The Billionaire's Secret Quartet

Lydia, seeing Alaric shake his head, decided not to get up to answer the door.

The doorbell rang for a while and then stopped.

Just as Lydia was about to breathe a sigh of relief, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket.

Checking the caller ID, she saw it was Thalassa calling and quickly answered.

"Lydia, did you swing by Alaric's place to check up on him?" Thalassa's concerned voice came through the phone.

"Yeah, I did. Gave him a shot," Lydia replied.

"Have you left yet?" Thalassa inquired.

"No, still here," Lydia said.

"We're at his doorstep, rang the bell but got no answer," Thalassa explained.

that was you ringing? Hold on, I'll come

got up and headed for

had been a bit spooked earlier by Angelina and Georgia, instinctively fearing

it was

there. She was briefly surprised but quickly stepped aside,

Hertha entered, Thalassa

just a nasty flu. Not like it's the end of the world," Hertha

voice, felt a jolt in his heart and excitedly sat up in

voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, too soft for

he remembered the disdainful look Hertha had given him when they fast parted,

the words back down,

it clear; she found him repulsive, believing there could never be anything between them. With that thought, Alaric's briefly recovered energy faded, and he slumped back onto the bed, disheartened. "You've

on him, Alaric quickly lay back down and closed his eyes, pretending to be

did, footsteps approached closer to