Chapter 366
Finnian froze. A knut of discomfort formed in his gut, but he quickly frowned in denial. “My mother would never say something like that. There has to be a misunderstanding.”
“She’s just a little girl, Finnian. She was terrified. She thinks we’re fighting because she did something wrong.”
Kaia’s words tumbled out in an anguished rush, tears brimming in her eyes that she ruthlessly fought back. “She’s only five years old. She should never have to hear things like that.‘
Finnian stared at her, swallowing hard. Finally, he murmured, “Kaia, I’m sorry. I know my mother didn’t mean to hurt her.”
“I don’t care about your apologies. If anyone ever speaks to my daughter like that again, I swear I will ruin them,” Kaia vowed, fixing him with a glacial glare.
A loud group of tourists suddenly appeared at the end of the hall. Without waiting for an invitation, Kaia brushed past him into his room and
slammed the door shut.
The sound of the door slamming felt like a physical blow to Finnian’s chest as he turned to watch her.
Arms crossed tightly over her chest, Kaia marched over and dropped onto the sofa.
“Brynlee has a heart condition. She cannot handle intense stress. So, you’re having lunch with us today,” Kaia stated her terms without looking at him.
A flicker of relief crossed Finnian’s eyes. He nodded. “Alright. Fine by me.” “And to make sure she’s never subjected to that kind of emotional abuse again, I’m taking full custody when we divorce. That’s not a request.”
Chapter 366
Kaia’s tone brokercd zero argument.
A mother pushed to the brink was a terrifying force of nature. In that moment, Kaia–was a battle hardened warrior, bristling with armor to shield her child.
Finnian stiffened. “If you care about Brynlee so much, why are you insisting on destroying her family? Wouldn’t it be better to give her an intact home?”
“Why am I divorcing you?” Kaia scoffed at the sheer audacity of the question. “Maybe because I married a man who’s emotionally cheating on me?”
“Kaia, watch what you say.” Finnian’s voice plummeted, instantly defensive. “I told you, I view Noelle as a sister. Stop overanalyzing things.”
“Fine. Even if we completely ignore the Noelle situation, there’s still zero reason to stay married. Aethelstan is an industry titan now. I’ve delivered on every single promise I made in our prenup. Now I’m exercising my right to walk away. That was part of the deal, too.” Kaia knew Noelle was a sore subject for him, so she pivoted. She just wanted this divorce finalized cleanly and quickly.
Finnian stared at this infuriatingly stubborn woman, nursing a massive headache and an acute sense of helplessness.
“I’ll sign the papers, but only after Brynlee is fully recovered. I won’t risk my daughter’s health,” Finnian said firmly, refusing to argue the point any further.
Kaia considered his terms carefully. Remembering how Brynlee had trembled in her arms earlier, she knew she couldn’t gamble with her daughter’s fragile heart right now.
“Fine. I can wait,” Kaia agreed quietly, lowering her head to hastily wipe away a stray tear.
Chapter 366
It was perhaps the very first time Finnian had ever seen a crack in Kaia’s composed armor. He watched her, utterly captivated by the rare glimpse of her vulnerability
“Are you okay, Kaia?” A strange, protective pang flared in his chest. It suddenly dawned on him that Kala wasn’t some invincible force of nature who never needed anybody. She cried when she was hurting; she lashed out when she was pushed to the edge.
Kaia sat frozen on the sofa, seemingly deaf to his words.
Finnian’s gaze softened. He slowly crossed the room and stood beside her, looking down at her bowed head.
Kaia turned her face away, clearly resenting his scrutiny.
“I’m sorry I turned our marriage into this mess.” A heavy note of regret coated Finnian’s words. He stepped back and sank into the armchair opposite her. “I was the one who proposed. I fought my family to marry you. And yet… I completely neglected you in the process.”
“Don’t, Finnian. Just don’t,” Kaia whispered, exhausted by the sudden shift toward sentimentality.
Finnian looked at her, mildly taken aback.
A tense silence hung between them for a few seconds before he finally asked, “I just want to know… why did you say yes to marrying me in the first place?”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.

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