The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet novel Chapter 1396

Thalassa spoke with a measured tone, her voice betraying a depth of emotion that belied her outward appearance of calm. Inside, her heart was a tempest of nerves, swirling with anxiety and fear.

This was her last shot. If Zephyr remained unmoved, she was out of options.

She knelt on the ground, her hands clenched at her sides in tight fists, waiting for Zephyr's response.

In those agonizing few seconds, her breathing grew labored, her heartbeat thunderous in her ears - the sound of her own trepidation loud and clear.

Joshua watched Zephyr with an expectant gaze, rooting for him to agree from the bottom of his heart. For Thalassa's acceptance of Joshua as her father hinged on this one condition.

If Zephyr refused, Joshua would have failed to fulfill his promise to Thalassa. Any hope of bridging the gap in their strained relationship would become much more difficult.

"Zephyr," David interjected softly, his eyes downcast as he too made a case for Thalassa, "Mr. Sinclair's greatest concerns have always been for Ms. Everhart and their kids. If she were to care for him, it might just add his chances of waking up."

David had been a witness to the tumultuous saga between Lysander and Thalassa. No one could stir Mr. Sinclair's emotions quite like Thalassa could.

For a man in a coma to have any hope of awakening, he needed something from the outside world to spark his emotions. If nothing could rouse him, how could he ever regain consciousness?

Zephyr's grip tightened on the stair rail, his aged hand's knuckles white with tension, his breath uneven. His eyes, clouded with complex emotions, flickered with sorrow and anger, indecision gripping him.

Even if he couldn't bear Thalassa, he had to face a harsh truth - Lysander had always had a soft spot for this woman.

Lysander showed interest in Thalassa that he never showed for any other woman. He was indifferent to others, but Thalassa was the exception. Only she could stir Lysander's emotions, provoke him, and potentially draw him back to consciousness.

But Zephyr's resistance to Thalassa was still potent and profound. He had managed to drive her away from Lysander once before. Was he really going to allow her back and to wreak havoc once more?

Yet, without her emotional stimulus, what if Lysander never woke up? What if he remained a vegetable for life?

Lysander was his pride, the pillar of the Sinclair family. If he became a shell of a man, what would become of the Sinclairs' future?

It was a dilemma that tormented Zephyr - whichever decision he made, the agony was his alone.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he wrestled with the decision, his body taut with the weight of it.

And Thalassa was also fraught with tension, her heart twisted like a braid, so tight she could barely breathe.

In the silence that hung heavy over the room, Zephyr's voice finally broke through, aged yet resolute. "You can care for him, but you'll be under surveillance 24/7!"

Finally, Zephyr had relented.

Joshua's words had struck a chord with Zephyr's own principles - when faced with a common goal, he could set aside personal vendettas to work together with an adversary.

Once the goal was achieved, then he could settle personal scores.

Zephyr couldn't stand the thought of Lysander sleeping his life away. With someone like Thalassa who could provoke him, giving him a chance to awaken, Zephyr was willing to take that chance. He couldn't let this opportunity slip away.