The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet novel Chapter 1550

Here is the revised translation, taking into account cultural context and ensuring the language flows smoothly for an English-speaking audience:

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Hertha was blissfully unaware of Alaric's odd behavior and hadn't noticed anything amiss in her own actions either. She touched Alaric's forehead to check for a fever and compared it to her own, before withdrawing her hand and remarking, "You're not running a fever."

Her puzzled gaze met Alaric's, which was loaded with emotion, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably. Having had children, Hertha could easily decipher the meaning behind Alaric's gaze. It sent a flutter through her heart, and her cheeks flushed with heat as she realized her action might have been a bit forward for a man. To skirt around the awkwardness, she averted her gaze, adopting a smile and a joking tone to lighten the mood.

"No worries, you're not sick. Just don't scare yourself. You're Mr. Ethan's golden boy; he'd be beside himself if you were ill."

Changing the subject, Hertha walked over and sat next to Thalassa, casting a glance at the full table with David, Lysander, and Ethan, pointedly ignoring Alaric at the end. With a smile, she asked, "Everyone's here. Are both companies keen on discussing craftsmanship?"

Ethan explained, "I called Mr. Sinclair over. We bought your design drafts, and Mr. Sinclair bought Thalassa's. I figured since we acquired the designs together, discussing the craftsmanship as a group would be ideal, saving us from scheduling another meeting."

Ethan's main motive, however, stemmed from gossip Alaric had shared about a potential rift between Thalassa and Lysander. Having witnessed the ups and downs of their relationship, Ethan saw an opportunity to potentially reconcile the two by facilitating more interaction between them, especially now that Thalassa had left Royal Estates. He had planned to call Thalassa to join them, but upon arriving, he found she was already there.

Alaric, touching his nose, said, "Mr. Ethan, you could've given me a heads up that Hertha would be here."

The revelation had spared him a moment of panic, fearing he'd been hallucinating!

"By the way, Hertha, were you outside just now, someone calling for you?" Alaric suddenly remembered the earlier mix-up, seeking to validate his own senses.

Hertha's nerves tensed up again at Alaric's question. Oh no! Alaric was still hung up on that? He must have heard the kids calling for 'mommy.' Admitting to it would only raise more questions about the children from Alaric.

Her eyes darted around as she forced a smile. "I came straight in. Why would I linger outside? There's no one I know around here; who would I be talking to?"

"You're sure you weren't outside?" Alaric pressed, still puzzled.

"Of course, I wasn't. Why would I lie about something so trivial?" Hertha responded, a tad more defensively, as if she were on the verge of getting upset.

Alaric dropped the subject, his brow furrowing in frustration. Even though he wasn't hallucinating, the nagging thought of a delusion bothered him. Considering his carefree lifestyle, the idea of being unsettled by a woman to the point of distraction seemed a disservice to his easygoing reputation.

Seeing Alaric's silence, Hertha quickly looked away and addressed Ethan. "Mr. Ethan, about the craftsmanship issue, can I see the documents?"

All she wanted was to wrap up and leave as soon as possible.

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