The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen) novel Chapter 1874

Hertha's big, round eyes were locked on Alaric as she suddenly remembered something. "Wait, isn’t W Thalassa? When she picked that stage name, I was her sounding board."

Alaric, with a grin that was all too eager to please, said, "Right, it hit me later too. That Ruby said your designs aren’t worth as much as Thalassa’s…”

“Ah, well, Thalassa’s the talk of the town now, a designer in high demand. I can’t compare to her, can I? And just because of that, you went and cracked someone’s head open?” The revelation that her work was deemed less valuable than Thalassa’s initially cooled Hertha's temper and forced her to face reality.

Thalassa was her closest friend, the one she had dragged into the jewelry business. Now, Thalassa’s fame was skyrocketing, her creations were like gold dust.

Everyone wanted a piece of her magic but could hardly get it.

That Ruby, having got her hands on one of Thalassa's phone charms, must have treasured it like a rare gem. But to have it ruined by Alaric in a heartbeat, no wonder she was less than thrilled.

A simple rebuttal led to a cracked skull – talk about being unjustly wronged.

Alaric nodded, "Exactly, I was so heated. In my eyes, Hertha, your designs are the best, the most valuable. When someone belittled your work, of course, I got mad. I can’t stand anyone talking down about you.”

Seizing the moment, Alaric made his feelings clear, showing just how much he valued Hertha.

Her heart fluttered at his words, but just as she was about to lose herself in the moment, skepticism crept into her gaze. “Are you making up stories again to cheer me up? Alaric, is this your usual trick with women?”

Alaric, a seasoned player in the game of love, could easily sweep Hertha off her feet with his sweet nothings.

She almost fell for his tall tales, but a wave of sarcasm snapped her back to reality.