Chapter 578
“What are you doing?” Anathea instinctively tried to pull her hand pack.
“You burned yourself. Didn’t you notice?” Gregory frowned.
Only then did she see the red mark blooming on her wrist. The pain hit her all at once.
“Thea, are you okay?” Chloe grabbed her hand, her voice full of worry. “It’s my fault…”
If she hadn’t tried to take the bowl, it wouldn’t have spilled, and Apathea wouldn’t have gotten hurt.
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“I’m fine, Chloe. Don’t worry,” Anathea soothed her gently. Only when she saw Chloe hadn’t been burned did she let out a breath of relief. “As long as you’re okay.”
“Thea, you should tend to your hand.”
“Okay.”
As soon as Anathea said that, Gregory pulled her toward the restroom while tossing a quick order over his shoulder for Martin to look after Chloe.
His strides were long, and Anathea almost stumbled trying to keep up. When she looked up and saw his darkened expression, she paused. “Are you angry?”
Gregory didn’t answer. But the tight set of his jaw gave her all the confirmation she needed.
He turned on the faucet and guided her wrist under the stream of cold water. The water was icy, but the heat of his palm on her skin sent something deeper through her.
Anathea pressed her lips together. Those long–buried memories had been pried open once again by his actions, rushing back before her eyes and stirring violently in the depths of her soul.
His coldness, cruelty, madness, obsession, desperation, love, and, in the end, his humbled plea for forgiveness–every moment came flooding back. Everything they had ever shared played out before her all at once.
Anathea felt a rush of conflicting emotions.
“I’ll do it myself,” she said, trying to pull her hand away.
But Gregory didn’t let go. “Anathea, can you care about yourself as much as you care about everyone else?”
So that was why he was angry. She was always thinking of others and putting herself last. People who cared about her couldn’t help but feel helpless and frustrated.
Anathea froze for a second, then dropped her gaze. Stubbornly, she said, “It’s none of your business. Let go.”
“If I let go, will you stay here and keep running your wrist under the water?”
“Of course,” she said simply. “It’s my body. Of course I care about it.”
Gregory looked at her for a long moment before finally releasing her. But the second he did, Anathea yanked her hand back and
turned to leave.
A subtle move like that could never escape Gregory’s sharp eyes.
Before she could take a single step, he had already caught her wrist again. He pinned her against the edge of the sink, leaving
her no room to move.
“Gregory!” Anathea flinched as his body pressed flush against hers. She tried to push him off.
But he held her firm, one hand steady on her waist, the other guiding her wrist back under the running water.
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Chapter 578
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“Anathea, you’re a damn liar.” Gregory’s defined profile was tense His voice carried a mix of helplessness and barely contained frustration.
After that one failed attempt, Anathea knew she’d pushed Gregory too far. She’d lost her best chance to break free.
With Gregory’s forceful nature, refusal was no longer an option.
Anathea bit her lower lip, letting him hold her wrist in place.
His breath brushed against her face, warm and ticklish, making Anathea instinctively turn her head away. Her eyes landed on the mirror instead.
There, their reflections showed just how close their bodies were. Amathea curled her fingers slightly, and her entire body tensed.
She was clearly uneasy, but Gregory was the opposite. He held her hand firmly, his fingertips slowly brushing over her skin like he was handling a cherished work of art.
Only now, that once–fair skin had turned slightly red from the burn. A flicker of pain flashed in his eyes.
“Take care of yourself next time,” he said quietly.
Anathea froze again. The burn had faded a little. His grip was lighter now.
“I don’t need you to remind me,” she said coolly.
She pulled her hand away and walked straight out of the restroom without a glance back.
Thomas was already waiting outside. “Ms. Jacobson, are you okay?‘ he asked, concerned.
Anathea nodded.
The next moment, he pulled out a salve he’d gone out of his way to buy. “Let me put some salve on for you.”
He opened the package and reached for her hand.
Chapter 579
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Chapter 579
