The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet

Hertha turned around, pouring her heart out with a serious and stern expression. Once she was done, she didn't even look back. She just hopped into her car and drove off, leaving Alaric alone in the chilly wind, fuming with frustration.

As he watched Hertha's car disappear into the distance, Alaric, in a fit of anger, kicked at the ground, his breathing uneven with irritation.

Spotting his suit jacket discarded on the ground, Alaric felt a mix of anger and defeat wash over him. Bending down, he picked it up, draped it over his arm, and pulled out his phone to call Richard.

"Calling me this late, huh? I take it Hertha took pity on you and let you crash? Don't bother thanking me," Richard teased as soon as he picked up the call.

"Thank you my ass! Richard, what kind of crappy advice was that? Telling me Hertha would come pick me up from the station and feel sorry for me! She actually thinks I've got something going on with Ruby and now says she never wants to see me again! You've just single-handedly ruined any chance I had with Hertha. How are you going to make this right?"

True, Ruby got hurt because of him, and yes, the police had shown up, detained him, and questioned him. Richard and Ethan, being Alaric's friends, could have bailed him out.

But Richard had this brilliant idea to not interfere and instead suggested Alaric give the cops Hertha's number so they would call her to bail him out. The plan was supposed to bring Alaric and Hertha closer, maybe even spark some sympathy and break the ice.

But Hertha, thinking Alaric got busted for something shady, just ended up with a bigger misunderstanding.

"How did it end up like this? Didn't you explain?" Richard sobered up, sounding genuinely concerned for Alaric.

"She didn't give me a chance to explain," Alaric retorted, clearly exasperated. "I should've known better than to trust a guy who's been single for a millennium with relationship advice!"

"Hey, that's a bit harsh, buddy. Don't hit where it hurts," Richard replied, sounding wounded.

"Am I wrong?" Alaric shot back, still heated.

Richard, feigning a heartache, tried to soothe Alaric's bruised ego, "Calm down, man. It's just a

misunderstanding with H Calm

I'l

help you explain things tomorrow."

"You better mean it!" Alaric finally heard something that gave him a glimmer of hope.

"Of course, I mean it," Richard assured.

"Fine, I'll wait for your explanation. If you mess this up, we're done being friends," Alaric spat out before hanging up. What a day it had been.

All he wanted was to have a few drinks with Ethan and Richard to drown his sorrows. Instead, his woes only deepened. When Hertha got home, it was already half-past two in the morning. The house was silent, her kids and her mom fast asleep.

Taking a deep breath, she eased the tiredness from her heart.

She tiptoed to her bedroom door, pushing it open to be greeted by a cozy warmth.

Inside, the sweet, rhythmic breathing

of her little ones mixed with the

scent of warm milk filled the air.

Just listening to them breathe was enough to mend Hertha's heart, turning her world-weary into a smile.

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She walked over to their bedsides, bending down to kiss each of their cherub-like faces. They were soft and warm, like marshmallows, bringing her absolute comfort.

Now, Hertha could truly appreciate the hard times Thalassa went through, the struggles she faced, yet she remained optimistic and joyful every single

day.