Clarise
By the time Connor and I stroll inside the conference room, everyone’s already sitting at the large table. There’s a total of twelve people around the table (fourteen, now that Connor and I are here as well), and closed dossiers sit in front of each one of them.
The board is made up of some of the toughest business operators in the world (and they all have deep pockets to match their toughness), and I can’t help but feel slightly intimidated as I take my seat at the top of the table, next to my father. Connor sits on the other side, nodding at the whole table.
“Hello, gentlemen,” he greets them all, his tone one of supreme confidence. If I didn’t know it, I could almost say that Connor was the CEO of the company.
“Connor, Clarise,” my father starts in a solemn tone. “I’ve already informed the board that Earl is no longer part of the company, so that’s taken care of.”
“An unfortunate matter of events,” a grisly man at the end of the table says, his long white hair making him look like the business version of Hemingway. His name is John, but everyone just uses his surname, Sullivan. “But, if I’m allowed to say it, it’s for the better. He wasn’t cut out for this,” he finishes, and a few more board members nod their agreement.
“But still,” Richard, another of the members, says. He’s still in his early fifties, not a single grey hair peeking from his perfectly combed hair, “we have to worry about the implications of what Earl was doing. If he was really involved in some illegal scheme, we have no idea if he has already pulled the company into something shady. We’ll have to review every single project he has worked on, and that --”
“I’ve already taken care of that,” Connor says, pushing his chair back and going up to his feet. Placing his closed fists on the table, he stands as tall as a God. “The moment I had my first suspicions about Earl, I started a thorough investigation. I personally reviewed every single transaction he was involved in. Despite his lack of success and profitability, there was nothing illegal about what he did. Now, if he had managed to make the company invest in Red Lion Aviation, there’d be trouble. But he was stopped before he could do any damage and, as such, everyone in this room is safe.”
“Now that’s impressive,” Sullivan says, nodding his approval. “It seems that this young man really lives up to Edward’s reputation.”
“Thank you, sir,” Connor smiles, sitting back down and looking at my father, waiting for him to address the board again.
“It’s true,” my father continues, “Connor’s been doing a great job ever since he started to work with us. But now, I have some important news to share with all of you. Taking into account what happened today, I’ve made an important decision.”
I notice a few of the board members shifting in their seats, anxious to see what kind of decision my father could've made in such a short amount of time, but they seem to relax as my father opens up into a smile.
“Six months from now, I’ll be vacating my position as head of the company,” he says, and that anxiousness creeps upon the face of the board members once more. With my father stepping down, who the hell is going to take the helm of the company? Earl was the one pegged to be his successor, but with him out of the picture… Unless…
Oh.
Can it be?
“During these six months, my daughter will be acting as interim CEO. After that, she’ll take the reigns of this company,” he gives everyone a moment to allow what he said to sink in, and then he places one hand on my shoulder. “Despite being the leader of my family, I never realized the kind of man Earl was. If Connor and Clarise hadn’t stopped him, this company would've ended up becoming a ruin. As such, it’s time I step down and give my daughter what she deserves. I propose we move to a vote.”
“Very well,” Sullivan says, leaning back against his chair and grinning. “I vote yes,” he continues, raising one hand up in the air. “I just don’t understand what took you so long, Jonathan. Clarise has been doing a tremendous job ever since she started assisting this board, and I can’t think of anyone else to follow after you.”
“Seconded,” Richard says, nodding solemnly and raising his hand up in the air. One after the other, all members of the board raise their hands. I watch it happen with my jaw hanging open, barely believing what’s happening right in front of my eyes. Is this a dream?
To have my Connor by my side would suffice to make this the greatest day of my life, but now this… Seriously, can someone die of happiness? Because I’m afraid that might happen right now.
“I don’t even know what to say…” I start, going up to my feet and addressing the board.
“If I were you,” my father says, “I’d keep Connor as your senior adviser.” He smiles at me, and then gives me a heartfelt wink.
“That’s an excellent idea. If Connor still wants the position, of course,” I say, looking at him hopefully. He just smiles back at me and nods, no words needed for him to reply.
“With that done, then… I want to announce that I intend to follow my father’s philosophy. The company will slowly transition into new markets. We’ll start with merchant banking and shipping, and we’ll go from there. Our focus will be on building a legacy, not on turning profit at all cost. I believe that if we focus on legacy, the money will follow. No need to sacrifice our integrity to stuff our bank accounts.”
“Now that’s quite a speech for a CEO,” Sullivan says with a grin, and then he leads a round of applause. I just stand there, looking at the scene in front of me and barely believing it.
This is the best day of my life.