The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen) novel Chapter 1662

She noticed it too—since the car accident, Joshua seemed to have aged years, not just days. Even the hair at his temples had turned significantly grayer. His overall vitality seemed diminished, not as robust as before.

When Thalassa asked him how he was feeling, Joshua cast a weathered glance her way without directly answering her question. Gazing ahead with a melancholy look, he let out a soft sigh and said, “The doctors told me about my condition. My spleen ruptured in the accident, and there was internal bleeding. Luckily, I was rushed to the hospital in time, but you know how crucial the spleen is to a person's health. Even though my life was saved, my body will age more quickly now. Who knows, one day, I might just...”

“No, that's not going to happen. Medical science has come so far; with the right treatment, you'll gradually recover,” Thalassa quickly interjected, cutting off his words. His defeatist talk terrified her.

Though Thalassa and Joshua hadn’t spent much time together and their emotional bond was thin, deep down, she couldn’t help but worry about him, afraid of what might happen to him. The connection of blood was mysterious; even without much interaction, concern for one another was still a natural response.

Moreover, Thalassa had witnessed too much loss and separation. Each goodbye was a long torment for those left behind, a source of deep pain. Her cousin had drowned at a young age, and her uncle had died of grief soon after, leaving her aunt alone in her sorrow. Having seen her aunt's agony, the despair of losing both a daughter and a husband, Thalassa knew the depth of that pain was indescribable. Then, when Leopold passed away, followed by her mother, Thalassa had endured the pain of losing loved ones all over again. She was truly frightened of experiencing more loss.

Joshua went on, “Rosalind, on the other hand, has been pampered her whole life, never having faced real adversity or been hardened by life's challenges. She's not as resilient. I see her obsession with Lysander as a potential downfall. If she loses hope of being with him, she might not be able to recover, becoming despondent, maybe even doing something reckless.”

Thalassa looked up sharply, shocked and disbelieving at Joshua’s words, guessing what he was about to imply next. The touch of emotion she felt was still lingering in her heart when Joshua's words struck her anew. The disappointment and self-mockery she felt in that moment were as intense as the initial touch of feeling loved. Oh, how she had thought she might finally receive a father's love.