Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: The Gamble He’s Willing to Take

Trailing behind Chairman Delaney’s elderly yet imposing figure, Ruediger stepped inside the former’s home study. Two pairs of footsteps resonated faintly in the air, the echoes rising above the silence.

Ruediger quietly swept his gaze across the mahogany-themed study. This place witnessed Chairman Delaney’s decades of blood, sweat and tears when reigning his vast empire.

The faint scents of old books and wood polish lingered in the air. A grandfather clock stood behind the vast desk, ticking rhythmically in the background.

“Sit.”

Chairman Delaney’s firm voice directed the one word to Ruediger. The elderly man lowered himself on a plush single couch. He rested both hands on the armrests.

Without saying anything, Ruediger seated himself on the couch on the right side of the elderly man’s. His countenance expressed no doubt or fear despite being summoned by the respectable figure.

“Aren’t you the abandoned son of Matthew Alvord? The one dethroned from the heirship around two decades ago?”

Chairman Delaney’s directness when touching the sensitive subject didn’t faze Ruediger. Instead of being offended, he answered with a firm nod, “Yes. That’s me, Chairman Delaney.”

A frown marred Chairman Delaney’s wrinkly forehead. Drawing his lips into a thin line, he barely recalled the identity of this young man.

Ruediger Alvord was crowned as the heir of the giant Alvord empire from a very young age. Yet, he was unfairly stripped from the position due to a major scandal.

Ruediger was simply the scapegoat. His father misdirected the blame to him despite the former being barely a child and a victim.

“I’m aware Madeline is your cousin. You might hear about my granddaughter’s plan from her. Did you purposely show yourself to Lariette on that day?”

Chairman Delaney knew how close Lariette with Madeline Alvord was. His granddaughter often brought her best friend here, leading him to get to know the young lady well.

Knowing how deep Lariette and Madeline’s bond was, Chairman Delaney guessed his granddaughter told her friend about her plan of finding a contractual husband.

“Yes, I knew about Lariette’s plan from my cousin,” Ruediger calmly answered Chairman Delaney’s inquiry, “I went to the hospital to offer myself as the candidate.”

The elderly man arched his brows, willing the young man to explain more.

Ruediger did as he was ordered, his husky voice resonated in the study. He mentioned the discussions between him and Lariette, also bringing up their dates to familiarize themselves with each other.

Chairman Delaney tapped one finger on the armrest after Ruediger ceased talking. He openly asked, “What’s in this marriage for you, Mr. Alvord? Are you really that bored? Trying to stir chaos within your own family?”

Chairman Delaney was amused when Ruediger didn’t shy away from saying he was bored and wanted to irk his estranged father.

The elderly man didn’t know whether to appreciate this uncanny honesty or be cautious of this young man.

Knowing Lariette and Ruediger’s marriage was a contractual one stirred a storm of emotions within Chairman Delaney. He didn’t agree with his granddaughter’s impulsiveness yet, he understood why.

Lariette had endured countless disappointments, leading the tipping point of her sane mind to veer into inciting chaos.

Ruediger’s next words shocked Chairman Delaney.

“I’m indebted to Lariette.”

“…what?”

Ruediger’s emerald eyes quietly assessed Chairman Delaney, seeing the surprise in his old eyes. He could tell how much the elderly man cared for Lariette, something he was grateful for.

With such a man, he could be more honest. He also believed in the elderly man’s ability to keep secrets to himself instead of parading them around.

Ruediger knew this was a gamble yet, one he was willing to take.

“Mr. Alvord, what do you mean by indebted to Lariette?”

Chairman Delaney morphed Ruediger’s previous words into a question. His widened eyes expressed doubts, thinking the young man was pulling his legs.

Instead of directly answering Chairman Delaney, Ruediger brought up another question which earned another stunned look from the elderly man.

“Mr. Chairman, do you know about Lariette’s life before she started living in Moonville?”

Chairman Delaney scoured through his memories, tracing down to a decade back. He knew that Lariette used to live in another place before Moonville, the village where they found her ten years ago.

“Are you talking about Amberwood? The village far in the north?”

Drawing a smile on his lips, Ruediger nodded, his eyes gleaming with melancholy, “Yes.”

Under the elderly man’s inquisitive gaze, the crimson-haired man bore the secrets he kept in his heart for almost two decades.

While Ruediger and Chairman Delaney locked themselves inside the latter’s study, Lariette ventured to the backyard. Despite worrying about her husband, she believed Ruediger could handle her grandfather well.

“Where did he buy his confidence, en? I should get some before tonight’s dinner.”

Talking to herself, Lariette sat on her favorite wrought-iron swing chair, painted in white. The climbing rose vines added charm to the swing chair, the red and pink colors contrasting against the white frame.

Lariette loved spending time here, either reading books, daydreaming, or listening to her favorite singer.

“Oh? He released a new song? Wow!”

Perking up, Lariette’s sapphire eyes glowed in wonder once she saw the notification on her phone. It came from the VibeTube channel of her favorite singer, Mr. Dreamer.

“Oh, wow…” Lariette sighed in awe, unable to believe what she had just seen, “This is a wedding song.”

Mr. Dreamer was a mysterious yet famous cover singer on VibeTube. Lariette stumbled on his channel around a decade ago, right after she entered the Elsher family.

Like most of Mr. Dreamer’s fans, Lariette loved the personal touches on every song he covered. She could spend hours just listening to his voice singing on a loop.

Mr. Dreamer had never shown his face or leaked any personal details despite having millions of subscribers. Instead of the videos of him singing, he put the illustrations he drew inside the video.

The lovely illustrations accompanied his serenades. Countless of his fans went crazy wondering who the man behind the stunning drawings and husky yet sweet voice was.

Curling her lips, Lariette carefully looked at the illustrations of two hands, of a man and a woman, showing their wedding rings. The title also caught her eye.

Forever Starts Today[01].

“Hehe, so romantic~”

Despite being a coincidence, Lariette was genuinely happy to know her favorite singer uploaded a cover of a wedding song on this particular day.

Leaning against the backrest, Lariette began playing the song, turning on the replay mode. Mr. Dreamer’s voice resonated in the air of the garden.

“This cover is perfect for today,” Lariette chuckled, entertained by the simple cover song, “I should leave a comment soon. En, should I say I got married today?”

Immersed in the singer’s enchanting voice Lariette didn’t notice the moment Ruediger approached from behind, catching the serenade echoing above the blooming flowers and swaying tips of grass.

Ruediger’s pace slowed down before he eventually paused, standing behind a towering topiary. His emerald eyes landed on the lady whose chocolate hair tousling by the breeze.

A soft smile tugged on his lips, Ruediger’s heart wished for his dream to be a reality.

Forever started today, hopefully.