The Billionaire's Secret Quartet

Hertha couldn't let her mom get the wrong idea any longer. Clearing her throat, she put on a serious face and said, "Mom, what are you even thinking? He just came over to my place today. We didn't even get a chance to do anything before you walked in on us."

"Are you blaming me now?" Kimberly's voice rose with a mix of concern and irritation.

Hertha quickly reassured her, "No, no, not at all. I'm actually grateful you showed up. Otherwise, I might have made a mistake that so many women fall for, getting swept away by a handsome face."

As she spoke, Hertha moved closer to Kimberly, playfully putting her arm around her mother's shoulder, and said in a cajoling tone, "I should be thanking you, mom, for showing up just in time to stop me from making a mistake. This guy, Alaric, he's just too good-looking. It's almost criminal."

"Enough with your sweet talk, what's this guy's name?" Kimberly got back to the point, allowing Hertha to continue, though she was wary of the conversation spiraling into absurdity.

"His name is Alaric," Hertha said, her voice barely above a whisper.

She had hoped to sidestep further interrogation, but it seemed her mother was not ready to let it go just yet.

"Do you really only know him for a few days?" Kimberly asked, looking at her daughter with a seriousness that demanded the truth.

"Yeah," Hertha nodded, feeling a bit guilty.

feel like I've seen him before? Especially those eyes, they seem so familiar,"

worried her mother might connect the dots between Alaric's

lots of people with striking eyes. You probably saw

you keep dating guys with those kinds of eyes. The father of your children had those same kind of eyes, didn't he?" Kimberly looked

Hertha blinked in surprise.

right? You must have really loved their father once. Can't

veered off course. They were supposed to be discussing Alaric, and now they were onto the topic

more daunting was that Alaric was indeed the father of her

Worried about where the

mom. If I hadn't, why

have a thing for men

striking eyes, that's all."

approve of you treating

Hertha felt cornered.