Chapter 104
Jenny lifted her gaze to Anathea. For a moment, she was at a loss. Mrs. Sinclair, Mr. Xander…”
Anathea said nothing. She looked at the cookies she’d made despite her exhaustion, only for them to be knocked over by Xander. Pursing her lips, she had Jenny clean up the mess on the floor while she resumed packing the remaining cookies and
sweets.
Jenny was upset to see Anathea holding back her emotions, but there was nothing she could do other than lend Anathea a helping hand.
It was nearly 11:00 pm when Anathea finished packing all the snacks into a container.
“Mrs. Sinclair-“Jenny hesitated as she tried to make up an excuse for Xander’s behavior.
However, Anathea cut her off, “It’s late, Jenny. You should call it a night.”
Jenny opened her mouth to argue. However, she swallowed the rest of her words and turned to leave.
At that moment, Anathea’s phone beeped with a new message. She unlocked it to see that Natalie had sent her a video of Eleanor, Gregory, and Xander.
Xander happily chowed on pizza and fries while holding a large tub of Häagen–Dazs.
“Is the food yummy?” Natalie asked with a laugh.
“Yes! Thank you for bringing me out for a late–night snack, Grandma and Ms. Whitman!” Xander’s eyes crinkled as he grinned from ear to ear.
“There’s so much yummy food here. Do you want to take some home?” Natalie asked.
“No!” Xander refused outright. “Mom will be angry if she knows I’m eating all this. I’ll just finish them myself and keep this a secret from her!”
“Cunning little thing.” Eleanor flicked the tip of Xander’s delicate mose, then turned to tease Gregory. “He sure takes after you in that regard!”
Gregory’s mouth quirked up at the corners, but he said nothing. Just then, one of the waiters approached their table and offered to take a family photo of them as part of the restaurant’s anniversary promotion.
“A photo won’t hurt!” Eleanor said as she moved to sit beside Gregory, then beckoned Natalie and Xander over.
“Everyone look this way!” The photographer directed their placements. “Now, Daddy and Mommy, could you please put your hands on your kid’s shoulders? Yes, that’s right! Mommy and Daddy, scoot a little closer together. Okay, now say it with me- cheese!”
The moment was commemorated in a photo, which Natalie forwarded to Anathea.
Anathea stared at the family photo. Xander was beaming, and Gregory’s usually cold, hard expression had softened for the
camera.
–
In retrospect, Anathea had never had a family photo with Xander and Gregory because the latter didn’t like getting his photos taken.
Or, to be more accurate, he didn’t want to be in the same frame as Anathea.
Anathea clenched her fingers and locked her phone. She heaved a sigh and trudged upstairs. She began taking her clothes out of the wardrobe and packing her suitcases. It was almost 1:00 am when she’d washed up.
She got into bed and turned on her phone to reply to some texts. She then scrolled through her social media, dutifully liking Hannah’s funny moments on set and Isabel’s aesthetic photos.
After that, she refreshed her news feed, only for Natalie’s post to come into view, It was a photo of the latter shaking hands with
1/2
another famous floral designer in the industry.
The caption read, “Shout–out to Mr. Sinclair for pulling the string It’s my honor to collaborate with Blake Johannson!”
Well wishes and various expressions of envy flooded the comments section below the photo.
Anathea lowered her gaze. One moment, Natalie was reeling from Aspen’s rejection of her offer to collaborate, and the next, she was celebrating a new collaboration with another famous floral designer.
And this had happened before they left the lounge at the exhibition too. The whole thing had happened so seamlessly.
Natalie hadn’t been able to secure a partnership with Aspen, so Gregory had stepped in to help her form a collaboration with another big name in the industry. It went to show how much he cared about Natalie.
Anathea wouldn’t be surprised if Gregory set up a floral studio for Natalie next.
Yet Anathea couldn’t even hold on to an exhibition booth for her work.
A self–deprecating smile curved her lips. She was about to turn off her phone and sleep when Natalie uploaded a new post.
It was a photo of a floor–to–ceiling window with the caption, “A beautiful moon on a beautiful night.” Anathea’s finger paused on her phone screen as she stared unblinkingly at the photo, her lashes fluttering slightly.
The silver moon shone brightly beyond the floor–to–ceiling window in the photo, but through the reflection in the glass, she could vaguely make out the pile of clothes on the floor, and dangling amorously atop them were a pair of ripped stockings and crumpled suit trousers.
