"Our stocks are overinflated and at this rate, we're going to form a bubble that'll burst pretty soon."

Fredrick's mouth was open in shock when he heard that. This was not what he thought he would be hearing today! Fredrick always thought that the family was very well off! He knew that the family's company had more than two hundred billion dollars in valuation, so he didn't think there were any issues they had to deal with! But if this was true, then they were going to lose a lot of money! Fredrick immediately asked Dante how much money they could lose over this situation, and Dante's answer shocked him!

"A hundred billion!? What the fuck was dad thinking!? What the fuck did he buy!?"

Dante shrugged to tell Fredrick that he didn't know the answer to that, and Fredrick ran his hand over his face in complete disbelief! Dante finally spoke up.

"Now you see why I need you there, don't you? I'm going to try my best to get us out of this problem, but it's not something I can do alone. I need someone to help me stay on the right side of the law even when I do less-than-lawful things. I need someone who understands the business in and out helping me, and I can't think of anyone else but you. You and I both know you aren't suited to be the boss of the family, Fredrick. But you are perfect for my right-hand man. Will you help me?"

Fredrick just looked at Dante with a hard look on his face before he turned to stare at the floor. This was a very important moment in the Lucas family. At this moment, a lot of things could be set into motion that would change how the family would grow in the future. There were already rumors in the family that a group of people were trying to get Fredrick to take back the position of boss from Dante, but if Fredrick were to agree to become Dante's consigliere, then not only would he be telling the rest of the family that he supported Dante as the boss, but he would also give Dante a much stronger standing in the company and all the investors would trust him more! But if Fredrick were to say no and turn away from Dante, then things could go straight in the other direction! The family would be torn apart into those who supported Fredrick and those who supported Dante, the investors would not fully trust Dante, and there might even be those who would want to get rid of Dante because of his inexperience.

And also, Dante knew that he would need Fredrick in the future because he didn't think there was anyone else in the world he could trust more than his brother. In truth, Fredrick was the only member of the Lucas family that Dante had never had any reason to distrust during his time there! There was always one thing or another with the other members of the family that caused Dante not to fully trust them! The matron had always hated Dante for being an illegitimate child, Angelina had almost caused Dante to be removed from the family, and Richard looked down on Dante as a servant. But Fredrick treated Dante like a brother even before he knew that he was really his brother. This was the person that Dante was willing to have at his side as he tried to save this family. So at this moment, Dante was truly hoping that Fredrick would say yes! This could mean the difference between a united family and a broken one!

Dante waited for a few seconds for Fredrick to let everything sink in, and the tension in the room just kept on growing. But finally, Fredrick clicked his tongue.

"Fuck! Fine then, if you need my help, I'll do it! But I have one condition. You tell me everything. I don't care whether you think I can handle it or not, I cannot be your lawyer if I don't know everything about this family. You will not hide things from me like our father did. You will let me know everything about what you're doing in this family, and in exchange, I'll make sure you never go beyond what I can save you from. Do we have an agreement?"

Dante smiled happily, and he stood and patted Fredrick on the shoulder before bringing him into a hug. Fredrick sighed before he smiled and hugged Dante back, and Dante spoke kindly.

"It's nice to have you back, brother. Thank you."

Fredrick hummed before he finally pulled back and said,

"So, tell me about your plan. How the hell are you going to save this family from what father did?"

Dante folded his hands and leaned back against the table again before he told Fredrick all he needed to know.

….

Harold Rogue didn't know what to make of Dante Lucas. When Harold had first initiated his plan to get close to Dante, he had heard that Dante was a ruthless man who had made a name for himself in the underworld as a very efficient killer. Dante Lucas was known as the Grim Reaper, and he was spoken about in very low whispers by various members of the underworld. But the person that Harold had seen speaking to the gathered shareholders just a few minutes ago was very different from the Dante Lucas that Harold had been expecting! What Harold had seen on that stage was a man who knew how to play the political game very well! Dante had the businessman's mentality, and he had spoken to the shareholders with a confidence and charisma that left them awed! Even now, Harold could still hear many shareholders talking about Dante like he was some sort of mythical being that they had discovered, and Harold found himself smiling at this.

This was perfect, and Harold couldn't help but be happy about the recent development.

'I thought I'd have to change his personality to make him more agreeable to the public, but it seems he's fine just the way he is. I'll just have to make sure no one notices the compulsion.'

Harold smiled at the woman who was talking to him and trying to subtly touch his arm while laughing, and he drank from his cup of wine while wondering what was taking Dante so long. Harold had asked Fredrick, the reject, to introduce him to Dante, and Harold knew that Dante would never reject an introduction from one of the Rogues. So the only thing that could be delaying Dante now is if there was some sort of serious meeting or a situation that popped up recently. But Harold decided not to allow the delay to bother him. After all, you couldn't rush such a delicate situation. Dante was a very important part of Harold's plans, and Harold couldn't allow his impatience to ruin things before he even got to sit with Dante. But Harold was sure of one thing—at the end of today, Dante would be his slave.

"… and my mother keeps telling me that I need to get married. She goes on about it almost every day, but I told her that I haven't found a man worthy of me yet. The men all around are more interested in my body than in what I can offer them business-wise. Doesn't it just irritate you when things like that happen?"

Harold smiled at the chattering woman, and he held back a frown when the woman stepped even closer to him. The woman was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but he wasn't interested in hearing about her search for a husband or how she wanted a man who would appreciate her for her mind and not her body. Harold knew that the only reason she was talking to him now was because she recognized him, and she knew how rich and powerful his family was, so didn't that just make her a hypocrite? If she was interested in men for their money and power, then what was wrong with them being interested in her for her body?

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