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Chapter 182
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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 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 1
Anathea Jacobson had spent ten years nursing a crush on Gregory Sinclair and five years as his wife. She'd believed she could eventually thaw his heart, even if it was as cold as forged iron.She'd never expected it to be just wishful thinking on her part.The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. Anathea stood by the bed when her phone lit up with a new message.It was a photo taken at Castenea's most exclusive fine-dining restaurant. Gregory sat across from a woman. His gaze was gentle, and his expression was warm.Anathea knew the woman. She was Natalie Whitman, Gregory's ex.Natalie had just returned from abroad last month. The very night she came back, Gregory had left Anathea behind to see her.To Gregory, Natalie was his flawless first love, while Anathea was nothing more than an unsightly stain on a white wall.The bathroom door swung open. Gregory stepped out in a bathrobe, steam rolling off his skin.Anathea put her phone down and turned around, only to f
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 2
Anathea's outstretched hand grasped at nothing, and her elbow slammed against the hard floor. A sharp pain shot through her arm, forcing a hiss from her lips.Xander just stood there without any expression. There wasn't a trace of concern in his eyes.Anathea had nearly lost her life giving birth to him. Yet now, he watched indifferently as she lay on the ground writhing in pain.Anathea felt as if an invisible hand was tightening around her heart, making it hard to breathe.Only now did she realize that, apart from a few of her features, Xander was just like Gregory. They were both cold and indifferent.Anathea's eyes burned with a stinging ache before the world around her spun. Then, everything went black. She passed out from the pain.In the end, it was Jenny who called an ambulance and got Anathea to the hospital.…When Anathea woke up, the sharp scent of antiseptic filled her nose."Acute gastritis caused by stomach dysfunction." The doctor delivered the diagnosis and re
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 3
Anathea watched helplessly as Xander, who'd never liked getting close to others, took Natalie's hand. He walked to her side, clinging to her as if seeking protection.He'd never relied on Anathea like that before.At that moment, she felt something inside her shatter.Noticing how her complexion paled, Gregory frowned. "How did you suddenly fall sick?"Anathea lifted her gaze to him, a flicker of emotion flashing in her eyes."Greg and I heard from Jenny that Xander came to the hospital. We were worried, so we came to pick him up. But it turns out you're sick," Natalie said casually as she turned to Anathea with a concerned expression. "Ms. Jacobson, I hope it's nothing serious. Do you need me to stay and take care of you?""It sure is nothing serious. She doesn't need you to take care of her," Gregory replied flatly.Anathea's gaze dropped again. Her eyes darkened further.How pathetic. Had she really thought Gregory had come to see her because she was sick? That he actually c
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 4
Natalie's soft words felt like a sharp knife slicing deep into Anathea's heart. "Greg's exhausted from last night and just fell asleep. I don't think I should wake him up. How about you try calling back later?"Anathea's grip loosened. Her phone slipped from her hand, landing on her lap.The two abductors seemed to have anticipated this reaction. They wore smug expressions as if they were watching a show."What the hell? Your husband is sleeping with another woman?" Seamus Boone, the heavyset man, clicked his tongue."It seems you're not important to him at all," Frankie added.His words dug into the wound in Anathea's chest, making her struggle to breathe.Of course. Gregory had always loved Natalie. Wasn't it perfectly normal for them to be together?"Then she's nothing to Mr. Sinclair, right?" Frankie shot Anathea a disdainful glance. "What a hassle. Might as well just let me screw her now.""Don't be in such a rush. We're not done yet." Seamus glanced at the message on his
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 5
Before the Jacobson family's downfall, Anathea had been Adam Jacobson's cherished only daughter. As the child of a high-ranking government official, she'd grown up pampered, untouched by hardship.Yet, after marrying Gregory, she'd been treated like nothing more than a maid. And now, she'd been sold to a place like this to entertain clients.No. Anathea would never accept this fate."I'm Gregory Sinclair's wife! If you dare touch me, he won't let you off!" Anathea shouted.Even now, she clung to the hope that Gregory's name could protect her and get her out of this nightmare."You're Mrs. Sinclair?" The woman, Melissa Stewart, laughed like she'd just heard the best joke of her life.Her tone dripped with mockery as she continued, "If you're Mrs. Sinclair, then I must be the governor's wife! Everyone knows Mr. Sinclair is still single. And you dare call yourself his wife? Are you delusional?"Anathea opened her mouth to argue but found herself speechless.Gregory had never ackno
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 6
Anathea felt like she had a long dream.In that dream, she walked arm in arm with Gregory, stepping onto a flower-strewn path with their friends and family watching.Her face was lit up with joy. At that moment, she believed she was the luckiest woman in the world. She could finally marry the man she'd secretly loved for years.But suddenly, everything around her turned blood red. The flowers beneath her feet withered into rotting, foul-smelling twigs.Before she could make sense of what was happening, Gregory let go of her hand without hesitation. His voice, cold and sharp, echoed in her ears like a curse."Anathea, I'll never love a scheming woman like you."Anathea's eyes flew open. A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye.What met her eyes was a white ceiling. It wasn't the dark, endless corridor, and there was no rolling thunder and pounding rain.Outside, sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows. The beauty of it all made her heart ache.How
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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
