The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet novel Chapter 1903

Joshua could hardly believe he was going to be a father again in his golden years.

His life had been straightforward – one son, Reginald; one daughter, Rosalind; and one secret lovechild, Thalassa. That was it. No more kids, or so he thought.

He had hoped that once he retired, Reginald would take over the Whitman family business. But Reginald turned out to be a disappointment, a real dud. Joshua feared that if the business fell into Reginald's hands, it wouldn't last five years before going belly up.

Initially, Joshua had placed his bets on Lysander, planning to marry Rosalind off to him so he could take over the Whitman legacy. But Lysander's heart wasn't in it – he only had eyes for Thalassa, and no interest in the family business.

Joshua had always prided himself on his robust health, thinking he could keep going for another thirty years. But ever since that car accident, his health had been on a steady decline. Managing the company became more than he could handle, and the empire he had built over a lifetime seemed at risk of crumbling with no one reliable to pass it on to. The anxiety was eating him up, fearing all his hard work would go to waste.

That's when Susan dropped the bombshell – he had a son! And the kid was already two years old!

Starting now, Joshua had plans to groom this child as his successor, to give him the best education and send him to top-notch schools. In sixteen years, the boy could take the reins and keep the Whitman legacy alive. This child was like a ray of hope for Joshua in his darkest hour.

He naturally couldn't let anything happen to the child.

"You stay back! One step closer and I swear I'll jump!" Susan yelled as Joshua moved towards her, threatening to jump out the window with the child in her arms. She edged closer to the ledge as she shouted, her desperation palpable.

Joshua, seeing her dangerous move, quickly stepped back, "Calm down, I won't come any closer."

"Why are you so scared of her, Dad? If she wants to jump, let her jump! It'd solve all our problems with her and that bastard child. They're nothing but trouble, and if they're gone, no one will be able to hold it over your head ever again," Reginald coldly advised, pulling Joshua back.

Reginald, in his younger years, was all about living fast and loose, lacking the finesse or the smarts to understand his father's deeper concerns. To him, Susan was just another woman who had schemed her way into his father's bed, and her child was nothing but a leverage-seeking mistake.

"If they jump, it solves everything without us lifting a finger. How can you not see that?" he added, clearly missing the bigger picture.

Joshua shot him a glare, "You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"What's there not to understand? Dad, don't tell me you're actually soft-hearted, thinking you can play the saint and save them," Reginald scoffed.

Just then, Joshua's gaze landed on Thalassa and Lysander approaching. They were like a lifeline thrown to him in his moment of desperation. Hurrying over, he exclaimed, "Lysander, thank God you're here. Please, help me with..."