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Chapter 28
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Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 29
Anathea's face darkened. When Natalie spotted her, she stopped fixing Gregory's tie and greeted her with mild amusement. "Ms. Jacobson."Gregory turned around when he heard her and clenched his jaw. "What are you doing here?"He sounded displeased that Anathea had come and ruined things for him and Natalie. Snorting, Anathea handed him the folder and said expressionlessly, "You forgot your documents. Grandma had me bring them to you."Gregory made no reply and reached for the folder, waiting for Anathea to shove it into his hand. However, she turned and handed the folder to Martin instead. She smiled and said, "Thanks for your hard work, Martin."Martin blinked in bewilderment, though he took the folder without question. "All in a day's work, Mrs. Sinclair. Would you like a ride back to the city?""No, thank you. I can drive myself," Anathea answered. She then spun on her heels and returned to the house without sparing Gregory another glance.Martin was puzzled as he watched An
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 30
Anathea lowered her gaze. Of course she remembered Evangeline's dream. When Evangeline had first approached her with the grand idea, she'd insisted that Anathea jump on the bandwagon, claiming the idea wouldn't work without a bona fide genius like her.It had been five years since they'd had that conversation, and Anathea had forgotten the details. Even her passion for floral designing had been overtaken by her love for Gregory and Xander. In the end, she'd been left dreamless and scarred.There were times when she desperately wanted to break off her shackles and be free to do what she wanted. "Am I really qualified?"Unfortunately, she spiraled into self-doubt. She took out her résumé and scanned past the awards she'd won five years ago, her gaze landing on the blank space that should have been filled with her working experiences. She confessed, "There's a five-year gap in my working experience."Anathea had to admit that she'd been stuck in the same place for five years while
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 31
Evangeline gave Anathea a tour of the studio. It wasn't too far away from the Sinclair residence. It would take Anathea just over ten minutes to get to work by car."Everyone," Evangeline announced as she led Anathea to the center of the studio bullpen, clapping her hands twice to get her employees' attention. "This is our new floral designer. She'll be working with you from now on!"Anathea smiled courteously and nodded once in greeting. "I'm Anathea Jacobson. I'm glad to be part of your team, and I look forward to working with you all."Her introduction was met with wholehearted applause."Nice one, Ms. Holstrom! Where did you find such a delicate doll of a floral designer?" someone praised."She's my junior," Evangeline explained, wrapping an arm around Anathea as if showing her off. "Bet you're jealous, huh?""More like very jealous!"Another person piped up happily, "Knowing I'll have a babe for a colleague makes me want to show up to work every day!"A blush crept over An
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 32
For the last few days, Anathea had been getting up early to go to work and hadn't returned until late into the evening. Xander had gone to bed without bedtime stories during her absence, and he was starting to feel neglected, which explained his sudden needy behavior toward Anathea.However, Anathea gently nudged him away and said, "Start dinner without me, Xander. I need to take care of something."Anathea had just received a customer's order details for a floral arrangement. She needed to pick out the materials to complement the venue of choice and come up with a design proposal.Xander froze. He'd heard Gregory humor him with the same excuse plenty of times whenever he went into Gregory's study. "I need to take care of something," the man would say impassively."Mom…" Xander pouted, looking like an abandoned puppy. "It's been so long since you spent time with me. Can't you have dinner with me tonight?"Anathea grew exasperated when she saw the tears in Xander's eyes. He looked
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 33
For a moment, the air went still, and the tension at the dining table thickened. Most of it came from Gregory, though it lasted only a few seconds before he returned to eating his dinner in silence.Xander blinked and wondered if he'd said something wrong.Natalie was the first to break the silence, sounding baffled as she mused, "I didn't think you'd find a job, Ms. Jacobson. Are you…worried that the Sinclairs can't provide for you?"Anathea heard the provocation in Natalie's words, yet smiled and said, "Yes."Even if the Sinclairs gave her 100 thousand dollars every month, it would take her two and a half years to come up with the money for Fiona's surgery. But Anathea didn't feel like bringing this up.Natalie was surprised by Anathea's frankness. She went still at first but quickly regained her composure. She gave Gregory a subtle look and said, "I'm assuming you haven't told Greg about your new job, Ms. Jacobson."Anathea didn't think telling Gregory about her new job was ne
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 34
Anathea's brows furrowed at Gregory's tone. He hadn't been all that surprised or angry when he first learned about her recent employment, so why was he getting so worked up now? It was as if he'd turned into a different person entirely.He stared at her intently as if he could see through her and continued darkly, "Or is this another one of your dirty tricks?"Anathea was used to hearing his accusations, and she wasn't in the mood to explain herself. She raised a hand and shoved him away. "It's none of your business. If you're done throwing a fit, Mr. Sinclair, I suggest you leave.""Why should I leave? This is my room, after all," Gregory countered, his gaze growing more suspicious as he assessed her. "I presume you're in a hurry to get rid of me because you're hiding some big, dark secret."Anathea didn't, and she had no desire to understand the inner workings of Gregory's twisted mind. But at that moment, her phone chimed with a new message. Gregory snatched it out of her hand
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 35
Anathea let out a muffled sound of protest. How had things come to this? Gregory's fist knotted in her hair at the back of her head, holding her still as his free hand roved lower down her body. Her eyes widened, and she immediately shoved him away as she cried, "No!"They shouldn't do something so intimate when they were on the verge of a divorce!"No?" Gregory repeated incredulously, scoffing. "Just two weeks ago, you were clinging to me and getting so riled up that you couldn't help moaning my name. And now you're pulling this pure-and-chaste act?"Anathea winced under his sharp, contemptuous gaze. She was surprised that he would say such insulting, filthy things to her."As long as you're my lawful wife, Anathea, you will not mingle with other men behind my back without my permission! I will not tolerate you getting up to any funny business!" Gregory seethed.Shock barreled through her when she heard his warning. She sensed a stronger emotion that underlined his rage—the pol
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 36
Anathea's phone screen lit up again with a text from Evangeline inviting her to the team-building event on Friday that also doubled as a welcoming party for Anathea.Anathea stared at the screen blankly until it dimmed and blacked out entirely. Only then did she pick up her phone, brace her weight on her knees as she stood, and reply to Evangeline. "I've got plans on Friday. Go ahead without me."She sent the same text to the male colleague who had messaged her earlier.In truth, Anathea had never been a fan of social gatherings like team-building events. Besides, she wanted to maximize her time to make as much money as she could.William had told her that he'd wire the three million dollars to her account the next day to help her with Fiona's surgery bills. Anathea was grateful to him, and she knew she could count on him to support them in times of need.However, Anathea spent the better part of the next day waiting to hear from William about the money but to no avail."What's g
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Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 172
Even as her heart pounded wildly under her ribcage, Natalie maintained her poise and elegant demeanor, looking like a beautiful princess at the top of the castle waiting for her prince to come.When Gregory was less than a foot away, she silently gulped. She put on her most dazzling smile and extended her right hand toward him.At that moment, the world around them quieted. The lights and the audience's unwavering gaze were on them. As everyone beheld the scene on the red carpet, shock colored their faces.Someone exclaimed, "So the bigwig who'd spent millions on Ms. Whitman is Mr. Sinclair, the CEO of Sinclair Group?""No wonder! I've heard that Mr. Sinclair and Ms. Whitman are more than just platonic acquaintances! So she's the future Mrs. Sinclair! Looks like the rumors are true, then. I bet Mr. Sinclair wants to use this opportunity to announce his engagement with Ms. Whitman officially!""Indeed! Mr. Sinclair is the finest example of a rich and adoring husband in all of Caste
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 171
Hannah carefully observed Anathea's expression and found it neutral. It was as if Anathea couldn't care less about what she'd seen on television. Only then did Hannah heave a sigh of relief and let loose a torrent of abuse. "To think that no-good Gregory would bring that hussy to a huge social event so soon after your divorce!"Hannah didn't remember seeing Gregory bring Anathea to any social event. He couldn't have made his double standards any more obvious.In stark contrast to Hannah's outrage, Anathea remained expressionless. She and Gregory were divorced, and he could bring whoever he wanted to to any party. It had nothing to do with Anathea anyway, and she saw no point in dwelling on the past."Gregory?" Chloe was curious about the man Hannah was cursing. "Mommy, who's Gregory?""This guy right here," Hannah said, clenching her jaw as she pointed at the man appearing on camera. "He might look like a decent fella, but he's nothing but a despicable, no-good prick!""Oh, so t
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 170
And yet, the lights that illuminated Presgrave Manor were as bright as day.Macon and Dayanna Presgrave had weathered the odds together for decades and were celebrating their 30th anniversary. Theirs was an arranged marriage between two equally powerful families that had made the Presgraves one of the most prestigious households in Castenea.As such, the dinner party thrown in their honor saw the attendance of many important folks from Castenea. Even the press had been invited to broadcast and photograph the event. With all the major media outlets promoting the luxurious affair, the party quickly became the most anticipated event of that evening.Everything about the party stirred up unprecedented buzz. It was even being broadcast live on television.Anathea was greeted by the live broadcast of the dinner party at Presgrave Manor the moment she clicked on the remote and turned on the television. She also caught the dashing figure in a black suit that appeared on camera for only
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 169
Dominic was well aware that by "someone", Gregory meant Anathea. However, he kept his expression neutral as he met Gregory's gaze, revealing nothing. "Mr. Sinclair, surely you jest. I wouldn't dare hide anyone from you, let alone someone who means something to you."Gregory's lips pressed into a grim line as he stared at Dominic wordlessly. He didn't believe Dominic. With Gregory's forces and the way they worked, it wouldn't take more than two days for him to hear about Anathea as long as she was in Syntherra.However, four days had passed, and there had been no news of her. Gregory doubted anyone other than Dominic could keep Anathea's whereabouts hidden.But Dominic didn't look the slightest bit rattled. "If you've lost someone, Mr. Sinclair, all you have to do is tell me who it is and I'll have my men search for them as well.""As if you'd do that." Gregory scoffed, looking away.A tense silence spread between the two men. Just as Dominic thought Gregory wouldn't say anythi
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 168
"Sweetheart, you're not old." Dominic pinched Hannah's delicate cheek. "You're only 27 and in your prime!""Is this how you treat them as well?" Hannah countered, her tone devoid of emotion.Dominic paused. "'Them'?""Do you call the other women 'sweetheart' if they please you too?" Hannah didn't ask this aloud, not that she planned to, lest she embarrass herself.The flush across her cheeks gradually waned as she calmed down. She shoved Dominic away and urged, "Why aren't you leaving?"However, Dominic's lips curled as he pinned her down, sturdy as a mountain. He even pressed his lips close to her ear and murmured, "I'll stay a little longer to boost our chances of getting pregnant."Hannah fell speechless. Dominic seemed intent on—if not borderline obsessed with—knocking her up.In the past, he'd used protection all the time and even went the extra mile to clean up the trash. He was extremely cautious so as not to create trouble for himself.But everything changed after Hanna
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 167
"Of course not," Hannah said with a smile, not a single crack in her expression. "Do I look like someone who goes back on her word? I'm not even pregnant yet. Once I am, I'll stop working."Dominic narrowed his eyes. "Are you questioning my efficiency?"Hannah was stunned for a moment, thrown off by how fast he'd jumped to that conclusion.He took her pause as silent agreement. With a smirk, he reached over and pinched her cheek. "Don't worry. I'll show you exactly what efficiency means."The moment the light turned green, he shifted his gaze back to the road and hit the gas. The Bentley shot forward like a bullet.As soon as they reached his apartment, even before stepping through the door, Dominic grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. He cupped her chin and lowered his head to kiss her lips.Hannah's eyes widened for a second in surprise. But soon enough, she responded to him.The heat between them rose fast. Hannah, caught in his demanding rhythm, struggled to catch her bre
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
