Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 254

Chapter 254: His Little, Secret World
After a forty-minute journey through the expressway, Ruediger slowed the truck once he drove into the quiet gated district. The guard immediately let them pass through.

In Lariette’s opinion, the scenery and its surroundings were quite nice. She also liked how this place was far from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Lariette saw rows of minimalist buildings with their own yards after they passed the main gate. She wondered which one was the studio until the truck finally halted.

“This is it, Lettie. We’ve arrived.”

Ruediger gestured at a two-story building in the color deep green, standing in the middle of a yard and barricaded by black steel fencing. Lariette arched her brows, thinking the exterior gave nothing away.

“Let’s go.”

Ruediger simply parked the truck under a tree outside the gate instead of on the driveway within the compound. He brought the messenger bag along as he emerged from the vehicle.

Lariette stepped out of the truck once she opened the door. The cool, crisp autumn breeze gently caressed her face. Her eyes lay on the green building.

‘This is where he records the songs.’

Lariette swept her gaze across the area, finding more trees had changed colors. Autumn had just reached the beginning of its peak, yet the scenery was already breathtaking.

And…

Lariette’s eyes paused on Ruediger, who was texting something on his phone. The loose strands of his crimson locks were caught in the wind. The reddish brown leaves almost resembled the hue of his hair.

Smiling softly, Lariette clasped her hands on the strap of the sling bag. She shook her head slightly, trying to focus more on seeing the studio’s interior soon.

“Conrad’s here,” Ruediger looked up from the phone, his lips tugging into a grin, “He’s the sound engineer. Come.”

“Okay.”

The gate wasn’t locked because Conrad was inside. Ruediger led Lariette to the front door entrance, their footsteps echoed quietly on the paved pathways. Once he keyed in the password, the door opened into a warm, stylish lobby space.

“Welcome to The Auburn Nook studio, Lettie,” Ruediger grinned at Lariette, his voice soft with a hint of anticipation, “It’s not much, but I hope you’ll enjoy your experience here.”

“You didn’t put a signboard, Eddy?” Lariette asked after finding no plaque showing the name uttered by Ruediger.

Ruediger shook his head, immediately answering Lariette, “Nope. Maybe someday in the future, but I don’t mind much.”

Lariette hummed softly. This studio was solely used for Ruediger’s VibeTube channel. It made sense if he didn’t feel the need to advertise it.

“Well~ Show me inside. I wanna see which other secrets you keep here.”

Lariette’s teasing reply made Ruediger laugh. He raised one of his brows, mischief glinting in his emerald eyes.

“That’s for you to find you.”

Lariette shot Ruediger a side-eye, only to have him laugh more. Stepping inside, they took their shoes off at the entryway before wearing soft, home slippers.

“The decor is nice,” Lariette claimed as she glanced at the hardwood floors, moody lighting and comfy couches in forest green hue, “Oh, you also have vinyl records.”

Lariette quickened her pace, heading to the shelf displaying the vinyl records. She found that most of them were vintage, most likely procured by Ruediger in stores selling precious antiques.

Ruediger curved his lips, happy to see Lariette being interested in the pieces of vinyl. He approached her, stopping only one foot beside her. His upper arm almost grazed her shoulder.

“I saw Grandpa has quite a collection. Should we bring some to him later? Tho I think he should have more records than me.”

Ruediger remembered seeing the vinyl records in Chairman Delaney’s residence. Once, he asked about them, only to learn it was the elderly man’s cherished hobby in his youth.

Chairman Delaney still listened to the records, but not as much as before. When Ruediger occasionally asked about the vinyl, the elderly man happily chatted with him.

Lariette drifted her eyes from the records to look at Ruediger. She chuckled, “Aren’t they your precious collections? Still, I think Grandpa will be happy if you bring some to them.”

Chairman Delaney’s fondness toward Ruediger only grew the more time they spent together. Lariette was amused, also thankful because she knew her grandfather appreciated more companions to soothe his loneliness.

“Then, let’s do that,” Ruediger nodded, easily agreeing with Lariette. Turning around, he said, “Let’s go. I’ll show you around the studio.”

“Okay!”

Ruediger guided Lariette through the hallway on the first floor, pointing at different rooms. Pantry, break room including the bathroom. The second floor had a lounge area, a toilet, a control room and a soundproofed recording room.

“I’d stayed the night here usually. It’s safe to say, the pantry has to be well-stocked.”

“Do you see the wooden statue? That’s from my trip to South Africa before.”

“Those are my lyric books. Well… I’ve written quite a number of songs, but I haven’t tried recording any properly yet. I still stick to covering songs.”

Throughout the little tour, Lariette noticed the slight rise of excitement in Ruediger’s voice. She could tell how much this place meant to him. The fact alone made her happy for being given a chance to step into his secret world.

“Let me show you the control room first. It’s adjacent to the recording one, but with separate entrances.”

Ruediger led Lariette down the softly lit hallway. He reached for the matte black door handle. It was opened with a muted click, revealing the interior of the control room.

Warm recessed lights lined the ceiling, showering onto the dark acoustic panels and polished wood finishes. The massive mixing console dominated the space, almost impossible to be missed.

Lariette caught a glimpse of the recording room behind the glass window opposite the console. Sweeping her gaze around, she saw a comfy black couch at the back of the wall, accompanied by side tables and a coffee table.

“Oh! Hi!”

A man in a yellow sweater suddenly appeared at the door. Lariette and Ruediger looked at him before the crimson-haired man introduced the man’s identity.

“Lettie, this is Conrad. He’s my trusted sound engineer. Conrad, this is my wife, Lariette.”

Conrad waved at Lariette. A smile carved on his soft-featured face, “Hey, Lariette. Nice to meet you. I was shocked when Rudy suddenly told me he got married.”

“Hello, Conrad,” Lariette returned the man’s smile, “Yeah, it’s quite sudden. Well, I didn’t know about his hidden singer persona until recently.”

“Yeah, a very tight secret, huh?” Conrad smacked Ruediger’s back, saying, “Hiding a secret from your wife, huh? Not afraid of sleeping on the couch?”

“Shut up,” Ruediger returned a hit on Conrad’s back. He gestured at the console, “Do your work. I gonna record soon. I’ve done my practice.”

“Yeah, yeah. I knew you came here the other day.”

After shooing Conrad to the console, Ruediger led Lariette to the soundproofed recording room. Silence fell over the moment they stepped inside.

“Oh, wow… I can’t hear anything outside.”

Lariette glanced at the walls, lined with thick acoustic foam panels. The warm lighting cast soft shadows on the room, giving it a moody and intimate feel. She saw Conrad through the screen.

Ruediger smiled seeing Lariette’s continued interest. He silently followed her around as she took a careful look at the surroundings.