The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet novel Chapter 5

”I'm sure that woman is dead," the bodyguard captain said, with utter certainty.

"Remember when we went to Hollowbrook? That family was having a funeral. I asked the lady of the house, she was heartbroken, and told me her precious one was crushed to death." The captain started to recall the situation.

He didn't pry further as she was too devastated. He asked around the village and found out that the family had just one daughter.

And given the funeral, the mother crying her heart out, and telling them her precious one was killed by a collapsing old house. It could only mean her daughter was dead, right?

"Ok." Lysander hung up the call, the glimmer of hope he felt quickly plummeted. He had known the outcome already. Why was he still hoping?

Back then, Lysander sent his female secretary to find that woman, intending to bring her to him so he could negotiate compensation personally. The secretary was chosen because being a woman, she might find it easier to communicate with her. But she came back and told him that the woman had died and was crushed under an old house battered by heavy rain.

Lysander couldn't believe it, so he sent the bodyguard captain to confirm. He went along too, but he was too injured to leave the car, so he just watched from afar.

The village folk had all gathered at the family's door, and the mournful atmosphere of the funeral was heavy. Faced with the stark reality, what was there to doubt?

......

Thalassa got home around ten at night.

The children's room doors were closed, so they must have been asleep. Evelyn was in the living room, scrolling through short videos.

“You’re back early. Did you get fired?” Evelyn was both surprised and worried when she saw Thalassa.

Wasn’t it said that this part-time job lasted till late? It was still early, and she was already back.

Evelyn’s gaze was intense, and Thalassa replied a bit guiltily, "No, I chose to quit, so I came back early."

"What gives you the right to quit working! We have four kids to take care of. Don't you know our situation at home? How could you just quit on a whim!" Evelyn stormed up to her, fuming.

"I might have pissed someone off. If I kept working I was worried it would cause trouble." Thalassa couldn't hide it from her forceful mother.

"What?" Evelyn felt like the sky was falling. She poked Thalassa's forehead with her finger. "How did I end up with such an unlucky kid. Why do you always give me a headache? You're even worse than that pig I used to have! My beloved pig also got crushed by the collapsing house, ah, my precious one! Why is life so hard on me!"

Evelyn began to cry as she spoke. She still missed the sow, which she had treated like a treasure, expecting that it would give birth to piglets and she could continue raising pigs. Unfortunately, the rain had ruined the firewood shed and the pigsty next to it, her beloved sow was crushed to death. At that moment, Evelyn was utterly heartbroken, she insisted on giving the pig a funeral like a human's funeral.

At times like this, Thalassa always felt extremely guilty. She knew she was the one who caused her mother’s pain. She gently nudged Evelyn’s arm, trying to placate her. "Mom, don't be mad. I only worked half a day today, but I've earned as much as I usually do in a month. Check your bank account, did you receive a transfer of over a thousand dollars?"

Evelyn took out her phone, saw the account balance, and felt a thrill of excitement. But then thought of something, and immediately became serious and heartbroken.

"You're such a jinx. Didn't I tell you before? No matter how hard or tiring, you can't sacrifice your dignity! Did you do something unsavory?" She gave Thalassa's head a hard shove.

Just a few hours outside and she had earned a big chunk of money? Was there such easy money in this world?