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nAt 5:30 in the afternoon, the art exhibition was nearing its end. The socialites of New York City, whether they were feigning sophistication or flaunting their wealth, had essentially determined which paintings they wanted to purchase.

nWilliam finally reached the last page of his book, a satisfied smile appearing on his face as he closed it.

nAt that moment, David, who had spent the entire afternoon resting in the medical room, emerged.

nHe was utterly frustrated today. How could his phone have exploded out of nowhere?

nEven if his phone exploded and his wounds were bandaged, how did he end up spurting blood mysteriously?

nBesides, it should have been a burn injury!

nHe had bandaged the burn, but the bleeding had stained the bandages red, which was somewhat exaggerated.

nAfter resting in the medical room for an afternoon, he had ensured his wound wouldn’t bleed anymore, and only then did he limp out.

nHe doesn’t know yet that the painting created by William has already stunned everyone present, surpassing York Brimstone in artistic skill and leaving a group of painters feeling ashamed.

nWhen he approached William, he saw William sitting alone on a sofa, with Alice and the others sitting not far away on chairs, not daring to approach.

nThe three women were whispering to each other, discussing private topics women share, and seemed to be getting along quite well.

nDavid plopped down on the sofa across from William, his face pale but with a smile, he said, “William, you’re not seriously thinking of auctioning off a painting, are you?”

nWith the book closed and having nothing to do, David’s arrival gave William the urge to have some fun.

nHow could this guy be so forgetful?

nHe had been taught a lesson every time he spoke to William, yet here he was, showing great courage.

nYoung people were indeed fearless, something William greatly appreciated!

n“What’s the hurry? I can repay you without selling a painting,” William replied, his attitude ever-changing. Before, he had no interest in engaging with David when he was causing trouble, but now he seemed somewhat interested in idly chatting with him.

nAll because he was too bored.

nAfter finishing a book, there was always a certain emptiness, and since David was here, why not chat with him for a bit?

nHearing William’s words, David couldn’t help but snicker. “You’re not really planning to have Miss Bell pay off your debt for you, are you? It’s quite disgraceful for a man to do such a thing.”

nA hint of a smile appeared on William’s face as he said, “Believe it or not, I could even have Lila help me repay the debt.”

n“…” David’s mouth twitched violently. Were these even words coming from a human’s mouth?

nWilliam just looked at him, waiting for his reply.

nGrinding his teeth, David said, “I have already sent the intimate photos of you and Bella to my beloved Lila.”

nWilliam chuckled, “Calling her endearingly when she doesn’t even bother with you, what’s the point of doing this?”

nDavid’s face turned dark, clearly, William was implying he was a pathetic, lovelorn guy, one who lost everything in the end due to unreciprocated affection.

n“Do you really think Lila is that naive? After seeing your behavior today, do you think she will still fall into your arms?” David said bitterly, “Do you really think you are a Casanova? That every woman would fall for you?”

n“Well, that remains to be seen. How about I send her a message, asking to borrow $10,000 to pay you back first?” William raised an eyebrow, finding the young man’s behavior quite amusing. In ancient times, which man would act like this if a woman ignored him?

nDavid’s face darkened, but he was feeling quite amused inside. “Go ahead, borrow!”

nA man who was just intimate with another woman turns around to borrow $10,000 from another woman.

nKnowing Lila as David did, even if she had the money, she surely wouldn’t lend it.

nWilliam’s actions would only foster resentment in Lila towards him.

nWithout saying anything more, William took out his phone, opened WhatsApp, and sent Lila a voice message: “Lila, lend me $10,000. I’ll pay you back tonight.”

nDavid scoffed, “Ha, pay back by tonight? William, how is this any different from scamming? Do you take Lila for a fool?”

nBorrowing money without giving a reason or excuse, did he truly think Lila was a foolish rich girl, mesmerized by William’s charm?

nSoon, William’s phone chimed.

nWilliam turned the phone screen towards David.

nDavid fixed his eyes on the screen, only to see Lila transferring $50,000, then another $50,000, followed by another $50,000, and yet another $50,000.

nIt appeared that her single transaction limit was $50,000, so she transferred it four times, sending a total of $200,000 instead of the $10,000 William asked for, without even asking what it was for!

nDavid clenched his fists, too furious to speak.

nAfter confirming the receipt of the funds, William transferred money to David.

nThis transaction was practically a slap in David’s face.

nDavid had lost a lot of blood in the afternoon, his face was already pale and unsightly. Now it became even more hideous, turning red and white alternately.

n“I don’t owe you any money now,” William smiled, “so you can stop worrying about whether I paint or not.”

nTaking a deep breath, David took out his new phone, his hand trembling as he opened WhatsApp and found Lila’s profile…

n“Lila, could you lend me $200,000? I saw a painting at the auction that I am short of $200,000 for. I recently bought a $100,000 fund that can only be redeemed tomorrow. I’ll pay you back as soon as it’s credited,” he typed.

nThis was the first time David was borrowing money from a woman, and he didn’t want Lila to think he was broke.

nHe provided a reason for the loan, emphasized that he did have money, and assured her of repayment the next day.

nHe wanted to prove to William that Lila would lend him money too!

nHe needed to show that William was not a unique presence in Lila’s life.

n“Ding!”

nDavid’s WhatsApp message notification sounded.

nIt was a voice message.

nWilliam smiled silently, looking at David.

nDavid didn’t dare to play it on speaker, so he clicked the voice message and held it to his ear.

n“David, we aren’t really that close, are we? If you don’t have the money, you can choose not to buy, or maybe borrow from your other friends. Besides, I don’t want to have any financial dealings with you.”

nDavid’s face darkened even more.

nWas the treatment between people really so disparate?

nAlthough they were nearly two meters apart, William still heard what Lila had said. He looked at David with a smirk, truly David was quite unlucky today.

nDavid could only grit his teeth and say, “What are you smiling at? Lila only had $200,000, and you borrowed it all. If you don’t pay her back tonight, I won’t let you off either.”

n“Oh? Is that so?” William replied, before picking up his phone again and sending another voice message to Lila, “Lila, lend me another $200,000.”

nNot even five seconds after the message was sent, continuous notifications began arriving on William’s phone.

nA transfer of $50,000, then another, and another… it happened three, four, five times…

nA total of eighteen transfers!

nLastly, a text message came: “That’s all I have for now. Let me know if it’s not enough.” 𝘦.𝘰𝘳𝑔

nDavid felt utterly devastated.

nThis swift and brutal face-slapping came too quickly, didn’t it?

nMoreover, this wasn’t just a simple face-slapping anymore; it was truly heartbreaking and spirit-crushing!

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