Page 47 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

The members took turns speaking out against his father, each listing a reason why his father was unfit to be president. As the meeting progressed and the board members continued to disrespect his father's leadership, Orazio found himself walking a dangerous tightrope between restraint and violence.

Every word spoken against his dad fueled his desire to make them all pay.Hecould be angry with his dad.Hecould want to make his father pay for what he'd done to Monique.Hecould question his dad's business decisions and life decisions.

But these bitches didn't have that right. They'd never done so in the past. They were only doing so now because Patrick had given them the balls to do so. Once those balls were chopped off, that bravery would disappear.

Then they'd go back to quietly making money behind the scenes. After they finished listing their reasons why his father should step down as president, Patrick spoke up again.

"Perhaps it's time for a change in leadership," Patrick muttered before sighing, his voice dripping with false concern. "We all agree that a Cattaneo should be at the helm, but maybe our current president is... how do I put this delicately? No longer fit for the role."

The board members murmured their agreement. Orazio clenched his fists beneath the table, his knuckles turning red. A storm brewed inside Orazio, threatening to unleash its fury at any moment.

"Who exactly does the board think would be a better fit,Uncle?" Orazio asked, his voice deceptively calm even as anger roiled within him.

Patrick's lips curled into a wicked smile. The kind one wore when they believed they held all the cards. Having all the cards wasn't a good thing when the game was chess, not poker.

"That's what we're voting on today, nephew. I'm sorry, since you're not an official board member, your vote doesn't count."

"If this is a board meeting, why is Mr. Tatum here?" Raz asked, glaring at Tatum.

Patrick cleared his throat before responding. "Mr. Tatum is here as a witness to add validity to our claims."

"Oh, really?" Orazio growled through gritted teeth. "I can't wait to hear what the esteemed Mr. Tatum has to say."

Orazio's eyes flicked to Cas, who glared at Mr. Tatum with murderous intent. Slowly, Raz rose from his seat, every muscle in his body tense, ready to strike. He began walking around the room as the board members' eyes tracked his every movement.

"Mr. Tatum," Orazio said as he began to circle the table. "What proof do you have that our father is unfit to be president?"

Tatum hesitated for a moment before launching into a list of accusations, each one more outrageous than the last. According to Tatum, president Cattaneo used criminal means to gain a few of the newer businesses under the Cattaneo Corp umbrella.

He'd also murdered a few businessmen in order to attain their businesses. If investigated, Mr. Tatum feared the entire Cattaneo Corp would go down with the president. Orazio wanted to ask,what the fuck does that have to do with you?But he kept silent in order to keep his cool.

There was only one way Mr. Tatum could know all this secret info. Uncle Patrick had to have told him. Uncle Patrick had given their enemy intel on his own brother. For that, Orazio would never forgive him.

For that, the family would never forgive him. By doing so, Patrick had ruined his chances of ever becoming don. Their family didn't like snitches. Neither Orazio nor Bryce would have to worry about making Uncle Patrick pay for what he'd done.

Their other uncles and cousins would handle that for them as soon as Orazio filled them in on what had gone down today at this meeting. As Orazio walked around the table, his eyes never left his target,Tatum's bitch ass.

"Furthermore," Tatum continued, oblivious to the danger closing in on him. "The president tried to cover up the misdeeds of his son."

Raz's gaze snapped to Cas, who looked like a caged animal, ready to pounce and tear Tatum apart.

Gritting his teeth as he neared Tatum's chair, Orazio demanded, "What misdeeds?"

"Ah, w-well," Tatum stammered, opening the folder before him and pulling out a sheet of paper. "I have proof that Caspari Cattaneo assaulted my daughter, and the president covered it up by..."

Before Tatum could finish, Raz's hand shot out, gripping the back of the man's head and slamming it onto the table with a deafening thud. The entire surface shook, causing glasses to rattle and papers to scatter.

"Is that proof of my brother and father's misdeeds or proof that your daughter is a lying bitch?" Orazio snarled, his grip still tight on the back of Tatum's head.

A board member seated across from Tatum shot to his feet, outrage burning in his eyes.

"Stop! Before we call in our guards," the man shouted. "You're proving his point right now! You're proving that the current president and his sons are unfit to lead."

Without hesitation, Orazio drew his gun and fired at the complaining board member, striking him in the arm. Blood seeped between the man's fingers as he clutched his wounded arm, shock, and pain replacing the outrage in his gaze.

Chairs scraped across the floor as board members prepared to rush from the room. Leo moved to stand in front of the door, preventing anyone from leaving. The members remained seated, looking to Patrick for help.

But all Patrick could do was glare at his son, Bryce, who had his gun pointed at his father. From the look in his uncle's eyes, Raz knew his uncle was afraid and truly believed Bryce would fire his weapon. The room went dead silent, the tension thick enough to choke on.

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