Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire-Chapter 321: The Last Time She Saw Him

Lariette paused as she tried to rearrange her thoughts to fit the pieces properly. She was quite absentminded as she kept pressing Ruediger’s fingers, her gaze distant.

Somehow, the act seemed to lessen her uneasiness.

Ruediger just let Lariette play with his hand. He also needed the touch for he had held his breath a few times due to dread spiraling within him. His stomach churned with a lurking sense of unrest.

Fear flickered in his emerald eyes, their clarity now darkened with worry. He swallowed, wondering what she truly felt about the story she would soon tell him.

"One day... I sneaked out to meet him after I returned from school. I think it’s the third or fourth month after their family’s arrival."

Lariette finally resumed, her tone akin to a whisper. Uncertainty laced her voice, but she pushed herself to go through with what she had begun.

Ruediger pursed his lips, once again unknowingly holding his breath. As he searched Lariette’s face, he quietly told himself to stay calm.

Her voice continued to resonate in the living room.

"That day... the forest, the area near his house was so strangely quiet. You know the saying? When a predator of some sort is nearby, the forest can be deathly still. I think I thought a tiger or a bear was there."

Wrinkling her brows, Lariette took a deep breath. She gave Ruediger a tiny smile when he squeezed her hand as if trying to calm her. She returned the same gesture.

"It was so unnerving, Eddy. I never felt that way before even when I played in the forest alone. I wanted to run, but... I couldn’t. I thought of him."

Yes. Him.

The quiet boy who let a chatty little girl like her stay by his side as they watched the view from up on the tree. Her newest yet peculiar friend.

"I went near the house, and... saw the door open wide. I couldn’t see or hear anything. But I didn’t go there. It felt so... wrong. So I sneaked into the backyard. His room was there."

Even though her mind urged her to quickly run away, her heart said otherwise — to look for him. She had a feeling she would deeply regret it if she left without checking on him at all.

"I met him. He saw me from his window so he came out through the backdoor. He... I think he was so pale."

"He told me to go home and never come back. I didn’t remember what else we talked about, but we fought. I mean, I started it first."

Inhaling a breath, Lariette took another pause. She tried to recall the exact scene, but the boy’s face was a blur in her mind. She only remembered what happened at that time.

As her sapphire eyes traced Ruediger’s face, Lariette noticed his usually laidback expression darkened. She clutched his hand with both of hers as if seeking strength.

"I said... pretty hurtful things to him. We were still fighting when he suddenly grabbed my hand to run. I didn’t realize his father had seen us."

"That man... He chased after us. He... he held a knife, a bloody knife. I think his shirt was full of blood. Then..."

"Lettie."

Lariette blinked, unknowingly stopping herself when Ruediger suddenly called her, his tone somber. She parted her lips, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

"Lettie," Ruediger breathed, leaning closer, "Stop, if you think it’s hard. I’ve made you remember something... upsetting, didn’t I?"

He knew he should be blamed for this. Despite knowing the incident could traumatize a young girl, he still attempted to test the waters and see whether she remembered.

All because of his selfish greed.

All because he still clung to the past.

"Eddy, you didn’t."

Drawing her lips into a tiny smile, Lariette let go of one of her hands from Ruediger’s. Lifting it, she placed her palm on the curve of his jaw, her thumb gently brushing his skin.

So warm, so alive.

"It was indeed upsetting before," Lariette said, her voice regaining its usual softness, "After all, I was still so young. But I’m willing to tell you this story."

Ruediger exhaled, unsure of what to say. He enveloped the back of Lariette’s hand with his, his eyes remaining on her face. He realized her previously murky gaze had recovered its clarity.

"I still think of him from time to time," Lariette continued, "But I didn’t have anyone to talk about him. I’m actually glad you mentioned him so I have the chance to tell you."

Ruediger was still quiet. He found no traces of deceit in Lariette’s expression or her tone.

She might have looked upset earlier, but not because she forced herself to open up the particular story about the boy from her childhood.

Soft chuckles escaped Lariette’s lips upon seeing the look of concern on Ruediger’s face. She asked, "So, Eddy, will you listen to me until the end? I feel better because you hold me."

Pursing his lips, Ruediger nodded once, his movement stiff. Lariette smiled, wider than before. She gently squeezed his face before lowering her hand.

"We ran. I think I thought we’d run so far, but we couldn’t overrun an adult. His father quickly took over us. It didn’t help when I tripped."

Ruediger clutched his other hand, trying not to alert Lariette of the turmoil within him. He forced himself to stay quiet as she reached the climax of her tale.

"That boy... he shielded me from his father. He pushed me to run and never came back. I cried so much that I couldn’t see his face. I just ran and ran back to my house. I found Grandma and a few neighbors."

Lariette paused, taking a deep breath. Her smile faltered slightly.

"I quickly told them to get the police uncle and save the boy. I guess I didn’t speak too clearly. I didn’t know what exactly happened next because I fainted."

"When I came to... two days had passed. I asked about him. Grandma told me he was saved, but he had left. His father killed his mother during a fight. That’s why the knife had blood."

Stopping once again, Lariette forced herself to smile as she stared at Ruediger, unsure of something.

Did her eyes glaze with tears and blur her sight, or did tears also well in his eyes?

"You know, Eddy, I never thought that was the last time I’d see him. If I knew, I wouldn’t ever fight with him even though I didn’t mean to."

"So, no matter where he was, I hope he is safe and happy."

And healed from all the torment he suffered from his childhood.