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Novel Catalog
Chapter 36: How Can He Be Interested in Her?
Cason returned home with Kaliyah, his mind still clouded by the earlier encounter with Ainsley and Manuel. As soon as he stepped inside, he was greeted by Kaitlin, her face alight with excitement, phone in hand.
“Cason! Guess what I saw today!” Kaitlin beamed, waving her phone in his direction. “I’ve got proof. Ainsley definitely had an affair when she was with you!”
She handed him the phone, and Cason’s gaze immediately locked onto the image on the screen. It showed Ainsley stepping into a car with a man, and though the angle of the photo was unclear, the closeness between them was unmistakable. The way they stood together seemed almost intimate.
A cold wave of anger surged through Cason. His expression darkened.
Kaitlin didn’t seem to notice his shift in mood, too absorbed in her own excitement. “Cason, you and Ainsley only got divorced a few days ago. How could she move on so fast? She must have been cheating on you the whole time! How can such a woman deserve any of our family’s property? You need to take back the house you gave her!” she insisted, her tone heated.
Lindsay, who had been quietly watching, now joined in. “Cason, I know you’re kind-hearted, and you don’t want to see her suffer after everything. But look at the evidence—Ainsley’s affair is practically confirmed. How can she possibly deserve the property of our family?”
She exchanged a knowing glance with Kaliyah, urging her to add her voice to the matter.
Kaliyah, sensing the mounting pressure, hesitated. Her gaze flickered to Cason, unsure of how to proceed. “Cason, do you think it’s possible that Ms. Easton and Mr. Gage really…?”
“Enough!” Cason snapped, cutting her off sharply. His patience had worn thin. He was mentally exhausted and didn’t want to hear any more of their judgmental talk. “We’ll discuss this later. I’m tired. I’m going upstairs to rest,” he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, leaving the three women staring after him in silence.
Kaitlin blinked in confusion, turning to Kaliyah. “What’s wrong with him?”
Kaliyah looked back at Lindsay, her curiosity piqued. She had noticed something strange—while Kaitlin seemed unaware, it appeared that Lindsay didn’t recognize the man in the photo either. Most of Seattle’s elite knew who Manuel was, so it struck her as odd.
She thought for a moment before asking, “Lindsay, Kaitlin, do you two know who the man in the photo is?”
Kaitlin rolled her eyes. “Who cares who he is? What kind of man would be interested in a woman like Ainsley?”
But Kaliyah was quick to answer, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I know who he is. His name is Manuel.”
The reaction was immediate.
Lindsay’s voice shot up an octave. “What?” She quickly grabbed Kaitlin’s phone and zoomed in on the picture, her eyes widening as she saw the unmistakable face. It was him—Manuel Gage.
Kaitlin froze, her own realization dawning. “Wait, that man is… Manuel Gage? The richest man in Seattle? But… how could Ainsley be involved with him?”
Kaliyah looked at the two women, her expression a mix of surprise and amusement. “I never would have expected Ainsley to find a man like him. But what I don’t understand is whether he knows she’s divorced. I wonder what he sees in her.”
Lindsay and Kaitlin exchanged glances, the implications of Kaliyah’s words sinking in. Ainsley, a woman with a past, had somehow caught the eye of someone like Manuel Gage—how was that possible? And even more concerning, could he truly be interested in her, despite her divorce?
Lindsay’s mind raced. Even if Ainsley had managed to seduce such a powerful man, the question still lingered: Could Manuel truly fall for a woman with a past like hers?
Kaitlin, still processing the shock, muttered under her breath, “I don’t get it. Ainsley’s nothing special. Why would a man like him bother with her?”
Kaliyah shrugged, a hint of something inscrutable in her smile. “Maybe he sees something you don’t. But whatever happens, I’m sure Ainsley’s going to regret this. A man like Manuel won’t settle for someone like her in the long run.”
As the conversation continued, the seeds of doubt were planted in both Lindsay and Kaitlin’s minds. Could Ainsley’s life with Manuel be the beginning of something unexpected—or would it all come crashing down? And more importantly, could she really find happiness with someone like him, after everything that had happened?
