Read Online Cameron's Contract by Vanessa Fewings - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Vanessa Fewings
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in.
Shay and Henry rose to their feet to greet us.
Discreetly, I took a moment to check on Henry. After that dark reflection he’d just shared with us at lunch, I needed to know he was handling all this. His body language revealed he was holding up. His subconscious coping strategies had been effective. His playful banter with Shay was also a positive sign.
No matter how many times I told Henry how remarkable he was, it never seemed to sink in with him. Such was my brother’s nature.
“ So, what’s the plan?” said Shay.
I strolled over to the central table, rifled through the drawer, and removed several permanent black markers. “We’re going to gather intelligence. Profile each individual on the board.”
“ Find out their weak spot?” said Shay.
“ Strengths, weakness, where they live, how many children they have, their interests, work history, affairs—”
“ So we can blackmail them?” asked Shay.
I picked up one of the pens. “No, we play by the rules. That way after the vote we have re-secured their loyalty. We must shore up the foundation so this never happens again.” I strolled over to the far wall and pulled off the pen lid. “You’re going to bring me the information and I’m going to identify areas that will be used to sway the vote.”
“ I’m not sure I know enough about business,” said Mia.
“Not a problem. Let’s bring you up to speed. We have ten board members. Their responsibility is to protect the shareholders assets and make sure the return on their investments are profitable. The board holds a great deal of power. They recommend stock splits, approve the finances, and have the power to promote a merger or acquisition. Change their mind and we change the vote.”
“Well that seems simple enough,” said Shay sarcastically.
“It’s all Mia needs to know for our purpose,” I said.
“So after we’ve gathered all this,” said Shay. “We call them?”
“Visit them.” I glanced at my watch.
“But what if we sway them this year and next year this happens again?” said Shay.
“Dad’s reassured me his old attorney put an addendum in place to prevent it happening again.”
“Old?” said Shay.
“As in just died.”
“Suspiciously?”
“Heart attack on the golf course.”
“Another good reason never to play golf,” said Henry.
“What’s the first reason?” asked Shay.
“I hate golf.”
Mia sat up. “What kind of addendum?”
“I’ve yet to find it,” I said.
“It’s in that contract you were reading?”
“Yes.”
“Dad gave you a contract to read?” asked Henry.
“It’s five hundred pages long. Want to take a look?”
“I’m good,” he said.
I smiled and shook my head. “So, here’s where we start…”
We used the back wall to write the board members’ names and beneath it left a vertical space where we’d add in details. We set up three laptops found around the house and also utilized the desktop. We worked fast, starting with addresses, financial status, family members, and political preferences from voting records. We even managed to obtain medical data from their Cole Tea policies. Shay’s hacking skills came in handy on all fronts.
As Mia, Henry, and Shay began notating the information under each name, I sat in the corner watching footage, including interviews that had been conducted over the years, studying every perspective of each person.
I was so engrossed in a YouTube video of board member Leonard Maybury that I hadn’t noticed my mom enter. Rubbing the tiredness from my eyes, I realized she was standing stock-still, gaping at the wall’s graffiti.
“I’ll paint over it,” I told her.
She left and closed the door behind her.
After swapping a wary stare with Henry, I went back to the screen.
Twenty minutes later, Mom returned. She carried a tray with four mugs of coffee and proceeded to hand them out, adding milk and sugar as needed.
She smiled fondly at Mia as she prepared her
Shay and Henry rose to their feet to greet us.
Discreetly, I took a moment to check on Henry. After that dark reflection he’d just shared with us at lunch, I needed to know he was handling all this. His body language revealed he was holding up. His subconscious coping strategies had been effective. His playful banter with Shay was also a positive sign.
No matter how many times I told Henry how remarkable he was, it never seemed to sink in with him. Such was my brother’s nature.
“ So, what’s the plan?” said Shay.
I strolled over to the central table, rifled through the drawer, and removed several permanent black markers. “We’re going to gather intelligence. Profile each individual on the board.”
“ Find out their weak spot?” said Shay.
“ Strengths, weakness, where they live, how many children they have, their interests, work history, affairs—”
“ So we can blackmail them?” asked Shay.
I picked up one of the pens. “No, we play by the rules. That way after the vote we have re-secured their loyalty. We must shore up the foundation so this never happens again.” I strolled over to the far wall and pulled off the pen lid. “You’re going to bring me the information and I’m going to identify areas that will be used to sway the vote.”
“ I’m not sure I know enough about business,” said Mia.
“Not a problem. Let’s bring you up to speed. We have ten board members. Their responsibility is to protect the shareholders assets and make sure the return on their investments are profitable. The board holds a great deal of power. They recommend stock splits, approve the finances, and have the power to promote a merger or acquisition. Change their mind and we change the vote.”
“Well that seems simple enough,” said Shay sarcastically.
“It’s all Mia needs to know for our purpose,” I said.
“So after we’ve gathered all this,” said Shay. “We call them?”
“Visit them.” I glanced at my watch.
“But what if we sway them this year and next year this happens again?” said Shay.
“Dad’s reassured me his old attorney put an addendum in place to prevent it happening again.”
“Old?” said Shay.
“As in just died.”
“Suspiciously?”
“Heart attack on the golf course.”
“Another good reason never to play golf,” said Henry.
“What’s the first reason?” asked Shay.
“I hate golf.”
Mia sat up. “What kind of addendum?”
“I’ve yet to find it,” I said.
“It’s in that contract you were reading?”
“Yes.”
“Dad gave you a contract to read?” asked Henry.
“It’s five hundred pages long. Want to take a look?”
“I’m good,” he said.
I smiled and shook my head. “So, here’s where we start…”
We used the back wall to write the board members’ names and beneath it left a vertical space where we’d add in details. We set up three laptops found around the house and also utilized the desktop. We worked fast, starting with addresses, financial status, family members, and political preferences from voting records. We even managed to obtain medical data from their Cole Tea policies. Shay’s hacking skills came in handy on all fronts.
As Mia, Henry, and Shay began notating the information under each name, I sat in the corner watching footage, including interviews that had been conducted over the years, studying every perspective of each person.
I was so engrossed in a YouTube video of board member Leonard Maybury that I hadn’t noticed my mom enter. Rubbing the tiredness from my eyes, I realized she was standing stock-still, gaping at the wall’s graffiti.
“I’ll paint over it,” I told her.
She left and closed the door behind her.
After swapping a wary stare with Henry, I went back to the screen.
Twenty minutes later, Mom returned. She carried a tray with four mugs of coffee and proceeded to hand them out, adding milk and sugar as needed.
She smiled fondly at Mia as she prepared her
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