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nRyan’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t particularly strong. After downing several glasses of red wine, his speech was noticeably slurred. After a while, he made his way to William’s side.

n“William, I… I was wrong before! From now on, you’re like a brother to me! Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do…” Ryan said, gripping the back of William’s chair for support and trying to focus his eyes. He stammered, “If you ask me to work in Manhattan, I swear I won’t go to Brooklyn…”

n“Alright, alright!” William, being a reasonable person, responded, knowing that it didn’t really matter what a drunk person said. They could say just about anything.

n“…Hahaha!” Ryan, in his inebriated state, had seemingly thrown all concerns about face and reputation to the wind. His words left many attendees dumbfounded.

nWas this really the same brash and arrogant young heir of the Carter family?

n“You should sit down and eat something,” William suggested, showing a bit of helplessness. Their previous disagreements were minor, and Ryan hadn’t done anything that deeply upset him, so William was willing to let bygones be bygones.

n“I’m fine!” Ryan’s stance was wobbly, but a sudden thought seemed to strike him. He looked intently at Lucy and asked, “William… is this young lady your girlfriend?”

nLucy, taken aback by his question, blushed deeply. She remained silent, not daring to meet William’s gaze. She nervously clenched her hands, wondering how William would respond.

nWilliam replied directly, “No, she’s not!”

nAt that moment, Lucy felt a pang of discomfort but quickly accepted it. She and William had only met a few times. If William had said “yes,” it would have been quite presumptuous. 𝒷𝓭ℴ𝓋𝓵.𝒸ℴ𝓶

nJust because they weren’t together now, doesn’t mean they couldn’t be in the future!

n“Really?” Ryan grinned, then said, “So, William… do you think there’s a chance with my sister? She’s pretty good looking. If… if you became my brother-in-law, I’d wholeheartedly approve!”

nUpon hearing this, David, who was sitting across the table, was visibly perturbed.

nHe had invited Ryan with the intention of undermining William. Now, not only was Ryan bowing and scraping in front of William, he was practically acknowledging him as a future in-law. This was outrageous!

nAt that moment, Lila and Lana entered the room.

nThey paused at the doorway. Lila hesitated, wanting to interject, but ultimately stayed silent.

nLana grabbed Lila’s hand, signaling her to remain quiet. After all, Ryan seemed to be speaking on his sister’s behalf, so it was best for Lila not to intervene.

nLucy, sitting next to William, lowered her head nervously, trying to catch every word of William’s reply.

n“There’s no possibility between your sister and me,” William stated, fully aware that Lila had entered the room.

nThe previous friction between him and Ryan was primarily due to Lila. Now, with everyone present, William felt it best to clear the air.

nThere were mixed reactions to his declaration. David turned to greet Lila as she walked in.

nYet Ryan, taken aback by William’s words, exclaimed, “What’s wrong with my sister?”

n“She’s great!” William responded, glancing at Lila, “But it’s just not possible.”

nWhile William wasn’t sure about Lila’s feelings towards him, he was clear in his stance. It was better to lay everything out in the open.

nHe was even uncertain about his prospects with Evelyn, let alone considering Lila. That relationship was off the table.

nLila finally couldn’t stand it any longer. She bypassed David, who had walked up to her, and took a few steps forward, staring at Ryan and yelled, “Ryan! What on earth are you doing here?”

nHearing his sister’s voice, Ryan jolted as if electrified, the alcohol’s haze clearing a bit. He stood up straight, “Sis… I was apologizing to William. From now on, he’s like my elder brother. If you could make him my brother-in-law, that would be even better!”

nLila coldly ordered, “I’ll count to three, and you’d better head straight to bed!”

n“Sis… Just hear me out…”

n“One!”

n“I just want to say one thing!”

n“Two!”

nLila’s expression was stormy. Had she just been publicly “rejected” by William in front of all these people? Even if she knew William wasn’t particularly interested in her, being turned down like that was a slap to her pride.

n“Sis! Go for it! I’m going to sleep!”

nBefore Lila could shout “three,” Ryan quickly added towards William, “Bro-in-law, consider it… give my sister a chance… I won’t bother you anymore… she’s a bit fierce!”

nLila’s face turned alternating shades of red and pale.

nThe word “three” died in her throat, unsaid.

nWhat had she done in a past life to deserve a brother like this? Did he think she couldn’t find a husband?

nStumbling towards the exit, Ryan was quickly supported by two seniors from the Bronx Budo Dojo.

n“Sis, I’m leaving. Go for it!” Clearly, Ryan had drunk a bit too much, and the intimidating aura of his sister no longer seemed to have any effect.

nThrough gritted teeth, Lila spat out, “Get out!”

n“Okay! I won’t disturb you and my potential brother-in-law.” Ryan, now buoyed by the alcohol, waved and left the hall with the assistance of his dojo mates.

nLila was seething. If there weren’t so many people around, she’d have definitely given Ryan a good thrashing. She might dote on her younger brother, but right now, she seriously wanted to teach him a lesson!

nAfter Ryan’s exit, the atmosphere grew even more awkward.

nDavid seemed utterly ignored by the antics of the Carter siblings. Wyatt and his roommates had already had too much to drink. Lucy, seeing an opportunity, clinked her glass of red wine with William’s and downed it in one go, feigning drunkenness.

nIf she wasn’t “drunk,” how would William offer to take her home?

nAnd without that offer, how would she seize her chance?

nLila has arrived.

nLucy wasn’t insecure about her looks, but she was aware that she fell slightly short compared to Lila.

nIf she got drunk, William surely wouldn’t abandon her, right?

nLana didn’t think there was anything going on between William and Lila. After all, it was just a small matter. Surely Lila wouldn’t be worried about not having suitors?

nIt’s better for adults to be upfront. If you don’t like someone, then you just don’t.

nIn this regard, she really admired William!

n“Hello everyone, I’m Lana, a friend of William’s. If any of you lovely ladies are considering live streaming, feel free to contact me.” Lana’s purpose here was to scout for talent. As she spoke, she began handing out her business cards. She didn’t behave like the typical head of a corporation but more like an average employee, which gave her an approachable aura.

nThe girls present were all from Hudson University’s Dance Department. They all had well-maintained physiques and were quite attractive. Many of them were already involved in live streaming.

nAt first, they thought Lana was just a business manager or something similar. But when they looked at the business card, they were taken aback.

nChairwoman of Crescent Media LLC? Lana?

nThe company’s name, Crescent Media, was derived from her own name, Lana Crescent. Some in attendance had even heard of Lana before, which warmed the atmosphere considerably.

nLucy, feigning drunkenness, took a glance at the card and thought, “Does William have too many beautiful women around him or what?”

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