Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire-Chapter 339: Did You Get In Touch With Him?

The chill of late autumn trailed after Vincent, following him into the soaring glass lobby of Alvord Corporation, his footsteps slow against the polished marble floors.

The earthy scent of the fallen leaves and the crispness of the air still clung to the collar of his coat. His shoulders sagged and his steps were unsteady, but not due to the cold.

Instead because of the weight of his failure.

"Good afternoon, sir."

As Vincent walked to the elevator area, the staff he crossed paths with either greeted him verbally or with a quiet nod. He simply returned their greeting with a nod of his own, still too defeated to put on a calm facade.

Lariette’s voice continued to echo in Vincent’s ears, sharp and cutting with a righteousness he couldn’t deny.

"You know what? You’re beyond cruel and shameless."

"That doesn’t excuse anything. Twenty years! Where were you? Where was your father? He can live on his own now so stop bothering him!"

"Leave. Ruediger doesn’t need anything from you and your family has no right to ask anything of him."

The image of her eyes brimmed with tears and fury was burned into his memory. She shut him down whenever he tried to explain, her harsh words cutting through him like cold slaps of the truth.

Unable to refute her, he left the school with clenched fists and a heart heavier than before.

Vincent assumed it was easy to persuade Lariette, thinking she was a naive young lady. Never did he expect to be on the receiving end of her wrath.

She made her thoughts, of her disappointment and rage, known loud and clear.

’I’ve messed up. Truly messed up.’

Vincent dragged himself back to his office, sitting high above the city. As he shut himself inside the office, he stared blankly at the skyline. He leaned back against the chair, his posture far from being upright.

The late autumn sun had started to set, casting gold and rose hues on the windows, but the picturesque scene wasn’t registered to him.

All he saw was his elder brother’s anguished childhood face before the image shifted to his brother as an adult, cold and unapproachable. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

All he heard was his elder brother’s wife’s voice, accusing and reminding him of everything their family had let happen.

A soft knock came on the door, snapping Vincent out of his daze. Glancing behind his shoulder, he saw his assistant walk inside.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Vincent," said the middle-aged man in a suit carefully, "The Chairman wants to see you in his office.

Vincent blinked, unconsciously exhaling a sigh, "Now?"

"Yes, sir. He said it’s urgent."

Vincent suppressed a sigh from escaping again. Nodding, he stood up, "I’ll be there soon. You can leave."

The assistant slightly bowed at Vincent before heading out of the office. The young man remained there for a few minutes, trying to piece his composure before facing his father.

’What else he wanna say?’

Walking toward the door, Vincent’s pulse picked up. Lately, every conversation with his father left him more uneasy than the last.

And today... especially today, he didn’t have the energy to pretend things were fine.

The Board gave his father a date to secure a new investor. Because he still had loyal allies and significant voting power, he used the investment deal as a bargaining chip to propose a compromise.

If he was able to strike a deal with Faulkner Investment, he would step down temporarily, just until the heat of the scandal died down.

’I’m tired. So... tired.’

With a frown marred his forehead, Vincent entered the Chairman’s office, seeing his father, Matthew pacing near the long window. Cigar smoke curled in lazy spirals above his head.

"Well?" Matthew turned sharply once Vincent entered, his voice low, "Did you get in touch with him?"

Vincent straightened his shoulders, his face unreadable, "I’m sorry, Father. I haven’t been able to reach him yet."

The silence that followed was like a warning bell in the still room. The man with the cigar narrowed his eyes, evidently displeased to hear those words.

"What the hell does that mean? You’ve had days, Vincent. You’re his brother. You think I don’t know you’ve been poking around. Isn’t he just here? In the same city as us?"

Vincent swallowed tightly, "He was on a trip until yesterday. And I couldn’t contact him. You know he’s not exactly open to communicating with us."

"Bullshit! You know where that bastard lives! Just ambush him there! Drag him here! What’s so hard about that?"

Vincent watched Matthew slamming his palm against the desk, causing several documents to flutter. He remained quiet as his father unleashed his wrath.

"That ungrateful bastard does this on purpose! He wants to see me fall! He’s behind this silence from Faulkner Investment! That damn Nathaniel Faulkner won’t even take a meeting!"

Vincent pressed his lips into a tight line. His father had already known Ruediger and Nathaniel were like blood brothers instead of merely friends.

Chairman Alvord’s rage only grew. He began pacing again, the cigar clenched between his teeth.

"We gave him everything all these years! Name, education, prestige! This is how he repays us? Looking for a chance to kick me while I’m down?"

Vincent’s jaw tightened. He pointed out, "Father, you exiled him when he was ten. Aunt Felicia who raised..."

Matthew growled, his eyes blazing with fury, "Don’t you dare start that again! I need Faulkner Investment to support us! If he’s that stubborn, I damn well know to way to make it happen."

Vincent clenched his fists, fighting the urge to shout. The finality in his father’s voice stirred a deep unease in his gut.

"...do you mean you’ll use another approach? How?"

Matthew turned around, facing the glass wall, "You don’t need to know. Leave."

"...yes, sir."

Matthew heard Vincent’s footsteps fading before the door clicked shut. He gritted his teeth, then his lips drew into a smirk.

This was beyond frustrating. Fortunately, he had already laid out his other plan in motion.

That damn son of his would come begging for mercy soon!

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