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Anathea knew exactly what Xander was thinking. To him, she was just an incompetent mother who couldn’t compare to Natalie,
whom he admired so much.
That was why he didn’t want her to take him to school anymore. He was embarrassed by her.
She didn’t call him out on it. Instead, she simply smiled and let Cyrus drive Xander to school. Then, she turned her attention to
her own matters.
Once they left, the massive estate felt empty again; Anathea had been left alone in the silence.
Later, Jenny wheeled a cart filled with fresh blooms into the backyard, saying, “Mrs. Sinclair, here are the flowers you asked for.”
Jenny had no idea what Anathea planned to do with them, but she’d followed her instructions and bought everything on the list.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel concerned about Anathea’s indifference toward Gregory and Natalie’s relationship, as well as her apparent disregard for Xander’s opinions.
She continued, “Mrs. Sinclair, we can take care of the flowers for you. You should really focus more on Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Xander, or else…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but Anathea already understood what Jenny meant–if she kept turning a blind eye, Natalie would completely replace her sooner or later.
“Thank you.” Anathea accepted the flowers without addressing the real issue.
Jenny parted her lips as if to say something but hesitated. Eventually, she swallowed her words and said, “I’ll get you some
scissors.”
Anathea had already changed into practical clothes. Taking the scissors and tools Jenny brought, she got to work on the flowers.
But this time, she didn’t just trim them like before. Rather, she shaped them into something more intricate.
As she arranged the flowers, a breathtaking image took form–a majestic bird spreading its wings. The tail was made of bluebells, their petals swaying lightly in the breeze, making it look as if the bird could take flight at any moment.
“That’s beautiful!” Jenny gasped in awe, unable to hide her amazement.
She knew Anathea had a talent for floral design, but she hadn’t expected something this extraordinary. She exclaimed, “It looks. like a piece straight out of an art exhibit!”
Anathea merely smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s still a far cry from a work of art.”
With that, she calmly started dismantling the entire arrangement, plucking the flowers one by one.
Jenny was baffled by her actions. Anathea had spent two hours creating that masterpiece. Why was she destroying it now?
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Jenny asked, “Mrs. Sinclair, why are you taking it apart?”
“I was just practicing.” Anathea sounded casual, but a hint of regret flickered in her gaze.
It seemed her skills had dulled over the five years, and she needed to start from scratch. Since large–scale designs were difficult
to control, she would have to begin with smaller pieces.
Once Anathea left the Sinclair family, her financial support would be completely cut off. Fiona would be in for a long recovery
period after her surgery, so Anathea would need money for all the medical expenses.
Floral design was her only real skill–the only way she could make a living. Hence, she had no choice but to pick it up again.
Sadly, things weren’t going as smoothly as she’d hoped. Since she’d abruptly left the industry years ago, the colleagues who’d
once supported her seemed to have lost faith in her. Even after several days, no one had responded to her messages.
Anathea lowered her gaze, feeling blue. Just then, her phone chimed with an email notification. When she saw the sender’s name
-Professor Aspen Langley–her eyelashes trembled slightly.
“This upcoming exhibition is themed around Modern Tranquility. We’ve already reached out to the renowned floral artist, Ms.
Aspen Langley, and we’re in talks to feature her latest work as the centerpiece of the main exhibit,” Natalie announced, going
through a presentation in the conference room.
“That concludes our proposal,” she said.
The room immediately erupted into applause. Someone praised, “Just as expected from Ms. Whitman! She managed to come up
with such a detailed and flawless plan in such a short time!”
Even Gregory’s best friend, Theo Harrington, nudged him playfully. “Man, Ms. Whitman is a powerhouse! She’s definitely the
kind of woman who’d make the perfect right–hand partner. You’re one lucky guy.”
Gregory’s expression remained unreadable, but he still gave Natalie’s proposal his approval. “Go ahead with it. If Sinclair Group’s
involvement is needed anywhere, just let me know.”
“Oh, look at that! The project hasn’t even started yet, and you’re already playing favorites.” Theo clicked his tongue, shaking his
head. “Back when I was running projects, I don’t remember you ever being this eager to help. Mr. Sinclair, you’ve officially
ditched your friends for a pretty face!”
“That’s because you’re incompetent, and helping you wouldn’t have made a difference,” Gregory replied bluntly, cutting straight
to the point.
“Hey, now that’s just harsh!” Theo protested, “You’re acting like you’ve ever actually helped me before.”
Then, he turned to Natalie with a teasing smirk. “I swear, you wouldn’t lift a finger for anyone except your dear Ms. Whitman.”
Hearing that, Natalie blushed slightly, her fair skin tinged with pink. “Theo, don’t say that. Greg’s not like that at all.”
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“Look at that; she’s already defending him.” Theo sighed dramatically. “Fine, just leave me out whenever you two are together. I
don’t need to torture myself like this.”
“Then you’re out of luck,” Gregory replied flatly. “My mom’s birthday is this weekend, and she specifically asked for you to
come.”
Theo smacked his forehead. “Shit! I almost forgot about that. If Aunt Eleanor finds out I didn’t prepare anything, she’s going to
kill me!”
He shot up from his seat, ready to leave. However, before stepping out of the conference room, he paused and glanced back. With a sly grin, he asked, “By the way, is your ‘better half‘ going?”
Seeing the amused glint in Theo’s eyes, Gregory simply replied, “She never does.”
On the day of Eleanor’s birthday, Brisa’s driver, Arnold Winston, hesitated as he looked at Natalie, who was dressed elegantly and
looked radiant.
Sounding uncertain, he said, “Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Sinclair Senior instructed me to take you, Mrs. Sinclair, and Mr. Xander to the
Sinclair residence.”
Gregory’s gaze shifted toward the stairs just as Anathea descended gracefully. Unlike Natalie’s striking look, Anathea wore a soft blush–pink silk dress that fell just above her knees. Her long, silky hair was pinned up with a pearl clip, making her look gentle
and refined.
“Mom’s coming too?” Xander asked in surprise.
Eleanor’s birthday parties had always been a family event, yet Anathea had never attended before. Why was she suddenly going
this time?
And if she was going, that would likely mean there wouldn’t be a seat for Natalie. But Xander had already promised her they
would go together.
Gregory barely spared Anathea a glance before looking away, his expression indifferent.
“Mr. Xander, please get in the car,” Arnold said, holding the door open.
“But there’s not enough space! We’re supposed to go with Ms. Whitman!” Xander protested, hugging Natalie tightly.
Arnold looked conflicted, lowering his voice as if trying to negotiate. “Mr. Xander, how about this? You, Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair go
first, and I’ll come back to pick up Ms. Whitman. Does that work?”
“No!” Xander’s face scrunched up in frustration. “I want to go with Ms. Whitman!”
Seeing his distress, Natalie quickly softened her expression, her voice gentle and understanding. “Xander, sweetheart, go with
your parents first. I’ll take another car and meet you there, okay?”
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“No!” Xander pouted, shaking his head. “We already planned this! Mom never went before–why does she suddenly have to go
now?”
Anathea stood quietly, watching Xander’s reaction. Although she was his mother, at this moment, it felt like she was nothing
more than an outsider–a villain ruining their plans.
“Mom, can’t you just not go?” Xander asked, looking at Anathea pleadingly.
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