The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen) novel Chapter 1701

Hertha blinked innocently, puzzled at the accusation of being naive.

Kimberly pressed on, "Do you really think it's just by chance he moved next door? Come on!"

"It's just a coincidence," Hertha insisted.

"Only you would believe that. In a place as big as Starhaven, with its myriad neighborhoods, he ends up right next to you? Use your head!"

It was as if a lightbulb went off in Hertha's head, a moment of sudden clarity.

Right, of all the neighborhoods in Starhaven, why did Alaric Falconer choose hers, and not just the same area but the same building, the same floor?

If Alaric hadn't known where she lived before moving, she could chalk it up to coincidence. But he knew. She'd actually believed in mere happenstance, but her mother's words sparked a realization: Alaric's affection for her was indeed profound.

"But Mom, that's just speculation. What if it's not like that?" Hertha still harbored doubts about Alaric's persistence.

"That's why I'm testing him," Kimberly revealed.

"Testing him? You practically told him to grab his passport and marry me. That's not testing; that's handing me over on a silver platter," Hertha was confused.

"Then there you go. If he gets that passport, it proves his commitment to you. He's still the same man, the father of your child, status be damned. Your dad and I aren't shallow. Your happiness is what matters, not wealth or social standing. Those things come and go; why fret over them?" Kimberly's progressive stance was clear.

Hertha, not usually one to get emotional, felt her eyes well up at her mother's words.

In that moment, she realized just how deeply her mother loved her.

Holding back tears, Hertha hugged her mother tightly, "Mom, I never noticed before how beautiful you are."