After Bella sent that message, the chat group went silent.
In this day and age, relationships are one-to-one. Even if their grandfathers had set an agreement allowing William to choose one of them as a partner, he would have to choose only one of them.
Alice didn’t see it that way. From what her grandfather said, there was no intention to match her with William. And the idea of such an agreement sounded strange—how could there be a pact that would allow William to choose from among them? .𝗰𝗼𝗺
Bella had merely speculated. She looked up at William, wondering what was so special about this seemingly ordinary server.
Ryan, already quite drunk, pointed at William and commanded, “William, after tonight, don’t bother going back to school, understand?”
William, wearing his professional smile, retorted, “Ryan, would you like another drink?”
“You ignoring me?! Acting dumb, huh?” Infuriated and bolstered by alcohol, Ryan grabbed a glass and hurled it at William.
With a subtle sidestep, William dodged, and the glass struck an old man behind him.
The bar’s lights flickered, and the old man stood motionless. Ryan glanced over, his inebriation instantly dissipating from shock. “Grand… grandfather? What are you doing here?”
Bella also stood up, surprised. Anthony Carter was here?
“Come out!” After saying this, Anthony Carter walked out of the bar.
He had always been keenly aware of William’s whereabouts. Learning Ryan was causing trouble for William at the bar, he felt a rush of anxiety. Seeing William serving drinks to Ryan nearly made his heart jump out of his chest.
Did this young fool have a death wish?
Was William serving him?
My God! Didn’t he know that his grandfather was merely a servant who washed William’s feet?
If it hadn’t been for William using his telepathic powers to instruct Anthony Carter to pretend not to recognize him, Carter might have knelt before William on the spot.
Ryan, who was swaggering around earlier, now looked completely defeated in front of Anthony Carter.
His grandfather had personally come to the bar to reprimand him. How serious was this matter?
He didn’t have to guess how Anthony Carter found him. The man had vast resources and connections. If he wanted to find someone, he certainly could.
“Ryan! Can’t you behave for once?” Although Anthony Carter usually doted on his grandson, he was aware of Ryan’s rashness. That’s why he kept him away from William, fearing that a slight mistake might offend William and bring disaster upon the Carter family. And now, Ryan had willingly put himself in the line of fire.
Ryan forced a smile, saying, “Grandfather, did you really come all this way just to find me? It’s late; shouldn’t you be asleep instead of tracking me down?”
“Cut the nonsense!” Anthony Carter clenched his fists, genuinely fearing he might lose his temper and seriously hurt Ryan. “You will apologize to William now! If he forgives you, well and good. But if he doesn’t, you won’t be returning to school. You’ll be grounded at home for ten years, and you won’t be allowed out.”
Ten years of confinement!
No more school!
To Ryan, that was worse than death.
The corner of Ryan’s mouth twitched, and he cautiously inquired, “Grandfather, just who exactly is William? Even if you picked him out for my sister, this seems a bit much, doesn’t it?”
Anthony Carter shot him a sharp glance, replying, “It doesn’t matter who he is to you! Just remember this: you could offend me, you could offend anyone in this world, but you cannot offend him! Is that clear enough?”
“I… I understand,” Ryan replied. “I’ll go apologize to him right away.”
While Ryan still wasn’t clear about William’s identity, his grandfather’s straightforward words made it clear that he had to apologize immediately, or he might really end up grounded for ten years.
“Hold on, I’ll come with you,” said Anthony Carter, unable to trust Ryan on his own.
Though William appeared approachable and kind, Anthony remembered a certain individual who, in the past, had crossed William’s boundaries. With just a wave of William’s hand, that person had vanished without a trace.
Anthony hoped that if William was indeed angry, he would spare Ryan, considering the history of loyalty and service between their families.
As the elder and the younger returned to the bar, William was already tidying up. The group from Bronx Budo Dojo didn’t dare act out anymore. With the patriarch of the Carter family present, would they risk offending him?
The more Bella thought about it, the more she felt there was something mysterious about William.
Considering it was now past 3 AM, just what kind of person was Anthony Carter, and what could possibly bring him to a bar at this hour?
As Ryan and his grandfather finally re-entered the bar, William was still clearing up bottles.
“Brother-in-law, I’m sorry,” Ryan began, his mind racing to find the best approach. “I promise I won’t ever disturb you or my sister again. If you want to know anything about my sister, I’ll tell you.” Merely apologizing wouldn’t be enough; he had to demonstrate sincere intent.
Addressing William as “brother-in-law” might just be the gesture to mend fences.
William’s brow furrowed, but his gaze settled on Anthony Carter.
Anthony Carter shuddered all over, about to kneel, but a mysterious, invisible force prevented him from doing so.
“Lor… Wi… I mean, Mr. Johnson, I apologize. The child doesn’t know any better. Please don’t take his words to heart.” Anthony Carter initially wanted to address William with a title signifying great respect, but realized it wasn’t appropriate in this context.
Daring to call him by his first name? That was even more unthinkable!
He settled on addressing him as “Mr. Johnson”.
Yet even with this formal address, Anthony Carter was filled with fear and trepidation, worried that a single display of displeasure from William might lead to their demise.
“It’s alright, children can be thoughtless at times,” William replied with a smile. “However, understand this: I cannot possibly become a son-in-law to the Carter family. Do you comprehend?”
“Understood! Understood!” Anthony Carter’s face turned pale instantly, and his back was soaked in cold sweat.
Ryan had addressed William as “brother-in-law”. Would William then call him “grandfather”? Anthony Carter didn’t dare let William use such a title for him.
At this moment, Anthony Carter was so shaken he could barely stand. How had he not slapped that reckless boy, Ryan, into oblivion earlier?
“Would you all like to continue drinking? If not, I have other matters to attend to,” William asked casually, wondering if he should continue working here. The constant influx of such visitors was becoming rather tiresome.
Anthony Carter hastily waved his hands, saying, “No more, no more!”
Continue drinking? Would that mean having William serve him?
Did he have a death wish tonight?
“In that case, I won’t keep you any longer,” William stated, proceeding to tidy up the bottles on his own.
Anthony Carter, on impulse, wanted to assist but halted under William’s firm gaze.
All this time, Bella had been observing silently from the side.
The patriarch of the Carter family’s attitude toward William was indeed peculiar. Even if William possessed extraordinary talents, he was, after all, just a young man. The elder Carter’s attitude towards William could only be described as one of reverence, couldn’t it?