Chapter 11

Kane’s POV

I had barely taken my seat at the head of the boardroom table when the atmosphere told me everything I needed to know.

Jayson and Albert occupied their usual seats to my left. Like Ethan, they were investors in M&M. Years ago, we'd made a pact to support one another's companies, and we'd kept it ever since.

At the far end of the table on my right sat an empty leather chair.

Adrian's chair.

The idiot hadn't even bothered to show up, despite being the sole reason we were sitting here in the first place.

My jaw tightened in anger.

“Mr. Chairman.” Mr. Hargrove, the longest-standing shareholder outside of the Ravello family, cleared his throat and rose to his feet. “Thank you for honoring this meeting on such short notice.”

"Of course," I rasped. "Though I would appreciate it if we moved directly to the matter at hand.”

“I won't waste your time either.” Hargrove held my gaze steadily. “Which is why we called this meeting.” He paused, glancing around at the other board members, who nodded in silent agreement for him to proceed.

What the hell is going on here? I wondered.

“On behalf of the stakeholders, Mr. Ravello... I want you to understand that we are not figureheads. We are investors and we deserve to be involved in the company's decision making process.”

From across the table, I heard Jayson set his coffee cup down very carefully.

"Mr. Hargrove," I said, keeping my tone smooth. "With all due respect, I will not sit at this table to be lectured on partnership. If you have a specific concern, state it clearly without beating around the bush.”

A low murmur rippled around the long table. Albert shot me a warning glance, but I ignored him.

Hargrove didn't flinch. Instead, he reached for a dark folder in front of him and gestured for copies to be passed down the line.

“Three weeks ago,” he began, “as head of the budget department, we requested the annual procurement materials list from the sales department, which is our standard procedure.” He paused. “We were told it was unavailable.”

I arched an eyebrow in mild surprise but remained silent.

"We were told that the documentation was under internal review and would be released later… which raised questions. “So, we conducted our own inquiry." He looked directly into my eyes. "Mr. Ravello, are you aware that M&M's partnership with Kings Steel Regs…a partnership worth well over a billion dollars and spanning more than four years, has been terminated?"

The entire room went dead silent.

I sat up straight. "Excuse me?"

"Terminated," Hargrove repeated firmly. "And replaced with a new supplier….a company called Vertex Industries." He slid another document across the mahogany wood.

I stared at the paper and asked softly, “Have you contacted Kings?”

"Yes. Our team contacted Kings Steel Regs directly to ask why the contract was severed. We were informed that the termination was personally authorized by the Chairman of M&M." He leaned forward slightly.

My fingers gripped the edges of the folder so hard the cardboard crumpled beneath my knuckles.

Adrian… what the fuck are you doing? I growled within.

"Mr. Ravello," another shareholder spoke up, leaning back with crossed arms. “With all due respect, sir… you need to get your brother in order.”

The boardroom erupted into panicked chatter. Voices overlapped, filling the high-ceilinged room as Albert and Jayson tried to restore order.

“If these materials are inferior, every project we've completed in the past year could be compromised!”

“We could be sued for everything we're worth!”

“Our stock value will plummet if this gets public! What happens to our shares?”

“That's enough.” I raised a hand, and the room fell silent instantly.

"Thank you," I said, turning my gaze back to Hargrove. “Did you find out when this change was authorized?"

"Twelve months ago," Hargrove answered.

Twelve months! For an entire year, I had been completely blind to the fact that the backbone of M&M Construction, our entire supply chain…..had been secretly swapped out.

Fuck.

I never should have listened to my grandmother when I brought up his incompetence years ago.

‘Stop micromanaging him, Kane. He’ll learn better on the job. Give him room to grow,’ she had insisted.

I had given him room.

I hope you can see what your beloved grandson is doing to the company you spent your life building.

Then, a troubling realization struck me.

"How was this authorized without my approval?" I asked, unable to hide the disbelief in my voice. "The procurement director reports directly to me."

"They were informed that you personally signed off on the transition,” Hargrove answered calmly.

I pressed two fingers against my temple, feeling a headache forming.

"And why are we only hearing about this now?" I asked. "Why didn't Kings Steel Regs contact me directly when the termination notice arrived?"

"They were shown an approval bearing your signature."

"My signature?"

"Yes."

Blood drained from my face. "I never signed that document."

If Adrian had forged my signature, this wasn't incompetence anymore. It was a fraud.

Family blood be damned. I'll have him punished severely for this illegal act.

Morrison, a quiet shareholder who rarely spoke up, cleared his throat from three seats down. "Adrian Ravello is the Head of Sales for this company, yet despite receiving the board notification, he is nowhere to be found. It is clear he cares nothing for this enterprise.”

“Noted," I said flatly.

“If the Ravello family cannot even operate in unison, why should we continue to invest?" Morrison asked, the sharp displeasure in his tone undeniable.

I said nothing. He was right. If I were in his shoes, I would be pulling my money out, too.

"Let's call him," someone at the far end of the table suggested. "Right now. Put him on speaker. Let him explain himself to the board."

I signaled Mrs. Hawkins via intercom to dial his mobile through the conference system in the center of the table.

The room went completely still.

Every eye was glued to the digital display as Adrian's number connected. The line rang once. Twice. Then…

“You've reached Adrian Ravello. Whoever you are, be informed… I am currently on vacation. A vacation that isn't ending anytime soon. Any important messages can be directed to my PA. Otherwise… have fun!”

Click. The line went dead.

Mr. Hargrove exhaled a sharp, disgusted breath, while Jayson pressed a firm fist against his mouth, struggling to suppress a sudden burst of laughter.

"Gentlemen." I placed my palms flat on the table and stood up. "I owe this board an apology. What happened here should never have transpired. It is a failure of internal oversight, and I take full responsibility for it." I looked each man in the eye. "The supplier situation will be thoroughly investigated and rectified. Kings Steel Regs will be contacted by me personally before the end of the week, and every single question will be answered with complete transparency." I gathered my documents. "This meeting is adjourned."

The shareholders filed out in hushed murmurings, leaving only myself, Albert, and Jayson in the heavy silence.

“On vacation,” Jayson quoted, lowering his hand. "'That isn't ending anytime soon.'"

"Don't," I warned.

"I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking it loudly."

"Why?" Albert spoke up finally, his tone brooding. "Why did he change the supplier?" Albert pressed. "Adrian is many things, but he isn't a complete idiot. You don't forge your brother's signature and swap a primary supplier without knowing it will eventually blow up in your face.”

‘If only you knew about the fire he's lit under my home, too.’ I thought, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I think the real question we should be asking," Jayson chimed in, leaning forward, "is what he stands to gain from Vertex Industries.”

"That," I said quietly, "is exactly what I intend to find out.”