“Evelyn, let me introduce you. This gentleman is also a shareholder of our bar, you can call him Joshua!” Caleb said with a smile, introducing the middle-aged man sitting across from him to Evelyn. The implication was clear – he wanted Evelyn to accompany this man for a drink.
The Joshua that Caleb was talking about was named Joshua Baker, one of the shareholders of the bar. However, he didn’t frequent the bar much. When he came by tonight to check on the establishment, his eyes landed on Evelyn, captivated by her beauty. He mentioned to Caleb that he wanted Evelyn to join him for a drink and perhaps get to know her better. Caleb agreed, making the arrangement for him.
After all, what’s a young woman in her twenties to do once she’s had a few drinks?
“Mr. Baker, cheers!” Evelyn felt cornered, as she had just started working there and couldn’t really afford to offend the owner. Having a drink or two seemed reasonable.
Joshua stared at Evelyn, his lips curled into a grin and his eyes narrowing into slits. He definitely had some ulterior motives in mind for the night.
“You’re Evelyn, right? If anyone bothers you, just let me know, and I’ll teach them a lesson!” Joshua said, raising his empty glass and promptly refilling it with a shot of hard liquor. “In our bar, it’s customary for new female staff to have three drinks with me when we first meet!”
“Three drinks…” Evelyn had been drinking beer, and now Joshua was pouring her shots. Something about his smile seemed off.
She was still hesitating, but Joshua had already pushed three shots of strong liquor in front of her.
“Joshua, I don’t handle alcohol well, I can’t drink anymore,” Evelyn said. She was no fool, the way Joshua was looking at her was too intense. That kind of look… as if he wanted to strip her right then and there. She knew she couldn’t drink anymore.
But Joshua waved off her concern, “What are you talking about? Tonight, we must drink our fill!”
At his encouragement, the group of men sitting at the booth all joined in.
“Yeah, it’s just getting started!”
“You’re not going to disrespect your boss, are you?”
Caleb chimed in, “Evelyn, just have a drink. Later, I’ll have Maria come over and accompany you. If you get drunk, I’ll have her take you home.”
Evelyn shook her head, struggling to say, “Caleb, you know I can’t handle alcohol. I can’t drink like this, I have things to do tomorrow.”
“What’s going on? Just tell me, I’ll take care of it for you!” Joshua stood up and moved next to Evelyn, his hand about to encircle her shoulder, acting like a typical lecher.
Before his hand could land, William arrived at the table and called out, “Evelyn, let’s go!”
Joshua was taken aback, turned to William and asked with a frown, “Who are you?”
Caleb quickly stood up and said to William, “William, what are you doing? Evelyn hasn’t finished work yet, where are you going?”
Joshua looked at William with interest and asked Caleb, “Caleb, who is this guy?”
“He worked here a few days ago and was fired yesterday. He got into trouble with Edward and Ryan’s group,” Caleb replied and then turned to William, “William, you probably don’t realize how much trouble you’re in. I’d advise you not to come to our bar anymore.”
“Oh, I see! I know Edward and Ryan. Isn’t he the young master of the famous Carter family? You dare to offend those two, and now you show up here? Get out of here!” Joshua said, dismissing William as someone who had previously worked in the bar. He sneered, “Kid, you better leave! Be careful not to wander into some alley and get beaten up.”
This last remark was clearly a veiled threat.
Without a word, William picked up a bottle of hard liquor.
“What are you doing?”
The people at Joshua’s table all stood up, eyes fixed on William, ready for a fight. 𝙚𝙤𝙫𝙚𝒍.𝒐𝙧𝙜
Generally, when young people pick up a bottle, it means they’re ready to fight. These guys were all seasoned bar-goers, and they weren’t going to be intimidated by William.
William chuckled, “Why are you all so worked up? You wanted a drink, right? I’ll drink a bottle for her, and after that, I’ll take her with me. What do you say?”
William really didn’t want to get into a physical altercation with this group.
Since this was happening in a bar, it seemed fitting to resolve it with a drink.
Joshua laughed, a sneer evident in his voice. “Who do you think you are to drink with me? I invited Evelyn, what right do you have to drink for her?”
Hearing this, William simply set down the bottle, pushed Joshua aside, then took Evelyn by the wrist, advising, “You should find another job. This one really isn’t right for you.”
Evelyn started to panic. Joshua was sent sprawling on the floor by William’s shove. It was clear that this incident wouldn’t be easily brushed off.
“Damn it! How dare you push me? Get him!” Joshua exclaimed, seemingly oblivious to how easily he was toppled by just a slight touch, especially considering he weighed over 160 pounds.
“How could I be so humiliated in my own bar?” he thought.
Joshua’s entourage was ready, fists clenched, bottles raised, all set to strike William.
Frantically, Evelyn shouted, “Stop! Don’t! I’ll drink, okay?”
Joshua yelled furiously, “Damn it! I’m going to beat this guy into a cripple today! And you, you have to sleep with me tonight, understand? If you dare leave this bar, I’ll make you regret it!”
Evelyn’s face turned pale. She didn’t know what to do. After all, William was outnumbered, and she was well aware that most bar owners like Joshua usually had ties to the underworld. How could William stand a chance?
“You… stay back! Or I’ll call the police,” Evelyn threatened, trying to pull William behind her to no avail.
But William stood calm and smiling. He didn’t want to resort to violence against ordinary folks, but if they were adamant about starting a fight, he wouldn’t hesitate to teach them a lesson.
The first to attack, a burly man, was effortlessly grabbed by the throat by William and lifted off the ground, leaving the others dumbfounded.
Even Joshua hadn’t expected such a seemingly slender man like William to possess such incredible strength.
“What’s going on here?” Lila arrived on the scene. Seeing William’s stance, she knew trouble was brewing. If she hadn’t intervened, William might have single-handedly knocked out this group of thugs.
After all, William was a Soulmancer.
Lifting a man with one hand was nothing to him. It would be truly terrifying if he decided to unleash his full power.
Joshua came to his senses and glanced at Lila. Seeing her as just another pretty girl, he dismissed her and pointed at William, taunting, “Kid, if you’ve got the guts, go ahead and kill him! If you don’t kill him today, you won’t make it out alive yourself!”
The commotion had already drawn a crowd, and the bar’s security staff had gathered around. Seeing Joshua involved in the altercation, they started ushering patrons out. The bar was closing, and the message was clear: William wouldn’t be walking out alive tonight.