The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen) novel Chapter 1211

Thalassa felt her breath quiver as she pieced together the dominoes of cause and effect that led to this moment. It was a cocktail of humiliation and helplessness - humiliation on behalf of her mother and helplessness in the face of their stark reality.

Bruce, on the receiving end of a hung-up call from Thalassa, was livid. His temple veins bulged menacingly as he fought the urge to slam his phone to the ground.

Lucy caught his wrist just in time. "Easy there, tiger," she said, her voice laced with worry. "We're already broke. If you break that phone, we won't even have the money to buy a new one."

Her face was a canvas of sorrow, eyes still glistening with the remnants of tears. Tentatively, she probed, "So, did Thalassa agree to lend you the cash?"

"Fat chance!" Bruce spat out the words like venom.

Lucy flinched under his roar but persisted, her voice soft, "But she's your daughter. How could she refuse to help in your time of need?"

What Lucy didn't know was the full extent of Bruce's despicable actions, nor the fact that he had discovered Thalassa wasn't actually his daughter.

She had been crying in the other room when Bruce had threatened Thalassa over the phone and hadn't heard a word of their conversation. It was only Bruce's near-smash of the phone that had brought her out.

Bruce glared at her with pure loathing. "What daughter? I never played the father role in her life, never provided for her. Why the hell should she help me?"

"And why did she agree to help Susan get close to Lysander?" Lucy asked, her confusion mounting.

The mention of that deal sent Bruce over the edge. His teeth clenched, his forehead veins more pronounced, he glared at Lucy as though wishing her out of existence.