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.

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

her mother might connect the dots between Alaric's eyes and Helena's, potentially

thought, Hertha interjected, "Mom, there are lots of people with striking eyes. You probably saw someone similar somewhere and it just stuck

your children had those same kind of eyes, didn't he?" Kimberly looked at Hertha

Hertha blinked in surprise.

resemble her dad's, right? You must have really loved their father once. Can't

discussing Alaric, and now

even more daunting was that Alaric was indeed the father of her children. They were talking about the same person;

Worried about where the

might lead, Hertha quickly changed the subject, "I've moved on, mom. If I hadn't, why would have broken up with

a

striking eyes, that's all."

you like him, then don't break up so easily. I don't approve of you treating relationships like child's play," Kimberly lightly tapped on

Hertha felt cornered.