The Billionaire's Secret Quartet

"Mommy, I'm so hungry," Helena nodded, her little hands patting her round tummy. "Mommy, Julian is hungry too," Julian tipped his head back to look up at Hertha.

"Well, let's get some dinner," Hertha's face lit up with a mother's gentle smile as she turned, leading the two children by the hand.

As soon as she walked in, she saw a tall, fit figure with a strikingly handsome face and sharp, fox-like eyes staring back at her in shock and confusion, fixated on her and the two children she was holding. Hertha's eyes widened, her breath hitched, and her heart started pounding wildly, her grip on Julian and Helena's hands unintentionally tightening.

Oh my goodness, what was she seeing? Alaric had walked in, Alaric had actually walked in!

Completely unprepared, she saw Alaric come in, and he had seen her two children too!

Alaric moved closer to her, his expression growing more solemn, and Hertha's heartbeat raced even faster.

His figure gradually filled her vision, like the sky coming down upon her, pressing her down completely.

Hertha stared at Alaric, forgetting to breathe.

When Alaric reached her, those beautiful fox-like eyes glanced down at the two children before looking back at Hertha, asking seriously, "What did they just call you?"

Her wide eyes stared at Alaric's questioning gaze, blinking guiltily, but she dared not

Because she couldn't.

mommy? You're not pretty when you're mean," Helena said, looking up at Alaric with her little head tilted back, her plump lips pouting in grievance. Mommy was hers to protect, and she didn't want

my mommy!" Julian clenched his little fists, waving them in the air in front of his

Hertha loud and clear, his heart stirring with

with anger and resentment

recognized the children,

them once in the hospital

they were Emmeline's, assuming Spencer

these children weren't

wonder Kimberly had been speaking so oddly to him earlier, mentioning his concerns

a misbelief that Thalassa's children were Hertha's, but that

and difficulty in accepting