Whats She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 454

Chapter 454

“You guarantee that?” Kaia asked, taking a slow sip of her coffee.

“Yes. I guarantee it.”

Kaia was quiet for a moment before nodding. “Fine. I’ll take your word for it. But since you’ve given me your guarantee, the next time your mother comes at me, I won’t hold back out of respect for ar elder. I will retaliate. And if things get ugly, I don’t want you blaming me.”

Finnian looked at her, mildly stunned. Kaia possessed a razor–sharp intellect. She knew exactly ho to corner him with his own words, securing an airtight boundary for herself.

The air between them grew heavy. The coffee on the table was still steaming, but Kaia didn’t take another sip. It was too sweet for her taste.

“Understood,” Finnian finally agreed.

Kaia checked the time on her phone and stood up. “I need to get going. I have work.”

“Wait.” Finnian stood abruptly, his hand shooting out to catch her wrist. “I still want to explain things between Noelle and me. I don’t want you to misunderstand…”

Kaia looked down at his hand gripping her wrist, her eyes flashing with unmistakable disgust.

Stung by her look, Finnian immediately dropped his hand. “I have never thought of being with her. M care for her is purely platonic. She came to the Sanders family when she was so young, completely alone after losing her parents. I just…”

“Finnian,” Kaia interrupted, her voice dropping to a glacial chill. “It’s not a crime to fall for someone. It’s even understandable if you’re in denial. But treating her with special care while claiming it’s just a sibling bond? Refusing to let her go, yet being too cowardly to claim her? If you knew you couldn’t giv her a future, why didn’t you push her away the moment she crossed the line? You’re the one who gave her hope.”

Finnian’s face drained of color.

“Because you enjoyed it,” Kaia pressed on, refusing to let him breathe. “You couldn’t bear to push her away, or maybe you wanted to maintain that ambiguous, push–and–pull dynamic. You couldn’t stand the thought of her being sad or leaving the family, so you reeled her in without taking any real responsibility. That is what makes you despicable.”

Finnian collapsed back into his chair, rendered entirely speechless. Kaia’s words sliced through his defenses like a scalpel, exposing a truth he had never dared to examine.

“No… that’s not true. I don’t have those kinds of thoughts about her,” Finnian stammered, surging to his feet again in distress. “Kaia, you can’t accuse me of that. I truly only see her as a sister.

“Have you ever actually looked at your own heart, Finnian? Do you even know what you want to hold onto and what you refuse to let go of? Don’t tell me you’re pushing thirty and still don’t understand how your own actions affect people.” Kaia’s voice dripped with disappointment. Without sparing him another glance, she turned and walked out the door.

Finnian sank back down, staring blankly as her elegant silhouette disappeared into the street.

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Chapter 454

Time slipped away. His coffee grew ice cold. He closed his eyes, replaying the last few years in his

mind.

He remembered Noelle’s deep reliance on him and Rafael. He remembered the vague, shifting gazes she would occasionally cast his way. He had always firmly placed himself in the role of the protective brother. When Rafael announced he was marrying her, Finnian had felt an overwhelming sense of relief–she finally had a permanent home. When Rafael passed away, Noelle looked so terrified and lost that Finnian’s protective instincts flared up again. He told himself he had boundaries, choosing to remain silent in the face of the public’s prying eyes and rumors.

But now he understood. Silence wasn’t a rejection. Silence was a breeding ground for ambiguity.

That was why the rumors flourished. That was why Kaia was furious.

*Reeling her in without taking responsibility is what makes you despicable.*

He felt like he was being nailed to a cross. Her accusation perfectly described his recent behavior. What the hell had he been doing?

He had alienated everyone.

After work, Kaia decided to drop by her parents‘ house to check on the situation and see if Leo had come clean.

At that exact moment, the atmosphere in the Chavez household had reached freezing point.

The living room lights were blazing. Leo was slumped on the sofa, his head buried in his hands as if he’d been crying for hours. Warren Chavez sat rigidly in his armchair, while Jane leaned against the wall. Even the housekeeper was too terrified to ask about dinner. The room felt like a graveyard.

Suddenly, urgent footsteps echoed from the porch, followed by the sharp click–clack of heels.

Sophia Chavez stormed into the room, wearing a sapphire blue dress. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red–rimmed with rage. She locked her gaze onto Leo.

“Leo! What the hell is wrong with you?!” she shrieked.