William Li Book Novels & Stories

I wasn't looking for a book, just a distraction. My mind was a jagged loop of the moment in the gallery. The way William’s hand had felt on my collar, the dark, focused weight of his gaze that seemed to strip away my defenses layer by layer. "Section 402. Product Liability," a voice murmured from the shadows of the mezzanine. I jumped, my hand dropping from the shelf as my heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs. William was sitting in a high-backed leather chair tucked into a corner near the window, a single floor lamp casting him in sharp, amber relief.

William stared at her as he asked, and the only response he got was a smile. Happy? No! This was just the beginning! Liana would show no mercy to anyone, William, Aisha and Anika, one at a time, they had no pity for her family, so she would crush them like insects. "William, if you don't want to openly admit your defeat, how about giving me those three words?" Liana suggested softly like a queen who had the world under her fingertips. The muscle in William's face twitched violently, and he finally tasted his own medicine after forcing Stevie to bow to him.

I try to sound absurd, but looking at Liam's expression, he must've believed in the damn legend. I take the book from him and close it, putting it back on a random shelf but taking note where I've just placed it. I'll need it later for more reference. “Shouldn't you be preparing for the arrival of the elders also?” I change the subject immediately. Pulled out of his trance, he remembers about the event. “yeah...” he says and stands up straight. I start walking out of the library, focused in leading him out of the room which seems to work. I observe William closely and he looks a bit distracted. Although I don't ask him about it, I know that he's avoiding me. After all, this is the first time

By evening, Lily sat in William’s office, her laptop open, reviewing the manifests Sofia had shown her. William worked at his desk, jacket discarded, sleeves rolled. The quiet between them was soft, filled with the rhythmic scratch of his pen and the faint hum of the city below. “You’re distracted,” William said suddenly, not looking up. Lily startled. “Just… thinking about Nany. And… the email.” He set his pen down and leaned back, studying her with that sharp, calculating gaze that so often intimidated others but never her. “Show me the email.”