What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 589

Kaia replied almost instantly, with only two words: "No time."

Finnian wasn't surprised. It made sense she'd brush him off. The leaked photos of him and Noelle had probably deepened her disgust for him.

After Kaia rejected him, she certainly didn't expect to find him sitting in the small lounge outside her office half an hour before she got off work.

She had pulled a few project leads into her office for a meeting. Once it wrapped up, Laura carefully buzzed her intercom, keeping her voice low. "Dr. Chavez, Mr. Sanders has been waiting outside for half an hour. Since you're free now, do you want to see him?"

Kaia's fingers paused. Closing a file, she said, "Let him in."

A minute later, Finnian pushed the door open.

He was wearing a dark blue suit without a tie, the top button of his white shirt undone. He looked less like a rigid executive and more like a living, breathing human.

His handsome face still carried traces of exhaustion, suggesting he hadn't slept well the night before.

Of course he hadn't. His old romance with Noelle was finally out in the open. He was probably too excited to sleep.

She wondered if he came today to gloat or to officially declare his love for Noelle.

Finnian stopped in front of her desk, his dark eyes fixed squarely on her.

Kaia looked equally drained, the exhaustion of her workload showing. She leaned back in her chair and met his gaze.

When their eyes locked, she felt a slight jolt of surprise.

For a split second, Finnian's eyes seemed to hold the same vibrant, unfiltered sincerity from the very first time they met.

Was she imagining things?

Or maybe he was just in a great mood now that his relationship with Noelle could be public.

"Mr. Sanders is a busy man. How did you find the time to warm the bench outside my office for half an hour? This must be incredibly important," Kaia mocked lightly, a smirk tugging at her lips.

Finnian looked straight into her eyes and replied, "It is. It's very important, and I needed to say it to your face."

"Go ahead. I'm all ears." Kaia was starting to channel true female boss energy. Even though he was technically her boss, she looked at him with absolute authority.

Being stared down by Kaia actually made Finnian a little self-conscious. Upon closer inspection, the tips of his ears were slightly red. He lowered his gaze to the desk, his voice dropping slightly. "I know you used to have a crush on me."

The office fell dead silent for a moment.

Kaia paused, looking back at him. "Your relationship with Noelle is headline news everywhere. You should be by her side right now, not here spouting nonsense to me. Finnian, wanting it all is a bit greedy, don't you think?"

Faced with her sarcasm, Finnian remained surprisingly calm. He pulled up a chair and sat down, a faint smile touching his lips. "My history with Noelle is worthless baggage. Does it still bother you?"

Kaia stiffened at his counter-question. Yeah, why had she even brought it up?

"I stopped caring a long time ago."

"Two years of crushing on me, seven years of marriage. Kaia, I feel like I've missed out on so much. I'm sorry. Ever since we got married, I always thought you were in love with someone else—that there was a phantom presence in every moment of our marriage." Finnian pinched the bridge of his nose, laughing bitterly. "Sometimes I'd see you blanking out at your computer, smiling at nothing, or staring into space in the garden. Even though we were husband and wife, I felt like I never had a clue what you were thinking."

Kaia frowned, lowering her eyes. "You never asked. Don't you think saying this now is a little too late?"

"I couldn't ask. I was afraid of shattering the balance between us," Finnian said softly. "Before we got married, we agreed—mutual respect, maintaining boundaries. If I interfered with your freedom, I'd be crossing the line."

Kaia closed her eyes. It was true. They had put all of that in their prenuptial agreement, even adding a clause about an amicable divorce.

"People are only polite and respectful when they don't love each other. If you really love someone, you'll break the rules. I understand that," Kaia nodded, validating his point.

"Then did you ever break the rules for love? Did you?" Finnian stared at her intently, his dark eyes filled with emotion.