Chapter 0 Even Jenny seemed to be worried for h her . Anathea chuckled and salt gently , " It's fine +25 BONUS What was the point of holding on when she'd already decided to let go ? After dinner , Anathea sat down to update her résumé Before she'd married Gregory , she'd had her own career . She was a florist - a talented one too . Within six months of entering the industry , she'd already swept every major rising talent award . She'd strengthened the country's relatively weak standing in international floral design .. Even her competitors had to admit she was something special . Hermentor , who'd taken her under her wing , had nothing bet high hopes for her . Everyone had believed Anathea hi had a brilliant future ahead of her to the floral world . And then , at the peak of her momentum , she'd walked away from it all . After she'd married Gregory , Eleanor had insisted that a Sinclair wife should prioritize family . She'd told Anathea to stop wasting time on flowers and start learning how to be a proper high society wife . Anathea had resisted at first . But then Eleanor had said Gregory was already upset about it . And that had been it - Anathea had riven in . Afterward , Xander had been born , and her world had revolved around him since then . She'd had no time to focus on her own passions anymore . The only solace she could find was in tending to the flowers at home each day . Looking back now , it was ridiculous . She'd thrown away her career for the so - called love and family . Anathea silently made up her mind . She was going to reclaim everything she'd once lost , one by one . rout her résumé , it was close to topo pm . By the time she finished sending o The house was silent . Gregory and Xander weren't back yet . In the past , no matter how late they'd come home , Anathea would be waiting in the living room . She would run a bath for Xander and press Gregory's suit for the next day . She'd take care of everything before she'd even think of herself That night , she took a shower and slipped into bed with her phone . She chatted briefly with Hannah , reminding her to be careful during stunt scenes and to get some rest . After all , staying up all night would make her face putty on camera . At 10:30 pm , Anathea tumed off the lights and went to sleep . She realized how comfortable it felt to focus only on herself without worrying about anyone else . She smiled slightly and drifted into dreams But it wasn't long before she heard the door open . Anathea was a light sleeper . She woke immediately , only to find Gregory standing by her bed , staring at her . The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast deep shadows across his chiseled features , making him look even more striking than usul Once upon a time , that look alone would have made her heart skip a beat . Now , Anathea felt nothing but indifference . If anything , she was annoyed at having her rest disturbed . Her voices led slightly hoarse as she asked , " What ? " Gregory didn't answer . He leaned down , yanking off his tie with one hand while the other reached for the buttons of her nightgown Startled , Anathea grabbed his wrist . " What are you doing ? Chapter +25 BONUS What do you think ? " Gregory threw her own words back at her . Not giving Anathea a chance to respond , he yanked back the covers and loomed over her Gregory didn't love her , yet he often slept with her . He treated her ke nothing more than an outlet for his desires The most ridiculous part was that Anathea rarely refused . After all , those moments felt like the only time the was ever close to him . They would share the same heartbeat and lock eyes in that fleeting moment of release . It always made Anathea wonder if Gregory liked her , even just a little . Even if it was only her body he desired . But those illusions had shattered too many times . " No ! " Anathea said firmly , pushing against his chest . " I'm on my period , " Gregory didn't say a word . His hand moved lower . Anathea tensed You're no You're not wearing a pad , " he said flatly , exposing her lie . For a moment , she was stunned . Then , she pressed her legs together and turned away . " I'm tired . I don't want to . " Gregory's expression darkened instantly , She'd never refused him before . Now , she'd done it twice in a row , and worse , she'd lied to him . A sharp tury flared in his eyes . Without another word , he grabbed her wrists and pinned them against the pillow . " Gregory , let go ! " Anathea struggled , but he didn't budge . His lips branded her slender neck , his teeth grazing against her skin . She bit her lip hard , refusing to let any sound escape . In desperation , she raised her knee to kick him . Gregory hadn't expected her to do that . If he hadn't reacted quickly , she would have landed a solid kick " Anathea ! " His voice was laced with anger . " What the hell is wrong with you ? Anathea clutched at her disheveled nightgown . Her chest rose and fell with her ragged breaths . " Isn't Natalie downstairs ? It you're so desperate , why don't you go to her ? His obsession with Natalie was no secret , Now that Natalie was living here , why was he still coming to her bed ? Was he afraid she would interrupt them if he went to Natalie ? Anathea said in a calm and reasonable tone , " Don't worry . Whatever you and Natalie do , I'll pretend I never heard or saw a thing . I won't disturb- Before she could finish , Gregory grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him . She nearly crashed into his face . Instinctively , she tried to pull back , but he gripped her chin , holding her in place . " Anathea , you're acting out just because Natalie moved in , aren't you ? And now you're pretending to be so magnanimous ? " Gregory let out a cold laugh . His gaze was filled with contempt as he looked at her . " What now ? Playing g the victim didn't work , so now you're trying ' re trying to act all noble ? Do you ever run out of tricks ? Anathea didn't bother responding . No matter what she said , Gregory would always think of her as scheming . Gregory took her silence as admission . His gaze darkened with something unreadable before he tightened his grin on her chin and claimed her lips with force . His breath was hot against her skin . Anathea's lashes fluttered . But as his advances intensified , she realized just how vast the difference in strength between men and women truly was . She couldn't fight back Her fingers clenched briefly , but soon , she stopped resisting , She didn't reciprocate . She just lay there , lifeless , like a doll Chapter 9 +25 BONUS stripped of its soul . Her cold indifference only fueled Gregory's frustration . He threw her onto the bed . Anathea didn't react . She simply lay there , staring up at him with a blank expression . Her apathy drained what little interest he had left . Gregory clenched his jaw , grabbed his jacket from the bed , and stormed out . The door slammed behind him with a loud bang , rattling the walls it was an undeniable testament to his rage . Anathea let out a slow breath and wiped the lingering dampness from her lips with the back of her hand . Then , she grabbed a tissue and rubbed at her skin until the feeling was gone . Gregory's intrusion had left her restless , and she spent the rest of the night tossing and turning By morning , the exhaustion was written all Il over her face . As she passed by the second floor , she caught sight of Gregory emerging from one of the guest rooms . Her steps faltered . But he acted as if he didn't see her . His face was cold as he fastened his cufflinks and walked right past hers And then , Natalie stepped out of the same room . Unlike Anathea's weary complexion , Natalie looked positively radiant with a soft glow on her cheeks . " Morning , Ms. Jacobson , " she greeted , lifting a hand in a casual wave . The motion caused her collar to slip slightly , revealing an obvious red mark just below her collarbone . It looked like a hickey . ++ 25 BONUS