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
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
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
"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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
"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
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
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