Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
One time, 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 met with a look from the tiger as if it was watching someone 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 mentioned hounds, he wasn’t referring to a nickname for one of his guys; he meant 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 seemed far more formidable than the tiger they had encountered earlier, each one tense and ready, as if they would tear them to shreds the moment they stepped through the gate.Suddenly, Mirabella made a sound, a series of elongated, modulated tones that seemed like she was communicating with the dogs.
Horace was flabbergasted. Was the boss talking to the hounds in some kind of animal language? He had seen some 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.” Mirabella 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 time.”
As Mirabella entered the main building of the villa, two bodyguards stepped up to block their path.”Come on, you guys were here this whole time and didn’t come 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 Mirabella 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 some?”
The bodyguards didn’t take a bribe, nor did they ask for one. Instead, they gestured for Mirabella to step forward.
Tossing her backpack over for inspection, Mirabella 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 someone 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 seemed overly cautious to confiscate an acupuncture kit.
The two bodyguards remained stoically silent, their icy demeanor 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 times more than their own boss.
To think, this was just his island home. 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 Mirabella caught sight of the man lounging arrogantly in the prime seat. This was Sean?The same Sean who flirted shamelessly, who stood by while his vice captain harassed the women 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 stammered 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 men to seize them, when Sean spoke.
“Sit.”
Mirabella 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 come 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.
“What’s more, it’s Sean who tells us to sit, and yet you rejected it. What, are you in charge?” Steward was suspicious that this girl was provoking dissension, feeling the weight of Sean’s icy stare. He was trembling, not from cold, but from fear. He’d never dare to act like he ran the place. This girl was stirring the pot, trying to paint him in a bad light.
“If it wasn’t for Mr. Bynes speaking up for you last night, you think you could’ve just walked away scot-
free?” Sean lounged back on the plush sofa, casually stroking a well-behaved cub, his tone nonchalant.
Mr. Bynes? Who?
When she and Horace had hurriedly left the night before, she did recall seeing a preppy guy who had spoken up for her at the race track.
Could he be Mr. Bynes? But why would a total stranger stick his neck out for her, not once, but repeatedly?
“Since you’re so keen on that island.”
Sean didn’t finish his sentence before Mirabella cut in bluntly, “It’s not that I’m dying to have it.”
The room fell silent, confused.
“It’s too pricey for my blood.”
Sean’s smirk grew wider, “Your bank balance isn’t my concern. You want the island? Show me you mean business.”
A bodyguard brought over a bottle of fine red wine and two glasses, implying that Mirabella should pour Sean a drink as a gesture of goodwill.”Our boss is a big deal, how dare you!”
With a smile, Mirabella grabbed the corkscrew and effortlessly uncorked the bottle, releasing a waft of the rich aroma.
Top-shelf stuff. She poured the wine carefully, letting it cascade down the glass walls, filling it just a third of the way to let the bouquet develop before adding a bit more.
Picking up the glass, she gently swirled it, allowing the wine to mingle with the oxygen, enhancing the fragrance.
She placed one glass before Sean and poured herself another. His amusement was evident now.
Impressed that such a young thing knew her way around a bottle of wine. With a vintage like this, a couple of swirls was all it took – no need for more. This girl knew her wine.
“You drink often?”
“Never.”
“Know how much this bottle’s worth?”
“Around 300 grand.”
Horace’s eyes bulged at the mention. 300 grand for wine, just for hosting guests? Talk about living large.
“But to Sean, this is probably just run-of-the-mill.”
Only good enough for guests.”And you know this how?”
“Even the guest glasses here are worth a fortune. When it comes to wine, you don’t pinch pennies.”
Steward was taken aback; the young lady had hit the nail on the head. Sean was indeed a connoisseur, and not only that, he had a collection of pricey glasses. The wine he usually drank made this one look like table wine.
Who would’ve thought the young lady had such refined taste?
“Here’s to you,” Mirabella said, standing before Sean with her glass raised.