The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet

Ethan was sprawled out on the bed, his body a canvas of discomfort. Lydia, despite her frequent irritation with him, had a duty to perform. She approached, bending over in front of him to carefully remove the acupuncture needles one by one.

It seemed Ethan could feel her breath on his back, gentle and shallow, a stark contrast to her normally fierce demeanor.

As she leaned in, a faint, pleasant fragrance emanated from her, enveloping Ethan in its subtlety.

Ethan's heartbeat rhythmically altered, captivated by her presence.

With his hands clasped under his chin, a smirk adorned his lips. "So, Lydia, what do you think of this bod? Muscular and fit, right?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Lydia's movements halted, fully aware of the playful challenge in his tone. With deliberate precision, she twisted the needles slightly deeper into his skin, her teeth clenched. "Oh, it's sturdy alright. Typically, sturdy muscles don't mind a bit of pain!"

"Ouch, ouch, OUCH! Easy, easy!" Ethan winced, his face contorting in pain.

"Aren't those muscles of yours supposed to be tough? Why the complaints then?" Lydia chuckled.

She was determined not to let Ethan's flirtatiousness get the better of her. After years of military service and rigorous training, she had seen her fair share of muscular men and was hardly impressed. Ethan's physique, in her eyes, was average at best, his muscles less defined than her own.

"My muscles aren't made of stone, you know? How could it not hurt?" Ethan gasped, still reeling from her firm touch.

"Proper muscles are almost as hard as stone, didn't you know?" Lydia replied, swiftly removing the remaining needles.

"Alright, you're all set. You can head home now," she said, packing away the needles.

Ethan rolled over and sat up, rubbing his back where the needles had been. "You really don't have a romantic bone in your body, do you?" he complained.

"Romantic? What are you talking about?" Lydia snapped back, her gaze sharp enough to silence him. Hastily, Ethan grabbed his shift and dressed, muttering as he left "I'm never coming back to this clinic!"

"Good riddance. Don't bother returning!" Lydia replied lightly, secretly pleased at the prospect.

Ethan stormed out, frustrated yetCòntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

also feeling a sense of loss. Lydia's indifference to his charms was both baffling and intriguing. Accustomed to attention, especially from women, he found her lack of interesta novel experience.

Determined not to let it go, Ethan dialed Thalassa as soon as he left the clinic.

At that moment, Thalassa was still

in her car, not yet home. She didn't hesitate to answer Ethan's call, aware of their past professional relationship when she worked at his company, where having the boss's

number was standard.

"Hello, Mr. Ethan," Thalassa began, immediately feeling Lysander's icy stare from the driver's seat.

Ethan calling his wife raised more than a few eyebrows.

Sensing Lysander's growing tension, Thalassa glanced at him worriedly.

On the other end, Ethan didn't waste time. "Thalassa, I've got to ask - are you and Lydia close friends?"