Chapter 4 - The Wedding Reception Was Also a Trap
The reception was for one of Rafael’s cousins.
But almost every voting Montaro relative had attended.
That detail suddenly mattered.
The next morning, the family holding company was scheduled to conduct its annual governance meeting.
Routine on paper.
Not routine anymore.
Michael showed Rafael a draft agenda recovered from an email thread.
Item seven:
Emergency discussion regarding executive temperament, reputational risk, and leadership continuity.
Attached:
A proposed resolution allowing the board to place Rafael on temporary administrative leave if his conduct created “material family or corporate reputational harm.”
Rafael sat back.
“They were going to remove me tomorrow.”
Michael shook his head.
“They were going to try.”
“Based on what?”
Michael gave him a grim look.
“Possibly based on what happened today.”
Rafael understood.
Formal guests.
Family shareholders.
A child humiliated publicly.
Lucille provocative.
Celina laughing.
Derek ready to charge.
And Rafael responding physically in front of everyone.
They had not needed Rafael to start the conflict.
They needed him to finish it badly.
The broken buffet was not only wreckage.
It was evidence they hoped to use.
May you like
And Rafael had given them some.
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