The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen) novel Chapter 1376

Thalassa looked perplexed, the details of the situation clearly eluding her grasp.

Richard took a deep breath, deciding it was time to lay out the whole story for her.

"Do you remember when Lysander took you to meet Joshua that one time?" Richard asked.

Thalassa gave a slight nod; the memory etched deeply in her mind.

She recalled how, during that encounter, Susan had spiked Lysander and Joshua's drinks, leading her to believe something had happened between Lysander and Susan. The thought had gnawed at her for quite a while.

It was only later that she discovered Lysander hadn't laid a finger on Susan. That very incident was why the dinner had left such a lasting impression on Thalassa.

"Joshua had some business with me," Richard steered the conversation back on track. "He asked me to find a piece of jade jewelry, and I've scoured every antique store and collector's shop but never came across anything like it. Yet, the one you're wearing around your neck is the spitting image of what Joshua's been searching for."

As he spoke, Richard pulled out his phone and flicked to a photo.

The image on his screen showed the exact jade piece in question. Though it was just a photo, the jade's teardrop shape and emerald clarity were unmistakable. It was a genuine antique, indistinguishable from the piece draped around Thalassa's neck.

Thalassa glanced from the image on Richard's phone to the jade piece she wore, her eyes widening in astonishment. "Are you saying Joshua's been searching for this, my mother's piece?"

"It seems so. I've done my homework. This jade piece is said to have once belonged to an ancient empress, a unique relic from the early Middle Ages. There's no chance of a second genuine article out there," Richard explained. Having promised Joshua to track down the jade, he was well-versed in its history and characteristics.

"Why is Joshua after this jade piece? Did he give you a reason?" Thalassa's voice trembled with a mix of grief and anxiety.