The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet



"I have no right to forgive or not forgive you, Mr. Ethan. You've got your games, and I was a fool yesterday for meddling!" Lydia spat out the words with fury before turning on her heel and storming off.

Her face was set in a determined scowl, anger simmering in her eyes. She was practically vibrating with the effort to contain her irritation. Ethan stood rooted to the spot, not daring to follow. He could see the anger in Lydia's eyes clear as day.

If he kept pestering her, he might actually end up getting punched again, and this time, it wouldn't be a misunderstanding but a well-deserved thump. Ethan was no masochist, and he certainly wasn't fond of taking hits.

He watched Lydia's retreating figure, feeling a mix of guilt and vulnerability turn into heartache.

As Lydia's steps took her further away, the gap between them widened, much like the relationship they never started - growing more distant by the moment.

The drama from yesterday was his doing, an attempt to bridge the gap between them, which had backfired spectacularly.

Pursuing Lydia now would just be shameless.

Watching Lydia turn the corner and disappear from his sight, Ethan sighed in frustration and trudged back the way he came.

Today, he didn't even feel worthy of asking Lydia for help, let alone seeing her.

Back at the office, Ethan slumped in his chair, his mind a blank. He couldn't muster the enthusiasm for anything, haunted by Lydia's words. What did she mean by saying she was foolish for meddling yesterday? Did she regret saving him from those thugs?

Days later, Thalassa reached out to Hertha.

Ever since Lysander launched his jewelry business, Thalassa's visits to the company where Hertha worked had become rare.

She was practically semi-retired now.

Lysander had assured her that her

designs would be exclusively

produced and distributed by his

e

company, removing any worry about finding a market for her creations.

Hertha's situation was different. As a jewelry designer still employed at the firm, she had been supporting herself and her kids on her salary for

years. ne

Now with a family, and Alaric not being a scion of the affluent Falconer family but rather a regular working guy, their circumstances were modest.

Although Alaric had handed over his

bank cards to Hertha, allowing her to manage their finances, which were more than sufficient for their family of four, Hertha wasn't one to rest on her laurels.

S

She believed in earning while one could, preparing for her children's future.

During this busy period, Hertha was at work when Thalassa called, just after finishing a jewelry sketch.

"The sun's rising from the west today, huh? Decided to remember me now that your honeymoon phase with Lysander is over, I suppose," Hertha teased.

Thalassa got straight to the point: "Lunch together this afternoon, you free?"

"Just the two of us, or are we bringing the husbands?" Hertha asked. Their lives weren't the same anymore; both were married, not single anymore. "Just us," Thalassa replied.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"Perfect, we haven't had our girl time in ages. Let's meet at my place, send me your location," Hertha was pleased with the plan.

Being with Alaric was fun at first, but she was starting to miss her best friend. A break was much needed.