pter 41 " Sprak " Gregory's voice was cold and commanding . Yet , silence was the only response he received . He frowned and scooped " Anathea up effortlessly , carrying her to the couch . Anathea slumped against it , completely drained , as it every last ounce of strength had been stripped from her . She didn't even blink , her vacant eyes staring into nothingress e to ignore . Beneath the slightly open collar of her She said nothing , but the evidence of what had just happened was impossible blouse , her pale skin was marred with countless red marks , a silent testament to Gregory's aggressiveness . However , the real damage came from the humiliation that shattered her spirit , not just the physical torture . Gregory finally realized he might have gone too far . His voice was stiff as he offered a curt explanation . " The glass is and soundproof . " one - way In other words , while everything outside was visible from within the office , those outside couldn't see or hear anything happening inside . He would never allow anyone to witness their intimate moment or to see Anathea in such a disheveled state . He'd only wanted to punish her and remind her of her position . However , when he truly took in Anathea's reaction , a strange , inexplicable feeling stirred in his chest . He brushed the thought aside and sat down beside her , reaching out to button up her blouse . Yet before his fingers could even touch the fabric , Anathea flinched , refusing any contact with him . The silence stretched on for nearly ly halt a m working . " minute . Finally , Gregory relented . " Fine . I'll let them go . I can also forgive you for Anathea finally responded , raising her gaze to meet his . However , her eyes were clouded with caution and doubt , as if she feared he might go back on his word in an instant . " Try looking at me like that again . " His voice carried a trace of displeasure . He was Gregory Sinclair , a man of his word . He would never break . promise . " Just keep your distance from any men in the studio . Otherwise , don't expect me to be merciful . " Anathea let out a quiet , mocking laugh in her heart . Gregory's double standards , where he could act freely while restricting her , were almost laughably absurd . Nonetheless , she chose to stay silent . She didn't argue , because she couldn't afford to . By now , she fully understood just how big the gap between them was . Thankfully , in less than a month , she would be gone . Until then , all she had to do was endure . Anathea fastened the buttons of her disheveled blouse , though the top two had been torn off by Gregory . It was clear evidence of just how rough he'd been . Gregory cleared his throat lightly and turned his head away , avolding her gaze . His expression shifted back to the cold and distant indifference he usually wore . Anathra had no desire to linger any longer . She stood up , her legs rembling slightly . She was determined to leave . " Hold on , " Gregory said as he walked toward his desk , pulling open a drawer . Then , he retrieved a small , dark blue velvet box and handed it to Anathra . the froze for a moment when she recognized it . It was the very bog that had once held her wedding ring . It was the same one she'd sold along with the ring She was puzzled , wondering whether Gregory had bought it back Gregory flipped open the box , taking out the diamond ring. It was deed hers , the very one she'd sold. " Give me your hand " But Anathea didn't obey . Her fingers curled slightly . She found Gregory's actions bewildering . After all , they were going to get divorced . And yet , his behavior was unpredictable , making it impossible for her to understand his true intentions . For instance , at the moment , seeing that she refused to extend her hand , Gregory didn't hesitate . He simply grabbed her slender wrist and forcefully slid the ring onto her finger . The cool touch of the ring against her skin made Anathea freeze . A memory from their wedding day five years ago resurfaced in her mind - back then , she'd excitedly reached out for the matching ring to place on Gregory's finger . However , she'd failed to do so . Gregory had abruptly snapped the ring box shut and tossed it to Martin as if discarding something worthless . Chapter 12 Anthea and Gregory had never exchanged the wedding rings that symbolized eternity . Perhaps , from the very beginning , their marriage had been doomed to fail . She'd been the only one unwilling to let go , stubbornly dragging it out for five long years . But thankfully , she'd finally come to her senses . That was the only thought on her mind now . Her gaze rested on the ring , calm and Indifferent . However , Gregory assumed she was scheming to sell the ring again . He warned coldly , " If you dare sell it for a bit of petty cash again , there will be consequences to bear . " He couldn't believe that she'd sold it for only eight million dollars . Anathea remained silent . Truthfully , she had considered it . Selling the ring again would get her enough to cover Fiona's surgery expenses . Unfortunately , before the thought could fully take root , Gregory had already crushed it . Besides , after experiencing his fury once , she wasn't foolish enough to test him a second time . up with the remaining three million . She sighed inwardly . It seemed she would have to find another way to come up Still , now that Gregory had agreed to let the Jacobson family and the studio go , she could start raising funds again . That thought alone sparked a faint glimmer of hope within her . " If there's nothing else , you can leave , " Gregory said without a second glance , settling back into his chair and flipping through the stack of documents . Anathea took the hint . Without another word , she turned and walked toward the office door . But the moment she opened it , she was met with Martin rushing in . If she hadn't moved aside , they would have collided . Yet , Martin had no time to apologize . His urgency was palpable as he strode straight into the office . " Mr. Sinclair , bad news . Ms. Whitman has fallen and injured her leg . " " What ? " Gregory frowned and stood up immediately . Anathea was just as startled . Before she could fully process what was happening , Gregory had already brushed past her , striding out of the office . For the first time , the ever - indifferent Gregory wore an expression of genuine concern . It was because he'd just heard that Natalie had injured her leg . Anathea smirked. She carefully adjusted her clothing , making sure nothing was out of place . The last thing she wanted was for anyone outside to cast suspicious glances , speculating about what had happened in Gregory's office . In fact , her worries were unnecessary . As she stepped out , she spotted Gregory rushing away with Natalie , who was pale , in hits anns . All eyes in the office had already shifted toward them . " I heard that Ms. Whitman and Mr. Sinclair have quite a close relationship . Seeing how anxious he is now , that must be true , " Of course ! She was given a director - level position the moment she joined the company , and she always arrives and leaves with Mr. Sinclair . It's jmpossible that nothing is going on between them " " Not to mention , last time Mr. Sinclair went on a business trip , he only brought Ms. Whitman along . And that place ? It's a well known couples ' vacation resort . He must've just been using it as an excuse to take her on a romantic getaway . " " Ugh , I'm so jealous ! Ms. Whitman is so lucky to have met a mane Mr. Sinclair , who's rich , powerful , and insanely good- looking- Without besitation , Anathea walked away calmly , uubothered by the envious whispers around her . However , the moment she stepped out of Sinclair Group , her phone buzzed . Chapter 42