Kaia tossed her phone into the cup holder, not bothering to reply.
Back at the house, Kaia stuck to their usual routine. She helped Brynlee with a little English reading, read her a bedtime story, gave her a bath, and tucked her in. But once the house was quiet, Kaia found herself staring at the ceiling, wide awake.
Ever since she had stood on that third–floor balcony after Rafael’s memorial and heard the sickening truth, her sleep had been fractured
and shallow.
Around 2:00 AM, she finally managed to drift into a heavy sleep, only to be jolted awake by the aggressive roar of a car engine pulling into the driveway.
Absolutely furious, Kaia threw off the covers. She decided she was going to march downstairs and finally scream at him. She grabbed her robe and stomped out to the landing.
The lights in the foyer flicked on. Dexter and Charles, the chauffeur, were practically dragging Finnian through the front door.
Finnian couldn’t even stand on his own. He was missing his suit jacket, wearing only a rumpled gray dress shirt and vest, and he looked like he had been submerged in a vat of whiskey.
‘Mrs. Sanders, I’m so sorry for waking you,” Dexter apologized frantically when he spotted Kaia glaring down from the top of the stairs. “Mr. Sanders was out with a few investors tonight. He drank way too much…
we couldn’t stop him.”
Kaia stood at the top of the stairs, her arms crossed over her chest, staring down at the pathetic scene.
Under the bright chandelier, the untouchable, perfectly groomed CEO of the Sanders Conglomerate was completely gone. In his place was a
messy, drunken disaster.
“Dexter, since you brought him home, you can stay and take care of him. There’s Advil and some electrolytes in the pantry cabinet.”
With that, she turned on her heel and walked right back into her bedroom, shutting the door. She didn’t even pretend to care or offer to help.
Dexter stood there, stunned. “…”
Charles looked equally shocked.
Usually, if Mr. Sanders came home even slightly tipsy, Kaia would rush down the stairs, full of concern, and personally take care of him until he was comfortable.
Finnian seemed to have caught fragments of Kaia’s dismissal through his drunken haze. He collapsed heavily onto the sofa, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Don’t bother my wife. You… stay…”
Once he wi
and sho
in the
cho
e rummaged through the pantry, found the
Finnian to swallow them with a glass of water. into the guest bedroom, pulled his shoes off, he covers, Dexter collapsed onto the small sofa antly passed out.
Kaia woke up at her usual time. She meticulously did dressed in a sleek, professional outfit, and then went to get
slipped into her crisp new school uniform, slung her little
ck over her shoulders, and spun around happily. “Mommy, do I pretty? I’m going to go show Daddy!”
ay was her first day of school, and she was bouncing off the walls th excitement. Without a trace of morning crankiness, she skipped own the hall and threw open the door to Finnian’s guest room.
Chapter 119
Dexter jerked awake on the sofa, nearly having a heart attack, only to see Brynlee standing in the doorway.
“Uncle Dexter? Why are you sleeping in Daddy’s room?” Brynlee tilted her head in confusion. She immediately trotted over to the bed to find Finnian, but the second she got close, she pinched her nose. “Ew! Daddy, you smell gross! You smell like yucky medicine water!”
Finnian groaned, peeled his eyes open, and saw his daughter. He pressed his fingers hard against his temples.
“Brynlee. I’m sorry… Daddy forgot today was your first day of school.”
“Daddy, are you still going to take me? You look super sick,” Brynlee said, her excitement fading into disappointment. She had planned this all out–she wanted her mommy and daddy to hold her hands as they walked through the school gates together.
“I can go. spun vi
De
a second…” Finnion tried to sit up, but the room collapsed bag
ed over and
ed and lea
you’re s
polted
the pillows.
ck of his hand against ing up.”
g her own little forehead against ck! I’m gonna go get Mommy!”
nnian hadn’t expected to actually catch
ter i
ru
ut his phone. “I’m
ad throbbing
where th
SC
lins. I’ll have
stared at the open
kept. She would
right?
o the hall just as Kaia
Chapter 119
emerged from the master bedroom. He hurried over. “Mrs. Sanders, Mr. Sanders is running a high fever. Do we have any fever reducers? Dr.
Collins is on his way, but he told me to get his temperature down immediately.”
Kaia’s voice was completely flat. “Go downstairs and ask Layla. She knows where everything is.”
With that, she knelt down and double–checked the contents of Brynlee’s backpack to make sure nothing was missing.
Dexter froze: Why did she look so completely unfazed that her husband was seriously ill?
“Right, I’ll go ask I ayla. Are you heading out, Mrs. Sanders?” Dexter
couldn’t he
Kaia
nlee’s first day
.”
her face etc
“Mommy, Daddy can’t go.
e?”
od up, to
a had b
and, and started walking downstairs.
table. After Kaia and Brynlee ate, they
aded
On th
con
rynlee sat in h
Il looking deeply
s what we al
ang in b
che
take care of him until
e murmured.
In the past, if Finnian even
y his side, sometimes even
o health.
esides, Uncle Dexter is there with
him. He’ll be perfectly fine.”
Brynlee tilted her little head, thinking it over. “Uncle Dexter will take really good care of Daddy, right?”
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.

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