The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen)

"Hertha, it's me." The voice on the other end of the phone was unmistakably masculine.

A surge of heat rushed to Hertha's head, and she was on the verge of letting out a string of expletives when it hit her - that voice belonged to Alaric! No way, are scammers now skilled in voice imitation?

Knowing she and Alaric were acquainted, and even mimicking his voice?

Her mind raced, but she swallowed the angry retort and asked coolly, "Alaric?"

"Yeah, your buddy Alaric. He says you can bail him out." The voice then shifted back to that of a police officer.

Hertha blinked, trying to make sense of the situation. So, this wasn't a scam call but a real call from the police?

"If you can't make it, then forget it. We'll just keep him locked up according to the law," the officer said, ready to hang up as Hertha hesitated.

"Wait, wait, I didn't say I couldn't come. I just want to know, what did he do?" she hurriedly asked.

"He was at a nightclub, soliciting the company of an escort, got into a brawl, and seriously injured someone. There's a financial dispute, not to mention the physical altercation," the officer explained succinctly. Hertha was gobsmacked.

Going to nightclubs, soliciting women, getting into brawls, and financial disputes!

statement was more shocking than the last, painting a clear picture of

disappointment sank

a sarcastic

Alaric, always

once naively hoped for a normal life with

were nothing but foolish

station in

Hertha arrived, she saw Alaric huddled in a corner, his

even notice

stood in front of him for a while before he slowly looked up and saw

She merely glanced at him and

hurried after her:

the cold wind stung their

on Gøøglᴇ to access

felt the cold seep in, a jacket

and scent