“If you’re not coming home, where are you sleeping? It’s really cold out now,” Brynlee asked with concern.
Finnian’s heart seemed to warm at his daughter’s care. He chuckled softly. “Dad will make sure to stay warm. Be a good girl, Brynlee, and go to sleep early.”
Just as Brynlee was about to say something, a woman’s light cough came through the line, followed by Noelle’s voice. “Finnian, who’s on the phone…”
Finnian didn’t even have time to cover the receiver. He rushed his words to Brynlee. “Dad has something to do. I have to hang up.”
Hearing that voice, Kaia would be lying if she said it didn’t hurt. After all, they weren’t even divorced yet, and Finnian was already spending the night at Noelle’s place.
“Mom, that woman’s voice earlier… it sounded like Aunt Noelle. Is Dad sleeping over at Grandma’s?” Brynlee was young, but she had heard it clearly.
“Yeah, probably,” Kaia said, comforting her daughter to keep her from overthinking.
“Oh, so he’s at Grandma’s. That makes me feel better.” Brynlee instantly tossed her smartwatch aside, finally able to sleep in peace.
A sharp, jagged pain lanced through Kaia’s chest, leaving her breathless. The suffocating pain eventually faded back into a numb calm.
Some things couldn’t be left ambiguous anymore. If questions needed to be asked, she had to ask them.
If Finnian was going to start staying over at Noelle’s, he needed to handle his responsibilities as a father properly instead of leaving his young child
to worry.
Chapter 171
Early the next morning, Kaia drove to Aethelstan to handle some business.
As her car pulled up to the main entrance, she saw a black Bentley parked out front.
Dexter stepped out first and opened the rear door.
Noelle stepped out. Once she found her footing, she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she turned back to whoever was in the car, a relieved, relaxed smile spreading across her lips.
Then, the door on the other side opened, and Finnian stepped out. He was still wearing the same dark gray suit from yesterday. His face was unreadable, though a trace of exhaustion lingered in his eyes.
He took something out and firmly pressed it into Noelle’s hand. Only then did Noelle nod, turn around, and walk into the Aethelstan office building.
Finnian stood there for a moment. Just as he was about to get back into the car and leave, he noticed the Mercedes parked behind him.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Kaia was quietly watching the whole scene.
In the morning light, their eyes met across the distance. The air between them seemed to instantly freeze over.
Finnian’s footsteps faltered for a second before he started walking toward her.
Kaia sat in the car, glaring at him coldly.
Finnian tapped on her window, but Kaia completely ignored him. She stepped on the gas and drove straight past him.
Startled by the rush of air from the accelerating car, Finnian took two steps back. He frowned deeply as he watched the Mercedes disappear into the underground parking garage.
Kaia took the elevator up to the nineteenth floor. This was the data
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archives, and she was here to grab a few files.
When she walked out of the archives, a tall figure was standing in the hallway. It was Finnian.
Seeing her come out, he walked straight toward her.
Kaia tried to sidestep him, but he suddenly reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pushed open the door to an empty conference room.
“I can explain,” Finnian said, pressing her against the edge of the conference table, his brow furrowed in a tight knot.
Kaia yanked her arm out of his grip and said coldly, “I don’t care.”
“If you don’t care, why are you avoiding me?” Finnian demanded, desperate to find a reason to explain himself.
Kaia stiffened.
Finnian quickly summarized, “Last night, Noelle had an incident at a business dinner. Some guy used the excuse of ‘admiration‘ to try and force himself on her. She was terrified. You know she has trauma from her childhood. I couldn’t just leave her, so I stayed at her apartment to make sure she was okay.”
Kaia listened quietly, then let out a cold laugh. “Finnian, there’s no one else here. You don’t have to put on an act for me.”
Finnian’s expression froze. He was telling the truth.
Kaia looked down at the floor, her voice crystal clear. “Because of this, you stayed with her all night and personally escorted her to work this morning. Sounds to me like you’ve got all the husband duties covered.” Finnian’s stiff expression darkened. He looked at Kaia with complicated eyes. “That’s exactly what happened, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t jump to conclusions. She’s my sister now. I’m responsible for her safety. I’m just looking out for her like a brother would. I guarantee any other man in my position wouldn’t have just sat back and done nothing.”
Chapter 171
“You can lie to others, but can you lie to yourself?” Kaia stared right into his eyes, her words slicing through his fabricated excuses like a knife.
Under her intense, piercing gaze, Finnian’s face grew uglier by the second. His jaw clenched tight, but a flash of panic and exhaustion flickered in his
eyes.
“Kaia,” his voice dropped even lower, tinged with anger. “Do you really have to think like that? You’re acting jealous over absolutely nothing. If the roles were reversed today and your brother Leo was in trouble, you’d drop everything to help him too, wouldn’t you?”
Kaia watched him try to deflect and change the narrative. A mocking smile tugged at her lips. “Sure. But every single little thing that happens to her makes you completely lose control. Finnian, you care about her. You care about her deeply. It goes way beyond romantic love, and it totally eclipses any sense of family. Stop denying it.”
Finnian’s breathing hitched noticeably, his chest rising and falling.
He wanted to argue back, but the words were stuck in his throat. Kaia’s eyes were just too calm. She was too smart; she saw right through everything.
Chapter 172
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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