The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen) novel Chapter 1201

Thalassa's mind was a storm of thoughts, and no matter how hard she tried to force herself, sleep remained elusive.

Tossing the idea of rest aside, she reached for her smartphone, the sleek new replacement for the one that had met its fiery demise in a bizarre bonfire accident. It had probably been reduced to shards by now.

The new phone had been gifted to her by Lysander on the day she was discharged from the hospital. He had made a point of delivering it personally. The phone felt substantial in her hand, its metal body cool and heavy, its design a blend of modern elegance and understated luxury.

When Lysander handed her the phone, it contained just one contact - his own, simply saved as "Lysander." Thalassa had smiled, a mix of amusement and affection, upon discovering he was literally her number one – and only – contact. His childishness could even outshine Atticus on occasion.

Over time, Thalassa had added the numbers of those close to her, rebuilding her circle bit by bit.

Suddenly, she found herself missing her four little ones. Glancing at the clock, she noted it was just past two in the afternoon – the kids would still be at school.

With a pang of longing, Thalassa opened her photo album, hoping to soothe her heart with their images, only to remember that the album was empty. The realization hit her; she had yet to fill this new phone with memories. All the photos of her children's growing years, previously stored on her old phone, were gone. She silently vowed to take more photos once they returned.

As she thought of her children's innocent laughter, a contented smile found its way to her lips, and before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

She awoke to the sound of the bedroom door bursting open and small feet pattering towards her. The innocent voices of her four little 'bundles of joy' filled the room, overlapping in a chorus of excitement.

"Mommy, no more napping, wake up! It's dinner time!" Atticus chirped as he ran towards her.