Page 46 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

This little act was just to show the board members that Patrick was the one with authority and knowledge. How would they feel if Raz put a bullet in his uncle's head and let all his knowledge spill out on the table? Raz took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Violence wasn't the answer. Not yet.

"You see, the Cattaneo Corporation wasn't always the powerhouse it is today. It took blood, sweat, and tears to build it from the ground up. And while your father played a crucial role, it was the collective efforts of the board that truly shaped our empire."

"Is that so?" Orazio asked, his jaw clenched. He knew better than to buy into Patrick's twisted version of events, but for now, he'd play along.

"Absolutely," Patrick continued, a smug grin spreading across his face. "The board has always held the reins, guiding the company through its many successes and navigating treacherous waters when necessary. After all, it's the board that holds the ultimate power, not any single president or vice president."

"Interesting," Orazio mused.

This newfound emphasis on the board's importance was clearly a thinly veiled power play, and he'd be damned if he let his uncle wrest control of the family business from his father. That board shit may be important in other companies. But Cattaneo Corp was no ordinary company. His father was a fucking don, not some ordinary CEO.

"Indeed," Patrick agreed, his eyes narrowing as he gauged Orazio's reaction. "Now that you understand the significance of the board, I trust you'll respect our decisions going forward."

"I'm just curious about how you all plan to make decisions without the president present?" Raz said. "Or, as his son, do I get to cast my vote in his place? And since there are three sons present, do each of our votes count separately, uncle?"

"I said you could listen in, maybe provide feedback. I never said you could vote," Patrick drawled.

"I see no reason why I shouldn't, considering my father is the president."

Uncle Patrick leaned forward in his seat. "It seems we failed in educating the young generation properly. Yes, your father is the current president. But remember, it was my grandfather who started the Cattaneo Corporation. And it was my father who sought investors when the businesses started declining."

No, Raz thought to himself. Grandfather considered approaching investors only after he encountered problems with the IRS. Problems the consigliere hadn't been able to get around because an enemy had reported them.

Grandfather had sought investors when he needed clean money to fund the business and didn't want the IRS looking into other Cattaneo businesses where dirty money was being used. The investors provided a clean paper trail, nothing more.

And all the men in this room knew that. They knew they were simply clean money to the Cattaneo family. And the relationship was mutually beneficial. Their clean money had made them richer over the years, thanks to the Cattaneo family.

It wasn't their job to complain about the president. They were just puppets. Or had Patrick been working his endgame in the background for years, making these men believe they were more valuable than they actually were?

That was a possibility. His uncle continuedteachingRaz how the business worked. And Raz didn't interrupt his uncle. He let him continue talking his fairy tale shit. When Raz started to talk his real shit, he hoped his uncle would show him the same respect.

"Those first investors who stepped in to help my father are our major shareholders, and they make up the board. Some havepassed their memberships on to their sons, which is why there are some new faces at the table today."

Patrick gestured towards the men seated around the table. Raz didn't spare them a second glance. He was almost one hundred percent sure Rome was currently looking into them. The sound of Rome's fingers clicking away at the keyboard was the soundtrack to this meeting.

"It was the board who appointed father as the president after giving him the capital to get the Cattaneo Corporation running smoothly," Patrick continued. "They could've made him the vice president or an official board member. They had the authority to do so. But they trusted him with the company and their money. So, they made him the president of Cattaneo Corporation."

As if grandfather would've accepted any other role.

"I know this may sound foreign to you. You and your brothers, along with my son, only manage the casinos and some of the smaller businesses that do not fall under the Cattaneo Corporations umbrella. But as for the bigger businesses, those with board members who aren't just our family members, things work differently."

His uncle was right about that. Raz's businesses were easier to manage because he didn't have to deal with this type of bureaucratic shit.

"When my father passed the corporation to my brother," Patrick drawled. "He, too, knew he had to answer to the board. He knew that though he was the president, he was not above the board. Right now, the board has questions for him. But none of us have been able to reach the president. Does that seem like acceptable behavior for a president?" Patrick asked.

"Before we discuss what's acceptable for a president, first tell me why the meeting was called in the first place. What did the president do toforceyou to call a meeting?"

"I like your word choice, nephew. And you are right. We wereforcedto do this. I didn't want this. I still don't."

Bull motherfucking shit!

It was taking everything in him to keep his cool. Next to him, he felt Cas tapping his foot on the floor. His brother was also trying not to snap. How long would they be able to keep their tempers in check? Raz's guess was not much longer.

"So, you all have complaints about the president?" Raz drawled. Members of the board nodded. "May I hear them?" Raz asked.

Their gazes jerked to Patrick, who nodded his head, giving them permission to speak. That gesture only pissed Raz off more and proved that Patrick already had a hold over these men. The question was, did they listen to him out of respect or fear? Raz didn't know yet.

Either way, these men were on his uncle's side. His father didn't stand a chance with the entire board against him. Luckily, Raz didn't give a damn about this board or their money. And soon, he would show them that.

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