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Chapter 23 

Faye thought, “Lysander wants Thalassa to stick around? He also hopes she can dig up whether the woman from five years back is truly dead. Why? Because of that single kiss between them? This made Lysander wonder if Evelyn, the current janitor at the Sinclair group, is Thalassa?” 

Faye clenched her fists, her sense of crisis intensifying, becoming increasingly intolerable. 

Lysander approached the private elevator reserved for the president. Two cops stepped out from the elevator that just arrived. 

Seeing Lysander, the two cops showed respect, “Mr. Sinclair, we’re looking for Evelyn.” 

Lysander’s deep eyes, cold as the winter sea, fix on them. Evelyn again. This woman not only annoyed John, tried to allure his assistant David, but even the cops are after her now? 

Seeing Lysander’s grim face, the police thought they disturbed him, explaining. “There’s a case that requires Evelyn’s attention. She said she needs David as a witness, we are here to see how their discussion went.” 

“What case?” Lysander’s handsome face became colder. 

This woman only joined the Sinclair group two days ago and already she had caused so much trouble that the cops had to show up personally. She sure had guts 

Remembering the uncontrollable kiss he gave her, Lysander became more agitated. How could he lose control over a woman who always caused trouble? 

It was right to keep her in the Sinclair group. He had to face her temptations calmly and collectedly, not impulsively and uncontrollably. Not until he developed immunity to her, truly felt disgusted, then she could leave the Sinclair group. 

He had gone through all sorts of trials since he was young, handled each one well. He never lost control. This time wouldn’t be an exception, he absolutely wouldn’t allow any hidden dangers, it must be completely resolved. His life couldn’t have any blemishes. 

“Here’s the thing, regarding John’s leg injury incident, John’s wife is suing Evelyn for intervening in their marriage, ruining their family, and even accusing her of breaking John’s leg out of spite when she failed to seduce him.” The other cop slowly and politely explained to Lysander. 

Evelyn was Lysander’s employee, so he should know about the case. Also it would facilitate their investigation. 

Faye, not far ahead, saw the two cops talking to Lysander and overheard their conversation, she was very nervous 

If Lysander knew she lied about Evelyn accepting John’s pursuit and becoming his girlfriend, he would definitely be furious and would further investigate Evelyn’s background. He already had suspicions about Evelyn. 

No, she couldn’t let Lysander know the specifics of this case. 

Faye nervously walked forward, trying to take responsibility for the situation. 

Hearing the cop’s explanation, Lysander’s brow furrowed slightly. So that John guy had a wife! That woman, she even wrecked someone else’s family. totally unacceptable! 

“You can take her straight to the police station for questioning, no need to be considerate.” Lysander said, then walked into the president’s private elevator and closed the door behind him. 

Faye’s nervousness finally eased. 

Mr. Sinclair’s attitude towards Evelyn was so indifferent, without any emotional trace, which indicated that he did not have any feelings for her. 

Chapter 24 

It became easy to handle now. Only, she felt a pang of regret for missing out on a golden chance to fire Thalassa. She quickly composed herself and politely said to the police, “Sir, please follow me. Evelyn is right over here” 

In the office. Thalassa was halfway through tidying up, deeply troubled about her four children. She called Evelyn, “Mom, the kids showed up at my workplace just now. Are you around?” Her biggest fear was the kids running lost. 

“I found them! These little rascals came back to me on their own! I just brought them out for some fresh air and to broaden their horizons, but these little devils ran off and nearly scared me half to death! What did I do to deserve this kind of torture! Evelyn roared, her voice high pitched and filled with panic from crying 

Thalassa held the phone a bit further from her ear, else she’d be deafened by the yelling. Though Evelyn was complaining, Thalassa caught the main point -the kids were back with her. That was a relief. 

“Mom, thanks, we all love you. Take good care of the little ones, I’ll bring some treats home after work, Thalassa said softly, trying to soothe Evelyn. 

At that moment, the office door was opened and several people walked in. Thalassa spun around in alarm and saw Faye and two police officers at the door. She hurriedly said into the phone, “Mom, I’ve got some stuff to deal with now, I’ll talk to you later.” And with that, she hung up and quickly pocketed her phone. 

Seeing Thalassa’s reaction, Faye’s anger and hostility grew. She had heard Thalassa’s phone call when she walked in. Those four children were definitely Thalassa’s! And one of them was Mr. Sinclair’s child! 

Faye felt like she was on the verge of a breakdown from jealousy, but she had to keep her calm and deal with the situation in a polite manner. 

“Evelyn, you’ve stirred up trouble. You’ll have to sort it out at the police station, despite her best efforts to remain composed, Faye’s tone was sharp and noticeably hostile when she spoke to Thalassa. 

Thalassa gave Faye a slight nod in acknowledgment. She walked up to the police officers and said, “Could you please wait a moment? I haven’t found David yet. I’ll get his contact info and give him a call. 

“Sure.” 

Thalassa was about to head out to the Human Resources Department to get David’s contact info, but then she paused. Faye was Lysander’s secretary so she should have David’s number. Why go through all that trouble? She politely asked Faye, “Faye, could you please give me David’s number? I need to give 

him a call.” 

Faye was reluctant. She was wishing Thalassa would end up in jail, why would she want to give her David’s number to help prove her innocence? But with the police standing there, if she refused, it would be too obvious. A CEO’s secretary not having the assistant’s phone number would be totally unacceptable. 

Suppressing her resentment, Faye gave Thalassa the number. 

Thanks,” Thalassa expressed her gratitude and dialed the number. 

After two rings, the call was picked up and a formal male voice came through, “Hello, this is David. Who am I speaking to?” 

“David, this is Evelyn. I need your help with something.” Thalassa spoke with respect and courtesy. 

At that moment, David was with Lysander. The volume on his phone was loud enough for the conversation to be heard by those nearby. 

Lysander’s eyes showed a flicker of thought before he turned to David. 

 

Chapter 25 

Mr. Sinclair’s gaze was intense, making David feel edgy. It seemed like this chick, Evelyn, had some kind of connection with Mr. Sinclair. Otherwise, why would he be so bothered by a simple phone call? 

“What’s up, speak.” David said in a friendly tone. 

Thalassa spelled the whole thing out for him 

David said in a relaxed way. “Tll fix this issue for you in a jiffy.” 

After hanging up, he saw Lysander with a face darker than storm clouds, his eyes sharp as a knife. 

David quickly explained, “Mr. Sinclair, I saw John harassing Evelyn in the lobby yesterday afternoon. It was seriously messing up the company vibe, so I gave him a piece of my mind and fired him. But I have no clue how his leg got broken. Now his wife wants to sue Evelyn for breaking up their home and intentional harm. I was asked to testify as a witness. 

David gave Lysander a brief on the whole situation. 

Mr. Sinclair’s love lady was about to be investigated, and David had to spill the beans to Mr. Sinclair to avoid any misunderstanding that he and Evelyn were up to no good. 

As Lysander’s right–hand man, David always kept his image squeaky clean, not wanting Mr. Sinclair to get the wrong idea about him. 

He needed not only his skills but also a mouth that could clear up misunderstandings at any moment. 

If misconceptions weren’t clarified, they would only get deeper. 

Lysander realized why Evelyn had sought out David. He had been misunderstanding. 

This woman didn’t have the guts to flirt with his assistant. 

“Drive straight to the police station and let the cops handle everything.” Lysander leaned on his wheelchair, his tone relaxed but firm. 

Such a petty issue causing such a stir in the Sinclair group was laughable. 

“Roger that.” David accepted the order and started the car. 

At the police station, Lysander and David walked in together. 

Lysander saw a woman sitting to one side. She was downcast, her face full of despair. Her red lips slightly parted, her breath rising and falling rhythmically, her eyes filled with injustice. 

She seemed drained. 

Seeing her like this, Lysander’s brow furrowed. 

Thalassa had been arguing with John’s wife the whole way and felt like she was about to blow a gasket. 

She’d run into an unreasonable jerk. What a bad luck.. 

She looked up and saw the formidable Lysander. He had such a strong presence that everything around him seemed to fade into insignificance. He was impossible to miss. 

Seeing Lysander’s handsome, cold face, Thalassa’s heart sank, and she felt a pang of panic. 

Why was Mr. Sinclair here? 

The next second, she saw David next to Lysander, immediately standing up and greeting him, “David, you’re here, thank goodness.” 

Her eyes lit up, and she stole a glance at Lysander. 

Every time she saw him, she would remember the unexpected kiss in the office corridor and that tingling sensation all over her body. This made her heartbeat irregular and she felt very nervous. 

Lysander’s deep gaze also fell on her. For a moment, their eyes met.. 

Thalassa’s heart skipped a beat, quickly shifting her gaze away, pretending she was just casually looking around and hadn’t noticed him. 

“Evelyn, come and register The police called. 

“Okay” Thalassa immediately walked to the registration desk, taking out Evelyn’s ID card. 

Her heart was pounding with anxiety, fearful that her use of her mother’s ID card would be discovered. 

The cop glanced at the information on the ID card, then looked at her again, clearly skeptical, “You look a lot younger than the age on this ID card.” 

Chapter 25 

Mr. Sinclair’s gaze was intense, making David feel edgy. It seemed like this chick, Evelyn, had some kind of connection with Mr. Sinclair. Otherwise, why would he be so bothered by a simple phone call? 

“What’s up, speak.” David said in a friendly tone. 

Thalassa spelled the whole thing out for him 

David said in a relaxed way. “Tll fix this issue for you in a jiffy.” 

After hanging up, he saw Lysander with a face darker than storm clouds, his eyes sharp as a knife. 

David quickly explained, “Mr. Sinclair, I saw John harassing Evelyn in the lobby yesterday afternoon. It was seriously messing up the company vibe, so I gave him a piece of my mind and fired him. But I have no clue how his leg got broken. Now his wife wants to sue Evelyn for breaking up their home and intentional harm. I was asked to testify as a witness. 

David gave Lysander a brief on the whole situation. 

Mr. Sinclair’s love lady was about to be investigated, and David had to spill the beans to Mr. Sinclair to avoid any misunderstanding that he and Evelyn were up to no good. 

As Lysander’s right–hand man, David always kept his image squeaky clean, not wanting Mr. Sinclair to get the wrong idea about him. 

He needed not only his skills but also a mouth that could clear up misunderstandings at any moment. 

If misconceptions weren’t clarified, they would only get deeper. 

Lysander realized why Evelyn had sought out David. He had been misunderstanding. 

This woman didn’t have the guts to flirt with his assistant. 

“Drive straight to the police station and let the cops handle everything.” Lysander leaned on his wheelchair, his tone relaxed but firm. 

Such a petty issue causing such a stir in the Sinclair group was laughable. 

“Roger that.” David accepted the order and started the car. 

At the police station, Lysander and David walked in together. 

Lysander saw a woman sitting to one side. She was downcast, her face full of despair. Her red lips slightly parted, her breath rising and falling rhythmically, her eyes filled with injustice. 

She seemed drained. 

Seeing her like this, Lysander’s brow furrowed. 

Thalassa had been arguing with John’s wife the whole way and felt like she was about to blow a gasket. 

She’d run into an unreasonable jerk. What a bad luck.. 

She looked up and saw the formidable Lysander. He had such a strong presence that everything around him seemed to fade into insignificance. He was impossible to miss. 

Seeing Lysander’s handsome, cold face, Thalassa’s heart sank, and she felt a pang of panic. 

Why was Mr. Sinclair here? 

The next second, she saw David next to Lysander, immediately standing up and greeting him, “David, you’re here, thank goodness.” 

Her eyes lit up, and she stole a glance at Lysander. 

Every time she saw him, she would remember the unexpected kiss in the office corridor and that tingling sensation all over her body. This made her heartbeat irregular and she felt very nervous. 

Lysander’s deep gaze also fell on her. For a moment, their eyes met.. 

Thalassa’s heart skipped a beat, quickly shifting her gaze away, pretending she was just casually looking around and hadn’t noticed him. 

“Evelyn, come and register The police called. 

“Okay” Thalassa immediately walked to the registration desk, taking out Evelyn’s ID card. 

Her heart was pounding with anxiety, fearful that her use of her mother’s ID card would be discovered. 

The cop glanced at the information on the ID card, then looked at her again, clearly skeptical, “You look a lot younger than the age on this ID card.” 

Chapter 26 

Chapter 26 

Her ID card showed she was 45, but the woman in front of the cop just couldn’t match in appearance. 

Thalassa’s heart skipped a beat. Just as feared, the inevitable happened. 

Thankfully, the photo on the ID card was of her mom when she was young, and she and Evelyn looked strikingly alike. 

People always said she was the spitting image of a young Evelyn. 

Awkwardly, she chuckled and said. “Well, I do a lot of cosmetic treatments, even had some facelift surgeries, so I might look a bit younger than my age.” 

The officer gave her another puzzled look, but didn’t dwell on it and just proceeded with the registration. 

Facelift surgeries were pretty commonplace. It wasn’t a big deal to see someone in their 40s looking like they were in their 20s. 

Thalassa let out a sigh of relief. Thank god she wasn’t busted, or she could kiss her job at the Sinclair group goodbye. 

She had a big family to support. If she lost her job, they’d have no money and would be in serious trouble. 

Just as her nerves started to relax, Thalassa felt a cold gaze on her. 

She turned around and found Lysander’s icy eyes staring at her. 

The intensity of his gaze sent shivers down her spine. Holy crap, it was terrifying What had she done wrong? 

A mocking smirk appeared on Lysander’s face. He looked away in disdain, 

This woman… no wonder she was so desperate, hooking up with random men. Because she was dirt poor yet obsessed with beauty treatments and addicted to facelift surgeries, 

Her face was full of chemical fillers. 

The thought of him touching her, even finding her skin soft and famuliar, sent chills down Lysander’s spine. 

How could he be interested in a woman who’s had facelift surgeries? 

The case was moving forward smoothly, supported by David’s testimony and the recorded evidence. 

The accusations from John’s wife that Thalassa seduced her husband were unfounded. Plus, there was no evidence tying the broken leg incident to Thalassa 

So, the police let Thalassa go. 

John’s wife wouldn’t let it go, but Thalassa wasn’t a pushover. She filed a counterclaim against John for harassment, and against his wife for slander. causing her emotional distress. 

-The police took the case and held John’s wife for further investigation. 

Thalassa was satisfied with the outcome. 

Seeing Lysander and David walking out of the police station, she hurried to catch up, “Mr. David.” 

David stopped and turned to her, “What’s up? 

ל 

Gratefully. Thalassa said, Thank you. If it weren’t for you, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly today.” 

David replied, “No problem. You should be thanking Mr. Sinclair.” 

After saying this, David hurried to catch up with Lysander. 

In fact, the smooth progress of the case was also due to the respect the police had for Lysander. Seeing Lysander and David together, they assumed he was on their side and weighed the evidence more heavily, which worked in Thalassa’s favor. 

Thank Lysander? Why should she thank him? 

Thalassa blinked in confusion. 

But, as long as the matter was resolved, she was glad. 

Thalassa hailed a taxi from the roadside. She wanted to go home and check on her kids first. 

Lysander returned to the Sinclair group 

Faye immediately approached him, reporting as they walked, “Mr. Sinclair, we’ve found the families of the four children. I was just about to discuss compensation issues with them” 

As Lysander strade towards his office, his voice was stern and resolute, “Pass these documents to David. Let him handle it. You go to Hollowbrook and investigate that woman.”

Chapter 27 

Lysander figured he needed to get the full scoop on that woman from five years ago and all her family members. 

Lately, he had been mistaking other chicks for the woman from his past. 

Maybe it was because time flown by, his memory of her had gotten a bit wobbly. 

Even someone who had nothing to do with her showed up, he thought they were similar. 

And this constant searching for familiarity is totally bankers 

He couldn’t keep going like this. 

Knowing the lowdown about this woman and her family will help him tell the difference between her kin and randomers. 

If he ran into her family, he would be all sunshine and rainbows. But for those who were unrelated but still wanted get chummy, he would deal with ’em sternly! 

Hearing Lysanders words, Faye held her tongue and followed him into his office, watching him settle into the big boss chair. 

She was jittery and flustered, but she tried to keep her cool, not wanting to give herself away. 

David strolled over, glanced at the documents she was holding, and said, “Faye, hand ’em over to me.” 

Startled, Faye realized she was clutching the files about those four kids’ families. 

She’d held onto them so tightly out of nerves that the edges were all crumpled. 

If she could deal with them personally, maybe she could keep Lysander in the dark about who the kids parents were. 

But now that David was stepping in, she was freaking out… 

David plucked the files from her grasp, saying, “Faye, you look beat. Didn’t get enough shut-eye, did you?” 

He was genuinely caring because Faye looked bad. 

But Faye hastily replied, “I’m not tired at all, I don’t need a break. Mr. Sinclair, I’ve gotta step out. 

With that, she spun around and left the office. 

She didn’t want time off. Lysander had initially wanted her to take a three-month break, but she’d only managed to cut down to three days, and she couldn’t afford more. 

She couldn’t imagine what might happen if Thalassa was around Lysander every day while she was on leave. 

David watched Faye retreat, puzzled, and asked Mr. Sinclair, “What’s up with Faye?” 

He’d only shown a little concern, and she’d overreacted. 

Lysander shot him a stern look and didn’t respond 

He couldn’t make heads or tails of what women were thinking 

With the brunt of Lysander’s glare, David didn’t press further and got down to business with the files. 

Thalassa came home, opened the door, and was greeted by four adorable munchkins munching on fries at the dinner table. 

Dorian was the first to spot her, his eyes lighting up as he cheered, “Mommy, you’re back!” 

“Mommy!” the other three chimed in. 

Thalassa felt her heart melt. 

All her exhaustion and troubles were forgotten; she was filled with love. 

“Hey, my little darlings! Mommy’s home.” Thalassa’s voice was full of tenderness and her face was all smiles. 

Dorian scrambled down from his chair, ran over to Thalassa, and hugged her legs, ‘Mommy, I want a hug” 

Thalassa bent over, her face close to his, feeling the softness of his youthful features, her heart full of love and warmth, “Come here, give me a kiss.” 

Elowen reached out her chubby little hand, pushed Dorian aside, and burrowed into Thalassa’s arms, her fluffy head nuzzling against her chest, ‘Mommy. I want a kiss too. I’m Mommy’s little darling. I want a kiss too.” 

Thalassa bent down and kissed Elowen’s plump little face, it was soft and youthful and smelled of milk. 

Thalassa couldn’t resist kissing her chubby little face again, ‘Oh yes, my Elowen darling, you’re so soft and sweet.” 

“Mommy, I want a kiss too Donan eagerly wed for affection. 

Thalassa smiled and patted his head, giving him a kiss.

 

Chapter 28 

The other two kids. Atticus and Sophia, saw Dorian and Elowen being all cute in their mom’s arms, but they just kept munching on their fries, not bothering to join in. 

Out of the four adorable kids. Dorian and Elowen are the softies, always acting cute and cuddly. 

Atticus and Sophia are more of the cold and distant type, not really the clingy ones. 

Everyone’s got their own personality, right? 

Evelyn came out of the kitchen holding a plate of food, slammed it on the table, and said to Thalassa with a straight face, “Just now you’re coming back? Did you get sacked again? We’re flat broke. Can you work harder?” 

Looking after four kids every day was no joke. The minute she took her eyes off them, they were gone! It scared the life out of her. If she had enough dough, she could hire a nanny to help her out, and she wouldn’t be this worn out. 

Sadly, her daughter hadn’t really hit her stride yet and was still grinding at the bottom, barely making ends meet every month. 

Evelyn was tired 

Thalassa, holding the hands of two kids, stood up and said to Evelyn, Moin, I wasn’t sacked. I just came to check in.” 

Thalassa’s back.” The bathroom door opened and out came Hertha 

Thalassa, with a smile, said. “Hertha, you’re here too” 

“Yep, came to help your mom watch the kids,” Hertha said 

To which Evelyn grumbled, “If it wasn’t for Hertha, we’d be starving today!” 

After that, she shot Thalassa a disapproving look and headed back into the kitchen. 

Thalassa scratched her head and kept silent. 

She thought, if it weren’t for that wad of cash her mom blew they couldve made it till payday. 

“Hertha, thank you.” Thalassa expressed her gratitude 

Hertha waved it off and said, “We go way back, you don’t have to stand on ceremony with me. Plus, I’m their godmother, so it’s kind of my job too, right?” 

Hertha’s words warmed Thalassa’s heart, and her eyes welled up. 

“Once I start making money, the first thing I’ll do is treating you to a slap-up meal Thalassa said, her fighting spirit ignited. 

“Ha ha, can’t wait for your lavish feast,” Hertha laughed heartily 

-Just then, a phone on the table rang 

It was Herthas, and an unknown number was calling 

Hertha was about to answer it when a little hand reached out and picked up the phone. 

Hertha glanced over and saw that Dorian had taken the phone and answered it expertly. “Hello, who is this?” 

Dorian loved answering calls. It was his chance to show off his acting chops. 

Hertha knew Dorian’s style, and figured from the unknown number it was probably a scammer. 

So she let Dorian have his fun with the person on the other end 

“Hello little one, can you put your mommy on the phone?” a man’s voice came from the other end. 

“Before I let my mom talk to you, can you tell me who you are?” Dorian asked as he turned on the speakerphone, trying to fish for information about this 

stranger. 

Thinking you can fool his mom or Hertha? Not on his watch. He snickered. 

Thalassa and Hertha shared a smile and a head shake at his smooth talk 

This stranger must be a scammer 

“1 am David, the personal assistant to the CEO of the Sinclair group, the man introduced himself. 

Hearing this, Thalassa’s smile froze. 

Just as she was about to take the phone, Dorian said, “Sir, I happen to be the son of the CEO of the Sinclair group. Are you aware you’re pretending to be my dad’s certant?” 

Dorian was clearly using his anti-scammer tone of voice. 

Thalassa sucked in a breath and quickly reached for the phone.

 

Chapter 29 

Chapter 29 

Thalassa was about to grab the phone when David’s familiar voice rang out from the other end 

“Kid, I’m not joking around, tell your mom that you guys showed up at the Sinclair group CEO’s office and caused some damage, totaling $23,000. She better get ready to pay up” 

This stopped Thalassa in her tracks, her hand hovering over the phone. Her eyes were wide open and her heart was racing. 

She had heard Lysander mention compensation from the parents, but she didn’t think he was serious! 

And such a hefty sum! 

As Thalassa panicked, Dorian, dead serious, said into the phone, “You re a fraud! I’m going to tell my dad that you’re impersonating him and scared me. My delicate little heart is damaged. You owe me $23,000 for emotional distress. 

Dorian was a natural performer from a young age. His acting was so good that it was hard to tell if he was lying. 

David began to doubt when he heard the child’s words. Could it be that Mr. Sinclair had a secret child that he didn’t know about? 

He couldn’t help but worry. He gripped the phone tighter, turning to Lysander, “Mr. Sinclair, a child picked up the phone. He said you’re his dad, Are you..” 

He didn’t get to finish his question. Lysander’s icy cold glare shut him up instantly. 

It stroke him that he had actually believed the words of a child and doubted Mr. Sinclair. 

This was a blemish on his sharp and savvy career. 

He’d been around the block, seen it all, and was almost duped by a child. 

David immediately became serious, “Kid, I don’t have time for games. I’m not a fraud. Get your mom on the phone.” 

Dorian was ready to continue his act when Thalassa, her heart in her throat, snatched the phone from him. But then it hit her. She worked at the Sinclair group and had spoken to David’s assistant before. He would recognize her voice. 

And since David was about to talk to the kids guardian, that meant he should talk to Hertha 

Due to certain circumstances, Thalassa couldn’t be the children’s legal guardian on their birth certificates, so her friend Hertha was listed as the guardian 

Back in the day, her mother didn’t have the necessary documents to register her birth, so it was already a struggle. 

Her grandparents passed away early and her mother was unmarried when she had her. Her mother couldn’t prepare all the necessary documents to register her birth 

So, her mother took her all the way to Hollowbrook where her aunt’s family was listed as her legal guardians on her birth certificate. 

Similarly, Thalassa was unmarried and had four kids. She couldn’t get the documents needed to register their births in Hollowbrook 

She had to ask Hertha for help. Luckily, Hertha’s parents pulled some strings and Hertha became the kids’ legal guardian. 

From then on, Hertha was their legal guardian. 

If her identity as the kids mother was exposed, she would surely get fired, lose her salary, and possibly have to pay a huge sum 

Money was already tight at home, where would she find the extra cash? 

With that in mind, Thalassa quickly passed the phone to Hertha, gesturing for her to answer 

Hertha was clueless but she could tell from Thalassa’s anxious expression that this was serious 

The gravity of the situation made her nervous too. She brought the phone up to her ear, her voice shaky. “Hello, hello.

Chapter 30 

When Thalassa saw Hertha answering the phone, her stomach was in knots. 

“You’re the mother of those four kids, right?” David’s voice echoed through the phone again. 

Hertha shot Thalassa a pleading look 

Thalassa nodded like a madwoman. 

Hertha got the hint, so she nodded back, only to realize that the other party couldn’t see her. So she said, “Yes, I am” 

This time, David’s tone was totally formal, void of any emotion. Your kids made a mess in the Sinclair group CEO’s office this morning. They broke the CEO’s trophy, dirtied the sofa, and scratched the table. We want charge you for cleaning, but you need to compensate for the damages” 

At the mention of no cleaning charges, Thalassa was both anxious and pissed. 

– 

She was the one who cleaned the CEO’s office how could she do it for free? 

As the call was on speaker, the four kids also heard David’s words. They exchanged uneasy glances. 

They realized that the other party wasnt a fraud, but Lysander’s real assistant 

They did visit the Sinclair group this morning and even ended up in the CEO’s office. 

Dorian looked particularly baffled and apprehensive, fearing he had done something wrong. He had mistaken the real assistant for a fraud and even blurted out that the Sinclair group’s CEO was his dad. 

He was getting panicky, rubbing his little head, his eyes filled with unease 

Before Hertha could say anything, David started to o calculate the compensation, “We won’t charge you for Mr Sinclair’s trophy. The costs are for the damages to the desk and sofa. Mr. Sinclair’s sofa originally cost $100,000, but due to use, we’ll give you a discount. You’ll need to pay $20,000. Also, Mr. Sinclair’s desk originally cost $200,000. Considering its age and the two scratches, you only need to pay $3,000. So, the total is $23,000. Would you prefer to pay by card or cash?” 

Each fee was clearly justified. 

Hertha was shocked on hearing this. She didnt know what to do and looked to Thalassa for help. 

Thalassa was equally frantic, urgently making a crying gesture to Hertha. 

Hertha immediately got the gist. She needed to put on a pitiful act. So she forced out a couple of tears and said in a miserable tone, I’m sorry, I didn’t discipline the kids properly. I know I messed up. But this amount of money. I’m a single mother, how can I afford it? We can barely put food on the table I’m already exhausted trying to make ends meet, the kids are starving. I don’t have this kind of money. Why don’t I just give you my life instead?” 

When Hertha got to the end, she was crying and sniffling. She looked truly desperate. 

Thalassa joined in the crying, truly feeling sorry for herself. 

Evelyn, who was in the kitchen, got the gist of the situation. She was quick-tempered, so she plopped down onto the floor and started wailing. “Good grief, I we had such a hard life! I’m starving every day, and that’s not enough, these kids keep getting into trouble. I’m so old, instead of enjoying a peaceful life, I’m suffering because of my daughter’s issues. My daughter is about to give up her life for others, what am I supposed to do after that… 

Evelyn was sobbing and pounding her chest 

The four kids also realized their mistake. Elowen was scared. Her bright, big eyes were immediately filled with tears. Her childlike voice was helpless and fragile. 

“Oh, grandma, I’m so sorry. I know I messed up. I promise I’ll never do it again, waa…” 

Lysander and David were both speechless.

 

Chapter 31 

Elowen started to sob, and Dorian couldn’t hold back anymore. He knew he’d messed up. With a downturned mouth and tears swirling in his eyes, he couldn’t hold it back anymore and burst into tears, “Mom, grandma, I won’t do it again, I know I was wrong. Mom, you can’t leave me. I can’t be without you… 

Even the usually stone-cold Atticus and Sophia felt scared, they shared a glance with each other, their little faces turning red with worry, their eyes also starting to redden. 

They knew they’d messed up. 

Hertha also broke down crying, “Oh, what are we gonna do…” 

Thalassa quietly wiped her tears at the side, not just because she was moved by their emotions, but also because her heart ached. Over the years, her mother, Evelyn, had been helping her take care of the children, and though she complained often, part of it was genuine. 

Thalassa had been busy outside for these years, she also suffered a lot during her work, to say she wasnt tired or stressed was a lie. 

Seeing the kids and Evelyn crying their hearts out, everyone in the room seemed to fall apart, even her usually strong nerves couldn’t hold up and she started to cry 

David’s phone was loud, even without the speaker on, the voices from the other end could be heard by others. 

Especially when the family’s voices were heart-wrenching, it was hard not to let Lysander hear. 

David could tell that the family was pitiful, his heart softened a bit and he looked at Lysander questioningly. 

But Lysander’s face was gloomy, his eyes cold as ice. 

Even so, David held the receiver and tentatively asked, “Mr. Sinclair, do you think we can cut them some slack?” 

Lysanders voice was cold, “If they knew the consequences, they shouldn’t have acted rashly. Everyone has to pay for their mistakes.” 

Just because they were pitiful, they could get away with their actions? 

If they had behaved properly, how could they have let four children barge into someone else’s office and damage private property? 

Lysander was never a philanthropist, and he had no obligation to sympathize with the pitiful. 

Besides, there’s always something hateful about people who are pitiful. 

He was not short of money, but he wanted to teach this family a lesson, otherwise they would never learn. 

Getting Mr. Sinclair’s attitude, David said into the phone, “Alright, crying isn’t going to help. Your kids just said their dad is Mr. Sinclair from the Sinclair Group, how could you possibly be a single parent?” 

-David Intentionally used this to refute them. 

Hearing this, Lysander’s eyes got colder, his face darker. 

This kid was trying to pass off as his son, what a joke! 

This was unforgivable. 

Hertha was still crying uncontrollably, she kept apologizing. “I’m sorry, the kid thought it was a scam, that’s why he said that. He was just worried about being cheated, scammers are very brazen nowadays and they dare to say anything. The kid helped me block many scam calls, what he said was not true. They really don’t have a dad…” 

David paused for a moment, then asked, “So, where’s their dad?” 

On the other end of the phone, Hertha was choked up, she didn’t know how to answer, her vision blurred by tears. She looked to Thalassa, hoping to hear her explanation, 

Thalassa looked very anxious and made a jumping gesture. 

Hertha caught on to her meaning, she sobbed, filled with sorrow, and said, “The kids are quadruplets, their father couldn’t handle the pressure of raising four children, so he chose to jump off a cliff. He’s already dead. 

“Dead?” David was somewhat surprised. 

Hertha cried and confirmed, “Yes, he’s dead.” 

On this end, David with the phone in hand turned to Lysander again, Lysander’s brow furrowed slightly 

On the other hand, Thalassa rolled up her sleeve, revealing a section of her arm, and made an injection gesture on her arm with her other hand. -Hertha bit her lip and said weakly, “I don’t have money, but I have blood, can I sell my blood to pay off the debt?” 

Lysander was silent.

Chapter 32 

He held his forehead with his hand, feeling a bit of a headache. 

Why did he need blood? Was he running low? 

Even David was surprised that this woman was willing to risk her own life to pay her debts 

Now, he had no idea what to do, his only choice was to wait for lysander to make the decision. 

Lysander remained silent, speaking in a cold voice, Just compensate some loose change.” 

For that family, this “loose change” was enough to make them anxious, a wake-up call to remember the lesson. 

Hearing this, David immediately said to his phone, “Alright, stop the waterworks, our boss is a good guy, considering the kids don’t know any better and have lost their father, you guys can pay $3000, and we’ll call it even” 

Hearing that Mr. Sinclair wasn’t demanding a huge compensation anymore, David was actually happy for that family. 

A woman raising four kids, it really aint easy. 

“$3000.” Hertha repeated, then she glanced at Thalassa. 

Thalassa was nodding like crazy 

Hertha said, “Alright, I’ll go borrow the money from someone, and later this afternoon Ill go to your company personally to apologize to Mr. Sinclair.” 

“Mm.” Once they agreed, David hung up. 

Here, after hearing the phone being hung up, Hertha quickly wiped away 

ay her tears, excitedly saying to Thalassa, “We don’t have to pay $23,000 anymore, only $3,000 is needed.” 

Twenty grand, that would really have put Thalassa in a tight spot. 

Hertha didn’t have that much money at the moment either. 

But $3,000, they could handle that. 

Thalassa also breathed a sigh of relief, wiping away the tears on her face, it really wasn’t easy” 

Seeing Thalassa’s heartache and difficulty, Hertha walked over, hugging Thalassa, comforting her with a silent hug. 

Thalassa smiled, “It’s alright, isn’t it all solved now?” 

Just as she finished speaking, she felt her leg tighten, being hugged by the kids 

She looked down, seeing the four kids, one after another, hugging her legs. 

Hertha also saw the kids hugging Thalassa, so she let go of Thalassa and stepped aside. 

Elowen was still sobbing, her young face red from crying, all tears, her snot almost running into her mouth, her eyes filled with fear and tension, “Mom, we werent naughty. A lady kept chasing us and she was really mean. I was scared so I ran and accidentally dropped something…” 

Elowen choked up. explaining to Thalassa, she was afraid her mom would say she was not good and didn’t want her. 

She didnt want to leave her mom. 

The little girl was weak and helpless, full of unease. 

Dorian also cried, “Yes, that lady was so scary, she was so mean. We just went to find Lysander, to ask if he’s our dad.” 

Hearing this, Thalassa was shocked and heartbroken. 

She crouched down, holding the little ones in her arms, wiping away the tears on Elowen’s face with her hand, her soft voice soothing her, “Elawen, don’t cry, I’m not mad at you, and I won’t abandon you, don’t worry.” 

As she spoke, she lovingly kissed her little face, “I love you guys very much. How could I ever abandon you?” 

After gently saying this, she looked at Dorian and said softly. “Dorian, stop crying, as the brother, you need to set a good example for your 

She lightly stroked his head. 

Dorian stopped crying, his eyes filled with tears as he asked Thalassa, “Mom, is Lysander our dad?* 

sister.”