Chapter 185 - I Must Move into a Mansion Before They Do!
After much deliberation, Ryder Clark couldn't come up with the perfect idea. He called over Sophia Anderson to see if she had any good suggestions. Sophia was surprised that Ryder would ask her, but she tried to provide a professional analysis. "From my perspective, women value thoughtfulness and romance. If you focuse on these two aspects, I'm sure the results will be twice as effective with half the effort."
"Thoughtfulness and romance…" Ryder murmured to himself, an outline of a plan starting to form in his mind.
A little later, he inquired, "Sophia, how's the situation in the Houston materials and construction market these past few days?"
Sophia respectfully replied, "It’s just as you predicted, Mr. Clark. Our strategy of buying building materials at low prices has worked wonders. Many contractors are facing financial crunches and have had no choice but to sell us their surplus at low costs. Not only that, they’ve also signed some cooperative agreements with us, ensuring they'll follow our lead in future Houston construction market trends."
Ryder nodded. "It seems they know which way the wind is blowing."
Sophia continued her report, "As for the materials market, it's still somewhat chaotic.
“The incident caused catastrophic damage to the SR Group's warehouse, with direct financial losses soaring to over fifty million dollars. The company is also undergoing significant personnel changes, and it will take some time to bounce back to full strength.
“Meanwhile, the Windsor family cashed in big by raising prices on construction materials, racking up direct profits of over two hundred million. The Windsor Group has climbed another rung on the ladder, and now boasts more clout than the SR Group!”
"The Windsor family! Elena..." Ryder Clark suddenly remembered the last time they were at a hot pot restaurant, Elena had bet that if the SR Group managed a comeback, she'd spend three days and nights live streaming as a beggar at the Houston train station!
Ryder had been preoccupied with other business these past few days and had completely forgotten about the bet.
Now that he remembered, he certainly wasn't going to let it slide!
He called Henry to relay a message to Elena.
After all, Ryder didn't have Elena's contact information; Henry was his only option.
The phone rang for barely twenty seconds before Henry answered with a faint voice. "Clark! What do you want? Haven't you screwed me over enough already?!"
"I didn't call to talk to you, I want you to pass a message to your wife!" Ryder responded.
At that, Henry's tone went cold, his voice laced with anger. "Ryder Clark! What the hell do you want? Are you telling me you're sleeping with that tramp Elena too? I never pegged you for that kind of man!”
Ryder was taken aback. “What are you talking about? I wouldn’t touch Elena if she paid me! What do you mean ‘sleeping with her'? And why do I hear running water? What the heck are you doing?"
"I... I'm… Ah! Don't hit me, don't take my phone, I—"
Beep, beep!
With a couple of yells, Henry's call ended abruptly.
Ryder felt puzzled as he stared at the disconnected call screen. Something was definitely off.
Was Henry in trouble?
Although he hadn't gotten the chance to pass the message to Elena, Ryder wasn't in a rush.
Sooner or later, he'd run into her again, and then she'd have to uphold her end of the bet...
Meanwhile, inside the Windsor family's bathroom, Henry was crouched in the corner, a look of sheer terror on his face.
Standing in front of him was Elena, wielding a clothes hanger.
Elena glared, spittle flying as she scolded, "I told you to wash the clothes properly, you useless man! Who were you on the phone with?"
As she glanced at the call log on Henry's phone, her expression instantly darkened.
Whacking him on the head with a clothes hanger, she snapped, "You treacherous dog! You know how much I despise Ryder Clark, but you're still in touch with him! Are you planning to conspire against me?"
Henry, cradling his head, protested feebly. "I wouldn't dare! Ryder called me first. He wanted me to pass a message to you, but before I could tell you... you showed up..."
Elena's pupils contracted, figuring that Ryder's call must be about that absurd bet.
Did he really expect her to act as a beggar at the train station for three days and livestream it?
How could she possibly do that?
She had been home for the past few days because she had been worried about this very thing, 'playing' games with the new, fresh-faced boy-toy she'd brought in. She hadn't even dared to step outside the door!
"What a nuisance!" she muttered.
The thought of Ryder sparked a fresh wave of anger in Elena.
She took it out on Henry, thrashing him with the clothes hanger. "This is all because you're such a disappointment! What are you even good for? How could I have been so blind to snatch you away from Sarah Johnson? Damn!"
Henry wailed under the onslaught, his fair skin streaked with swollen red welts.
"Stop, I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Please..."
He begged for mercy.
Elena kept whipping him until the hanger was bent out of shape. Throwing it to the floor in disgust, she commanded, "No dinner for you tonight! Wash the clothes, mop the floors clean, and collect the package at the door. My handsome young man has ordered a costume online; I'm wearing it for him tonight!"
With that, Elena strutted out of the bathroom.
Henry was left crouched in the corner, his tears flowing freely.
Since his release from detention, he had been living under constant duress.
And it stung all the more when he heard from the grapevine that Ryder Clark had been living it up during the same time.
How had their fortunes reversed so dramatically in three years?
He was consumed with resentment.
He was jealous of Ryder Clark, of course, but his greater loathing was reserved for Elena.
That woman had trampled on the last vestiges of his dignity, leaving nothing behind.
As he watched her head toward the bedroom, a deep malice gleamed in Henry's eyes as he muttered, "Just wait... One day, I'll drag you down to a point of no return."
...
Over at Bayview Gardens, Ernest Johnson was mopping the floor.
Karen was sprawled on the couch, mindlessly scrolling through her social feeds.
Ernest Johnson mopped the floor, marveling, "Tell you what, ever since our boy Kyle bagged that five million investment, he's been hustling nonstop these past few days. Looks like he's found his business groove!"
Karen chortled with pride. "Well, of course! Didn't he get his smarts from me? Mark my words, soon, my darling son's going to rake in a fortune and buy me a sprawling mansion in Platan Heights! Just thinking about it makes me giddy!"
Ernest's voice echoed with a hint of envy. "I heard mom put a bid last night on a mansion in Platan Heights. She’s planning a big shindig to celebrate—talking about laying out dozens of tables!"
At this, Karen sat straight up, her face alive with anticipation, "Did your mom send us an invite?"
Ernest shook his head. No invites had been sent to them.
Karen's face fell, then twisted into a scowl. "That old buzzard doesn’t even care about her own son anymore!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. "No way! They can’t move into Platan Heights before I do. I've got to get in there first!"
Ernest's face twisted bitterly. "But… We haven't snapped up the Platan Heights mansion, and we certainly don't have the money for it!"
Karen stood her ground defiantly. "Didn't you say that good-for-nothing Ryder Clark might have hit a jackpot? He should still have loads of cash! We just need to pry it out of his hands, right?"
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