Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire-Chapter 347: That Bastard!

Ruediger shooed Lariette to take a bath after dinner, saying he could handle the dishes himself. She chuckled before telling him how much she had been pampered by him so far.

"My dear Lettie, this is just a fraction," declared Ruediger, a smirk hanging on his lips, "Now, now, go and have your bath."

Amused, Lariette laughed before leaving the dining room. Her tummy didn’t feel heavy because she had soup for dinner, simple but nutritious.

The chicken and barley vegetable soup Ruediger made was what Lariette needed after a long and busy day. She always craved something delicious but easy on the stomach.

While filling the tub, Lariette relaxed for a moment in the bedroom before returning to the washroom. Hot steam curled softly in the air, then the comforting scent of lavender rose as she poured some oil into the tub.

After showering briefly, Lariette sank slowly into the tub, its heat loosening the tightness in her shoulders. The warmth also eased the chill that clung to her from the long day.

’I wanna catch up on the new series. But I’m actually sleepy.’

Exhaling a sigh, Lariette rested her head against the tub’s edge, eyes half-closed. Wrapped in the quiet moment alone, her mind drew her to think about the man outside.

Reliable, affectionate and strong. The longer they were together, the more his presence was cemented in her heart and mind.

To say she was lucky to meet him was an understatement, that was what she believed.

With a tiny smile on her lips, Lariette emerged from the washroom half an hour later. She changed into a light yellow oversized sweater and a pair of fleece long pants before leaving the bedroom.

"Eddy."

Lariette saw Ruediger in the living room, already in his pajamas, sitting on the couch. His skin was slightly flushed and damped. He might take a quick shower once he was done with the dishes.

Ruediger’s lips easily curled. Waving one hand, he beckoned Lariette to come closer. She giggled, then quickly found her spot in his arms.

Ahem. She couldn’t deny she had gotten more clingy nowadays, thanks to him indulging her.

Stroking Lariette’s back gently, Ruediger assessed her countenance, finding her eyes half-lidded. He chuckled, then pulled her closer. She let out a contented sigh, drowsiness hitting in.

"Lettie, wanna watch anything? Or just wanna stay like this?"

Without looking at Ruediger, Lariette murmured, "You should watch anything you want. I’m too sleepy... to focus."

Another chuckle escaped Ruediger’s lips. Brushing his lips atop her head, he rubbed her back, feeling her muscles quite tight.

"Lettie," Ruediger whispered, her tone tinged with concern, "Want me to massage you?"

Ever since she became busier at school, she rarely watched shows or read books after dinner. He simply let her relax while nestling against him as he turned on a documentary or soft playlist. He would also offer her a massage.

"Mm... that sounds nice."

Lariette quickly lay on her stomach while Ruediger moved from the couch. She was already used to him kneading her muscles as he loosened the knots. More often than not, she would drift into slumber as he worked his magic.

But not tonight.

Ring! Ring!

As Ruediger massaged Lariette’s back, his personal phone began ringing. He paused what he was doing as he reached out for the sleek metal on the coffee table. She turned her head toward him, watching him answer the call.

"It’s Maddie," Ruediger glanced at Lariette while placing the phone by his ear, "Hello... Hey! Why are you crying?"

The change in Ruediger’s expression and the way he spoke to the phone alerted Lariette. She quickly sat up, half-confused and half-worried at the sight of his brows merged.

Ruediger reached for Lariette’s back as she sat closer to him, gazing worriedly at him. Madeline’s voice echoed from the phone, but the words were not audible much to her.

What happened to her best friend?

Did something bad happen?

Even though Lariette couldn’t make out much of the words spoken by Madeline, her friend sounded panicky. Her heart thumped quickly as faint dread crept in.

Lariette’s eyes kept darting from Ruediger’s face to the phone. He looked tense but nothing too worrying. After a brief silence on his end because he let Madeline vent, he finally spoke.

"Maddie, calm down. I know you’re upset but can you listen to me first? Lettie’s here with me. Can I switch to loudspeaker?"

Lariette watched Ruediger tapping the loudspeaker icon after getting a reply from Madeline. In the next second, her friend’s voice rang clearly in the living room.

"Hicc... Rudy, Lari... S-sorry... I don’t mean to bother you guys tonight..."

Alarmed, Lariette leaned in closer toward the phone, "No, Maddie. Don’t say that. What’s wrong? Did someone do something to you?"

Madeline breathed, then sobbing before a rush of words came out of her mouth, heavy with frustration and fear.

"It’s Mom’s business! She... she’s in serious trouble! I just heard about it... Mom didn’t want to tell me... I got my gramps to spill everything. T-that bastard! I won’t ever call him my uncle anymore! He’s pulling everything down!"

Lariette blinked, and then her heart pounded rapidly. Without saying anything yet, her eyes drifted from the phone to Ruediger whose expression stayed calm.

Madeline obviously was talking about Matthew Alvord.

Did he really do something to his former sister-in-law’s business? Was this because his estranged son refused to help him? ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Lariette’s eyes widened, a burst of flame took over her heart.

How dare they?

They pulled more innocent people into this mess because of their own incompetence!

Still, Lariette restrained her anger. The most affected victims now were Aunt Felicia and Madeline, not her.

Madeline continued weeping, but her words were more coherent than before.

"W-what should I do? I tried talking to Mom... but she said not to worry about her. W-what if Mom just... said that not to worry me?"

Amid Madeline’s sobs, Ruediger spoke, his voice steady as he tried to calm his cousin’s concerns.

"Maddie, hear me out first. Actually, I’ve spoken to Aunt Felicia about this. I warned her last week that that man might try to harm her business."

Madeline paused wailing, Lariette stared at Ruediger unblinking. Both were shocked by what he had just told the former.

"Rudy..." Madeline gasped, "...what did you say? You... you’ve warned my mom that... that he would do this?"

Exhaling a sigh, Ruediger nodded, "Yes."

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