At the banquet, William indeed recognized many familiar faces, but he didn’t greet any of them.
Lila, Edward, Edward’s mother Piper, and his new disciple Alice were all present at the banquet.
After all, these families have been acquaintances for generations. How could they miss Brian Bell’s banquet?
It was only then that Lila and the others noticed William. It was inevitable, given that all eyes turned their way when Daniel Bell made his unexpected entrance.
Was William actually with Bella?
This seemed quite peculiar. Could it be that Bella had taken a liking to William?
Or, as they discussed in their group chat the previous night, perhaps one of their families had an arranged marriage with William, and Bella was the intended bride.
Alice, representing the Turner family, came to congratulate Brian Bell and was equally surprised to see her master with Bella.
Having studied all night, she felt that William was not as simple as he seemed.
At first, she thought William was just flaunting his knowledge. But after translating and reading the two parchment scrolls he gave her, she realized they were medical masterpieces, regardless of whether they were penned by Celsus himself.
For gifting her such invaluable texts, William truly deserved the title of her master.
And Bella, who acted unfamiliar with William the previous night, had him over for dinner today. Was she afraid that someone would snatch William away?
Edward was increasingly frustrated with William. Just a few days ago, he was courting Lila, and now he’s rumored to be involved with both his mother and Bella.
Despicable!
“Mom, you see that, right?” Edward thought this might be a good opportunity for his mother to see William’s true colors, ensuring he wouldn’t have to address William as “Uncle” again.
Piper gave Edward a cold look, saying, “Am I blind?”
For a moment, Edward was at a loss for words. How could his mother not see William for the scoundrel he was?
Piper shot William a resentful glance. At that moment, she probably understood why William had rejected her advances.
Compared to a young and beautiful heiress like Bella, what advantages did she have?
Still, she preferred to believe that Bella had somehow coerced William.
In Piper’s eyes, William was a man not swayed by wealth. She had also heard about Bella seeking out William with a group the previous night.
A spoilt heiress using forceful methods when she can’t win someone’s heart? How despicable!
The banquet was winding down. William had had his fill, and the people at his table had grown quite interested in him. However, no matter the topic of conversation, William remained silent, even when Bella tried to engage him.
It made people wonder if he had been starving for decades.
Once done eating, William just sat quietly. He didn’t comment on the various opinions around him. If anyone asked him something, he’d merely nod, appearing quite clueless.
“Miss Bell, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” William felt a bit bored. The so-called experts were discussing superficial matters with great pride, making it all seem uninteresting to him.
It was like a PhD student sitting with kindergarteners who kept bragging about learning that one plus one equals two. And some even boasted about knowing that one plus two equals eight.
Initially, their comments might have seemed naively cute, but after a while, he couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Leaving so soon? Let me walk you out.” Bella didn’t have any particular feelings towards William. They weren’t close, but he had kept his promise today.
There might not be much overlap in their lives moving forward.
Bella wouldn’t bother inviting William over for dinner at the drop of a hat, especially since their pretend relationship could not be sustained any longer.
William had already started to stand as he replied, “No need. It’s your father’s birthday; spend time with him. Also, give him my regards.”
“Then, goodbye.” Bella and William weren’t close, so being overly enthusiastic wouldn’t be appropriate.
William gave a slight nod and left his seat. 𝒃𝒆𝒐𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝙘𝙤𝒎
As he stood up, Piper, seemingly unable to restrain herself, also rose from her seat. Furthermore, Alice seemed intent on following William out.
Lila had hoped to ask William to intercede on her brother’s behalf. But before she could even move from her chair, seeing Alice follow, she froze.
By the time William reached the hotel’s entrance, Piper had already caught up to him.
The relationship between Piper and William was straightforward: they were merely clients.
A man like William always saw things through and wasn’t afraid of any entanglements.
He deliberately slowed his pace to wait for Piper.
“William! I heard you’re not working at the bar anymore?” Piper said, somewhat unsure of how to address him.
Given it wasn’t a nightclub, she couldn’t lure William with money; that strategy simply wouldn’t work here.
William nodded and replied, “Thank you for your past kindness, Piper. I don’t work there anymore.”
“So, what will you do now?” Piper asked, batting her eyelashes. If William continued working at the nightclub, she’d certainly support him. And if he was jobless, she could help him find one.
“I’ll probably try a bit of everything,” William said, having given it some thought. The times had changed. Though he had held many jobs in the past, those professions had evolved significantly. He thought it might be good to dabble in various industries once more.
To truly understand society, one needed to grasp the nuances of its various industries. While many might only ever hold one or two jobs in their lifetime, William had all the time in the world.
“What kind of jobs are you considering?” Piper tried to gauge William’s plans, sensing he hadn’t yet made up his mind.
William pondered, “Pretty much anything, I guess.”
Piper hastily suggested, “You know, with your educational background, you could tutor younger students. The pay is quite good.”
William raised an eyebrow. Though the knowledge required seemed simple to him, teaching kids?
“Piper, you must know that our interactions have been nothing but casual. As for work, I’ll find something on my own. There’s no need for you to worry. Besides, I don’t want to be indebted to you,” William stated firmly. Some might see him as heartless, but with his experience, he knew it was essential to set things straight, especially since Piper and he weren’t that close. Being clear now would prevent misunderstandings later.