"Why aren’t they even a little bit scared? It’s as if they’re just out for a post-dinner stroll."
Steward was utterly baffled. Previously, a couple of business partners had co to the island to discuss deals, and so were so terrified by the re sight of a leopard that they’d faint on the spot.
One ti, a leopard had to drag an unconscious man by his shirt to the villa’s doorstep for the security to carry him inside.
Then there was the guy who started screaming and running for his life at the sight of a tiger, only to be tackled by a few of them. The tigers didn’t hurt him; they just batted him around like a toy, sending him flying from one side to another, scaring him so bad he wet his pants. It took him days to recover from that ordeal.
Another partner tried to scare a tiger off with all sorts of intimidating noises and even cursed at it, only to be t with a look from the tiger as if it was watching soone retarded. In the end, out of options, he broke down crying and started sharing his tragic life story with the tiger.
But this pair of buyers was as cool as cucumbers. They were a first.
"Send the hounds to greet them."
When Sean ntioned hounds, he wasn’t referring to a nickna for one of his guys; he ant the actual dogs that guarded the property.
Horace followed his boss to the front of the villa, puzzled, "Boss, why aren’t there any of their guys out here?"
Instead, a well-trained pack of hounds lined up and started barking at their approach.
These hounds seed far more formidable than the tiger they had encountered earlier, each one tense and ready, as if they would tear them to shreds the mont they stepped through the gate.
Suddenly, Rosemary made a sound, a series of elongated, modulated tones that seed like she was communicating with the dogs.
Horace was flabbergasted. Was the boss talking to the hounds in so kind of animal language? He had seen so clips online of people doing that sort of thing, but this was real life, and facing a pack of
hounds like this, he’d never seen anyone actually attempt it.
Would it even work?
Back at the monitors, Steward’s jaw nearly hit the floor. One second, the hounds were barking madly at these strangers; the next, they parted to the sides, sitting down quietly, suddenly docile.
Sean paused in stroking the little tiger cub, amazed that the hounds he’d raised for so many years were showing such a friendly side to two strangers.
Horace’s eyes were wide with a mix of shock and admiration as he watched his boss walk into the villa with such nonchalance. He hesitated for half a second before hurrying to catch up.
To his surprise, the hounds didn’t make a move to attack; they just sat there, obediently on either side.
"Boss, how did you do that? What did you say to them? How do you understand animal talk? Are they actually listening to you??"
"I learned it from a friend." Rosemary glanced at him, "Wanna learn?"
"Yes, yes, yes!!" Horace nodded eagerly.
This was a life-saving skill! He couldn’t ask for more!
"I’ll teach you another ti."
As Rosemary entered the main building of the villa, two bodyguards stepped up to block their path.
"Co on, you guys were here this whole ti and didn’t co out to greet us? With all those hounds outside, we deserve a little more hospitality as buyers here to talk business," Horace complained.
But the bodyguards were aloof; they didn’t speak, only stretching out their hands indicating that Horace and Rosemary needed to pass through the security gate first.
Horace saw the gate, ornately disguised to blend with the rich decor. If it weren’t for the bodyguards’ gestures, they would never have recognized it as a security checkpoint.
The gate beeped promptly, and Horace surrendered all weapons he had on him, except for a chewing gum container.
He shook the gum container at the security gate, which remained silent, "Guess I can keep the gum, right? I like to pop a piece now and then. You guys want so?"
The bodyguards didn’t take a bribe, nor did they ask for one. Instead, they gestured for Rosemary to step forward.
Tossing her backpack over for inspection, Rosemary watched as her personal items were scrutinized.
Her Taser was confiscated, and even her acupuncture kit wasn’t spared, with the guards deciding to hold onto it for safekeeping.
"Seriously? Even the needles are considered weapons? Are you guys living under Sean’s thumb that much?"
If soone really wanted to sneak in a weapon, with all the beasts Sean had at his beck and call, they’d likely be mauled before they got five feet inside. It seed overly cautious to confiscate an acupuncture kit.
The two bodyguards remained stoically silent, their icy deanor unchanging, as they motioned for the guests to enter.
Horace felt speechless but proceeded inside, his jaw dropping at the opulence of the decor, "How much money does this Sean guy rake in?"
It had to be a hundred, maybe even a thousand tis more than their own boss.
To think, this was just his island ho. Horace couldn’t even fathom how his other residences might look.
In the living room, a sight caught Horace off guard - a tiny tiger cub scampered up to him, nearly giving him a heart attack, "Boss, there’s another tiger!"
That’s when Rosemary caught sight of the man lounging arrogantly in the pri seat. This was Sean?
The sa Sean who flirted shalessly, who stood by while his vice captain harassed the won in their team, who lost a car race to her, and even lost a fistfight to her?
As Horace noticed his boss’s silent stare, he followed her gaze to the man on the sofa. Oh no, it was Sean? The Sean? Just last night they’d tussled over Sam, and now they were practically walking into
the lion’s den.
"It’s you?" Sean sounded amused, as if the unfolding events were adding an interesting twist to his day.
"You-you’re Sean," Horace stamred in disbelief. Legend had it that in this country, no one could get anything done without Sean’s consent.
And now they had crossed such an influential figure. Looking more closely, Horace noticed Sean was casually stroking a tiger cub.
Another cub was growling at them, standing in front of him and his boss as if to intimidate them.
Horace’s knees buckled with fear. What kind of man was Sean, treating tigers as pets? Just terrifying.
"You actually dare to show up?" Steward hadn’t expected such easy prey, ready to command his n to seize them, when Sean spoke.
"Sit."
Rosemary took a seat across from him, while Horace, trembling, sat down beside her.
"Sean tells you to sit, and you actually sit?" Steward was shocked that these two dared to be on equal footing with Sean.
Horace was confused. Wasn’t he asked to sit? But was it actually okay to sit?
As he was about to stand, his boss spoke up, "Your boss expects to always look up to discuss cooperation? We co here, and you don’t even offer a chair to sit on. What kind of partnership is that?"
Steward had always found the girl arrogant and brazen, and seeing her now, she was even more so.
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