"Alright, I ept," Edward said, continuing, "I must, after witnessing the determination you''ve invested in this. I can''t bring myself to reject it any longer, especially since I stand to gain the most from it."


    Edward smiled, though he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was amiss with William. William was smiling too, but there was an unsettling exuberance in his expression— more than Edward''s, which seemed imusible.


    It almost felt like he William was the one who about to get the most out of this deal when it wasn''t like that.


    ''What is he so pleased about?'' Edward pondered. ''Is it because he managed to broker a deal with a prestigious house on his own, or because his proposal was epted? Whatever the reason, something feels off.''


    "So, when should I transfer the money?" William inquired.


    "Whenever you like, though it would be best if you could do so within a week." Edward suggest.


    William nodded "Alright. Once I draft the contract and we both sign it, I''ll hand over the money immediately. How does that sound?"


    "Yes, that sound good to me. But for reassurance, let me ask you again— are you sure this is the way you want to do this?" Edward asked, repeating his question.


    "Yes, I''m sure. And are you fully on board with this as well?" William countered.


    Edward nodded, "Yes, I am."


    "Alright then, let''s seal it with a handshake." William stood and extended his hand. Edward rose as well, and they shook hands. The moment they did something unusual happened to them.


    As their hands sped, an unusual sensation washed over them. William felt a strange chill as his eyes momentarily lost their usual warmth, a coldness permeating them. This coldness mirrored in Edward''s eyes, yet neither of them noticed.


    They shook hands absentmindedly, and before long, the coldness dissipated, leaving Edward unaffected while William couldn''t shake the feeling that something peculiar had urred. ''Whoa, what was that?'' he wondered.


    Anne''s voice echoed in his mind, ''That was the new skill doing its work.''


    As if on cue, a few notifications materialized before William''s eyes:


    [ Conditions Have Been Met ]


    [ The Skill ''Deal With Heaven'' Is Currently Activated And Linking With Its Target ]


    [ The Target, Edward Saintsgate, Is Being Linked ]


    [ Link Connection Active ]


    [ The Skill Will Start To Take Effect Starting Tomorrow ]


    William quickly read the notifications and thought, ''That was fast. I didn''t expect it to start affecting him by tomorrow.''


    ''No, he won''t be fully affected tomorrow,'' Anne rified. ''The notification said it will start to affect him, so the influence will only begin tomorrow and gradually intensify.''


    ''But it will progress more rapidly than usual, correct?'' William asked.


    ''Absolutely. The next time you see him, you might not recognize the man standing before you. The change will be quite amazing,'' Anne assured.


    William allowed himself a small smile, sensing that her words might indeed hold true.


    After that, the two men discussed business and other matters, primarily focusing on the expedition project. Edward did most of the talking, while William absorbed as much information as he could, careful not to betray hisck of knowledge. He wisely chose to remain mostly silent, nodding along with Edward''s words.


    A few minutester, Edward stood up, signaling that their meeting wasing to an end. William felt relieved, thinking it was time to leave, but he was mistaken.


    "Why don''t we visit the gallery? I''d like to show you some of my private collection." Edward suggested.


    William struggled to maintain his smile and replied, "…Sure, after you." They both stood and made their way to the gallery, where Edward began to showcase every piece of artwork he had acquired, whether by purchase or through other means.


    After nearly an hour, Edward concluded the tour and said, "Well, I''ve kept you here long enough, and it''s getting dark outside. I think we should call it a day."


    William brightened like a candle and said, "Yeah, you''re absolutely right."


    "Why don''t I walk you to your car?" Edward offered, and they strolled together. As they walked, Edward asked, "How did you find my collection? I hope you didn''t find it boring."


    William put on his best performance, "Of course not. I found it quite… mind refreshing. I didn''t realize art could be so unique. No one has ever shown me… that kind of art before." He shivered as a chill ran down his spine, causing the hairs on his arms to stand on end.


    Edward smiled, "Good! Art is truly something that can only be appreciated by those who understand life and its vicissitudes. It''s refreshing to see someone so young take an interest in it." Had he been more observant, Edward might have noticed the insincerity in William''s expression. But for most of the time, Edward had been too engrossed in exining the artwork, often losing himself in it.


    "If we had more time, I could have shown you my other private collection." Edward added, piquing William''s curiosity.


    "Other collection?"


    "Yes, this gallery is just for public disy. The true masterpieces are in my private collection. Next time you visit, I''ll be sure to show it to you and exin every detail." Edward said with a smile.


    William wasn''t sure whether tough or cry upon hearing this. He managed a brief smile that seemed to falter under some unspoken pressure as he replied, "Sure… I''d like that… much."


    They exchanged a few more pleasantries before William''s car arrived. "It seems my ride is here, so this is goodbye." William said.


    "Yes, and I''ll be waiting for your response." Edward replied.


    "One week, right?"


    Edward nodded, and William said, "Alright, I''ll draw up the contract ande back."


    "Alright." Edward agreed, as William got into the car. It slowly pulled away from the estate, disappearing from Edward''s view. Shortly after, another car pulled up— equally stylish, though perhaps not as luxurious as William''s.


    The car stopped right in front of Edward, and a beautiful woman stepped out. She appeared to be in her early twenties, though in reality, she was in her thirties, only a few years younger than Edward. She was stunning, and had William seen her, he would have immediatelymented on her supermodel-like appearance.


    The woman walked straight to Edward and embraced him. "Honey, how was it? Did the meeting go well?"


    "It started off a bit strange, but," Edward smiled, "it went very well in the end."


    The woman smiled too. "That''s great. I hope the father and son duo met your expectations?"


    "Well… the father has some problems at work, so he sent his son instead."


    The woman looked perplexed. "But you said the meeting went well?"


    Edward nodded, "Yes, it did. I wasn''t sure if the young man was already aware of what I was about to propose, but he was quite perceptive and even a step ahead of me on the matter."


    The woman widened her eyes and teasingly said, "A young man more perceptive than the great Edward Saintsgate? Now, that is something truly peculiar."


    Edward chuckled at his wife''s jest and said, "Let''s see if the boy can keep his word, or if he''ll crumble under the pressure."