Joe Bolla smiled at Abigail before saying, "Sorry, William, I have to go home and make dinner for the kids. You can take Abigail out for a big meal. She doesn't have a boyfriend yet, so you two can get to know each other. Good luck to you both. It's almost noon, so I'll be off now."
William stood up and shook Joe Bolla's hand. "Thank you, Mrs. Bolla, you're very kind. Thanks again. Maybe someday I should come to your house and thank you in person."
Joe Bolla was pleasantly surprised. "Really? Trish would be so happy. You're welcome to visit us anytime, William."
William laughed heartily. "No problem. Maybe I can come with Miss Abigail when I visit."
Seeing that Abigail didn't mind William's suggestion, he felt quite happy.
Joe Bolla exchanged a glance with William, giving him an encouraging look. "That would be wonderful, William. Let's plan on it. Once you and Abigail are together, you must come visit."
"Sure, we'll definitely come."
After escorting Joe Bolla to the office door, the enthusiastic lady whispered to William, "Be careful, William. Some people use strange things to trick rich people like you."
"Thanks for the warning, Mrs. Bolla. I'll be careful in the future. Thanks again."
"Goodbye, William, Abigail. Have a wonderful date," Joe Bolla said, winking at Abigail and waving cheerfully as she left.
Once Joe Bolla left, William walked back to Abigail and sat down naturally, observing her expression and heartbeat. As long as Abigail didn't show any dislike, William, ever the charmer, continued to make her laugh.
After chatting for over half an hour, it was lunchtime, and they naturally went to the Michelin three-star restaurant William had mentioned to Riley.
While ordering, William received a call from the Continental Hotel assassin. Excusing himself, he stepped outside to take the call.
After a few words with the assassin, the phone was handed to Shaw. It turned out they had teamed up, and Shaw planned to poison their lunch. If successful, the assassin wouldn't need to act.
William had no opinion on the matter as long as Ian and his men were dealt with.
After listening quietly, William finally said, "Okay," and hung up, feeling happier as he returned to the table and ordered a bottle of Latour. Watching the beautiful woman enjoy fine wine, by the time they were on their third $20,000 bottle, they were holding hands across the table. By 3 PM, they left the restaurant wearing masks, hand in hand.
Since William showed great interest in Chinese artifacts, Abigail took him to the Freer Gallery of Art.
The Freer Gallery is renowned for its rare and precious East Asian artifacts. The founder, Charles Lang Freer, was passionate about the charming and distant Chinese culture, acquiring many ancient Chinese treasures through various channels.
The museum houses nearly 30,000 artifacts, including over 1,200 ancient Chinese paintings, the largest collection in the USA.
Hand in hand, William and Abigail admired each artifact. William was surprised by Abigail's deep knowledge of Chinese antiques. She could speak at length about each piece and had extensive research on the finest artifacts.
This gave William the idea of having Abigail help him select antiques in Europe. With this in mind, he became even more attentive to her.
Not knowing Abigail's thoughts, he decided to proceed and see how things unfolded after working out together.
After two hours, the museum was about to close, and William reluctantly led Abigail out.
Once outside, William checked his phone, wondering why Shaw hadn't called back. Could something have gone wrong?
Distracted by this, William was somewhat absent-minded during dinner with Abigail. Fortunately, things didn't go as badly as he feared.
Around 8 PM, while watching a movie in the cinema, William received a call. Ian and his men had been dealt with, but Shaw had sustained a fatal injury. The Continental Hotel assassin had taken Shaw to a special doctor, but it hadn't helped much. Shaw, in his final moments, had left a video for his family and a letter for William.
William instructed the assassin to deliver the items to a nearby café, where someone would collect them at midnight.
Though he felt no sadness, the news left William in a bad mood. It was a reminder that things don't always go as planned.
After watching what he considered a silly romance movie, they returned to the hotel and headed to the gym.
They had a fun two-hour workout session, with Abigail unfamiliar with the equipment and William happily teaching her. Both were satisfied with the experience.
After the workout, while hydrating, Abigail confided in William. Her biggest dream was to establish a museum of her own, but no one in the USA would trust a 22-year-old woman with millions, even billions, to build a museum.
Abigail also had a moderate shopping addiction, and her salary as the National Archives director was far too low to satisfy her desires. She made less than $10,000 a month, which was insufficient for her shopping needs.
Now, with William being both handsome and wealthy, Abigail didn't hesitate to lean on him. As long as William could fulfill her museum dream, she didn't mind working out with him regularly. She even joked that with such a handsome guy as a companion, she wasn't losing out.
William quickly agreed, seeing this as an opportunity. They agreed that the museum must be established in Oxford or London, with most of its collection being Chinese antiques.
William planned to acquire Chinese antiques in Europe, and Abigail's help would be invaluable.
William generously promised Abigail that she would receive a 1% bonus for each authentic antique she procured, and her salary would start at $50,000 a month.
Hearing about the 1%, Abigail rolled her eyes. "God, did you consider how little 1% is? Even if you spend $100 million a year, my bonus would only be $1 million. Do I really count as your person, William?"
Unfazed by her complaint, William smiled and said, "Of course you do, but everything takes time. Dear, we need to get to know each other better first. Your bonus will increase as we grow more familiar, I promise."
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