Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire
Chapter 324: His World Was Shattered

Chapter 324: His World Was Shattered

"ARGHHH! M-MOM!"

The tires screeched violently as the van spun out of control. Ruediger’s scream hollered in the van, his body jolting from the aggressive motion.

A truck suddenly came out of nowhere, blinding in the swirl of falling white snow. Its horn blared just a moment before the crushing impact.

Metal collided and glass exploded into shards. The world flipped for the mother and son.

Luna’s grip on the steering wheel failed as the van skidded across the snowy road, crashing through a patch of bush before slamming to a halt. Then, silence followed the chaos, save for their rough breathing.

"E-Eddy..." Luna’s voice came out as a breath, laced with pain. She winced, feeling blood trickled from a gash on her temple, "Son... are you okay?"

The young Ruediger curled against his seat, whimpered as his face pale and bleeding, "Mom... hurts... it hurts... What happened?"

"It’ll be okay, sweetheart. Let’s... get out of here. I’ll call... for help... The village is just nearby..."

Luna reached over, wincing with every movement. She unlatched his seatbelt, her hands trembling as she did the same to Ruediger.

Pushing the crushed door open with her shoulder, Luna helped Ruediger to get out from her side of the van. The snowstorm howled like a warning.

"Are you okay? Can you walk? I gonna call someone."

"My foot... my foot hurts.."

The cold bit into them instantly as she half-carried, half-dragged her son into the open. The white forest stretched around them, quiet and eerie.

Then... Luna heard the crunch of footsteps. She abruptly looked in the direction, only realizing they weren’t alone. The shock made her momentarily forget the truck.

"Who are you?" Luna growled once she saw two figures in black.

Tall and menacing, their faces hidden behind black ski masks. The falling snow blurred their silhouettes, but their malicious intent was unmistakable.

Luna moved her body instinctively, shoving Ruediger behind her. Spreading her arms out, she shielded her terrified young son. Her voice, though hoarse and weak, rang with rage.

"Stay away from my son!"

Without saying anything, the taller man of the two pulled something from his back while taking a step forward. Luna’s eyes widened at the sight of the iron rod.

"Eddy," Luna said through gritted teeth, "Run. Now."

"No! I’m not leaving you!" Ruediger cried, clinging to his mother’s coat, his fingers shaking.

The first man lunged.

Luna moved fast, faster than anyone so wounded should. Driven by her desire to keep her son safe, she struck the attacker with a spray of snow, ducking low and slamming her shoulder into his stomach.

"ARGH!"

The first man stumbled, but his partner grabbed Luna’s arm and yanked her back. She fought like a mother cornered, wild and desperate.

"SCRAM!"

Shouting out loud, Luna drove her elbow into his masked jaw. She slammed her foot down on another’s shin. Despite her injury, she was relentless.

But she was bleeding, more blood running out of the gash. Her movements slowed.

Then...

"ARGHHH!"

A pipe struck Luna’s head from the back. Gasping, she fell to her knees, and the white snow clouded around her.

Horrified, Ruediger ran to Luna, moving his injured body through sheer willpower. But his hope was cut short.

"MOMMM!"

The taller man seized Ruediger’s collar, lifting him off the ground like he weighed nothing.

"No! No! LET GO OF ME!"

Luna, barely able to lift her head, forced herself up again. Her body trembled violently. Blood spurted from her mouth, staining the snow crimson.

Almost the shade of her son’s hair.

"Eddy...! Let my son go! P-please!"

Luna’s voice cracked, desperate to save Ruediger. She stretched her arm out, fingers shaking as Ruediger screamed in horror.

"MOM! MOM! Let me go! MOMMM!"

The young boy was thrown into the open van. He kicked, cried and fought, but the door slammed shut, locking him in. His wide, teary eyes caught a final glimpse through the back window.

His mother, collapsed on the snow, raising one hand ahead as if to reach him. Her hand shook in the air for one, two seconds... then slowly fell, leaving a red trail as her palm touched the snow.

"MOMMMM!"

The roar of the truck’s engine swallowed his cries.

That was the very last image the young boy had of his mother, fallen despite her desperate attempts to keep him safe.

**********

<.Present time.>

"H-HAHH!"

Ruediger abruptly opened his eyes, a choked gasp tearing from his throat as he bolted upright. His back was drenched in cold sweat, the shirt clinging to his skin.

Ruediger’s chest heaved, his breathing was fast and shallow. Frightened by the decades-long nightmare, he felt his entire body shiver.

For a moment, he couldn’t remember where he was. All he could think about was the scene of the snow plagued by red blood.

The car crash. His mother’s pale face, streaked by blood. The masked men. And...

His scream, raw and powerless as he desperately called his mother.

Never did he expect a lovely day in the snow would turn into a bloody nightmare, haunting him for the rest of his life.

What began as a fun day for him and his mother, ended with disaster.

’Why... why must I dream of it tonight? I... I...’

"Eddy!"

Lariette’s voice cut through the fog of Ruediger’s mind. He abruptly looked at her, finding her beside him, hair tousled from sleep. Her eyes were wide, staring intently at him.

"L-Lettie..."

Ruediger blankly stared at Lariette, then at her hands reaching for his shoulders. He barely registered that he was in the bedroom with her. They went to bed just around midnight.

What... time was it now?

The bedroom was dim, but the faint lights from the windows still outlined the worries on her countenance. He believed it was still early.

They shouldn’t wake up yet, but because of him...

"Eddy..." Lariette whispered, her hands slightly trembling as she held Ruediger, "Did you have a nightmare? You... you were shouting. You’re sweating now."

Ruediger blinked, slowed and dazed before he lightly shook his head. Forcing himself to smile, he reached for Lariette’s hand on his right shoulder, gently grasping it.

Ah, his palm was damp with sweat. He shouldn’t touch her.

"It’s nothing, Lettie," Ruediger said, his voice hoarser as he tried to steady his erratic heartbeat, "Let’s go back to sleep. We—"

Ruediger was cut off mid-sentence when Lariette suddenly pulled him down, letting his head nestled in the crook of her neck. She hugged him tightly, one side of her face leaning atop his head.

"...you cried, Eddy," Lariette breathed, her voice carrying pain, "It’s not nothing, right?"

Ruediger had just realized his face was wet with tears, now seeping into Lariette’s pajamas. Still in a daze, he slowly wrapped his arms around her, seeking her presence to ground him to reality.

"L-Lettie... I... I..."

Parting his lips, Ruediger wanted to say something, but no coherent words came out. His entire body was still shivering from the nightmare that had been haunting him for two decades.

The day that robbed him of his loving and happy family.

The day he was blamed for his mother’s death.

The day that changed his life forever.

Lariette bit back the sob from escaping her lips. The sense of loss and helplessness in Ruediger’s voice pricked her heart.

Holding him tightly, she whispered, "No... no need to say anything. I’m here, Eddy... I’m here."

Ruediger froze for a moment, then he nodded, silent tears streaming down his face.

Yes.

He was not alone.

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