The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen) novel Chapter 1655

Hertha was on a bender, staggering down the street while belting out a tune, a scene straight out of a late-night bar crawl.

The neon lights painted them in surreal colors as traffic lights flickered by, a vibrant dance against the city's bustling night and its chilling embrace.

Suddenly, their world of neon was shadowed by two looming figures, their presence blotting out even the drunken clarity from their eyes.

Thalassa and Hertha sensed the oddity and looked up, only to find a burly figure, his arms inked with a dragon tattoo, blocking their path.

The man's gaze was menacing, his face rugged and shadowed by a thick beard, the very picture of a thug.

This intimidating face seemed oddly familiar.

Hertha, through her haze of alcohol, pointed at the man obstructing their way and slurred, "Buddy, you're in our way," her body swaying unsteadily.

The burly man grabbed her arm, pulled her towards him with a yank, and she collided against his broad, meaty frame.

Hertha felt a wave of disgust and was about to resist when the man twisted her arm behind her back, trapping her neck in his grip.

"Let her go!" Thalassa, sobering up quickly from the shock, yelled at the man, attempting to pull Hertha back to safety.

The man sneered, "Thought you could escape last time, did you? Even brought a fancy boy to mess with me. Not this time."

With that, he grabbed Thalassa too, dragging them both towards a van.

They were thrown inside, their hands and feet swiftly bound with ropes prepared in advance, and duct tape sealed their mouths.

With a rough shove, he pushed Hertha onto the street, "Get lost! Don't ruin my day."

Hertha stumbled, nearly falling, but managed to steady herself just in time.

Frantically, she turned back, only to see the man dragging Thalassa towards the motel, her friend resisting every step of the way.

Thalassa's fear was palpable, her feet dragging against the ground as she leaned back, trying not to move forward, but the burly man's brute force was too much.

Her slender frame stood no chance against his bulk, and she was quickly pulled into the motel's entrance.

Watching in horror, Hertha felt a surge of fear, her scalp tingling at the sight. She started to move forward to help Thalassa but then abruptly stopped.