The Billionaire's Secret Quartet

Thalassa and Lysander were cozied up at the dinner table, indulging in a delicious meal. Just as they were about to finish, Thalassa's phone rang. She picked it up to see Hertha calling. Without hesitation, she answered.

"Thalassa, what are you up to? Oh, right, you've just pulled off a wedding heist, must be all lovey-dovey with Lysander, sickeningly sweet. Unlike me, feeling like I've been put through the wringer, heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys, all aching," Hertha's voice came through the phone, laden with a wish-to-cry despondence.

Sensing something was off with Hertha, Thalassa asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's too much to explain over the phone. Can we meet in person? Do you have time?" Hertha sighed.

Hertha, usually so vibrant and cheerful, sounded so downhearted that Thalassa sensed something serious was amiss.

Covering the mouthpiece, she looked over at Lysander for approval, "Hertha needs me, is it okay if I step out for a bit?" Lysander dabbed his mouth with a napkin and asked, "Are you done eating?"

"Yeah, I'm full," Thalassa nodded.

ahead, then," Lysander

fork, Thalassa hurriedly stood up,

came Lysander's low, magnetic

smile, Thalassa said,

while Lysander instructed

away, sir," Fitch sprang into

the

bench, facing the lake. The breeze lifted her wig slightly, casting a

her like this, Thalassa's

arm around Hertha's shoulders, and tried to lighten the mood, "What's got our 'sunshine' so down? Is it

to reality, leaning into Thalassa's embrace with a heavy breath, "Thalassa, you know, I was finally ready to let go of the past, not to dwell on Alaric's history, and build a family with him, give our kids a whole family. We were supposed to get our