What preparations had William made to correct that mistaken first impression?
A porn tape was playing on the television, and several raunchy magazines lay scattered across the bed.
But to the clever Sionis, all this looked more like a clumsy attempt to cover something up.
"Last time... tsk... that was a little accident. I'd just taken a hit, and my head wasn't very clear!"
That explanation sounded even more fake. The Maroni Family strictly prohibited drug use, and anyone caught would have a thumb chopped off.
If William really was the devious, underhanded schemer Charloes had described, a man with ambitions of usurping power, he would never touch that stuff.
So what exactly was this guy after?
Sionis had already braced himself for another round of workplace harassment, but when William put on a harmless face, it only stirred up fresh panic inside him.
As everyone knew, people often became frightening when they started hiding their true intentions. That rule held true in horror movies and real life alike.
Like a child who had done something wrong, Sionis sat obediently on a chair in the corner.
Seated on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed, William spoke at length.
"So here's what I think. Bringing our businesses into line could greatly reduce violent incidents in the area. By that, I mean shrinking the scale of illegal operations on one hand and raising their service standards on the other."
Had Sionis listened closely, he would have been surprised by how closely William's management philosophy resembled his own.
Unfortunately, his mind was occupied entirely with guessing William's true intentions.
He must be after my body. Intimidation didn't work, so now he's putting on an act. Nothing else could explain the difference.
After briefly outlining his ideas, William stood and beckoned.