Chapter 568
The next second, a cold towel was suddenly pressed against her face, making her freeze in surprise.
It finally dawned on her this was what he meant by “helping“.
Still, the chill from the towel did help ease the burning heat on her face, and her mind finally cleared a little.
Gregory gently removed the towel from her face and asked softly, Are you feeling better?”
Anathea looked at him suspiciously.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked with a helpless smile.
“Since when were you ever this kind?” she shot back-
It wasn’t like she’d forgotten how overbearing he used to be. Back then, he never cared about her feelings. He would tear at both her dignity and her clothes while hurling insults at her.
Gregory didn’t respond. Instead, he soaked the towel in cold water again and gently pressed it back onto her face.
Anathea said nothing. She turned her head to avoid his gaze and reached for the towel. “I can do it myself.”
However, he refused to let go and insisted, “Be good, Annie.”
She froze for a moment.
Then, he took an ice pack from the fridge and placed it against the back of her hand.
Anathea shivered from the cold, and the heat that had been building up in her body immediately dissipated. “That’s freezing.”
Only then did Gregory remove the ice pack and rest his palm on her forehead. After checking a few times and confirming her temperature had returned to normal, he finally let out a breath of relief.
“Alright. You’re okay now.”
Anathea stayed silent and raised her hand to push him away, but he easily caught her wrist.
The distance between them was so small that their breaths intertwined in the narrow space that remained. Anathea held her breath as his nose gently brushed against hers.
“Annie, I really missed you so much…” he murmured softly.
She froze for a moment. For some reason, her heart skipped two beats and then raced.
Images of that night when he was drunk and held her, begging for reconciliation, flashed through her mind. Was he serious about missing her?
Her eyes dropped slightly, and when she caught sight of his body’s obvious reaction, the warmth in her gaze instantly vanished.
It unfolded exactly as she’d expected. She should have known–this so–called tenderness was merely a calculated attempt to sway her with a few affectionate words and get her to fulfill his true desires.
His trick of pulling back just to push forward was nothing more than a reflection of how she’d once tried to win him over with
soft tactics.
She frowned slightly and shoved him away without mercy.
“Gregory, you really are a hypocrite,” she said coldly, as if peeling back the carefully restrained mask he wore to reveal the selfish intent lurking beneath.
The coldness and disgust in her eyes caught Gregory off guard, and he instinctively stiffened. His breath faltered.
For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, a quiet sense of defeat began to rise within him.
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Chapter 568
+25 BONUS
He had to admit it—he knew Anathea responded to gentleness better than pressure. That was why he’d tried to seize the moment, hoping that she might let her guard down.
However, he’d forgotten that she was no longer the helpless woman who had to rely on his protection and endure humiliation.
Their power dynamics had long since shifted to one of equals.
In fact, now it was he who bowed his head, placing her above himself. He could no longer easily see through her, nor could he easily control her.
His heart felt tangled in a thousand webs as he exhaled a bitter breath. Since she’d already seen through him, there was no point in pretending any longer.
“You’re right. I am a hypocrite, and my motives are far from noble he said, struggling to control his emotions. “Only God knows how much I wanted to kiss you just now. How much I wanted to-”
Anathea hadn’t expected him to be so honest and hurriedly interrupted him, “Don’t say anymore!”
Gregory pursed his lips, barely holding back the flood of emotions in his eyes.
From the moment he saw that dazed, vulnerable look in her eyes after she drank the soup by mistake, his self–control had been hanging by a thread.
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Chapter 569
+25 BO
