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nThe charity gala was held in the grand hall on the second floor of the club.

nThis private club occupied more than 10,000 square feet. The first floor was an art exhibition center, the second floor was used for hosting banquets and events, and there was also a third floor with various entertainment facilities. The fourth floor had residences and bathing facilities, making it a highly comprehensive club.

nWilliam followed Bella to the second floor, where many people had already arrived. The guests in attendance were all dressed to the nines, engaging in hushed conversations.

nThe so-called charity gala was nothing more than an occasion Travis arranged to gather these wealthy individuals. Some of them would meet at the banquet and form a circle.

nAnd within this circle, there was no shortage of business information.

nTravis had installed eavesdropping devices under the floor of the second level, allowing him to hear all kinds of business information.

nEven the secrets of certain individuals, once they fell into his hands, were worth millions.

nSo, why would he charge for the art exhibition tickets?

nWhen William and his party of four entered the second floor, they immediately attracted quite a bit of attention.

nNot to mention William’s artistic skills surpassing those of York Brimstone, the entrance of Bella and the two other beauties alone already made for a beautiful scene.

n“Let’s sit over there.” Bella glanced at the people in the room, not interested in greeting anyone, and led William and the others towards an empty table.

nSince it was a charity auction, there were many small tables.

nEach table could accommodate around four to five people.

nAfter William and his group sat down, a waitress in evening dress immediately brought over the auction list, followed by a trolley with red wine, beverages, and pastries.

nThe waitress bowed and asked, “What would you like to have?”

nUpon entering, William had seen two long tables laden with food at the back. Hearing the waitress’s question, he glanced over there and asked, “Can we eat the food over there?”

nThe waitress nodded with a smile, “Yes, you can. What would you like? I can get it for you.”

nWilliam smiled and said, “No need to trouble yourself, I’ll go myself. Everything is free, right?”

nThe waitress was quick to respond, “Everything here is complimentary.”

n“That’s great.” William was delighted. He wasn’t one to take advantage of freebies, but with delicacies right there and offered for free, how could he possibly resist?

n“What good pastries do they have?”

n“What would you like to eat? I’ll get it for you,” William finally showed some gentlemanly demeanor at this moment, without ordering Alice around.

n“Let’s go together! I want to take a look,” Alice quickly stood up, wanting to join him.

nBella gave Alice a meaningful glance. In such a setting, the delicacies displayed were usually untouched. Even if someone were truly hungry, they would mostly ask a waitress to bring over a little something.

nWilliam might be visiting such a place for the first time, but Alice shouldn’t be the same, should she?

nIt was also Evelyn’s first time in such a setting, and she could only tag along with Alice. Seeing Alice stand, she also got up: “I’ll go too.”

n“What else can I say? I’ll wait here,” What else could Bella say? Was she also supposed to go with them?

nWilliam walked to the long table, found himself a plate, and started picking up anything he saw. In no time, he had a plate piled high like a small mountain.

nSome of the nearby guests curiously watched William, some even wondering if he was a waiter or had sneaked in from somewhere.

nIf Alice wasn’t accompanying him, would someone have already approached to inquire about William’s identity?

n“What will you have?” William glanced at Evelyn.

nEvelyn looked at William’s overflowing plate and tentatively asked, “Should we come back for more after we finish this?”

n“That works,” William hadn’t had seafood for quite a while, so he grabbed a giant king crab and a whole lot of salmon.

nAlice followed suit, asking William what he wanted and he had her get some meat dishes.

nMaster and apprentice looked like they hadn’t eaten in ages, balancing two plates of delicacies through the crowd, back to Bella’s table.

nBella, seeing their demeanor, slowly covered her face with her hand and lowered her head.

nShe really wanted to tell those staring at their table that she wasn’t very familiar with these two.

nHowever, William didn’t care about what others thought. After he sat down, the waitress quickly brought over the cutlery.

nIn fact, utensils like knives and forks had already existed in the ancient era of gods, so William was quite adept at using them.

nWith a wave of the knife in his hand, he effortlessly cracked open the king crab shell. Without using his hands, he maneuvered the knife and fork to extract the crab meat.

nHis movements were graceful, smooth, and fluid, leaving Bella beside him stunned.

nEarlier, seeing William grab so much food, she thought he would devour it with both hands, leaving a mess all over the table.

nBut now it seemed that William’s manners and movements while eating were as elegant as a medieval noble. His movements didn’t seem fast, but his eating pace was not slow, and there wasn’t even a trace of residue or drips around his lips.

nShe really didn’t know how he managed it.

nAlice, watching William’s adept handling of the seafood, also harbored a desire to learn and mirror his skills, but found herself struggling, unable to catch on quite as easily as she had hoped.

nWilliam, for his part, was quite adept at caring for others. He efficiently disassembled a large king crab, skillfully extracted the succulent meat, and generously distributed portions to each of the three ladies’ plates.

nThe habit, commonly seen in older generations, of adding food to younger people’s plates, was a warmth that William still embodied.

nIn a bygone era, offering food was considered a heartfelt expression of hospitality.

nWilliam was in particularly good spirits that day, and he had a keen interest in integrating into the lively atmosphere of contemporary youth, thereby exhibiting warmth towards both Bella and Evelyn.

nRegarding the previous discussions about pursuing a romantic interest in Evelyn, William had adopted a more laissez-faire attitude, allowing things to unfold naturally.

nIn the tapestry of his life, affairs of the heart did not hold paramount importance. Perhaps, he mused, not overthinking and maintaining a casual demeanor could foster a more harmonious rapport with Evelyn.

nViewing her as a special entity might only serve to complicate their interactions.

nEver the considerate guest, William requested the staff to bring over a waste bin. In a matter of minutes, he efficiently extracted the meat from all shelled items and disposed of the shells, thereby reducing the clutter on the table, creating a more aesthetically pleasing dining experience.

nBella, observing the crab and shrimp meat neatly arranged on her plate, couldn’t help but comment, “Your culinary skills are indeed quite refined.”

nWith a modest smile, William responded, “Naturally, I do consider myself somewhat of a chef.”

nAlice, looking on, playfully chimed in, “One who doesn’t aspire to be a student of painting can hardly be a good chef.”

n“You’re quite the chatterbox, focus on your meal,” William retorted with a playful glance. 𝙚𝙤𝙫𝙚𝒍.𝒐𝙧𝙜

nThirty minutes later, the charity auction was in full swing, with the host energetically commanding the stage. William, feeling sated, turned his attention to the auction list beside him.

nThe auction boasted not only artworks by York Brimstone and a variety of contemporary artists but also featured a selection of valuable antiques. Among the listed artworks was his painting titled “The Fledgling Hawk”, attributed to Alice as the artist, with a starting bid set at a respectable $10,000.

nAfter the emcee briefly addressed the audience from the stage, the auction officially began.

nBella felt at ease since, from the moment she took her seat, Lucas had not come to disturb her.

nLittle did she know that just the sight of William evoked an inexplicable sense of dread in Lucas.

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