Chapter 528 The Johnson Family's Housewarming Party
"Anthony?" Ryder's eyebrows shot up, a flicker of suspicion crossing his mind.
He'd crossed paths with Anthony a handful of times, trading the usual pleasantries and fake smiles.
But something about the guy always felt… off. Ryder couldn't quite put his finger on it.
So when Ryan brought him up, Ryder was all ears. "What about him?"
Ryan flashed a knowing grin. "I ran into Anthony in Houston. He's got this whole serious, sarcastic vibe going on!"
Ryder's lip twitched. "Uncle Ryan, cut to the chase!"
"What, no buildup for the big stuff?" Ryan licked the salad dressing off the corner of his mouth and leaned in. "Last night, I'm shooting the breeze with this woman, talking life, you know? Then bam—I catch something on her phone."
Ryder's lip twitched again as Ryan kept going, "Knew you wouldn't guess! Here's the kicker—I spotted a pic of Anthony. It was fuzzy, but trust me, after years of sizing people up, I'm 99% sure it was him."
Ryder's mind instantly went to the classic cheating husband trope: Anthony's marriage was a dumpster fire early on, so he hooked up with a side piece, and the mistress snapped a sneaky pic for keepsakes!
So Ryan's out here picking up cougars? He's got a thing for older women?
Talk about a specific taste.
But Ryan dropped a bombshell. "That woman used to deal cards at a high-roller casino in the capital two years back. She claims she took the photo back then. But wasn't Anthony locked in Heather's basement at the time?"
Ryder's curiosity shot through the roof. "Uncle Ryan, you sure about this? You still got the pic?"
Ryan took out his phone and quickly forwarded it to Ryder.
Ryder stared at the photo for a while, squinting. Honestly, he couldn't spot Anthony's face the way Ryan had described.
The picture looked like it was snapped in a casino, with some celebrity stealing the spotlight in the center. The rest of the faces were a blur—nothing stood out.
"You've gotta zoom in on this," Ryan said, expertly pinching and expanding the image.
And there he was—an older guy in a suit, sitting in the crowd, his profile just barely visible.
Ryder froze. "Uncle Ryan, you're sure that's Anthony?"
"How can you not see it?!" Ryan got serious. "Check this out. The guy's face is kinda round, but if you mentally trim off the extra flab, doesn't he look just like Anthony? Honestly, it's pointless explaining more to you. Trust my gut—this is Anthony! Unless he's got a secret twin or something."
Ryder was totally lost.
But Ryan wasn't done. "Just look at his eyes. What do you think he's been hiding?"
"Uncle Ryan!" Ryder clapped Ryan on the shoulder. "You know what? If you've got nothing better to do, you should write a novel. With that imagination, you'd be a hit with readers!"
"You don't believe me! How about we make a bet..." Ryan was mid-sentence when Ryder's phone buzzed.
Seeing an unknown number, Ryder picked up. "Hello, who's this?"
"Ryder, hello!" came an old man's voice.
It was Anthony!
Ryder thought, 'Talk about timing—we were just talking about him, and now he calls!'
Anthony on the other end continued, "I thought you might be on your lunch break, so I got your number from Sarah. Hope you don't mind?"
"Not at all, you're too kind! You're Sarah's grandfather, so you're naturally my grandfather too!"
"With those words, I must invite you to dinner at my house tonight!"
Ryder frowned slightly. "Dinner?"
"Yes, we just moved to New York City, so we're celebrating. It's a good time for the family to get together!"
"Alright, give me the address, and I'll be there tonight!"
After a brief chat, they hung up.
Next to him, Ryan's sarcastic voice came: "You're Sarah's grandfather, so you're naturally my grandfather. You're so pathetic, sucking up to Anthony just because of a woman?"
Ryder smiled faintly: "Sarahh's worth it."
"Ugh, you're making me cringe! Rex, back me up here, huh?"
Rex, mid-bite into his third steak, glanced up and mumbled, "Uncle Ryan, I'm with Ryder. Whatever he does is cool by me."
Ryan just threw his hands up, totally done.
At 5 PM.
Ryan was dead set on tagging along with Ryder and Rex to the Johnson family dinner. He was convinced something was off about Anthony and wasn't backing down.
Following the address Anthony had given them, they pulled up half an hour later.
Stepping out of the car, the first thing they noticed was an old, abandoned stadium just a stone's throw away.
Weirdly enough, the Johnson family's villa was practically next door—less than a thousand feet from the stadium.
And there they were, the whole Johnson clan, waiting at the villa's entrance, with Anthony front and center, rushing over to greet them.
He shook Ryder's hand with a big grin. "Finally, you're here! Come on in—it's freezing out here, but cozy inside!"
"Alright," Ryder nodded, gently pulling his hand back and heading to the trunk to grab the gifts.
Honestly, Anthony's over-the-top friendliness was a bit much for him.
The dinner officially began.
Of course, Ryder, Ryan, Rex, Anthony, and the main members of the Johnson family sat at the main table!
"Andy, quit standing around like a statue—pour the wine!" Anthony barked.
Even though Andy was fuming inside, he forced a smile and got up to pour wine for everyone at the table, including Ryder.
But when it was Ryder's turn, he covered his glass.
"Ryder, what's the deal?" Andy hissed, barely keeping his temper in check.
Ryder shrugged coolly. "Not drinking. Not in the mood."
"You—" Andy was about to snap when Anthony cut in, pointing at the drinks on the table. "Didn't you hear him? Pour something else! Seriously, clueless! What a waste of space!"
"Got it! On it!" Andy grabbed the bottle, popped it open, and poured Ryder a full glass, seething the whole time.
He was swallowing his pride—again.
All to stay in Anthony's good graces, to get his shot at controlling the Johnson family, to take over Maple Group, and to make sure someone like Ryder, who should've stayed a nobody, stayed a nobody for life!
Seeing this, Ryder felt a pang of nostalgia.
"Waste" wasn't a word he'd heard in ages.
After a hearty meal, Ryder, Ryan, Rex, and the Johnson family were all kicking back, enjoying the vibe.
But the chill moment was shattered by a woman's wailing outside—sharp and bone-chilling.
Everyone froze, convinced it was some ghost from the abandoned stadium coming to haunt them.
They were all shaking in their boots!
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