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Chapter 147
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Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 148
Back then, Hannah had held Anathea tightly with tears of joy streaming down her face. Anathea had gently patted her back, comforting her.Anathea had never looked down on her humble origins. She'd always treated Hannah as a close friend. When cruel classmates had mocked her for being chubby and tan, the slender Anathea had always been the first to defend her.All these memories, even years later, were impossible to forget.So Hannah would give anything for Anathea.After hearing her sincere words, Dominic loosened his grip on her chin and caressed her face.Hannah had a face that was undeniably distinctive. Her alluring eyes held a captivating gaze, with the slight lift at the corners hinting at endless charm and temptation.Her well-defined nose and sharp facial features made her look both alluring and cool. She was born for the big screen.It was no wonder that Hannah had made it into the entertainment industry with her striking beauty. Every person who tried to tarnish her re
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 149
"Anathea! How can you say that?" Hannah flicked Anathea on the forehead. With a righteous tone, she exclaimed, "I'm a good, tax-paying citizen!""But how did you afford to buy this place?" Anathea knew very well that property in downtown Syntherra easily cost tens of millions, if not more.Hannah had been traveling around the country and even abroad for work. She was barely ever home, so it didn't make sense for her to waste money on a penthouse like that."I liked it, so I bought it." Hannah pushed down the diffidence in her eyes.She shrugged and continued casually, "My job pays well. I can spend it now and earn more later. Plus, I just want you and Mrs. Jacobson to have a nice place to stay. That way, I can rest easy."Anathea remained doubtful but took her hand and said earnestly, "Hannah, you've already done so much for me. I don't want you to sacrifice more for me. It hurts me to see you like that."Anathea understood the struggles Hannah faced in the entertainment industry
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 150
Anathea wanted to give the nurse a token of appreciation, but the nurse kindly refused. She said that women should support each other without keeping score.At that moment, Anathea's eyes grew misty."Thea! Let's go!" Hannah, who was sitting in the passenger seat, waved at her.Anathea turned around without hesitation and walked briskly toward the car.The moment she stepped outside, the sun had just risen, turning the sky from a deep blue to a soft light blue and gradually warming into a golden orange.The entire world seemed bathed in golden light. The trees, grass, and flowers looked more vibrant and full of life in the glow.Anathea looked up at the sky, feeling as if she, too, were touched by the warmth of the sun. She felt as though the scars on her heart were slowly being healed.The sunrise not only brought light but also hope and new beginnings.Anathea stepped out of the shadows and walked toward the beautiful dawn, toward her new life.โฆTwo days later, Gregory ret
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 151
Bella froze for a second, then braced herself and answered honestly, "I-I heard you liked the white wine mussels Mrs. Sinclair used to make, so I thoughtโฆ"She just wanted to get on his good side, hoping it would help her keep this job.Jenny quickly jumped in, saying, "I-I'm the one who told her."Everyone knew Gregory liked the white wine mussels Anathea made. Even when he dined out with friends, someone would always order that dish for him.But if they paid close attention, they would notice that he never actually touched it.Gregory looked at the two women, who were clearly rattled, and said coldly, "Don't make it again.""Yes, sir," Bella said quickly and rushed to clear the plate of white wine mussels off the table.Gregory's mood was ruined. He picked at the remaining food, took just a couple more bites, then set down his utensils.Just then, a message from Eleanor lit up his phone. He grabbed it, stood up, and left the house without another word.As they watched Gregor
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 152
"I asked him to come. It's been a while since we've all had a meal together, and I thought it would be nice to catch up. It's not too much to ask, is it?" Eleanor said, glancing over at Gregory.Gregory's expression stayed neutral. He walked up to her and greeted softly, "Hi, Mom."Eleanor nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips.The harmony they displayed in front of others was in sharp contrast to the tension in the car the other night. It was almost jarring.But neither of them seemed to mind. They wore the masks of a devoted son and a kind mother without missing a beat."Greg, take a look. What do you think of Nat's work?" Eleanor asked.Natalie looked up at him with eyes full of hope. She didn't care what the others said. She only cared about what Gregory thought.Gregory merely glanced over briefly and muttered, "It's fine."The same piece everyone else had raved about got a measly "it's fine" from Gregory. Eleanor's smile froze, and Blake looked just as uncomfortable.
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 153
Compared to Theo's agitation, Gregory remained calm. "So? What's the issue? Isn't this exactly what all of you have been pushing for?"Theo was caught off guard.That was true. Both he and Eleanor had repeatedly urged Gregory to divorce Anathea and marry Natalie. But now that Gregory had agreed to take Natalie to the party, Theo had turned around and asked if he even knew the real purpose.It was a little contradictory."Iโฆ" Theo opened his mouth but couldn't find the words. Still, uncertainty lingered in his voice as he asked, "Have youโฆ really moved on?""Yeah." A flicker of something unreadable passed through Gregory's eyes.Noticing no hesitation in Gregory's response, Theo assumed he was finally getting things back on track. After a reassuring pat on his shoulder, Theo took a seat when Eleanor called them to eat.Natalie was thrilled that Gregory had agreed to attend the party with her. It was as good as acknowledging her as his wife.Delighted, she took the initiative to
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 154
Gregory liked resilient and tough women, didn't he?As she talked, Natalie casually brought up the "Modern Tranquility" exhibition. "With Ms. Langley's piece anchoring the show, it was a huge success. Looks like it didn't make a difference whether Ms. Jacobson's work was there or not."She said it lightly, but her words were deliberate. The implication was clearโAnathea was replaceable.In reality, once Anathea's work had been taken out, attendance for the exhibition had dropped by nearly half. But Natalie only paid attention to the high-profile guests. Ordinary people didn't count in her eyes.Gregory didn't respond. He remembered agreeing to remove Anathea's piece. He could still recall the look in her eyes back thenโstubborn, but faintly pleading. And he'd ignored it.He pressed his lips into a firm line.Natalie tried to continue the conversation, but Gregory leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed. He was clearly no longer interested in talking.Seeing this, Natalie fe
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 155
Gregory paused for a moment at Adrian's words. He tightened his grip on his phone and replied coldly, "I'm coming over now."In the garage, the silver-black Maybach gleamed under the lights."Who would've thought this car would end up rear-ending someone like that?" Adrian clicked his tongue. "I remember your driving skills were always top-notch. How could you crash this badly?"Gregory didn't answer, but Adrian didn't need him to. He quickly accessed the Maybach's dashcam footage and saw the scene from the accident."My God, you actually did it on purpose?" Adrian exclaimed. "Greg, you've got quite the temper!"Gregory pressed his lips together. His tone was laced with displeasure as he asked, "You called me here just to show me this?""Of course not." Adrian chuckled. "Let's see what really pushed the usually unflappable Mr. Sinclair to lose control."As he said that, he pushed the laptop toward Gregory and hit the play button.The video showed Anathea and Thomas maintaining
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Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย 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?ย ย ย 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?ย ย ย 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."Dadโฆ" 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 wantโฆ Momโฆ"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
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 157
Every year on their wedding anniversary, Anathea would cook an entire feast by hand, bake a cake, and wait for him to come home.She'd been a devoted wife, always doing her part to hold the marriage together. That was proof of just how much she cherished it.Gregory's eyes lingered on Anathea's WhatsApp profile picture. It had been taken five years ago on their wedding day by a staff photographer.She was sitting in front of the wedding cake in her wedding dress. With her eyes gently closed, she clasped her hands together as she made a wish.His finger brushed lightly across her serene profile on the screen, as if he could sense the joy she'd been feeling in that moment.He couldn't help but wonder what Anathea had wished for that day. Probably a long, happy marriage with him. Yet they didn't even have a single wedding photo together.Gregory pressed his lips into a thin line.When Anathea prepared all those things on every anniversary, she must've been hoping he'd make even the
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 156
Gregory rubbed his temple.Only now did he realize just how ridiculous and irrational his actions had been. Everything he'd done was completely unlike him. But why?He couldn't make sense of it.As Adrian studied the flicker of emotions on his face, a glint of mischief lit up his eyes. Smiling, he asked, "Greg, wanna guess what I just saw in you?""What?" Gregory frowned. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be anything good.Just as he expected, Adrian said, "A jealous husband. That's what I saw."His words were like a stone tossed into a seemingly calm lakeโone that had long been churning beneath the surface. At once, wave after wave stirred in the silence of Gregory's chest.He froze.A jealous husband? Was he jealous over Anathea?The realization hit him like a jolt.As Adrian watched him, he'd already pieced things together in his mind. Gregory's feelings for Anathea weren't just about possessiveness. He likely had had feelings for her for a while now, though he had
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 155
Gregory paused for a moment at Adrian's words. He tightened his grip on his phone and replied coldly, "I'm coming over now."In the garage, the silver-black Maybach gleamed under the lights."Who would've thought this car would end up rear-ending someone like that?" Adrian clicked his tongue. "I remember your driving skills were always top-notch. How could you crash this badly?"Gregory didn't answer, but Adrian didn't need him to. He quickly accessed the Maybach's dashcam footage and saw the scene from the accident."My God, you actually did it on purpose?" Adrian exclaimed. "Greg, you've got quite the temper!"Gregory pressed his lips together. His tone was laced with displeasure as he asked, "You called me here just to show me this?""Of course not." Adrian chuckled. "Let's see what really pushed the usually unflappable Mr. Sinclair to lose control."As he said that, he pushed the laptop toward Gregory and hit the play button.The video showed Anathea and Thomas maintaining
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 154
Gregory liked resilient and tough women, didn't he?As she talked, Natalie casually brought up the "Modern Tranquility" exhibition. "With Ms. Langley's piece anchoring the show, it was a huge success. Looks like it didn't make a difference whether Ms. Jacobson's work was there or not."She said it lightly, but her words were deliberate. The implication was clearโAnathea was replaceable.In reality, once Anathea's work had been taken out, attendance for the exhibition had dropped by nearly half. But Natalie only paid attention to the high-profile guests. Ordinary people didn't count in her eyes.Gregory didn't respond. He remembered agreeing to remove Anathea's piece. He could still recall the look in her eyes back thenโstubborn, but faintly pleading. And he'd ignored it.He pressed his lips into a firm line.Natalie tried to continue the conversation, but Gregory leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed. He was clearly no longer interested in talking.Seeing this, Natalie fe
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 153
Compared to Theo's agitation, Gregory remained calm. "So? What's the issue? Isn't this exactly what all of you have been pushing for?"Theo was caught off guard.That was true. Both he and Eleanor had repeatedly urged Gregory to divorce Anathea and marry Natalie. But now that Gregory had agreed to take Natalie to the party, Theo had turned around and asked if he even knew the real purpose.It was a little contradictory."Iโฆ" Theo opened his mouth but couldn't find the words. Still, uncertainty lingered in his voice as he asked, "Have youโฆ really moved on?""Yeah." A flicker of something unreadable passed through Gregory's eyes.Noticing no hesitation in Gregory's response, Theo assumed he was finally getting things back on track. After a reassuring pat on his shoulder, Theo took a seat when Eleanor called them to eat.Natalie was thrilled that Gregory had agreed to attend the party with her. It was as good as acknowledging her as his wife.Delighted, she took the initiative to
Why the Crocodile Tears?ย ย ย Chapter 152
"I asked him to come. It's been a while since we've all had a meal together, and I thought it would be nice to catch up. It's not too much to ask, is it?" Eleanor said, glancing over at Gregory.Gregory's expression stayed neutral. He walked up to her and greeted softly, "Hi, Mom."Eleanor nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips.The harmony they displayed in front of others was in sharp contrast to the tension in the car the other night. It was almost jarring.But neither of them seemed to mind. They wore the masks of a devoted son and a kind mother without missing a beat."Greg, take a look. What do you think of Nat's work?" Eleanor asked.Natalie looked up at him with eyes full of hope. She didn't care what the others said. She only cared about what Gregory thought.Gregory merely glanced over briefly and muttered, "It's fine."The same piece everyone else had raved about got a measly "it's fine" from Gregory. Eleanor's smile froze, and Blake looked just as uncomfortable.
