Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 251

Chapter 251: The Case of a Loose Hair Tie
“Ah!”

“L-Lettie? What’s wrong?”

The slight cry snapped Ruediger out of his thoughts. He abruptly stood up as his focus returned to Lariette before he finally realized what had just happened.

Oh, it was the case of a loose hair tie.

As Lariette trimmed the green beans, a lock escaped her ponytail and fell across her face. She tried brushing it back with one hand, but it slipped forward again. The stray strand kind of annoyed her.

Ruediger let out an amused chuckle as he saw the slight frustration on Lariette’s face. Without thinking, he asked, “Want me to tie your hair back?”

Lariette paused. She looked from the finely chopped green beans to Ruediger. Blinking, she nodded once, “Okay. Can you tie it into a bun? It’ll be better than a ponytail.”

“Sure.”

Ruediger approached Lariette who had paused from trimming the green beans. Standing behind her, his towering figure cast shadows on her back. He smiled as he freed her locks from the tie.

Ruediger gathered Lariette’s hair carefully, his fingertips running through her silky strands. He gently twisted it into a neat bun before securing it with the tie. For a moment, his eyes wandered from the back of her head to her fair, slender neck.

How would it feel to have his lips there?

‘Don’t. Touch. Her. Control yourself.’

Ruediger blinked, forcing himself out of his short trance. Pursing his lips, he stepped backward, creating a distance between them.

“I’m done,” Ruediger muttered, his voice lower and hoarser than usual, “I hope it’s not too tight.”

“Oh… thanks. It’s just nice.”

Lariette glanced behind her shoulders, seeing Ruediger had already returned to the kitchen island. Looking back at the chopping board, she chewed her lower lip, trying to stall the rapid thumping of her heart.

By the time Lariette was done cooking, only streaks of violet and ruby painted the skyline as the sun had vanished below the horizon. Ruediger suggested having dinner on the balcony, to which she readily agreed.

The lamps and warm string lights cast a golden glow over Ruediger and Lariette as they sat across from each other. A small feast of garlic butter steak bites, roasted butternut squash with thyme, sauteed green beans and hot lemon tea were served on the table.

The alluring scent of the dishes wafted in the air, mingling with the crisp early autumn breeze. Far below the balcony, bright taillights moved smoothly down the roads.

Lariette almost held her breath as she watched Ruediger take his first bite of the steak. He chewed slowly, taking his time to appreciate the taste.

“How does it taste?” asked Lariette, quite worried.

Ruediger lifted his gaze from the plate to Lariette. He smiled warmly, “This is amazing, Lettie.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The steak bites are perfectly cooked. You balanced the garlic and butter just right. You know that sometimes they can get too heavy, but this is flavorful. It’s not greasy or overwhelming. I also like how the bites have crispy edges, but still medium inside.”

Lariette blinked. She didn’t expect to receive objective commentary from Ruediger, although to be honest, she appreciated his gesture. This was certainly better than him just gushing about how tasty the dish was.

Ruediger chuckled as he saw the nervous look on Lariette’s countenance melt. He added, “You’ve done great, Lettie. I really like it.”

“I’m glad that you like it, but…” Lariette eyed Ruediger suspiciously as she added, “I still won’t take more cooking duty than you.”

“Hahaha! You’re thinking about that?”

Ruediger’s laughter drowned the distant hums of the engines below. Lariette quietly watched how the lines on his face softened. Indeed, she hadn’t caught even the slightest trace of sadness.

‘Should I still ask him? Or… is it better if I don’t say anything?’

Lariette sneaked a peek at The Sentinel Report’s website when Ruediger served the plates earlier. It seemed like Chairman Alvord held an emergency press conference. She didn’t get to read the news in detail, but she believed the enraged public still reacted negatively.

In the end, Lariette chose not to bring up anything about Chairman Alvord’s bribery scandal.

Ruediger was unaware of the thoughts swirling in Lariette’s mind. After swallowing another steak bite, he said, “Nate called me this afternoon. He wanna invite us for his housewarming next week.”

Nathaniel extended the invitation to Ruediger after they talked about the current mess faced by Chairman Alvord. He had just remembered to bring it up to Lariette.

“Oh? Next week?” Lariette raised her brows. She was inadvertently reminded of Nathaniel’s recent move to an apartment.

Ruediger nodded. He put down the fork before resuming, “Actually, it should be this weekend, but he has an impromptu business trip abroad. It won’t be long tho. He hands less important tasks to his rep.”

Lariette took a moment to register the information because she was still thinking of Chairman Alvord’s case just a few minutes earlier. Letting out a hum, she smiled softly.

“He prioritizes spending more time with Elsie and their daughter, right? That’s great. Eddy, what should we get him? Do you have any idea?”

Lariette believed Nathaniel lacked nothing, but she felt bad if she visited without bringing any housewarming gifts. Even a basket of fresh fruits was better than nothing.

Ruediger didn’t answer immediately as he took a few sips of his lemon tea. Something else came to mind after Nathaniel told him about the party postponement.

“I’ll think of something,” Ruediger paused, hesitating for a moment. He unconsciously tightened his grasp on the tea cup before he finally said, “This Saturday… I plan to go to the studio. Wanna join me?”

“Of course! I’ve been waiting!”

Lariette’s exclamation stunned Ruediger. She answered without missing a beat, clearly unable to hide her excitement. His shoulders trembled, and he burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! You’ve been waiting, huh?”

“Yes!” Lariette reiterated. She narrowed her eyes upon seeing Ruediger who hadn’t ceased laughing, “Don’t take it back, okay? You’ve kept me waiting for so long! I wanna see you sing in the studio.”

Lariette anticipated visiting the studio where Ruediger recorded any remakes of popular songs. She also wished to witness the moment he took the mic to serenade.

Never did she foresee the visit to the studio would change the course of their relationship.