"Where do you work?" Lila asked, genuinely curious. With William's weird temper, what kind of boss would even hire him?
And more importantly—William, working for someone else?
William thought for a second. "Moonlit Harbor Pub."
He hadn't recognized the name yesterday, but after looking it up on his phone and reading some reviews, he found out it was a pretty popular bar. Seemed like a decent place to grab a drink.
And William did enjoy a good drink.
Back in the day, when he worked as a server in an old tavern, the owner would sometimes toss him a cup or two when he was in a good mood.
"A bar?" Lila blinked. "What are you doing at a bar?"
"Waiter," William said, like it was the most normal thing in the world. It was honest work, after all.
Lila took a deep breath. She seriously wondered if she'd misheard.
Her grandfather had given William a black platinum card—he didn't even take it. And just earlier, he'd shut down Hudson University's former president without breaking a sweat. That guy… working at a bar?
"If you really want a job, I can help you find one," Emily chimed in. She still had a good impression of William—funny, sharp, and good-looking. With her family background, setting him up with a decent position wouldn't be hard.
"No need," William said. "I already told the boss I'd be there tonight. It's a night shift, so it works out."
"Wow, working and studying? I like that." Emily grinned at him. "If you ever want to switch jobs, come find me."
"What's with the lovestruck look?" Lila groaned, covering her face. She couldn't stand William's attitude—arrogant, unpredictable, and somehow even more stubborn than she was. If her grandfather hadn't insisted, she would've ditched him long ago.
Emily giggled. "Relax, Lila. Don't get jealous. I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend."
"He's not my boyfriend!" Lila snapped, completely exasperated.
"Really? I've never seen you care this much about any guy before," Emily teased, eyes narrowing. Then she turned to William. "I'm rooting for you, William. Keep it up."
William glanced at Lila and said, "I already told you—she's too young."
Emily's eyes flicked to Lila's chest, and she muttered under her breath, "Doesn't look that young to me…"
Lila's fists clenched. "Enough! Both of you!"
Seriously? Arguing about my size now? What is wrong with you people?
"I meant her age," William added, finally realizing Emily had completely misunderstood.
"Age? Lila's twenty-one!" Emily looked William up and down. "You don't look much older than her. Don't tell me you're into older women?"
Lila raised an eyebrow, curious now. That's… a pretty specific taste.
Women were funny like that. She didn't have to like a guy—but if he didn't like her, that was a problem.
William didn't look that old. No way he was into—
"Older women?" William's eyes flickered with a strange light. Young girls had their charm, sure, but older women… they had their own appeal. He couldn't help but think of a few old flames from the past.
There were definitely reasons some men preferred mature women.
Emily pointed at him, eyes wide. "No way. You do like older women? That's your thing?"
William gave her a look and didn't bother explaining.
"Oh my god, it's true! Lila, you're done for." Emily clicked her tongue. "No chance now."
Lila was so annoyed she felt weak. "Alright, enough! Can we please stop? Weren't we going to the bar? Are we going or not?"
William nodded. "Let's go."
"Count me in!" Emily beamed. "Lila, let's hang out at the bar tonight. I'll call a few more friends. If William doesn't like working there, he can just switch sides and party with us!"
"Whatever," Lila muttered. She didn't really care. She came from a powerful family and had trained in self-defense. Even in a rowdy bar, she could handle herself—and protect the people around her if needed.
The group finally ditched David and headed straight for the bar, leaving him shouting behind them as Lila drove off without a second glance.
As soon as Emily got in the car, she transferred the museum ticket money to David, then turned to Lila. "Sorry, Lila. I didn't know you hated David that much. If I'd known, I wouldn't have invited him."
Lila shrugged. "It's fine. Whether he came or not didn't really matter."
"Hehe, good. Now I don't feel guilty." Emily grinned. "I'll call my big sis. Let's have a drink together."
"The bar probably isn't open yet," Lila said. "Call her first."
Emily nodded and dialed. "Sis, where are you? Come out for drinks tonight! I've got a cute guy to introduce you to."
"What cute guy? I'm with Alice right now, waiting for someone on East 62nd Street."
"East 62nd? Who are you waiting for?" Emily raised an eyebrow. If she remembered right, William lived somewhere on East 62nd.
"Grandpa told me to find someone named William. Said I should listen to whatever he says. I have no idea what he's thinking. The guy wasn't even home. Then I ran into Alice—turns out she's looking for him too."
Emily snuck a glance at William, then lowered her voice. "Sis… I think the guy you're looking for is sitting right next to me."
"What? Sitting next to you? Where are you? I'm coming over right now."
"We're heading to Moonlit Harbor Pub. Lila's with me too."
"Lila's after him too? Damn, she moves fast. I'm on my way. And don't tell anyone else about William."
The call ended abruptly.
Emily slowly lowered her phone, staring at William, speechless.
William glanced at her. "I don't like strangers bothering me. You get what I'm saying?"
"…Who are you, really?" Emily finally started taking him seriously. "My sister actually went to your house looking for you?"
Lila, still driving, felt her heart skip a beat. Bella went to see William?
Bella—prideful, sharp, and not the type to chase anyone.
Just who the hell is William?
"Then do me a favor," William said coolly. "Tell your sister not to come. Even if she does, I'm not planning to talk to her."
"You're seriously…" Emily was floored. Her sister Bella was the vice president of Whitestone Group—a real-deal CEO beauty. Guys lined up for blocks just to get a chance with her.
And William?
He just told her not to come.