Whats She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 101

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Josephine rubbed her temples, exhaustion settling deep in her bones. Years ago, she had orchestrated the marriage between Noelle and Rafael, and she had never regretted it. But fate had been cruel, taking Rafael entirely too soon. Heartbroken, Josephine had tried to send Noelle abroad to start fresh, only for her plans to be thoroughly dismantled by Finnian.

“Ma’am, Mr. Sanders said he was going abroad for work. Surely… Giles, the butler, didn’t dare finish the thought.

“Hmph! Rushing off abroad like the building is on fire. If you ask me, he’s just flying over to play house with his little mistress.”

“Ma’am…” Giles paled, visibly shaken by the implication.

“It’s a disgrace!” Josephine slammed her fist against her knee.

Meanwhile, Elaine Sanders was out to lunch with her socialite friends when she heard the news of Finnian’s sudden departure. Surprised, she didn’t waste a second. The very next morning, she dialed his number.

The line connected, echoing slightly as if he were in a spacious hotel suite or an empty boardroom.

“Mom, what’s up? I’m in the middle of a meeting,” Finnian’s deep, steady voice came through.

“Finnian, how… how are things going over there? When are you coming back?” Elaine kept her tone casually affectionate.

“It might take another two or three days. Why?”

frowned. “Well, since you’re out of the country, shouldn’t you check in on Noelle? Isn’t

there too?”

right next to me,” Finnian replied smoothly. “She flew in for the conference as well.”

heart sank, but she forced a pleasant tone. “Alright, well, focus on your work. Once led, come home as soon as you can.”

“I know, Mom,” Finnian said, ending the call.

Night had fallen over the Alps, the air as still as water beneath a blanket of low–hanging. stars. Inside an isolated wooden chalet, a roaring fire crackled in the hearth, casting a warm, golden glow.

Having wrapped up their meetings, Finnian and Noelle had driven up to the cabin to rest.

Exhaustion lined Finnian’s features. The moment he stepped into the living room, he collapsed onto the sofa. “I’m going to shut my eyes for a bit.”

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“I’ll go upstairs and grab you a blanket. Get some sleep,” Noelle murmured softly.

Finnian hadn’t rested properly the entire holiday season. Here, in the absolute quiet of the

cabin, lulled by the heat of the fire, he fell into a deep, agus deep almost instantly.

Noelle returned and draped the blanket gently over him. She poured herself half a glass of red wine, took a seat on the opposite sofa, and let her gaze trace the sleeping man’s features.

He was breathtakingly handsome. At twenty–nine, he was in the prime of his life, radiating a mature, masculine magnetism that was impossible to ignore.

She took a slow sip of wine, watching the firelight dance across his face. Yet, there was no triumphant joy in her eyes–only a lingering sense of unease and deeper calculation.

Finnian hadn’t actually flown out here just for her. His itinerary was real. His dedication to the business was real.

And that was exactly what terrified her.

She didn’t want to be an afterthought or a convenient detour on his business trip. She wanted his undivided devotion.

Pulling out her phone, Noelle quietly snapped a photo of his handsome profile illuminated by the fire. The darkening sky outside and the hazy, romantic lighting inside stirred something restless and greedy within her.

Finally, she slipped her phone away and headed upstairs alone.

Back in the States, it was the middle of the holidays. Kaia took Brynlee to her parents‘ house for a family dinner. Jane and Layla had put together a massive feast, and Brynlee was out on the porch with her grandpa, watching the neighborhood kids set off sparklers. The crisp winter air smelled faintly of smoke and frost.

Kaia stood by the window, watching the decorative lights sway in the freezing wind, her fingertips ice–cold.

After dinner, Kaia took Brynlee upstairs for a bath. They were spending the night, and Jane. soon wandered up to keep her daughter company.

“Is Finnian okay? Why didn’t he come?” Jane had asked earlier that afternoon, but Kaia had brushed it off, saying he was busy.

Now, Brynlee piped up in her sweet, innocent voice, “Daddy went away for work! That’s why he couldn’t come eat with Grandpa and Grandma.”

Jane looked surprised, turning to Kaia. “He went abroad for work? Right in the middle of the holidays?”

Kaia nodded stiffly. “Yeah.”

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offering to stay behind and handle the rest of their overseas business.

It was a tactical retreat. She needed him to remember her as the gentle, understanding. selfless woman he believed her to be.

She was willing to temporarily loan him back to Kaia and his daughter because she knew one undeniable truth: Finnian’s heart had never truly left her.

Brynlee’s sudden illness was suspiciously convenient. It felt like a desperate ploy cooked up by a neglected wife to drag her husband home.

But Noelle knew that once you sat down at the poker table, you had to play your cards patiently. As long as she held the winning hand, she would take the pot in the end.

Fresh out of the shower, Noelle saw Elaine’s name flashing on her phone screen.

She picked it up immediately. “Mom!”

Elaine’s voice came through. “How are things going with the business over there? Did Finnian say when he’s flying back?”

“Oh, Finnian is already back in the States. Brynlee got sick. I think she’s in the hospital,” Noelle said smoothly.

Elaine’s tone shifted instantly. “When did this happen? Why didn’t anyone tell me my granddaughter is in the hospital?”

A mocking smile touched Noelle’s lips, but her voice dripped with innocent surprise. “Mom, you didn’t know? Finnian told me her fever wouldn’t break and it was pretty serious. I’ve been so worried.”

“I’ll call Kaia right now,” Elaine said sharply, ending the call.

Noelle tossed her phone onto the bed, a sudden wave of irritation washing over her.

What game was Kaia playing? Not even notifying the Sanders family when her child was hospitalized? Was she using the kid to play the victim and score sympathy points?

Using a child as a pawn? Pathetic.

In the hospital corridor, Kaia had just walked out of the doctor’s office holding Brynlee’s latest chart. Her vitals were finally improving.

She rubbed her temples. She hadn’t slept a wink in over twenty–four hours and just wanted to go back to the room and crash.

Just then, a familiar figure marched toward her.

5 = 2

It was Elaine, and she looked absolutely furious.

Kaia’s heart sank.