+25 BONUS
Chapter 569
He even wondered if this was the heavens giving him a second chance.
While Anathea was too weak to resist, he could lean in and kiss her lips. He could undo the buttons of her tightly fitted top. He could go even further it he wanted.
But in the end, he’d restrained himself for fear of frightening her
He’d feared that the fragile connection he’d just begun to rebuild with her would be destroyed once again by a single moment of reckless impulse.
Anathea would never accept being forced. And indeed, she was looking at him as if she couldn’t wait to get as far away from him as possible.
“Sorry,” he said softly, lowering his head.
“Get out,” Anathea replied coldly, not sparing him a single glance.
“Alright,” he answered.
He turned and walked out, gently closing the bathroom door behind him.
Anathea glanced at the damp towel resting on the counter. She steadied her uneven breathing and took a moment to compose
herself before changing back into her own clothes.
When she came out of the bathroom, Gregory was already gone. The lounge was empty, but the food on the table had been replaced with a fresh meal. Each dish was beautifully presented, fragrant, and steaming hot.
She didn’t care where he’d gone. Sitting down, she slowly picked up her spoon and started eating. But for some reason, she just couldn’t calm her restless mind no matter how she tried.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Hannah calling. “Thea! Where are you right now?” she anxiously asked.
Anathea’s expression shifted. “Send me the address. I’m on my way,” she said.
In an old residential complex in Castenea, the balcony railings were rusted and corroded. The ground was damp and covered in moss, with rats scurrying in and out of the exposed drainage pipes. A few elderly men were gathered downstairs, playing cards.
Shirley pinched her nose in disgust and made a call to Frederick.
“Are you sure you gave me the right address? This place doesn’t look fit for anyone to live in,” she said with disdain.
The moment those words left her mouth, the old men all turned to look at her. Their eyes narrowed, glinting with something
unreadable.
A shiver ran down Shirley’s spine.
But the next moment, the two burly bodyguards she’d brought with her stepped forward and positioned themselves in front of her, sweeping cold, threatening gazes over the group.
The men instantly looked away and resumed their card game as if nothing had happened.
Shirley let out a cold snort. Fortunately, she had brought her bodyguards.
Still, she didn’t leave right away. Instead, she surveyed the surroundings, then turned her attention back to the old men playing
cards.
“I won! Hand over the money!”
“Bullshit! You totally cheated!”
1/2
Chapter 569
+25 BONUS
“It’s just a few dollars. Do you really think I care?”
“I don’t care! Hand it over!”
With a loud smack, Shirley walked over and slapped a wad of cash to the table.
All the men turned to look at her, swallowing hard. This time, the was no lust in their eyes–only greed for the money in her hands.
“If you answer just one question truthfully, the money is yours. How about it?” Shirley asked calmly.
“Sure!” they nodded eagerly. “Ask away!”
“I’m looking for a woman named Natalie Whitman. Does she live here?” she asked slowly.
The men led Shirley to one of the apartment buildings.
“The woman you’re looking for lives right here, but someone else already came to see her today,” one of them said.
“Who?”
Shirley had just asked the question when a voice suddenly cut through the air. “Natalie! Are you trying to drive me to an early grave?”
Eleanor stormed in, jabbing a finger at Natalie, who stood beside a shirtless man.
“What does it have to do with you?” Natalie sneered. “You’re the one who abandoned me. You didn’t want me, and now you show up pretending to be some kind of loving mother? Don’t you find yourself disgusting?”
“You still shouldn’t be degrading yourself like this!” Eleanor shouted.
Her face turned pale as she took in the chaotic room–everything was a mess, with scattered condoms on the floor. The sight nearly made her faint.
“I’ve already arranged everything for you. All you need to do is come back with me and apologize to Lennox. You’ll still be my daughter-”
As she reached out to grab Natalie’s hand, the latter slapped it away without hesitation.
Natalie’s eyes locked onto Eleanor’s as she asked coldly, “Do you want me to be your real daughter or just a goddaughter you hide in the shadows and throw away whenever it suits you?”
