The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet novel Chapter 1963

Hertha's workday was dragging, unusually dull without a spark of design inspiration. Even worse, her gossip buddy Thalassa wasn't around to lighten the mood.

But then she remembered what Thalassa had mentioned yesterday - she was going to the city hall with Lysander to get their marriage license today. That thought alone sent Hertha's curiosity into overdrive. She was dying to know how things were going, whether Thalassa and Lysander had made it official yet.

All morning, Hertha kept glancing at the clock, itching to reach out to Thalassa but worried about interrupting her big day with Lysander. What if they were in the middle of their appointment? A call from her could be a real hassle for them.

After what felt like an eternity, noon finally rolled around - lunchtime and, more importantly, a safe time to call without risking any interruption to Thalassa and Lysander's plans. The moment the clock struck twelve, Hertha was on her phone, dialing Thalassa's number with barely contained excitement.

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off.” The impersonal voice on the other end was quick to respond.

"What the heck?" Hertha muttered, pulling the phone away to stare at the screen in disbelief. The call had ended. This threw Hertha into a state of chaos - this was exactly what happened yesterday when she tried calling Thalassa, leading to the shocking discovery that Thalassa had been kidnapped!

And now, the same scenario was playing out again? Could Thalassa have gotten into trouble once more? Anxiety and worry took over, making Hertha feel like a thousand ants were crawling under her skin.

She had to inform Lysander. Without hesitation, Hertha dialed Lysander's number.

The phone rang for what seemed like ages until Lysander's voice, cold and detached as ever, finally answered. His tone never warmed up for anyone, except maybe Thalassa.

Hertha, driven by her concern, blurted out, "Thalassa's phone is off again. Is she in trouble?"

"Why the panic?" Lysander retorted.

"Are you kidding me? She's my best friend, and her phone's off. Shouldn't you be worried too? Why do you sound like my concern is unwarranted?"

Hertha's frustration got the better of her, and she snapped at Lysander before she could stop herself. Realizing she might have overstepped, she quickly tried to backpedal, apologizing and trying to explain her worries.

"Her phone hasn't been recovered yet; it being off is normal. She's resting at home, no need to worry," Lysander interjected with his usual calm.

As Hertha was apologizing, Lysander's smooth voice cut through her panic.

"Oh, good. But did you two manage to...?” She trailed off, trying to dig for some gossip.

"Hello? Hello?"

Relieved that Thalassa was safe but her curiosity about the marriage license still burning, Hertha was about to press for more details when the call abruptly ended.

With her curiosity now raging like an unquenchable fire, Hertha realized there was only one way to find out more - she had to visit Thalassa herself.