The Billionaire's Secret Quartet

Chapter 1444
“Didn’t Hertha pick up your call?” Thalassa inquired.
Alaric had arranged for a ride-share to take Dr. Funke home not too long ago, and he was supposed to call Hertha to check in
after Dr. Funke was safely inside.
But if Hertha didn’t answer Alaric’s call, could it be that she was worried he’d come looking for her late at night, potentially
disturbing her while she put the kids to bed?
With two little ones to tuck in, the last thing Hertha needed was Alaric, their biological father, finding out.
Thalassa figured Hertha must’ve worried that if she answered, Alaric might hear the children’s voices in the background, so she
decided to just not pick up. As Hertha’s best friend, Thalassa knew she had to cover for her and keep Alaric from suspecting
anything. Before Alaric could respond, Thalassa added, “She’s probably taking a shower. Don’t worry. She must be home by
now.”
“Must be? Weren’t you with Hertha?” Alaric picked up on the uncertainty in Thalassa’s voice.
“I had promised to help Dr. Funke find an apprentice, remember? So I drove to Hollowbrook overnight, and Hertha drove herself
home,” Thalassa explained.
“Alright, just be safe on your way back,” Alaric said before hanging up.
After ending the call with Alaric, Thalassa dialed Hertha’s number.
Alaric’s questioning had made her a bit anxious either, and she wanted to check on Hertha herself.
The phone rang for a while, but was not answered as well.
Until an impersonal automated voice finally said, “I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable.”
Thalassa’s heart sank. Why wasn’t Hertha answering even her calls?
Maybe she had her phone on silent and had fallen asleep with the kids?
Worrying now was futile. She wasn’t in Starhaven now and couldn’t just pop over to Hertha’s place.

She returned home with Lydia and set off for Starhaven, taking Astrid along. The reason for bringing Astrid was that her aunt’s
rheumatism flared up again, and this trip to Starhaven was a chance to get some treatment at the Starhaven Hospital, too.
By the time they reached Starhaven, it was past one in the morning.
Thalassa booked three rooms in the hotel closest to Dr. Funke’s house, insisting Lydia and Astrid get some rest.
After a shower, she checked her phone again. Still no callback from Hertha.
Something felt off, and worry gnawed at Thalassa. She dialed Hertha’s number once more.
This time, the phone was off.
Hertha had turned off her phone?
What was going on?
Thalassa’s mind raced. She tried calling Hertha’s nanny, Bridget, but again no answer.
Could they have simply fallen asleep, and Hertha’s phone died?
Trying to suppress her growing anxiety, Thalassa lay down in bed. She tossed and turned for ages before finally dozing off, only
to be roused by the first light of day.
She hadn’t slept deeply and woke up as soon as dawn broke. Quickly getting ready, she went to Lydia’s room.
Lydia, accustomed to military discipline, always woke up early. By the time Thalassa arrived, she was already washed up and
dressed.