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Chapter 129
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Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 130
Raindrops on the window started out as faint streaks, then merged into steady streams, finally forming a full-on curtain of water.Gregory stared out at the rain, which was only getting heavier. His brows drew together slightly. For some reason, a strange feeling crept into his chest. He felt as though something was missing."Greg? What are you zoning out about?" Adrian rolled up next to him in his wheelchair, curious.Gregory snapped back to the moment. "It's nothing.""Well then, come have a drink already!" Theo waved him over, topping off Dominic's glass while he was at it. ''It's Romanee-Conti. You fine with that?''"Yeah." Dominic nodded, then glanced toward Gregory."By the way, I heard you're planning to develop a new project in Syntherra. Any chance you'd be interested in partnering with Lancaster Group?"Gregory's eyes flickered knowingly.So, it wasn't a coincidence that they'd met up at the cemetery. Dominic had planned it all out, showing up just in time to cross pa
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 131
They'd been married for five years. During the first year, Anathea used to call Gregory like clockwork, always asking if he would be coming home for dinner.But Gregory would either answer with a cold "yes" or "no," or he would just ignore the calls. Eventually, Anathea had stopped calling.He tried to remember the last time she'd actually done it—when she'd gone to Sinclair Group and begged him to let Eden Studio go. Other than that, she hadn't reached out again. There were no more gentle questions about dinner. Nothing.Staring at her missed call, Gregory rubbed his temples and called her back.It rang for nearly a full minute, but there was no answer. He frowned and tried again, getting the same result. So, he called Martin instead.Martin picked up instantly. "Mr. Sinclair! Finally! I've been trying to reach you!"He sounded panicked."What's going on?" Gregory asked."This morning, Mrs. Sinclair and Ms. Whitman got into a fight at the hospital. Things got pretty serious."
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 132
Even though they didn't exactly agree with Eleanor pressuring them like this, the Sinclair family had serious weight in Castenea. And Anathea really had hurt Natalie. That part wasn't up for debate.So, if Natalie decided to press charges, the officers would go strictly by the book, just like Eleanor had instructed.The officer got up and left the interrogation room, leaving Anathea sitting there alone. She lowered her eyes, clinging tightly to the hem of her shirt. She could tell what they were trying to do. They were trying to put words in her mouth. It was clear they were trying to push the entire blame onto her and make it seem as if she'd attacked Natalie intentionally.Hence, she refused to speak. If she answered anything, she would be done for.But it wasn't like staying silent would get her anywhere better. She'd still hurt Natalie, and everyone was siding with the latter. Anathea had no one to speak up for her, no one to lean on. The only person she could count on wa
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 133
Gregory's expression shifted in an instant. Reaching out, he slid his arm around her waist, catching her before she could collapse.Anathea completely lost her strength—her whole body just gave out. She couldn't even stand.Gregory frowned and lifted her into his arms.Everyone else in the room looked stunned. This wasn't what they'd expected. Wasn't Gregory supposed to be here to settle the score with Anathea?Then, why…Sensing the curious looks being thrown his way, Gregory shot them a cold glance and asked flatly, "Where's the lounge?"They snapped out of it and quickly led the way.As Gregory held Anathea in his arms, he could feel just how light she really was. Her waist was so small it barely spanned the width of his hand, and even through the fabric of her clothes, he could feel the sharp outline of her bones.His frown deepened.Anathea didn't resist. She didn't have the strength to. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything since Fiona had been taken in for surgery that mor
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 134
The sight of a tall man holding a petite woman in his arms drew more than a few curious stares.Anathea spotted two of the officers who'd interrogated her earlier. She lowered her head, and her shoulders shuddered faintly.Gregory felt her body tense and instinctively tightened his hold on her.The officers who'd brought Anathea back were now all trailing behind Gregory, respectfully escorting him out."This way, Mr. Sinclair," one of them said politely.Gregory gently placed Anathea in the back seat of the car and closed the door, then walked around to the other side.Seeing that, the two officers gave a slight nod. "Safe travels, Mr. Sinclair.""One more thing." Gregory paused in his steps. "Could you send me the surveillance footage from the consultation room at the hospital?""About that…" One of the officers looked troubled. "When we got the report and went to retrieve the footage, the recording from that particular room was already gone."In other words, someone else had
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 135
"Have you finally decided to speak?" Gregory let out a chuckle. "I thought you'd gone mute after your little trip to the station."Anathea tried to ignore the sarcasm in his words. She cleared her throat and asked, "Can you take me to the hospital? I want to see my mom."Her tone was filled with a quiet pleading. Though Gregory had assured her that Fiona was okay, Anathea needed to see it with her own eyes before she could truly relax.Gregory studied the urgency in her expression, then pursed his lips and gave a brief order to Dexter to head to the hospital."Thank you," Anathea murmured after lowering her head. She hadn't eaten anything, and the lack of strength made it hard to speak.Her stomach felt empty, and the acidic churn inside made her uncomfortable. She frowned in discomfort.The next second, a hand with long, elegant fingers appeared, holding out a sandwich toward her.Anathea blinked in surprise, then glanced over at Gregory."Take it," Gregory urged. "It's all th
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 136
Carl quickly pulled his hand back and glanced nervously at the time. "Uh, I still have rounds to do, so I'll be going now."Before Anathea could respond, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his white coat and practically fled down the hallway.As Anathea watched his retreating back, she felt a little puzzled, but she didn't dwell on it. She simply thought that being a doctor really was a noble and exhausting job.Thanks to Carl, Fiona no longer had to live in constant pain.Through the small glass window in the intensive care unit door, Anathea gazed at Fiona's face. Her pale lips curved into a faint smile.But in the next second, a voice rang out beside her. "Wait, aren't you the mistress who ruined someone's face? You've got some nerve showing up here."The words instantly drew attention from passersby around them—many of them were the same people who'd previously berated Anathea. Now, seeing her again, they immediately launched into more judgmental murmurs."That's right!
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 137
Anathea pulled out her phone and opened a video. It had been sent to her by a nurse who'd witnessed the whole thing and couldn't bear to see Anathea be wrongly accused.Natalie's fingers curled tightly on her lap.But Anathea had already hit play, showing the clip right in front of Eleanor.However, there had been too many onlookers at the time. The nurse who'd filmed the video had been pushed to the edge of the crowd and could only record from a distance, so the conversation between Anathea and Natalie wasn't clearly captured.But the part where Natalie slammed Anathea to the ground and stomped on her hand was all caught on camera.Natalie's face darkened at once. Eleanor narrowed her eyes, a glint of malice flashing through them.Anathea, with nothing left to lose, met Eleanor's gaze head-on. There was a resolve in her demeanor that she'd never shown before."Mrs. Sinclair, if you want to take this to court, then I'll release the video. Whatever you want to try, I'm ready for
Bab terbaru
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 166
This had been the most relaxing day since Hannah had wrapped up her latest project.But the moment she spotted a black Bentley parked just ahead, her heart, which had finally settled, suddenly shot up into her throat. Her grip on Anathea's arm tightened instinctively."What's wrong?" Anathea stopped and looked at her in confusion."I, uh… just remembered I've got something urgent to take care of." Hannah's tone sounded a little awkward.But Anathea didn't think much of it. Given Hannah's line of work, sudden plans were common. "Okay, go ahead. I'll get the markers for Chloe myself.""Oh, can you also take Chloe home? Don't let her sneak out." Hannah grasped her hand, looking serious. "You know how scary some obsessed fans can be. If they found out I had a daughter…""Don't worry. I understand." Anathea nodded. "I'll take her home and be with her. She'll be safe."The apartment's security was tighter than the hospital's."Thanks, Thea." With that, Hannah turned and walked off. S
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 165
Anathea was surprised herself. Before she'd found out about the pregnancy, her morning sickness had been unbearable, but now that she knew, it had gradually faded. And after she'd left Castenea, it had almost disappeared completely.When she was pregnant with Xander, she'd been violently sick. It was so bad that she'd ended up in the hospital multiple times. Toward the end of the pregnancy, it felt like her body was being torn apart by the chaos inside her.So, after seven months of carrying Xander, Anathea had been mostly confined to bed since she couldn't move around much.This baby, however, was far calmer. That was why Anathea guessed that it was a girl.Hannah thought so too because she'd experienced something similar when she'd been pregnant with Chloe."Looks like she's looking out for her mom." Hannah smiled as she glanced at Anathea's belly.After a brief pause, she leaned in closer to Anathea and asked, "She's such a sweet little angel. Are you really going to give he
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 164
The air reeked of blood. Gregory's eyes turned red with fury.Pain was the fastest way to awaken a man's buried hunger. And in that moment, it brought every dark instinct inside him roaring back to life."Anathea."Gregory kept saying her name over and over again, grinding it between his teeth. Even though every syllable scraped raw against his heart, his eyes only burned with growing obsession for her."No matter where you run, I'll be right behind you. I swear it, Anathea. You're never getting away from me."…"Ah-choo!"While working on her floral arrangement at Syntherra, Anathea suddenly sneezed and quickly covered her mouth with her hand."What's wrong? Are you catching a cold?" Fiona asked gently while handing her a tissue."I don't think so. Someone's probably missing me," Anathea joked as she took the tissue."Bingo!" A lively girl's voice rang out.Just as Anathea found the voice familiar, the door to the ward swung open.In walked a girl dressed in a cool little
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 163
Back then, Gregory stared coldly at Anathea's face and felt that her smile was unbearably grating. Disgust had flashed in his eyes.With a derisive scoff, he spat, "You got what you wanted, Anathea. Are you happy now?"And as he watched the color and smile fade from her face because of his words, a twisted satisfaction washed over him—like some petty revenge had been served.Since he couldn't share her happiness, she would have to bear the brunt of his rage.Only now did Gregory realize how cruel and absurd his actions had been.How could he say those hurtful words, trying to pull an innocent person into the same abyss as him?Now, those very words had come back like a boomerang, plunging straight into his own heart.Gregory clutched his chest. The pain lanced through him so sharply he staggered.His phone crashed to the floor with a heavy thud."Mr. Sinclair!" Martin rushed forward to steady him. His voice was tight with alarm as he asked, "Are you all right? Should I call th
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 162
Gregory clenched his jaw tightly.Anathea had really left him.Martin spoke up cautiously, "Mr. Sinclair, the date on the divorce agreement is from a month ago."Gregory's eyes dropped to the bottom of the page.It really was a month ago. Anathea had planned to leave him a whole month ago.At that moment, Gregory stood frozen with his eyes cast down. It was like someone had hammered him to the ground, turning him into a statue.It felt like a claw had ripped straight through his chest.And then came the voice of the one to blame, whispering in his ear, "So, Gregory Sinclair, how does it feel? You've always had someone by your side. Suddenly, it's just you. And from now on, it'll always be just you."A crushing wave of emptiness slammed into him, drowning him instantly.Gregory gripped the divorce agreement so tightly that his fingertips turned white.And even then, he didn't realize that Anathea had left him something far worse than a farewell and divorce agreement.His phon
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 161
Martin's voice felt like a dull hum, buzzing in Gregory's mind, almost as if it were going to puncture his skull.Gregory's grip slackened, and the phone slipped from his hand."Mr. Sinclair!" Jenny saw what happened and quickly caught the phone. "What happened?"But Gregory didn't answer. He snatched the phone from her hand and strode straight for the stairs.Cyrus, seeing the urgency in Gregory's movements, was confused. He'd never seen Gregory so frantic, almost as if he were chasing something.In the garage, Dexter had just parked the car when he spotted Gregory walking toward him. Gregory's face was stormy, like a thunderstorm with gale-force winds, as though everything in his path could be torn apart.Gregory was in a foul mood.Dexter immediately felt a chill run down his spine. He stammered to greet Gregory, but before he could even open his mouth, the latter snatched the keys from his hand. Gregory then marched straight to the car and slammed the door shut.Dexter quic
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 160
"Speed up," Gregory said suddenly.Dexter flinched in surprise and glanced uneasily at the current speed. It was already close to 60 miles per hour."Speed up!" Gregory ordered again."Yes, sir!" Dexter's heart skipped a beat as he pressed down harder on the gas.What was originally a 30-minute drive was cut down to 15.By the time Dexter finally brought the car to a stop, his facial muscles were twitching, and his right foot wouldn't stop shaking.Cyrus looked surprised when he saw Gregory. "Mr. Sinclair?"Gregory rarely came back this early.Gregory stepped out and slammed the car door shut behind him with a loud bang. His heavy footsteps echoed as he strode into the house."When was the last time Anathea came back here?" he asked."About a week ago. She hasn't returned since the day she left." Cyrus was confused. "Is something wrong?"Something was very wrong.That meant ever since that night Anathea had walked out, she hadn't come back. If it hadn't been for that whole
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 159
As Gregory watched Xander's face scrunch up in distress, he was at a loss.Because of his busy work schedule, he rarely had time to spend with Xander. To him, Xander was just someone he was connected to by blood. There wasn't much emotional attachment beyond that.As the CEO of Sinclair Group, Gregory could handle major projects and manage relationships with shareholders and directors with ease, but he had no idea how to handle a crying child. Right now, watching Xander cry so hard, he didn't know what to do.Xander continued sobbing while repeating, "I want Mom! I want Mom! Did I make her angry? Is that why she doesn't want me anymore?"Gregory's head was pounding from the sound of Xander's crying. He glanced at his phone and saw that Anathea still hadn't responded to his message.What was going on with her?A cold anger formed at the edges of Gregory's brow.Could Anathea really be so heartless that she didn't care about Xander at all? If she didn't care about Xander, did that
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 158
Gregory's expression darkened in an instant. He quickly stood up and called the family doctor, Mateo Nielsen, to head over to Xander's location.When they arrived at Natalie's house, they found Xander collapsed on the floor. His face was flushed bright red."Xander!" Gregory rushed forward and lifted him into his arms. When he checked Xander's forehead, he found it burning hot.Xander had a fever."Dad…" Xander weakly opened his eyes. His throat felt like it was on fire, and his whole body ached.Usually, when he felt like this, Anathea would be by his side. She would stay up all night to care for him and check his temperature again and again.He suddenly missed her. "Where's Mom? I want… Mom…"Gregory didn't respond. Instead, he handed Xander over to Mateo, who quickly started checking his temperature and running tests."Mr. Xander has been eating too much unhealthy food lately, which caused an infection and triggered this high fever," Mateo explained. He gave Xander an inject
