his daughter's tiny figure would sprint toward him, demanding to be picked up.

Kaia would be walking around in her comfortable loungewear, occasionally strolling over to ask him about his day.

Finnian slowly made his way to the second floor. Near the top of the stairs hung a Southern landscape oil painting, all warm ochres and deep greens under a bright sky.

He had never paid much attention to the piece. After all, the villa was filled with masterpiece paintings—the cheapest one being a Renaissance-era work he had acquired at auction for millions of dollars.

But Kaia had begged him to hang this specific painting. At the time, she had pleaded with him, saying the piece held profound meaning for her.

Finnian stopped in front of the canvas. Just then, he noticed a short poem inscribed near the bottom edge. It read:

"Forever in these golden fields,

I see a land that never yields.

Finnian walked into the guest room Kaia had slept in. So many of her things were arranged exactly as they had been when she lived there.

She had barely taken any of her clothes, jewelry, bags, or shoes.

She had emptied the books from the study, but she left her desktop computer behind. The things she truly treasured had been packed up and taken away without a backward glance.

Finnian realized he had never made a genuine effort to understand this woman. Now, he felt like a wretched voyeur, hiding in the shadows to peek into the life she used to live.

Staring at the desktop computer, a violent impulse surged through him. He desperately wanted to turn it on and look inside.

His fingers hovered over the power button before suddenly freezing. What the hell was he doing?

This was Kaia's personal property. Did he have her permission to touch it?

But...

He needed to know what secrets were hidden inside.