Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 248

Chapter 248: Someone Wants This to Happen
That Matthew Alvord… was linked to a political bribery scandal?

The same man who threatened her to leave her contractual husband?

Lariette’s eyes widened and her lips parted, too surprised by the news. The headlines sounded too convincing.

She unconsciously tightened her fingers around the sleek smartphone. An unpleasant, chilling sensation ghosted down her spine.

Seeing the look of surprise on Lariette’s face, Nora exhaled. She said, her voice cautious, “I didn’t mean to be nosy, but… a few were talking about this.”

Nora had just returned from her class when she noticed a group of teachers gathered in the pantry. They seemed to be engrossed in talking about an issue.

When Nora went to get herself a cup of coffee, the conversation topic finally became apparent to her. Her colleagues also asked her if she had asked Lariette about the scandal.

After all… wasn’t the man her husband’s father, also her father-in-law?

Lariette shifted her eyes from the phone to Nora, understanding what her colleague was concerned about. A helpless smile was tugged on her lips.

A few teachers concluded the man who came by limousine was Chairman Alvord based on Ruediger’s surname. What they heard from the students who witnessed the commotion further solidified their guess.

“I’ll be fine,” Lariette patted Nora’s back, “I think they won’t ask me openly. They haven’t done so after Lawrence reminded them.”

Lariette still noticed the occasional stare directed at her by her colleagues. So far, no one brought up the issue regarding Chairman Alvord to her. Only a few asked about Ruediger out of nowhere.

Lariette could only hope that even though their curiosity was spiked due to this scandal, her colleagues would still respect the boundary for her personal life.

“Tell Lawrence if they insist on talking,” Nora whispered, her eyes darting around the quiet hallway, “We have quite a number of gossipers among us, you know?”

“Hehe, I’ll do that if needed.”

After thanking Nora, Lariette resumed walking, but no longer heading to the teachers’ lounge. She made her way outside, going to the empty back garden of the school.

Once Lariette stepped out of the building, the cool autumn air greeted her. The breeze rustled the reddish-green leaves, also tousling her chocolate-brown locks.

Lariette was relieved to see no one was there. Finding a shelter under a tree, she opened her phone again before reading the articles carefully.

[Alvord Corporation Under Fire: Fraud and Corruption Allegations Emerge]

Lariette pursed her lips, her brows furrowing. She scrolled through each article, all accusing Chairman Alvord of illegal dealings with the political party.

People, also the opponents of the People’s Century Party, demanded investigations as soon as possible. Some talked about the hidden financial records, assuming there were more aside from the ones that had been leaked.

‘This is… beyond bad.’

Lariette swallowed hard, still reeling from the shock. She never expected to hear Chairman Alvord was implicated in such a damning scandal.

Every article regarding the bribery case became a top hit on the website. Comments flooded under each article, both condemning the actions and speculations about the scandal.

[stuck_in_my_youth: he sent MILLIONS to the party? why he didn’t use that money for charity?!]

[BrianXX: Wow… their stock prices keep declining today. The investors start pulling out, huh?]

[the99thhermit: The evidence looks so solid, don’t you guys think so? Is there a mole somewhere?]

Lariette couldn’t help but agree with some of the comments.

‘This won’t come out of nowhere.”

Lariette didn’t know much about how one navigated the treacherous waters of the corporate field. Still, she had heard enough from Chairman Delaney, including when she quietly listened to Jonathan and Declan talking about any issues during meal times.

A powerful and influential man like Chairman Alvord wouldn’t be so reckless in leaving evidence behind. She wouldn’t be surprised if his rival had been watching his every move like a hawk, monitoring even from behind closed doors.

‘Either the journalist has been secretly investigating him, or… someone wants this to happen.’

Lariette’s guess leaned more toward the latter. In her opinion, someone with the right power and connections pulled the strings to ruin Chairman Alvord.

“This is so… strategic,” Lariette mumbled under her breath. Her eyes still remained on the screen.

This exposure was orchestrated very well. Lariette wondered if Jonathan had a hand in this. After all, that man had an ongoing long feud with Chairman Alvord—something she never understood.

Shaking her head, Lariette lowered her hand, bringing her phone down. This scandal only surprised her because of the unpleasant encounter she had with Chairman Alvord last week.

If not, she wouldn’t be bothered.

That middle-aged man might be her father-in-law, but she had never intended to honor that.

Exhaling a sigh, Lariette’s mind wandered to the apartment, specifically to Ruediger. She believed he had seen the news.

Was he okay?

Even though Ruediger had a strained relationship with Chairman Alvord, Lariette wondered if the news still affected him. Or, did he read the articles with satisfaction?

As Lariette was thinking, the corner of her eyes caught dancing hues of vibrant colors. Blinking, she turned in the direction. Her gaze landed on the nearby flower bed.

The colorful stalks swayed as the autumn breeze blew past them. Seeing the flowers carved a soft smile on her lips.

Walking out of the shade provided by the tree, Lariette slowly strode to the flower bed. She crouched down while bringing her phone out.

Snap.

Smiling to herself, Lariette took a photo of the flowers. Her fingers tapped on the screen a few times, displaying her private chatroom with Ruediger.

[Lariette: flower.jpg]

[Lariette: In the back garden. Aren’t they pretty?]

Instead of questioning Ruediger anything about the scandal, Lariette sent him the flower photo. She couldn’t help but think it was inappropriate to ask him on the phone.

Ding! Ding!

Lariette unconsciously pursed her lips when Ruediger’s replies came within a minute. Once she read it, her cheeks flushed.

[Ruediger: They’re pretty]

[Ruediger: Like the photographer ;)]

Those words cast a ripple in the calm lake of Lariette’s heart. She didn’t realize how much her eyes sparkled under the sun, and her cheeks blushed into the lovely shade of the pink flowers.