Brian Bell was taken aback; he hadn’t expected William to admit things so openly.
“Young man, quite honest,” Brian Bell commented, slightly taken aback, then chuckled, “Or is it that you never intended to help Bella deceive me in the first place?”
William tilted his head slightly and replied calmly, “You’re referring to pretending to be Bella’s boyfriend?”
“What else would she invite you for dinner for?” Brian’s tone softened, “You must realize I’m not that easily fooled. Weren’t you let go from the bar? I could offer you a job.”
Without hesitation, William responded, “No need. The job Bella offered me is quite good.”
A thousand dollars for just a dinner? Where would one find such a job? William had never come across such a good deal in all his years.
Bella was now genuinely wishing she could strangle William.
Was he an idiot?
Inviting him to play the boyfriend role was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth. He spilled everything without any pressure from her father. What use was he?
Only an idiot would pay him further!
Brian Bell frowned slightly and chuckled, “Young man, are you genuinely naive or just pretending?”
William turned to Bella and said, “Miss Bell, from the beginning, we agreed I’d just accompany you for dinner. Did you ever say I should pretend to be your boyfriend?”
Although Bella was initially seething with anger, William’s question caught her off-guard.
Indeed, she never explicitly told her father that William was her boyfriend.
“Exactly, I just invited him for dinner. What boyfriend?” Bella looked at Brian Bell, feigning confusion. “Dad, did I ever tell you he was my boyfriend? Why are you jumping to conclusions? William and I are just friends.”
Brian Bell rolled his eyes, not wanting to continue the argument. As long as Bella admitted William wasn’t her boyfriend, that was enough. As for their prior agreement…
Given what he knew about his daughter, and considering they had only known each other for a mere two days, Brian doubted they’d have any further association.
What could a bar worker possibly have in common with Bella, his precious daughter?
As he was about to leave, Daniel Bell unexpectedly walked in from a private room.
Even though it was Brian Bell’s birthday banquet, the old man generally preferred solitude and rarely met guests. Many were surprised to see him now, opting to eat alone in his private space.
The entire room turned their heads, all eyes on Mr. Daniel Bell.
The senior Bell had kept a low profile for many years. Most thought he might be in poor health, but seeing him now, he looked radiant and full of life, belying his over-seventy years, save for his white hair.
“Dad, why are you out here?” Brian was surprised. After his retirement, the older Bell rarely made public appearances, especially on occasions like this.
By the time Daniel Bell approached Brian, almost all guests had risen from their seats, including William. William felt it was only fitting given his current status at the gathering.
Daniel Bell cast a glance at Brian, then sneakily at William.
Using telepathy, William communicated to him, “I wasn’t there when your son was born. Consider today my belated gift.”
Choked up with emotion and eyes glistening, Daniel responded with the same method, “Thank you, master!”
“You can just call me by my name. There’s no need for formality.”
“Master, I hope the youngsters haven’t been disrespectful to you?”
“They’ve been alright. You needn’t worry about my interactions with them.”
Daniel Bell asked with a hint of anxiety, “Master, what do you think of Bella? Would you allow her to serve by your side?”
Without changing his expression, William telepathically responded, “In this day and age, everyone is equal. I no longer require anyone to serve me. In the future, you also don’t need to arrange for anyone to get close to me.”
Upon hearing this, a bead of cold sweat formed on Daniel Bell’s forehead. Sending someone to get close to William could be seen as a minor or major issue, depending on how William viewed it.
“Do I come off as that intimidating? We’ve had our master-servant moments, and I’ll take care of your descendants to some extent. Don’t worry.”
William was somewhat perplexed. He remembered treating his servants decently in the past, so why did they seem so fearful of him now? Those who served William directly benefited immensely. Being in his company daily, even ordinary individuals would gain some spiritual growth. Otherwise, how could they maintain such vigor despite their age and years of hard work?
Timothy Hill was a prime example. Although Daniel Bell did not follow the spiritual path, dining with William had exposed him to some miraculously beneficial food that prolonged his life.
“Well, if you insist, Master, I’d be willing to serve by your side for the rest of my life.”
“There are some things I don’t want to say twice!”
Their telepathic exchange was rapid, so those nearby didn’t notice anything. Daniel Bell, not wanting to push the issue, managed a smile and turned to Bella, asking, “Bella, this is William, right?”
Now, Daniel Bell had to pretend he had never met William before.
Bella was slightly taken aback but quickly composed herself. Why was the man her grandfather wanted her to meet unknown to her father?
“Dad, do you know this young man?” Brian Bell realized that the old man seemed to be aware of William’s existence, but today was their first meeting.
Could it be that the sole reason for the old man stepping out was to meet William?
If William was merely a younger generation member, even if related to an old friend, all the old man would need to do was summon William to meet him privately. Why would he need to come out personally?
Daniel Bell simply gave Brian Bell a cold glance, turned, and walked away without uttering another word. .𝓬ℴ𝓶
At such an occasion, showing any unusual behavior towards William might lead others to speculate about his identity. Meeting William in public was probably an attempt to prevent his son, Brian, from offending him.
The mere glance was the limit of what he could convey. If Brian couldn’t understand this, then after his passing, the Bell family’s prosperity might be short-lived.
Indeed, Brian Bell looked intently at William and remained silent.
Luke Murphy, curious, also looked at William. Daniel Bell’s attitude towards William was clearly unusual. He tried to probe William’s aura.
But William simply let him look. Already an unrivaled being in the galaxy, perhaps even the universe, he held back his energy to prevent harm to Luke, only letting him perceive William as a novice Soulmancer.