Chapter 188: Ryder Clark Kept by a Wealthy Patroness!

Ryder trailed Mary to the corner by the stairwell and hid behind the door, spying on her.

Mary took out her phone and made a call. "Hey, Sweetheart! How much of that pill you gave me at lunch should I use? Don't want to overdo it and fry someone's brain!"

A man's voice answered. "Chill! Just one is enough, it guarantees at least three hours of heavy sleep with no side effects. Just slip it into a beer, and you're golden!"

"Perfect! Thanks a bunch, Sweetheart. I'll treat you to a meal tomorrow for this one!"

Beep beep, the call ended.

She fumbled in her purse and pulled out a small white pill bottle, muttering to herself, ”Sorry, man, don't hold it against me. It's all about making a living!”

She was about to head back around the corner of the stairs when Ryder Clark emerged and blocked her way, greeting her casually. “Hey, Mary, if it’s cool with you, why don’t we chat about what kind of living you’re talking about?”

“You... I...”

Mary was startled, her face draining of color. Ryder Clark’s sudden appearance was completely unexpected!

Could he have overheard everything she just said on the phone?

“Are you wondering why I’m here?”

Ryder Clark’s lips curled into a slight smile, “Asking that question won’t mean much, but why don’t we discuss that bottle in your hand, and why you're pretending to be my father-in-law’s college friend?”

Mary froze for a moment but quickly regained her composure, trying to deflect. “Ryder, what are you talking about? I really do know your father-in-law. You must have got it wrong. Let’s drop this and go back for more drinks – if you drink enough, I’ll throw in a reward, anything you want!”

Ryder Clark’s expression gradually turned cold. “The Moon Bay Hotel is just a hundred yards east from here, and the Dynasty Karaoke Lounge? I happen to know the owner, Josh. How about I call him over to ask you a few questions?”

At the mention of Josh, Mary’s demeanor stumbled, her brows furrowing in disbelief, “You... you know Josh? Stop joking around. How do you know someone like him?”

His expression unwavering, Ryder focused his gaze intently on her. “Do you really think I’d waste my time joking with you?”

Mary could feel every hair on the back of her neck stand on end under Ryder’s piercing gaze – as if she was prey caught in the sights of a predator.

Her legs, shrouded in black stockings, trembled slightly.

Why was this man’s aura so different from before?

To her, his aura was even more intimidating than Josh's.

She dared not doubt Ryder’s words – he seemed fully capable of bringing Josh over to confront her!

Josh was notoriously ruthless in Houston, and Mary definitely didn’t want to tangle with such a heavy hitter.

Sighing, she nodded in resignation, ready to spill everything she knew:

Mary had made her mistakes as a young woman, hustling in various dance halls and hotels in Houston, working in the adult industry.

Back in her early days, she’d made decent money and enjoyed the good life, but now that she was older and business was slower, she was broke.

This morning, around ten o’clock, Ernest Johnson had reached out to her through a mutual friend.

She had been hired to play a part in a charade.

The role was straightforward: pose as an old friend of Ernest Johnson's, join two other "actors" for a dinner with Ryder Clark, and somehow ply him with enough booze until he was thoroughly drunk.

After they managed to intoxicate him, the plan was to haul Ryder up to a prearranged room and set him down with a stranger, stripped bare under the covers.

All that was left to do then was to wait for Ernest Johnson to burst in with his entourage to catch them in the act.

For her troubles, she'd be rewarded with five thousand dollars.

Since she was short on cash, she didn't hesitate and quickly accepted the offer...

After hearing the whole story, Ryder Clark had an epiphany.

No wonder everything had felt so off during dinner. The whole thing had been incredibly suspicious!

A flicker of coldness passed through his eyes.

It didn't take much to guess that his mother-in-law, Karen, must have been scheming behind the scenes!

After all, given Ernest Johnson's brains and guts – or lack thereof – he could never pull off such a caper alone.

Ryder Clark pressed further. "And what's this about drugging you mentioned over the phone?"

Mary, head hanging low, whispered in reply, "I was worried that just alcohol might not do the trick, so I got something from a friend... I was going to slip it into your drink when you weren't looking... Look, man, I'm so sorry, okay? Can't I just back out of this job? Please let me go, and don't bring Josh into this – he'll break my legs for sure!"

Ryder Clark shook his head. "No, you have to follow through with the job. And it has to be foolproof!"

Mary turned ashen, about to kneel before him. "I was dead wrong, Sir! I won't dare do it again! Just let this go and I'll do whatever you say, any way you want it. I might not be as fresh-faced or supple as some young things, but the experience I've racked up over a solid twenty years will definitely be worth your while..."

"Cough, cough! What the heck are you rambling about?"

Ryder Clark rolled his eyes, a touch exasperated. "What I mean is, Ernest Johnson is no longer your boss – I am. He offered you five grand, I'll give you fifty. What you need to do is..."

Meanwhile, in the Bayview neighborhood…

"Mom! What are you even saying? Ryder’s not like that at all! Please stop saying that about him!"

Sarah Johnson frowned from her spot on the couch.

An hour earlier, Karen had messaged her to come home early for something important.

Sarah had rushed through her work and returned home only to hear from Karen that Ryder Clark was having an affair!

How could this be possible?

Karen looked at her daughter with earnest seriousness. "Sweetie, do you think I'd lie about something like this? Take a moment and think about it carefully. Have you noticed any significant changes in Ryder Clark lately? I want the truth!"

After thinking for a few seconds, Sarah Johnson responded, "He seems more confident, and he's certainly wealthier!"

"Exactly!" Karen rushed to continue. "Honey, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while, but I thought it wasn't my place to meddle in your marriage. But today, I have to say it—Ryder Clark... he's being kept by a wealthy woman!"

"You're joking, right?"

Sarah's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I'm dead serious. I heard from someone else that a rich widow from Houston is taking care of Ryder. He's been set up with a job and gets tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars a month for spending money!

“I didn't believe it either at first, but those rumors kept spreading, and they were surprisingly detailed.

“What's worse is, I saw Ryder Clark at a hotel with that wealthy woman just today, looking exceptionally cozy together. Tsk tsk! I took pictures as proof—take a look if you don't believe me!"

With that, Karen handed over the photos she had snapped from across the street at the Moon Bay Hotel.

When Sarah saw the images, her mind went blank.

How... how could this be...
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