The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen)

"Don't call out to me!" Hertha snapped back furiously, not even bothering to look back as she stormed off to her front door. She swung it open, stepped inside, and slammed it shut with such force that Alaric was momentarily stunned.

The already aching heart of Alaric tightened even more at Hertha's cold demeanor towards him.

Dragging his feet, Alaric made his way back home, feeling as if he had lost all his pillars of support, his body weak and limp.

That night, he lay in bed shivering uncontrollably, wrapping himself tightly in his blanket, but still couldn't shake off the cold.

It was a torturous night, and by the next day, he found himself unable to get out of bed.

Throughout the day, his phone by the bedside rang multiple times, but Alaric, wrapped up in his blanket like a burrito, had no energy to answer, shivering from the cold.

In the late afternoon, around five, the door to Alaric's place swung open, and Ethan stepped inside, calling out tentatively, "Alaric, Alaric..."

No response.

Thinking the house was empty, Ethan took out his phone to call again.

The call connected, and the ringing echoed through the room. Following the sound, Ethan walked into the bedroom and saw the phone buzzing on the nightstand, with Alaric wrapped in his blanket, cocooned like a caterpillar.

else could it be

quickly walked over, bending down with concern. "Alaric, what's

his

calling all morning, the phone was working, the ringtone loud. Alaric had no reason

Yet, he wasn't answering!

check if Alaric was still breathing. "Don't tell me

for Alaric's

"Get lost,

the

one that's gone!"

work, hot calling in sick. Your boss here personally calls you, and you don't pick up.

Ethan was joking around.

always exploit its workers like this?

Ethan immediately dropped the humorous act, reaching out

up! You've really got a fever?" Ethan exclaimed in

kidding, do people fake being sick?"

yesterday? Haven't eaten all day?" Ethan was