Whats She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Noelle trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished. She gazed out the window into the night with a touch of emptiness in her eyes. “I shouldn’t interrupt your evening. I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.”

Finnian walked her to the door. “Get some rest tonight. If you hit any technical roadblocks, come to me. I’ll smooth things over.”

The light sorrow between Noelle’s brows vanished as if smoothed by a breeze, replaced by a radiant smile. “Okay. With you here, I’m not afraid of anything.”

Finnian nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m always here.”

Noelle slid into the back seat, and Finnian instructed Dexter, “Take Noelle

home. Drive safe.”

Dexter acknowledged the order and pulled the car out of the villa’s driveway.

Finnian stood in the garden. He looked down, lit a cigarette, and smoked it down to the filter before heading back into the living room.

Kaia brought their daughter down for dinner, while Finnian secluded himself in his study to handle work.

Only after the mother and daughter finished eating did Finnian come downstairs. Passing through the hallway, he checked Kaia’s expression and saw that she had no intention of talking to him.

He turned to Brynlee instead. “Sweetheart, are you full? Want to eat a little more with Dad?”

‘Nope, I’m stuffed! Feel my tummy if you don’t believe me.”

Brynlee proudly stuck out her stomach. Finnian bent down and gave it a gentle pat. “Yep, you’re definitely full. As soon as I’m done eating, I’ll come help you with your homework.”

“I don’t have homework! I finished it all. But you can watch cartoons with me!”

She was such a clever little thing. Finnian nodded and glanced at Kaia again.

Kaia was lost in thought and completely ignored his look.

Time flew by, and three days passed.

Kaia and Gordon Hayes were in the middle of a handover. Reviewing the massive projects Kaia had managed, Gordon felt a renewed sense of respect for his former university junior.

To think that the girl who took first place every year in school was still so outstanding it made people stop and stare.

Just as Kaia returned to her office, her assistant Laura knocked and came in.

“Dr. Chavez, Marcus Vance is downstairs to see you. He says he’s your uncle.”

Kaia paused. Why was her uncle visiting so suddenly?

“Take him to the lounge on the first floor. I’ll be right down.” Kaia processed a few urgent emails on her computer, stood up, and headed for the elevator.

In the lounge, Marcus was wringing his hands, pacing nervously by the window.

“Uncle,” Kaia said, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

“Kaia!” Marcus practically jumped when he saw her, his voice tight with panic. “Something happened with The Vance Agrotech Project. You know the one–the state–backed initiative from last year. Your aunt and I poured our entire life savings into it. We finally got the demonstration base built and the systems calibrated, but now a crucial round of R&D and marketing funding has been frozen.”

Hearing this, Kaia instantly understood the situation. She had personally discussed this very project with Finnian back in the day.

“Where is it stuck?” Kaia asked,

“It had already passed the initial screening and due diligence. We were at the final payout stage. Then yesterday… they suddenly notified me that the project is being put on hold for a reassessment.”

Marcus ran his hands through his hair frantically. “To get stalled right at the finish line–this means the whole thing is going under, doesn’t it?” Watching her uncle’s sheer panic, Kaia’s heart sank.

Unaware of the shift in Kaia’s expression, Marcus rambled on in bewilderment. “I think it’s the new boss, that Ms. Lawrence. She claimed there were questions about the technology, said it lacked innovation and carried too high a risk. We already addressed all those concerns during the defense and due diligence phases! Besides, we’re not the only ones doing this; plenty of similar models are already in production. Ugh, our botanical sourcing and traceability tech came directly from you, Kaia. The competitive edge is obvious.”

At this point, Kaia saw the core of the issue with crystal clarity.

She comforted her uncle in a low voice. “Aethelstan just went through a major executive shakeup. It’s normal for some projects to get sent back for review. Uncle, don’t panic just yet. I’ll look into it.”

“Kaia, my entire net worth is tied up in this. Worker salaries, bank interest, land rent–they burn through money every single day. If this funding gets cut off, all our initial investment goes down the drain. This company was left to me by your grandmother. How am I supposed to face her in the afterlife?” By the end of his plea, Marcus was practically choking back tears.

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