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Chapter 104
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Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 105
Anathea was a married adult; she knew perfectly well the meaning behind Natalie's photo. For the latter to post such a suggestive photo on social media meant she'd gotten Gregory's permission. It seemed they were having a beautiful night together, indeed.The comments section under the photo was a riot of guesses about who Natalie was spending the night with.Natalie's answer was the same to everyone. "Stop guessing, guys! You'll be the first to know the good news if I have any."Someone even teasingly asked if the mysterious man Natalie was spending the night with was any good in bed. Natalie replied with a blushing emoji and a bashful, "Yes, he's amazing!"Anathea locked her phone and numbly stared out the window at the same moon. She took deep breaths and calmed herself, blocking out any thoughts of Natalie and Gregory. Then, she turned off the lights and slept.She thought she'd be tossing and turning that night, but it turned out her body was more exhausted than she believe
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 106
Gregory was so rough with Anathea that, for a moment, her gaze became unfocused. He leaned down and bit the shell of her ear and said in a voice so low it was spellbinding, "Remember this, Anathea—you owe me! You have no right to refuse me unless I refuse you!"With that, he removed Anathea's final piece of clothing. But at that moment, she snapped out of her temporary daze. Hatred filled her, prompting her to bite his neck.A hiss escaped Gregory, and the pain had him releasing his grip on her. Anathea reached out and pushed the bedside lamp to the floor.There was a loud crash as the lamp hit the ground and shattered into pieces.The heat and lust vanished from Gregory's eyes, replaced by burning rage when he saw the repulsion and hatred on Anathea's face. His fingers clenched around her throat as he growled, "What the hell do you think you're doing, Anathea?""I don't owe you anything!" Anathea retorted loudly even as her voice came out choked and hoarse.This was the first
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 107
Gregory barked in the direction of the door, "Get out!"Only then did Cyrus stop pushing the door wider and immediately back up, but he couldn't help glancing at the large bed, where Gregory had pinned Anathea under him. While Cyrus couldn't see Anathea, he could make out Gregory's loosened tie and open shirt collar, looking like he was raring to go.Shocked, Cyrus quickly backed away from the bedroom door. So, Gregory and Anathea were getting down to business. But couldn't they have been quieter about it? Anyone who didn't know better would think they were fighting. He'd thought they were close to tearing the walls down!At the thought of this, Cyrus hurried off.Anathea was still shaking even as the bedroom door fell shut. Her emotions were in a clamor as she stared at Gregory hovering over her. She'd calmed down after lashing out at him earlier. Admittedly, she'd been too impulsive and lost control of her emotions.No longer emboldened or spurred on by rage, Anathea felt he
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 108
Anathea finished the last bite of her breakfast and drove to the studio for work that day.Although her floral designs had been removed from the upcoming exhibition, one day had been enough for her designs to attract the attention of many. As a result, Eden Studio had gained newfound fame, albeit on a lesser scale, following the exhibition.The studio had received a huge number of orders. Anathea had also been appointed by name enough times for her orders to overwhelm the studio."Nat, you're getting a little too famous for us!" Evangeline was grinning from ear to ear. "I knew you could do it! Screw the guy who said you weren't a 'good fit' for them!"A good-natured laugh escaped Anathea's lips."By the way, I know you'll have a tough time taking on all these orders, so just pick the ones you want to work with. As for the rest, I'll take care of turning down the orders on your behalf," Evangeline said thoughtfully.With Anathea gearing up for the International Floristry Competiti
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 109
Anathea immediately felt as though the bag was burning her hands. "Mr. Harrington, my purse is not that expensive. You really don't need to replace it."She put the bag back in the box and pushed it toward him.Even though the Jacobsons used to be wealthy, they were never flashy. That was why Anathea had always preferred practical and comfortable things. She'd never carried anything this extravagant.And now, Theo had just casually handed her a luxury bag, which completely caught her off guard."I'll decide if it's expensive or not," Theo said, not giving her a chance to refuse. "Just take it.""Thank you, Mr. Harrington, but I really can't," Anathea replied calmly.Her wariness toward him had grown ever since the whole scorpion liquor incident. Something about him always kept her on alert.Theo picked up on her cautious behavior instantly. As he realized how reckless he'd been before, his head throbbed.Rubbing his forehead, he said awkwardly, "About last time… I owe you an ap
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 110
"Nothing," Anathea replied calmly."I don't buy that," Evangeline uttered. "If nothing's going on, why would he throw such a huge order at you out of nowhere?"Anathea didn't respond. Honestly, she had no idea what Theo was thinking either. He'd given her a big order and handed her an insanely expensive bag. None of it made sense.But she didn't want to dwell on it. Once her divorce from Gregory was finalized, she and Theo wouldn't have any reason to cross paths again."Nat?" Evangeline's voice pulled her out of her thoughts."Hmm?" Anathea blinked and looked over. "What's up?"Evangeline glanced at the time. It was already 4:30 pm. "You've been looking pretty drained lately. Why don't you just call it a day and head home early?""But—" Anathea started to protest, but Evangeline was already ushering her toward the door."I've got the rest covered. Go on. Oh, and say hi to your mom for me. I'll visit her when I get the chance."Anathea could feel the genuine kindness in her wor
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 111
"Mrs. Sinclair?" Thomas stopped in front of her with a smile. "It is you. I thought I was seeing things.""Tom..." Anathea let out a small breath of relief. "What are you doing here?""Oh, I was just picking up some herbal medicine for my mom." He held up a bag of herbs for her to see. "Are you heading home?"She nodded, glancing awkwardly at her car. "I was but then my car suddenly broke down and won't start."Thomas crouched down to take a quick look at it. "I think it's an engine problem. You'll need to take it to a mechanic. Luckily, I've got a friend who runs a repair shop. I'll call him and ask if he can come tow your car."He didn't wait for her to respond before pulling out his phone.On the call, he gave his friend the address and sorted all the details before turning back to look at Anathea. "I'll need your number so my friend can contact you when your car's fixed."Anathea gave him her phone number."Alright, it's all been sorted out." Thomas hung up and gave her a
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 112
Since Thomas put it that way, Anathea didn't want to turn him down. "Alright. What do you feel like eating?""Hmm…" Then, his gaze landed on a sleek silver-and-black Maybach ahead of them. "How about Frevancian? Is that okay with you?""Frevancian?""Yeah, you're not going to say it's too pricey, are you?" Thomas chuckled. "If it is, we can choose somewhere else.""No, Frevancian is fine."Anathea never liked owing people favors, anyway, so footing the bill for something nice actually made her feel less burdened.While driving, Thomas glanced at her and smiled before stepping on the gas and following that Maybach straight to one of the most well-known Frevancian restaurants in Castenea.As soon as they walked in, Thomas pulled out a chair for Anathea and poured her a glass of water. "Thanks to you, I get to enjoy a fancy dinner tonight.""I should be the one thanking you." If it weren't for him, Anathea would probably still be stuck in the hospital parking lot. Handing Thomas t
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Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 184
"Come in."Gregory was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his tall figure stretched across the floor by the moonlight coming through the glass.Natalie walked over. When she caught a glimpse of her shadow slowly overlapping with Gregory's. She smiled slightly. "Xander's doing a lot better after eating.""Alright," Gregory replied. He then glanced over and added politely, "Thank you.""Greg, you don't have to be so formal with me," Natalie said gently."I've always liked Xander. When he wanted to move in with me, I was honestly happy. But… I've never raised a kid before. I just thought if he liked something, I should buy it for him and try to give him whatever he wanted."I didn't realize it would cause problems like this. I'm really sorry, Greg. I messed up. I'll make it up for it."She lowered her head, sounding completely sincere, as though it was a genuine mistake. Her tone was so earnest there wasn't anything to pick apart.Gregory studied her for a moment. W
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 183
Xander had cried until his voice became hoarse. His face was flushed red and streaked with tears."Mr. Xander..." Jenny and Cyrus were both worried.Cyrus was holding a small bowl of soup, trying to coax Xander. "Mr. Xander, at least eat a little bit, okay? You'll feel worse if your stomach's empty."But the second Cyrus brought the spoon near, Xander smacked it away. "No! I want Mom's soup!"Jenny and Cyrus exchanged helpless looks.Ever since Anathea left, Xander had been surviving on the little snacks she'd made for him.Now that the snacks were gone, he cried every day for Anathea and wouldn't eat anything. He'd become noticeably thinner, looking pitiful and frail.They honestly didn't know what to do. In the past, when Xander got sick, Anathea was the one who took care of him herself. Now that she was gone, they were completely lost.Just as they were scrambling for ideas, a gentle voice sounded. "What's going on, Xander? Why aren't you eating?""Mrs. Sinclair?" Jenny's e
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 182
There was definitely something different about Hannah now, but Dominic didn't hate it. In fact, he thought this softer version of her was exactly how she would be if she ever became a mother.Dominic found himself, for just a second, imagining her holding their child.Hannah could feel his gaze glued to her, and it made her incredibly nervous. Her heart was pounding like crazy. She was terrified he'd pick up on something.When he stayed quiet for a while, she cautiously asked, "Is something wrong?""No." Dominic finally snapped out of it.Hannah breathed a silent sigh of relief and lowered her eyes, glad that he didn't push it. If he had, she honestly wouldn't have known how to cover it up.But then, Dominic placed his hand on her stomach, rubbing it gently through the thin fabric.His voice came from right above her head. "Hannah, when are you going to get pregnant?"Hannah froze. She caught something different in his tone—a hint of urgency. It confused her. Why was he so desp
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 181
Feeling their eyes on her, Natalie took a deep breath and spoke carefully. "Xander has always liked sticking close to me. I just moved into a new place recently, and he wanted to come stay with me for a bit. But I messed up and didn't take care of him properly, and he ended up getting sick.""What?" Eleanor's face changed instantly. She might not like Anathea, but when it came to Xander, she was extremely protective.The second she heard he was sick, she panicked and immediately turned on Gregory. "Why didn't you tell me something this serious?"Gregory stayed calm. "It was just a fever. The doctor checked him out. He's fine now.""Fine?" Eleanor was furious. "You're his father! How can you be so careless? How is he really?"Holden didn't care about punishing Gregory anymore—he was just as worried. Grabbing Eleanor to steady her, he snapped at Gregory, "Enough talking around it! How is Xander right now?""The fever's gone, but he's not eating much," Gregory said flatly.Honest
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 180
"You're really going to give up a woman as good as Nat for someone like Anathea?" Eleanor's face darkened."Even if it wasn't Anathea, I still wouldn't marry Natalie," Gregory rebuked firmly."Gregory!" Eleanor slammed her hand on the table, furious. "What's wrong with you? Do you not want to marry Nat, or do you just want to fight me on everything?"She couldn't help feeling that Gregory had changed a lot compared to 20 years ago—he'd changed into someone she could no longer control.Gregory stayed silent. Honestly, it was both.He didn't want to marry Natalie and be a puppet controlled by Eleanor, paraded around as the perfect heir of Sinclair Group. Just the thought made him hate his identity even more."If there's nothing else, I'm leaving," Gregory uttered coldly, turning to go."You…" Eleanor clutched her chest, almost collapsing in anger."Honey!" Holden caught her quickly. Then, he barked at the bodyguards outside, "Get in here! Grab that ungrateful brat! We're dealin
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 179
The maid nearby let out a startled cry, clearly freaked out. But Gregory just stood there, completely unfazed.Even when the scalding tea splashed across the back of his hand, he didn't so much as flinch.He stepped forward, facing Holden and Eleanor, and greeted them politely, "Hello, Mom, Dad."Eleanor turned her face away, not even sparing him a glance. Holden, on the other hand, snapped, "You ingrate! After all these years, this is how you repay us?"Gregory lowered his eyes, staying silent.He knew them well enough—the more he argued, the worse things would get. Silence was always the best way to get through these moments.Sure enough, when he didn't respond, Eleanor's gaze eventually shifted to his reddened hand.Frowning, she said, "What are you standing around for? His hand got burned. Go get some ointment!"Holden hesitated, then waved his hand for someone to bring the medicine over. A maid hurried forward to apply it to Gregory's hand."Thank you, Mom," Gregory utter
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 178
After dinner, Chloe put on the TV for Fiona, while Anathea and Hannah cleaned up the kitchen together."You know, when you first called me to say you were pregnant, I was honestly shocked," Anathea said, thinking back to those days.Back then, Hannah had fainted while walking the red carpet at an event in winter, and she'd been rushed to the hospital. Her PR team had later said it was because of the cold weather and reminded everyone to dress warmly.In reality, though, it hadn't been just the cold. Hannah had been experiencing a threatened miscarriage. Her long, loose gown had hidden all signs of bleeding, so no one had noticed.But after that scare, Hannah couldn't hide it anymore. She'd called Anathea and asked for help.When Anathea found out, Hannah had already been six months along. She'd been so slim that one couldn't even tell. If it hadn't been for the medical report stating she was 26 weeks pregnant, Anathea would've thought it was some kind of prank.Later, Hannah had
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 177
Hannah was furious. They'd clearly had an agreement, yet Dominic had still gone ahead and told Gregory where Fiona was hospitalized.He was such a hypocrite!She was cursing him in her head and said it aloud, "You're such a liar!""A liar?" Dominic chuckled, switching the phone to his left hand while steering with his right. "That's pretty rich coming from you, don't you think?"Hannah frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?""Why didn't you take the pills I gave you?" Dominic's voice turned cold.Hannah froze for a second, her eyes flickering.It was true. She hadn't taken the pills Dominic had given her. Even though she knew it was already difficult for her to get pregnant, she was still scared something might go wrong if medication was involved. She didn't want to take the risk."What is it, Hannah? You never really intended to have a child with me, did you?" Dominic asked sharply.Hannah hadn't expected him to call her out so directly. And he hadn't stopped there—he'd ma
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 176
Before the nurse could even finish, Gregory was already striding over to the payment counter, pressing the button for the elevator going up.At the same time, Anathea walked to the elevators and pressed the one going down.The elevator doors slid open, and Anathea's nervous face was reflected in the metal doors.Just then, she heard Gregory's voice. Her fingers clenched tight on instinct."Excuse me." His cold voice came from the elevator on the left.Gregory stepped inside without a glance at her. Anathea let out a shaky breath of relief and quickly got into the elevator on the right, heading straight for the hospital's back exit.They were on the same floor, using different elevators, passing by each other without even knowing it.Anathea didn't dare stop for a second. She rushed straight to the back door. The moment she stepped outside, she spotted Hannah's car."Thea, hurry!"Anathea bolted toward the car and jumped in. Hannah slammed on the gas and sped away from the hosp
