Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 95

Chapter 95: The Years of Indifference
Declan and Rafael didn’t mistake the confusion on Lariette’s face. Her eyes widened slightly as her lips parted without words rolling out. She was indeed perplexed to see them there.

Ruediger, Chairman Delaney and Madeline also noticed the bewilderment expressed by Lariette. They silently glanced from her to the two brothers.

Lariette remained sitting on the bed while Declan and Rafael stood behind Ruediger. Her eyes quietly looked at them, still noting their unexpected presence in her mind.

The two brothers glanced at each other, feeling uncomfortable being stared at like that by Lariette. They had expected such a reaction but… it was still awkward.

“I called Dec before coming here,” said Chairman Delaney, breaking the momentary silence between the three siblings, “He and Ray are worried about you so, they followed me here.”

Chairman Delaney’s explanation stunned Lariette. Her brows raised slightly in surprise before she blinked a few times, trying to register those words.

Declan and Rafael came because they were worried about her, really?

This… This wasn’t a joke, right?

Declan and Rafael exchanged another awkward look, not sure what they should do. If they were in Lariette’s shoes, they would also feel the same way as her.

After all… they failed her as brothers. Heck, their entire family failed her.

If this was before, Declan and Rafael doubted they would show such care toward Lariette.

Even if she was involved in something worse than this assault, they wouldn’t be bothered to handle it personally. At most, they would just instruct their bodyguards to do as they saw fit.

Unless the victim was Stephanie, not Lariette.

But…

What began and stayed as indifference for a decade, eventually changed into care and regret.

Declan and Rafael had just realized how wrongly they had treated Lariette all these years. She also received the same treatment from their parents and Alaric.

Because of their lack of care for Lariette, she often became the subject of ridicule by their relatives and even the outsiders of high society.

Clenching his hands into fists, Declan reminded himself to stay calm. Self-blaming wouldn’t bring him anywhere. His focus should be on moving forward.

“We’re worried about you, Lari,” Declan finally spoke, his sapphire eyes locking onto Lariette’s, the ones bearing the same color as his, “So… Ray and I followed Grandpa here.”

“Y-yes! It’s true!” Rafael chimed in, nodding repeatedly at Lariette, “We’re worried and… Lari! Don’t worry about those scums! We’ll handle them!”

Blinking, Lariette’s eyes darted from the stiff Declan to Rafael who struck a fist in the air. The latter seemed more irritated toward the two men than her, the victim.

This was indeed surprising, but…

“Thank you for coming here. I appreciate it.”

Lariette drew her lips into a smile, lacing with sincerity. She could tell Declan and Rafael truly had a degree of concern for her.

Both men could continue ignoring her like everyone else in the Elsher family yet, they did no such thing. The way they acted recently showed the dissolution of their indifference toward her.

And, for that, Lariette was grateful.

“Oh… it’s nothing. We’re just… worried…”

Scratching the back of his neck, Rafael said awkwardly. Declan simply nodded, unsure of what he should say next.

Chairman Delaney was inwardly happy to see the improvement in the siblings’ relationship. This was better than years ago.

Chairman Delaney didn’t intend to push Lariette into accepting Declan and Rafael’s concerns. Thus, seeing her doing so flooded his heart with relief.

Perhaps, these three siblings would have a better relationship in the future.

Ruediger shifted his gaze from Lariette to Chairman Delaney before looking at Declan and Rafael. He could tell the atmosphere between them, especially among the siblings, had turned better.

Smiling to himself, Ruediger spoke, trying to get their attention, “Should we return now? I heard the doctor say that Lettie needs adequate rest.”

“Ah, it’s true,” Chairman Delaney turned to Ruediger, also thinking the same, “Let’s go back to the island. Lettie won’t get decent rest here.”

Declan and Rafael nodded, agreeing with Ruediger and Chairman Delaney. Madeline shared the same thoughts.

Lariette also didn’t want to stay longer in this isle. Pushing the blanket away, she scooted closer to the edge of the bed, bringing her feet down to the floor.

Standing by the bed next to Chairman Delaney, Ruediger smiled helplessly at Lariette, “You’ll worsen your foot injuries if you walk.”

Lariette tilted her chin up, staring at Ruediger blankly, “Then, how do I move? I need to walk to get to the boat.”

If she had a pair of wings, she would save herself from the hassle of walking. Just putting her feet on the floor made her wince.

Lariette didn’t mind walking in a short distance, like from this room to the kitchen. She dreaded the thought of walking to the shore but, she had to brace herself.

This pain was nothing!

The smile on Ruediger’s lips turned into a light smirk. His conversation with Lariette attracted the others’ attention.

Arching one of his brows, Ruediger spoke, his tone hinting of something mirthful, “Have you forgotten how I carried you earlier? So, piggyback or princess carry?”

“…”

Lariette’s cheeks flushed red upon the recollection. She blamed her fuzzy mind for not immediately catching the meaning behind Ruediger’s early remark.

“You carried Lari, Rudy?” Madeline gasped, her eyes darting from Ruediger to Lariette, “Oh! So romantic! You carried her from the forest, right?”

“Maddie!”

Lariette shot Madeline a glare, only to cause her friend to laugh. Chairman Delaney chuckled, amused by his granddaughter and Ruediger’s conversation.

“My dear, Eddy is right,” Chairman Delaney patted Lariette’s back, chuckles still bubbling from his lips, “The ground is slippery. This cabin is far from our boat. Let him help you.”

“…okay.”

Lariette didn’t intend to argue for long. Knowing the current state of her feet, she would just inflict more pain on herself, also slowing others down. They might get more worried about her.

And…

Among the men here, Ruediger was the safe choice.

Her grandfather could barely walk by himself. Her brothers were here but, she wasn’t that comfortable with them yet. She also didn’t want to rely on any of the bodyguards.

Ruediger refrained from laughing at the sight of Lariette’s adorably annoyed face. He grabbed something from his backpack before placing it on her back.

“Wear my jacket. You need to stay warm.”

“…okay.”

Lariette simply nodded. She put her arms through the sleeves, letting the oversized jacket cover her from the coldness.

“Hop on, Lettie,” Ruediger glanced at Lariette as he knelt on the floor, “Unless, you prefer a princess carry this time?”

“Don’t be cheeky.”

Lariette smacked Ruediger’s back before leaning onto him. His laughter filled the room as he slowly rose to his feet, securing her on his back.

“Let’s go,” Chairman Delaney reached for the jacket worn by Lariette, making sure his granddaughter was warm.

Lariette nodded, “Hehe, okay.”

Ruediger simply smiled as he carried Lariette out of the bedroom, heading to the front door. The quiet Declan and Rafael grabbed the backpacks before Madeline could do so.

As they stepped out of the cabin, the faint rays slipped through the dark clouds, showering on them.