Bella stared straight at William, her expression unreadable.
Did… did he just reject me?
Lila and Emily were just as stunned.
They hadn't expected Bella to be so blunt right out of the gate. No flirting, no small talk—just straight to marriage? That was insane.
Bella proposing to a man? If word of this got out, their entire social circle would implode.
And the worst part?
She got turned down.
"You do realize what you're saying, right?" Bella's voice was cool, her gaze sharp as she locked eyes with William. "I'll give you one last chance. Think carefully before you answer."
William didn't even blink. "Then I'll just have to turn you down again."
Bella's jaw clenched.
Yesterday, her grandfather—Eric Bell himself—had personally asked her to approach William. He hadn't explained who William really was, but his tone made it clear: William mattered. A lot. He'd told her to befriend him if possible, and at the very least, not to offend him.
On top of that, her family had been pressuring her to get married. But Bella had no interest in marrying some spoiled rich heir and becoming a trophy wife. Her ideal solution? Marry a regular guy and keep her independence.
She figured her grandfather was trying to set her up with someone he approved of.
She'd even gone to East 62nd Street yesterday to check out where William lived. From what she saw, he wasn't wealthy. But he was decent-looking—handsome, even—and didn't give her any bad vibes.
So she decided to "compromise."
What she didn't expect… was to get rejected.
Twice.
Maria, watching from a distance, noticed the tension between them. Bella's expression didn't look great, so she quickly walked over with a tray of wine.
"Ladies, here's your bottle," she said with a smile. A staff member followed behind her, ready to uncork the wine.
After all, a $2,800 bottle wasn't exactly a casual order. Not many customers splurged like that.
Bella took a breath, smoothing over the awkwardness. "Open it."
The server uncorked the bottle and began decanting it.
Maria glanced at the three women, then at William. She could feel the tension but couldn't just pull him away unless they asked for it directly.
"If you're not expecting any other guests," she said gently, "would you like William to stay and have a drink with you? He's new, so he might not be the best conversationalist yet—please don't take offense."
Bella suddenly let out a soft laugh, eyes still fixed on William. "So you're here to drink with customers?"
William didn't take it personally. He nodded with a calm smile. "If Miss Bell would like me to drink with her, I'd be happy to."
"Perfect," Bella said, pointing at the bottle. "Finish this one. If you do, I'll give you ten thousand dollars."
Maria could tell Bella was a little fired up, but it wasn't her place to step in. She looked at William, a little concerned. "William, you okay with that?"
William grinned. "Getting paid to drink? Of course I'm okay with it. Though… just to clarify—is it ten grand per bottle, or just this one?"
Bella let out a sharp laugh, half amused, half annoyed. "From the way you're talking, sounds like you can handle more?"
William shrugged. "Seven or eight bottles shouldn't be a problem."
Bella narrowed her eyes. "Bring me ten bottles. I'm paying now."
Ten bottles?
Maria quickly stepped in. "Miss Bell, just so you know, we only have three bottles of the '96 Lafite in stock, including the one on your table."
"Anything else is fine," Bella said, her tone sharp. "Price doesn't matter—just bring out the most expensive bottles you've got. I want to see exactly how much he can drink tonight."
She hadn't planned on pushing William this far. But his attitude had gotten under her skin.
Since when did she get rejected?
Maria nodded and immediately sent the server to fetch the wine. She followed close behind.
Even if William claimed he could drink, ten bottles? That would wreck anyone.
She helped the staff pick out nine more bottles—at least all red wine, no hard liquor. If they mixed in spirits, it wouldn't just be about getting drunk—he might end up in the hospital.
Maria also brought over a portable POS machine and a printed receipt. "Miss Bell, the total for these ten bottles comes to $15,388. But if you're okay with it, we can round it down to fifteen thousand."
She'd made up her mind—if William really couldn't handle it and passed out, what was Bella going to do? Force it down his throat? At least the wine would be sold.
Bella pulled a card from her purse and said coldly, "No discount. Charge me sixteen thousand. And you—stand right here and watch. However many bottles he finishes, I'll pay that many tens of thousands."
She was officially in a standoff with William now.
William, meanwhile, was starting to think this job might be the best decision he'd ever made.
He picked up the already opened bottle on the table, tilted his head back, and chugged it straight down.
In less than a minute, the bottle was empty. He didn't even blink.
He wasn't suppressing the alcohol on purpose. But the truth was, alcohol affected the central nervous system by first stimulating and then depressing it, leading to all the usual symptoms of drunkenness.
But William?
His nervous system didn't get "depressed." That was a joke.
He wanted to get drunk sometimes—but his body just wouldn't let him.
So for him, drinking was all about the flavor.
"Not bad," William said, smacking his lips. He turned to the server. "Next bottle."
Nicholas, sitting at another table entertaining guests, glanced over—and nearly choked on his drink.
The title of "Booze God" might be changing hands tonight.
The commotion around William had drawn attention from other guests and staff. Everyone was watching now.
One bottle after another was opened. William didn't even pause—just tipped them back like water.
"Fifth bottle!" someone called out.
Even Lila was stunned. She'd never seen anyone drink like this.
And Maria? She ran a bar and still had never seen anything like it.
Five bottles of red wine, downed in minutes, and William's face hadn't even flushed. His pace didn't slow. It was unreal.
Now she fully believed what he'd said earlier.
So this is what they mean by "a thousand drinks without getting drunk."
A talent like this? No way she was letting anyone poach him.
By the time William reached the ninth bottle, Bella's expression had completely changed.
She'd meant to humiliate him—but instead, he was making her look like a fool.
Nine bottles in, and he still looked completely sober.
"Wait a second!" Bella suddenly snapped. "There's no way this wine is real!"
She prided herself on being sharp. And William's drinking? It defied logic.
There was only one explanation: the wine had been swapped.
What if it was just grape juice?
She hadn't tasted any of it herself. She'd paid upfront, made a big show of it—and if the bar had switched the wine for juice or something else, it wouldn't be impossible.