Chapter 31: The Gamble He’s Willing to Take
Trailing behind Chairman Delaney’s elderly yet imposing figure, Ruediger stepped inside the former’s home study. Two pairs of footsteps resonated faintly in the air, the echoes rising above the silence.
Ruediger quietly swept his gaze across the mahogany-themed study. This place witnessed Chairman Delaney’s decades of blood, sweat and tears when reigning his vast empire.
The faint scents of old books and wood polish lingered in the air. A grandfather clock stood behind the vast desk, ticking rhythmically in the background.
"Sit."
Chairman Delaney’s firm voice directed the one word to Ruediger. The elderly man lowered himself on a plush single couch. He rested both hands on the armrests.
Without saying anything, Ruediger seated himself on the couch on the right side of the elderly man’s. His countenance expressed no doubt or fear despite being summoned by the respectable figure.
"Aren’t you the abandoned son of Matthew Alvord? The one dethroned from the heirship around two decades ago?"
Chairman Delaney’s directness when touching the sensitive subject didn’t faze Ruediger. Instead of being offended, he answered with a firm nod, "Yes. That’s me, Chairman Delaney."
A frown marred Chairman Delaney’s wrinkly forehead. Drawing his lips into a thin line, he barely recalled the identity of this young man.
Ruediger Alvord was crowned as the heir of the giant Alvord empire from a very young age. Yet, he was unfairly stripped from the position due to a major scandal.
Ruediger was simply the scapegoat. His father misdirected the blame to him despite the former being barely a child and a victim.