Chapter 513 Barbara is Gone!
8 PM.
After a busy day, Ryder finally got off work.
Rex drove Ryder back to the villa near Maple Group to rest.
Just as the car reached the villa's entrance, a Lamborghini suddenly cut in from the side!
Seeing the color, shape, and license plate of the car, Ryder felt a sense of familiarity.
It looked like an old acquaintance had come to visit!
Sure enough, outstepped Tyler from the Lamborghini.
Tyler marched right up to Ryder's ride, peeked inside, and smirked, "Well, well, Ryder. You actually had the guts to show up in NYC?"
Ryder rolled down the window, cool as ever. "Last I checked, NYC wasn't hell. Why wouldn't I?"
Seeing Ryder's face made Tyler's gums ache with anger!
The memory of how Ryder had embarrassed him in Houston—and how word had gotten back to NYC, making him the laughingstock—was too much to stomach.
His voice was icy. "Ryder, I know you've leveled up. But let me spell it out for you: this is New York City, not your little hometown. Here, you might just find yourself in a world even more terrifying than hell!"
Facing the threat, Ryder's lips curled into a smile. "That's great. You might not have heard, but I have a nickname, Satan, which means I'm here to deal with the unruly demons in hell!"
"Keep talking big," Tyler scoffed, his disdain dripping.
The more he looked at Ryder, the more he wanted to wipe that smug grin off his face.
He itched to throw a punch right then and there.
But he knew better.
Not only was he no match for Ryder in a fight, but Rex behind the wheel wasn't someone to mess with either.
"Whether it's big talk or not, you'll find out when the time comes, Mr. Young. If you have nothing else, you should leave. I'm in a hurry to video call my wife!" Ryder looked completely unbothered!
Tyler's eye twitched. "Ryder, I'm here to give you a heads-up. If you wanna keep doing business in NYC, you'd better own up and apologize for your crap. Otherwise, even with Maple Group backing you, you'll be dead meat in this town. It's only a matter of time before you and Maple Group are toast!"
"Appreciate the tip! Bye!" Ryder couldn't care less. He gave Tyler a casual wave, rolled up the window, and told Rex to hit the gas.
Watching Ryder's car leave, Tyler spat on the ground and cursed, "Damn it! Acting all calm! Just wait, no matter the cost, I'll teach you a lesson!"
After that, Tyler took out his phone and made a call. "Dad, I need to discuss something with you."
Leaving Tyler behind, Ryder sat in the back seat, deep in thought.
Rex asked, "Ryder, what are you thinking about?"
Ryder replied, "Nothing, just a feeling that a big fight is coming, one that's going to be tougher and more dangerous than in Houston. Are you ready?"
Rex smiled. "Where you go, I go. If you're in, I'm in."
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Ryder let out a booming laugh.
Soon, they arrived at Ryder's new villa!
Although it wasn't as grand or expensive as the one in Platan Height, Ryder was quite satisfied!
After unpacking and having dinner, Ryder's phone rang with a video call from Sarah!
He plopped down on the couch and hit answer.
Sarah's face lit up the screen, and damn, even through a video call, she outshined every influencer out there.
It hit him hard—after three long years, he'd finally won her over! A satisfied grin spread across his face.
They chatted briefly about the past couple of days.
Then Sarah's expression turned serious. "Ryder, something happened today. I know I can't hide it from you, so I'll just tell you."
"What is it?"
Sarah replied, "Barbara's gone."
"Gone? What do you mean?"
"When I got back from dinner, I found a note from her. She said she's been in a funk and needs to get away for a while to clear her head. She won't be in touch, and she told us not to worry. I tried calling her, but it's straight to voicemail. I don't know what's going on with her. I'm scared something might've happened! Should we call the cops?"
Ryder paused, then shook his head. "Not yet. She's tough. She can handle herself."
He had a hunch about why Barbara left—it probably had something to do with him and Sarah.
A few days back, he'd accidentally mixed up Barbara for Sarah, and things got awkward.
Knowing Barbara, she'd probably spiraled, convinced she'd mess things up between him and Sarah, so she bailed to sort herself out.
Nervous Sarah might jump to the same conclusion, Ryder quickly pivoted. "So, who'd you grab dinner with tonight?"
"My grandpa. He asked me to have dinner with him, just the two of us. It's been ages since we've done that."
"Sounds like your grandpa's bouncing back! And the rest of the Johnsons haven't been stirring up more drama!"
"Exactly! And not only that. He also mentioned he's relocating the Johnson family to New York City tomorrow to expand there. I know you've got some history with the Johnsons, but he's a solid guy. If you've got the time, swing by and check in on him for me!"
Ryder nodded. "You bet. I've got a few things to hash out with him anyway."
They chatted a bit more before reluctantly ending the call.
After hanging up, Sarah found herself alone in the large bed.
Now, with Ryder, Rex, and Barbara all gone, she was the only one left in the villa!
She felt a bit lonely.
"Looks like I need to speed up the company's expansion to New York City!" Sarah murmured to herself.
After hanging up, Ryder felt a little uneasy.
There was something he hadn't mentioned to Sarah yet—Kyle had become a part of the Moore family through a matrilocal marriage.
But bringing it up was tricky. Kyle and Karen had hurt Sarah before, and Ryder didn't want them anywhere near her again. Who knew what kind of drama Kyle might stir up?
For now, he figured he'd just let things play out.