The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet

Alaric could clearly see the worry in Hertha's eyes, and it instantly lifted his spirits. He wanted to sit up, to take Hertha's hand and speak directly to her, but as he attempted to rise, he suddenly remembered how seriously ill he was. Would Hertha think he was faking his illness if he got up now?Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.

At that moment, Alaric's first thought was of Hertha's feelings. With that in mind, he abandoned the idea of sitting up. Instead, from his position lying in bed, he weakly reached out to Hertha. "Hertha, you came to see me... I thought I might never see you again..."

Seeing him so weak and feeble, Hertha's heart melted. Instinctively, she took Alaric's hand, comforting him, "With Dr. Lydia here, you'll be fine. Don't be afraid."

Alaric's hand was cold as ice, but Hertha's hand was warm. Holding it, the coldness that had settled in Alaric's heart from the recent chaos seemed to melt away. Barely holding her hand, he used the strength to sit up, leaning forward and pulling Hertha into an embrace. In that moment, Alaric couldn't help himself, his voice taking on a child-like whine, "I've missed you so much. Can we be more than just friends? Can we be together?"

At our most vulnerable, even the slightest bit of care can make us yearn to be close to those we cherish the most. Our heart's truest words cannot be hidden.

Hertha was held close, Alaric's cheek against hers, feeling the heat of his face. She couldn't tell if it was fever or his emotions running hot. Her heart skipped a beat, feeling herself ignite with him. For a moment, she wanted to say yes, to be with him.

But as the words were about to leave her lips, she remembered Alaric and Georgia's child, the unbreakable ties to his past. If she were to be with him, she'd spend a lifetime navigating troubles and resolving conflicts, not just quarreling with another woman but also dealing with his connections to other people's children.

With that thought, Hertha's heated mind cooled instantly. The words she was about to say got stuck in her throat. She pulled away from Alaric, her voice filled with anger, "So, Alaric, you're playing the sick card to win my sympathy, huh? I almost fell for it!"

Pushed back, Alaric ended up lying down again, accidentally nudging a silver needle in his neck deeper. The sharp pain made him cry out, "Ow, ow, it hurts..."

He curled up from the pain. Dr. Lydia, who was nearby, saw Alaric's condition and quickly intervened, removing the needle that had gone in too deep and pressing down on the spot to ease the pain. "Stop yelling; it's out now."

Hertha was startled, blinking rapidly, "Is it really that serious?"

Lydia looked at her and said, "Did you think this was a joke?"

Feeling guilty, Hertha lowered her head, "I thought he was faking it."

"As if he could fake it this

convincingly," Lydia retorted as she

removed all the needles from el

Alaric's body.

"Is that all he needs? Just some needles? Doesn't he need more

~ 22" Hertha's worry fore

"I sent Mr. Crawley to get some medicine; he should be back soon," Lydia informed.

"Mr. Crawley? Who's that?" Hertha's curiosity piqued, half-expecting another woman's involvement.

Thalassa joined them, clarifying, "Ethan. He's the one who called me about Alaric being sick."

The tension in Hertha's eyes eased, "That Ethan is truly a good friend to Alaric. Taking him in when he was down on his luck, getting him a job, and now, so diligently finding him a doctor when he's sick. If you didn't know any better, you'd think they were a couple."

Lydia added, "Aren't they?"