Semua Bab Why the Crocodile Tears?: Bab 181 - Bab 190

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

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

By the time Gregory finished dealing with work, the sky was already starting to lighten. But he wasn't the least bit tired.Honestly, he hadn't had a full night's sleep since the day he found out Anathea had left.He pulled out his phone, staring at a picture of Anathea. His gaze lingered on her stomach, and his eyes narrowed slightly.She had the nerve to hide a pregnancy from him and even dared to run away.Gregory's fingers tightened around his phone, his expression darkening."Mr. Sinclair, your coffee," Martin said, setting a cup down next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the photo Gregory was staring at and sighed to himself.Lately, Gregory had been working nonstop, constantly flying back and forth between Castenea and Syntherra. Right now, he looked completely worn out, but he still refused to rest.It was painfully obvious that Gregory's obsession with Anathea ran deeper than he himself realized."Mr. Sinclair, you've been at it all night. Y

The moment that question was asked, all eyes turned to Anathea, and the room buzzed with whispers."Yeah, Mr. Sinclair of Sinclair Group announced that his wife's name is Anathea Jacobson. It's the same exact name. What are the odds?""But she looks kind of different from the photo Mr. Sinclair posted."Anathea smiled a little when she heard that. Of course there was a difference. In the photo Gregory had posted, she was totally barefaced.For the competition, she'd gone full glam with heavy makeup—sharp cat-eye liner and bright red lipstick. It was completely different from her usual soft, elegant style. Even Hannah had to do a double take to recognize her.It was normal that these reporters, who'd only seen her once, couldn't connect the dots.She kept her cool and smiled. "No, I haven't seen it. I've been focusing on the competition. I don't follow celebrity gossip.""Ms. Jacobson, do you know Mr. Sinclair from Castenea?" another reporter asked.Anathea's face didn't even tw

Everyone stared at them with wide eyes. They were stunned.The legendary Gregory, who was known for being cold and untouchable, had just picked up a woman in front of everyone."Let me go!" Anathea pounded on his chest. She struggled hard and kicked her legs in protest.But to Gregory, her resistance was about as effective as hitting a pillow. He quickly told Martin to take Xander away. Then, he strode off with Anathea still in his arms, leaving behind a crowd of dumbfounded reporters and bystanders."Gregory! If you don't put me down right now, I'm calling the cops for harassment!" Anathea snapped coldly once they got outside. "We're not in Castanea. You can't just do whatever you want here!"Gregory narrowed his eyes. "Harassment?"He pulled open the car door and set her down. Anathea instantly tried to bolt, but he grabbed her wrists and pinned her against the leather seat, slamming the door shut behind them.In the tight space, the familiar scent of cedar from his body fille