The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet

Alaric was bouncing off the walls, full of energy once again.

Hertha, taken aback, leaned back to dodge his mischievous advance. "Hey, cut it out, will you? Have you forgotten what we're supposed to do today?"

Alaric's eyes darted, remembering the important task at hand. He sprang out of bed, grabbed his clothes off the floor, and headed for the bathroom. "Hurry, hurry, get up! The city hall's going to close soon."

He had almost forgotten that today was the day he and Hertha were supposed to get their marriage license.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Watching Alaric disappear into the bathroom, Hertha couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.

She muttered under her breath, "I should have never reminded him. He actually forgot we were getting our license today."

Could it be that he wasn't taking their marriage seriously if he forgot about something as significant as their license day?

It seemed like he didn't value getting married to her after all!

Despite Hertha's easy-going nature, she wasn't immune to the occasional overthinking and sensitivity common to many women.

Alaric's near-forgetfulness about their license day had definitely ruffled her feathers.

Taking her time, she got out of bed, dressed, and sat in front of the vanity, slowly brushing her hair.

After a quick five-minute shower, Alaric emerged to find Hertha in front of the mirror, leisurely attending to her hair.

Impatient, Alaric urged her, "Hertha, could you please hurry up? It's already past nine, and we still have to drive there. We might get held up in traffic, and if city hall closes, we'll have to wait till tomorrow."

"What's the rush? If we don't get it today, so be it," Hertha responded nonchalantly.

Alaric, puzzled, asked, "What did you say?"

Though he asked, his excitement and anticipation had visibly dimmed.

Was Hertha getting cold feet about the license?

This possibility made Alaric feel both anxious and disheartened.

"Hertha, didn't we agree on this last night?" He approached her, leaning on the vanity with one hand and placing the other on his hip, bending slightly forward with a serious and tense look.

Just minutes ago, she was the one reminding him about the license. How could she change her mind so quickly?

Women, he thought, are truly fickle.

Alaric was at a loss trying to decipher her thoughts.

"What did we say last night? It seems like we didn't talk at all," Hertha countered, continuing to brush her hair slowly, showing no sign of hurrying.

Now truly worried, Alaric's

handsome brows furrowed. "This is

no time for jokes, Hertha. If there's an issue, let's get the license and

talk

about it afterward, okay?"

Alaric tried to coax her, even though he was frantic, wishing he could just drag Hertha to city hall.

But he knew Hertha well; the more he pushed, the more she resisted. Being forceful wasn't an option; he had to be gentle.

Maybe if he could brighten her mood, she might agree to head to the city hall with him.

"Do you even realize what you did wrong?" Hertha, frustrated, glanced sideways at Alaric with a mix of anger and annoyance.

Alaric was clueless. Since waking up, he hadn't said much to upset Hertha. How was he supposed to know what he did wrong?

"Hertha, why don't you just tell me?

Given my brainpower, I'll never figure it out on my own. What did I do wrong?" Alaric leaned in closer to Hertha, trying to lighten the mood with a grin.