Chapter 420: We Both Did Well
Without saying anything more, Lariette opened the gifts under Declan and Rafael’s nervous yet expectant gazes. She inwardly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing what was inside.
Declan gifted her a set of miniature perfumes, while Rafael gave her a dainty yet elegant wristwatch. The choices of gifts weren’t exactly personal, but not burdensome either.
Lariette was actually afraid that they would buy her expensive jewelry pieces. Even though both Declan and Rafael could more than afford to purchase such gifts, she wouldn’t feel too comfortable accepting them.
"Thank you, these are lovely," she smiled softly, "I’m not sure of what to get you two. I hope you’ll like it."
"The cufflinks are nice," Declan quickly said, slightly shaking the small box Lariette handed him, "They’ll match with many of my shirts."
"I like this headphone," Rafael grinned while holding the white-red gaming headphone, "I’ve been eyeing this one. Thanks, Lari."
Lariette shrugged, saying it was nothing.
By ten, the guests began leaving one by one, pulling their coats back on and cheeks flushed with warmth. All of them were full and contented.
The first group to leave was Chairman Delaney, escorted by Declan, Rafael and Celina. The elderly men thanked Ruediger and Lariette for the meal, and once again wished them a happy celebration in Moonville later.
Before stepping out, Declan and Rafael gave Lariette an awkward but sincere hug. She patted their backs and thanked them for coming.
Even though they came separately, Madeline and Edmund planned to leave in tandem. Both of them were quite drunk, so they relied on the driving service.
Before that, Edmund joked with Lariette that he didn’t expect to finally meet the boss lady tonight. He earned quite a kick on the leg from Ruediger.
"We didn’t get to talk much tonight," Edmund grinned at Lariette after dodging Ruediger’s kick, "Come find me in the office if you wanna hear good stories about him!"
"Scram."
Ruediger punched Edmund’s arm, annoyed by the latter’s sudden chattiness.
Because of Declan and Rafael’s presence, Edmund controlled himself earlier, not giving anything away. With the Elsher brothers gone, he had let loose.
Amused by Edmund’s antics, Lariette laughed happily, "Sure! I’d love to hear those!"
She would be a fool to say no. She was still very intrigued about her beloved’s journey in establishing such an empire.
"It’s a deal! Merry Christmas!"
Edmund hurriedly left before Ruediger kicked him again. Madeline scoffed, calling both men childish. She hugged Lariette and then rushed to reach the fleeing man.
As for Nathaniel, Elsie and Lorianne, they stayed until the last. The little one finally fell asleep after one too many sugar bites, her little head resting on her mother’s chest.
"You two threw a good party," Nathaniel said after putting on his coat. He carefully took Lorianne away from Elsie’s arms, "We’ll invite you to ours after the New Year."
They hadn’t had any gathering in a long time, until tonight. Nathaniel thought he should grab the chance when things were still leisurely right after the New Year.
"Sure, give us the date and time," Ruediger nodded, easily agreeing to Nathaniel’s plan.
Even though both would be in Norvonna during New Year’s break, it might still be hard for them to meet. After all, Nathaniel had a grand plan during the holidays.
"See you again, Elsie," Lariette exchanged a hug with Elsie, "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas to you and Rudy," Elsie laughed, her warm green eyes gleaming under the lights, "Hope you two enjoy your first winter break together."
"We will," Lariette beamed, her cheeks flushed red.
When the apartment finally quieted, Lariette and Ruediger rested on the couch, basking under the soft glow of the Christmas tree. She leaned against him, tired but happy.
Everything was already cleaned up before the others left. The tables were wiped clean, the trash was sorted into different bags and the entire apartment had returned to its tidy state.
"That went better than I expected," Lariette murmured, almost yawning from exhaustion, "What do you think, Eddy?"
"Mm, you’re right," Ruediger leaned to kiss her hair, a smile was evident in his voice, "And you did well, Lettie."
"Hehe, we both did well," she chuckled before nestling deeper into his embrace. She hummed contentedly when he began playing with her hair.
The world outside was cold and silent, but warmth lingered in their apartment.
After cuddling on the couch, Ruediger carried the sleepy Lariette back to the bedroom. They washed up and got ready for bed.
Both were thoroughly exhausted. They most likely would sleep in tomorrow.
On the bed, Lariette found a comfortable position in Ruediger’s arms. Her eyes droopy, she tilted her chin up to look at him. The soft night lights faintly illuminated his features.
"Why aren’t you sleeping yet?" he chuckled, voice amused as he lightly pinched her nose.
She hummed, then asked drowsily, "Did you and Dec talk... on the balcony?"
Blinking, Ruediger understood what Lariette meant. He went to the balcony to have a private talk with Declan and Rafael. At that time, the others stayed in the living room.
The men talked about the baby switch that happened over two decades ago, the one that changed the fates of two children.
After thinking more and weighing her feelings, Lariette decided to know whether it was accidental or not. But because she was busy with the exams and end-of-year evaluations, Ruediger said he would handle anything about it.
Declan informed Ruediger that he had found more substantial clues that showed the switch was indeed not an accident. Because so many years had passed, the investigation wasn’t easy, but still hopeful.
"We did," he whispered, his breath fanning her face, "But he found nothing much yet. He said he’d investigate the hospital again."
"Hmm... It’s fine," she nodded, not having any energy left to do anything.
After kissing her eyes, he coaxed her to sleep. He smiled as he saw how easily she drifted to slumberland tonight. The slow yet steady rise of her chest showed she was already deep in sleep.