William was enjoying a grilled steak at Ikinari Steak just outside a bar, unaware that the Carter family had descended into chaos.
In short, Anthony Carter had decided to confine Ryan to the house.
When Lila came home, she found the house in disarray. Her mother, Avery, was pleading with Anthony Carter. Seeing her return, Avery merely glanced at her but didn’t speak.
Lila’s father, Xavier Carter, was also standing by, not even daring to breathe heavily.
As for Ryan, he was standing there too, his head hanging down, motionless, like a child who had done something wrong.
“This matter is settled, and begging won’t help,” Anthony Carter said to Lila upon seeing her return. “Lila, go to school tomorrow and handle Ryan’s withdrawal paperwork.”
“Drop out?” Lila was stunned. Her grandfather had mentioned earlier in the day that Ryan would not be allowed to leave the house for ten years. She had thought it was just a casual comment. After all, Ryan was the only male in the Carter family’s current generation, and the family had plans to groom him as an heir. How could he do that without an education?
Ryan had gotten into trouble before, but the punishments had always been minor, at most being confined for two or three days.
Avery quickly interjected, “Dad, I heard from Ryan that he only offended Lila’s boyfriend and went a bit too far. I’ll discipline him later, but there’s no need to make him drop out of school, right?”
“Hmph! What do you know?” Anthony Carter scoffed, stroking his beard and glaring at Ryan. He was doing this for Ryan’s own good.
Offending William and then going to school? Was he looking for trouble?
Lila felt that her grandfather’s actions were a bit excessive.
Not being allowed to leave the house for ten years, wasn’t that basically the same as being in prison?
After some hesitation, Lila couldn’t help but ask her grandfather, “Grandpa, you’re not really going to lock my brother up in the house for ten years, are you? Won’t he become completely useless if he’s kept isolated for so long?”
Anthony Carter kicked Ryan, knocking him to the ground, and angrily said, “Don’t I know what he’s been up to at school? He’s not learning anything good there, anyway. Better to bring a few tutors home and have me supervise his studies. Let’s see what kind of trouble he can cause then.”
The Carter family was well-established and affluent. All Ryan needed to do was learn real skills, not necessarily a diploma. As long as he didn’t cause trouble or create a catastrophe, even if he spent his entire life at home doing nothing, he would still be able to live comfortably.
While others might not know William’s background, how could Anthony Carter be unaware?
That afternoon, James had called him to inform him that the old man had found him. He asked Anthony Carter to pass on a message to their old friends, saying that there was no need to act against the Taylors, as James would take his own life the next day. The Taylor family businesses would be left to their old friends to divide, so the employees wouldn’t lose their livelihoods.
The Taylor descendants would then leave the city and live quietly in the countryside.
Especially before hanging up, James had mentioned, “I initially thought the old man was a high-level Soulmancer, so I invited Nelson from the Arcane Society. Who would have thought, even Nelson was paralyzed with fear in the old man’s presence.”
Receiving this call, Anthony Carter couldn’t help but feel alarmed.
James was courting death. While he had suspicions too, he wouldn’t dare investigate.
Anthony Carter had complex feelings toward William. He couldn’t bring himself to act like James had.
Now, with James’ example before him, he had a clearer understanding of William’s power.
Anthony Carter had heard of Nelson from the Arcane Society. Nowadays, Soulmancers weren’t allowed to use their powers in public, and Nelson was one of the enforcers of this rule. He was considered one of the top Soulmancers in the world.
Yet, even he was left paralyzed with fear in William’s presence. It was laughable that they had once harbored ill intentions toward William.
Hearing her grandfather speak so seriously, Lila tentatively asked, “Grandpa, if William forgives my brother’s mistake, can he go back to school?”
Since Grandpa was punishing Ryan because of William, if William could forgive him, wouldn’t that be enough?
At lunchtime, Lila had thought of inviting William to have a meal with Ryan to clear up any misunderstandings between them. Now, it seemed imperative to talk to William.
Anthony Carter’s expression relaxed slightly as he sat down, and he calmly asked, “Lila, do you think William would give you any face?”
“I don’t remember any conflict between William and Ryan,” Lila said with a smile. “I think William isn’t a petty person, Grandpa. There’s no need to think like that.”
Ryan spoke up plaintively, “William is so skilled; I haven’t harmed him. What’s he got to be mad about?”
“You still don’t realize your mistake!” Anthony Carter kicked him to the ground again, shaking with anger as he stood up, “You think you can lay a hand on him, you think you can harm him? If you really could, I’d be calling you ‘Grandpa’!”
Anyone who had dared to challenge William and survived, Ryan could be counted as one of them!
Lila quickly grabbed Anthony Carter and said, “Grandpa, calm down! I’ll go find William right now.” 𝘦.𝘰𝘳𝑔
Lila didn’t necessarily disagree with her grandfather’s statements, but locking Ryan in the house for ten years would be unbearable, not just for Ryan, but for her as well.
“You can go, but don’t let him think I sent you to find him,” Anthony Carter replied, “As for Ryan, regardless of William’s attitude, he’s not going back to that school.”
Lila didn’t understand why her grandfather was treating William so specially. He used to dote on Ryan the most, but now he was going to these lengths for William.
It was approaching midnight, but Lila stepped out. She knew that if William didn’t make his position clear on this matter, Ryan would indeed be locked in the house for a decade.
Unaware of the Carter family’s situation, William quickly finished the steak he had ordered. Waiting for Evelyn, he ordered some fries, peanuts, and a few drinks, and ended up sitting there for two hours.
Under normal circumstances, the owner might have complained, or at least wondered who would sit there for so long. But having seen William stab a man in the thigh with a fork, the owner didn’t dare to show any dissatisfaction, even if he wasn’t pleased. In light of William’s behavior, he started to think he was somewhat abnormal.
The owner even suspected William might be an assassin. Wasn’t this how assassins were portrayed in movies? Was he waiting for some target here?
The more the owner thought about it, the more anxious he became. At first, he had no intention of calling the police, but if a homicide occurred at his place, it would be bad for business. He looked at William, who politely smiled back at him.
William originally had a refined and scholarly appearance, even exuding a hint of cultured elegance. However, when one recalls how he had just impulsively stabbed someone in the thigh with a fork, his image instantly transforms. He now seems more like the cold-blooded assassins seen in movies!