What She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 70

The conference room plunged into a dead silence.

Silas's face turned icy. Noelle's accusation was severe and could easily derail everything.

Kaia hadn't expected Noelle to attack her integrity. She stared at her quietly for a few seconds.

Then, she calmly reached into her folder and pulled out several copies of notarized legal documents, handing them to the board members and finally to Noelle.

"All intellectual property generated during my time at Aethelstan pertaining to this specific methodology has been legally verified and assigned."

"If Ms. Lawrence has any further doubts, she is welcome to review the notarized documents. We have absolute legal standing."

Noelle stared at the papers in her trembling hands, the blood receding to leave her face a mask of ashen disbelief.

She hadn't realized Kaia was this terrifyingly prepared. The bright red notary stamps stared back at her, a glaring reminder of the formidable opponent sitting across from her.

Ignoring Noelle entirely, Kaia turned back to the review board, her voice steady and sincere. "Scientific progress requires building on the past, but it also demands breakthroughs and clashing ideas. Veridian's proposals will remain open for collaborative, peer-reviewed clinical research. If anyone here is interested, we welcome you to explore the future of oncology treatments with us."

When the review session ended, the board didn't announce the winner on the spot, but the momentum had clearly shifted in Veridian's favor.

Leaving the conference room, Noelle caught up to Kaia in the hallway. She kept her voice low and sharp. "Kaia, do you really have to be this ruthless with me?"

Kaia stopped and looked at her coolly. "Ms. Lawrence, this is strictly business. We are discussing scientific viability and patient outcomes."

"Stop using your 'savior complex' to justify this. Us fighting like this doesn't benefit the Sanders family, and it doesn't benefit Finnian. You know that, right?"

Kaia paused for a second before letting out a dismissive scoff. "I made the boundaries between us perfectly clear at your promotion party. I guess you just didn't get the memo."

Silas, standing right next to them, chimed in. "Ms. Lawrence, if your technical knowledge isn't up to par, I suggest you hit the books instead of the hallways."

Noelle's expression twisted through a spectrum of anger before she let out a cold huff. "You seem awfully arrogant, Silas."

Silas remained entirely unbothered. "Results speak for themselves, don't they?"

With that, he quickly caught up to Kaia.

"Man, you scared the hell out of me back there. I was in a cold sweat."

"I guess that's the bridge officially burned with her."

"Think my cousin's gonna be mad at us?" Silas asked, his tone laced with absolute sarcasm.

Kaia kept walking, her eyes fixed forward. "Once science meets business, there's no room for hurt feelings. Only undeniable results and ironclad data keep you in the game."

"You know what happened?" Noelle dropped the coat draped over her arm and slumped onto the sofa, offering a bitter laugh. "Kaia really didn't pull any punches, did she? I looked like an absolute fool."

Finnian walked over, poured her a cup of hot tea, and placed it in front of her. "The review board judges based on data and technical execution. She was simply better prepared."

"Yeah. She was too prepared. She anticipated every single angle. Going up against someone like that... it's actually terrifying." Noelle blew on her tea and took a sip. "I worked so hard to prove myself. I wanted to show you that you didn't make a mistake trusting me. But I never expected friendly fire. Will Kaia ever drop that icy superiority complex? Honestly, I'm dreading the next time we run into each other. I'll probably just embarrass myself again."

Finnian listened quietly before offering a word of comfort. "Don't overthink it."

Noelle pressed her fingers to her temples and sighed. "How can I not? I'm the CEO, and I was publicly dismantled by my former head of R&D in front of a room full of industry leaders. Did Kaia even consider how this reflects on the Sanders family?"

Finnian's eyes grew complicated.

"She dismantled your technical argument. It had nothing to do with the Sanders family." Finnian's voice took on a thoughtful weight. "She had notarized documentation for the data and IP. The law recognizes it, and it belongs to her and her new company. She played exactly by the rules of the industry."

Noelle's eyes trembled. The confusion on her face morphed into a suffocating mix of frustration and hurt.

But that was Finnian. When it came to business, he was agonizingly objective. He never let personal feelings cloud the facts.

"I guess... hearing you say that makes me feel a little better. It just proves my academic background isn't strong enough." Noelle forced a self-deprecating smile. "Are you mad at me, Finnian? For not being good enough?"