CHAPTER 16
1104 Words
The Parkinson Group boardroom was a pit of cobras, and they were all hissing at once. Jace took his seat at the head of the huge mahogany table. Reynolds stood like a statue at his shoulder as the wave of their panic crash over him.
“—catastrophic devaluation! Eighteen percent in a single hour!” “My phone has not stopped ringing! Investors are demanding answers!” “Thai is exactly what we were afraid of! Inexperience at the height!”
An older man with a flat face and a too tight collar, Mr Albright, slammed his hand on the table. “This leak, this….this disaster! It never happened under Jonathan’s watch. He would have contained it.”
Jace folded his fingers together, with a calm expression on his face. “And how would he have contained a leak of internal financials, Mr Albright? By wishing it away?”
A woman with iron rimmed glasses, Miss Theroux, leaned forward. “Don’t be funny. This is serious. The vultures are circling. We have shareholders ready to sell immediately at the opening bell to cut their losses. If that happens, the crash will be irreversible.”
“Then let them sell,” Jace said blankly.
The room became silent instantly as everyone stared at him in shock, stunned by his audacity.
“Let them sell?” Albright spluttered. “Are you mad? That would trigger a downhill!”
“It would trigger a fire sale,” Jace corrected. “And we will be the ones holding the control button.” He looked around the table, meeting each pair of fearful, angry eyes. “This company is fundamentally strong. A leaked document doesn’t change that. It only create a discount for those with the stomach to see the bigger picture.”
Miss Theroux shook her head. “Your optimism is….misplaced. This discount’ could cost us our company. The timing, right after the Montgomery deal…it reeks of a planned attack. You have made us a target.”
“And you clearly out of your senses,” Albright finished blankly. “This proves it. The will was a mistake. We need leadership that understands these waters. We need stability. We need Marcus Foster.”
A murmur of agreement settled in the room.
“Marcus has been preparing for this his entire life,” Albright continued, daringly. “He has the relationships, you should relinquish executive authority to him. Let him steer the ship through this storm before you run us all under the ground.”
Jace didn’t flinch. He allowed the silence hang, heavy and oppressive, until very eye was fixed on him.
“Are you finished?” He asked quietly.
Albright blinked. “I…I beg your pardon?”
“Your proposal. Your vote of no confidence. Is it all on the table?” Jace asked. “Because if it is, my response is this….No.”
He stood up and placed his palms flat on the table.
“I will not be relinquishing anything. Not my authority, not my shares, and certainly not this company to a man who would burn it to the ground just to claim the ashes for himself.” He looked directly at Albright. “If you wish to sell your shares, do it. There will be a buyer. I can personally guarantee it.”
Without another word, he turned and walked out with Reynolds falling into step behind him. The board was left in stunned, furious silence.
Jace was in his office, watching the timer continue it’s countdown, when the door opened without a knock. Marcus Foster walked in, with a concerned expression on his face.
“Jace! I came as soon as I heard. My God, what a mess.” He shook his head in obvious false sympathy. “The board is in an uproar. I just had old man Albright on the phone, practically in tears. They are scared.”
“I noticed,” Jace said, without bothering to look at him.
“Listen,” Marcus said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I know we got off on the wrong foot. Family, right? It is complicated. But this…this is an attack on all of us. On Grandfather’s legacy. I want you to know I am here for you. We are in this together.”
Jace finally turned, a small, cold smile playing on his lips. “Together. That is reassuring, cousin. Tell me, what do you make of the leak?”
Marcus stared at Jace in feigned innocence. “The leak? A tragedy. A disgrace. Someone with a grudge, no doubt. Or a short-seller trying to make a quick fortune. It is hard to say.”
“It is,” Jace agreed and walked toward him. “The timing is so perfect. Almost as if the person who leaked it knew exactly when to cause the most damage. When to spook the most shareholders into selling.”
Marcus held his hands up. “A ruthless strategy, I must confess. But who would be that calculating?”
“Who indeed!” Jace stopped just in front of him. “Someone who stands to gain everything if the stock prices collapse and the new CEO is forced out before his one year is up.”
Marcus smiled thinly. “A compelling theory. But without proof, it is just a theory. And we Fosters stick together. We don’t air our dirty laundry in public. Which is why I am here. Let me help you. Let us have drinks this week. We can strategize. I have contacts. I can help you find the culprit.”
Jace smiled. “That is a generous offer. But unnecessary.”
“Nonsense! Don’t be proud. This is too big—”
“I already know who did it,” Jace interrupted calmly.
Marcus froze. For a tiny second, the mask slipped and Jace saw the terror in his eyes and it was gone in an instant, replaced by confused concern.
“You….you do? Who is it?”
Jace leaned in slightly. “I know it was you, Marcus.”
Marcus barked out a laughter that was both too loud and too forced. “Me? That is absurd! Why would I sabotage my own family’s company? My own inheritance?”
“To make it all your inheritance,” Jace replied calmly. “You are not on my side. You never were.
He turned his back on Marcus, as a clear dismissal.
“Now, if you will excuse me,” Jace said, as he looked up the skyline. “I have a company to buy. At a discount.”
- Writer
