The Cold CEO's Woman

Chapter 2: The New CEO

In the Benson Group headquarters, Mr. Taiye Jackson sat in the front seat of the meeting hall, where they were having a meeting with their different board members.

He spoke to his personal assistant softly in his ear, like a whisper. "Introduce the new head to them now."

They sat in the meeting hall, waiting to meet the newly appointed CEO, whose name had been announced but whom none of the workers had seen yet. Mr. Taiye Jackson was the former CEO, while his late father, Mr. Benjamin Jackson, was the first to establish the Benson Group of Companies, which stood for Benjamin and Sons Group of Companies.

They sat waiting to witness the handover of company ownership to Mr. Taiye's only son, Liam Jackson.

Liam was rumored to be cold and unfilial, and the workers knew that once he resumed the position as the new CEO, they would be dealt with harshly. Some had heard he was arrogant, mean, and unappreciative, but nonetheless, Liam was very hardworking and ran some private businesses in the States before his father announced his retirement plan to him, asking him to return to his country to run the multimillion-dollar companies.

Liam had first refused, as he didn't want to return to Nigeria—he didn't find anything interesting there, except for his mother, who was a God-fearing Christian. She dressed modestly and never skipped attending church to pray for her husband and him, as he was her only child.

Liam understood that his mother had undergone a lot of marital crises at the beginning of her marriage with his father, as his grandfather, Mr. Benjamin Jackson, had refused to let his son, Mr. Taiye, marry her.

But because his father truly loved his mother, even though women flocked around him trying to seduce him and calling his mother barren, his father had insisted and married only her, Mrs. Juliet, without having any extramarital affairs.

Mr. Taiye stuck to only his wife, Mrs. Juliet Jackson, and stood by her even though his family refused and stated she couldn't birth him another child even after 10 years of Liam's birth.

Liam's mother had suffered many miscarriages, and he knew it was because she worried so much about his father leaving her and marrying another woman, which caused her to lose all those babies she had carried—except for him.

Liam had just turned 30 years old, while his mother was 60 and his father 68.

Furthermore, Liam loved his parents nonetheless, but his father had tricked him by lying that he was sick. He even arranged a fake doctor who called Liam and told him of his father's ill health over the phone, asking him to return from the States.

Whereas Liam was so annoyed when he returned home to his homeland and saw his father hale and healthy, moving around and even attending business meetings.

Liam was angry that his father had tricked him into returning and refused to let him go back to the United States.

***

Inside the headquarters of the Benson Group of Companies, which included oil manufacturing, gas plants, steel production, and other basic amenities, the company was well known around the globe.

Liam was in one of the private rooms on the second floor, adjusting his necktie as he wore a long white sleeve shirt, black plain trousers, and his black suit jacket kept on the table.

Furthermore, Mr. Taiye had spoken to Liam about introducing him to their different board members and partners managing their businesses.

Liam breathed out heavily and finally picked up his suit jacket to wear. Just then, his assistant, Brown Anderson—whom his father had first assigned to him on his first day of joining the company—knocked on the private room door, and he responded, "Come in."

"Boss, it's time for the introduction to begin," Brown informed him, and Liam nodded and put on his black suit jacket properly.

Just as Liam walked into the conference hall, his father's spokesperson, Mr. Silas announced to the rest of the prominent men and women sitting in the large meeting hall,

"Welcome, Master Liam Jackson, new CEO of Benson Group of Companies Limited."

The hall immediately erupted in a round of applause for Liam, as he stepped to the front and climbed onto the podium.

His father was sitting in the front seat, while his father's assistant, Mr. Silas Greystone, handed Liam the microphone to give a few speeches to their staff.

"Thank you all for acknowledging our invitation and being witnesses to my assumption as the new CEO of Benson Group. I would like us to continue with our integrity and work really hard to build our company into a brighter recognition of transparency and guaranteed products.

Thank you all for being a part of my new journey. Thank you." Liam handed the microphone back to Mr. Silas and stepped down from the podium.

The applause increased as Liam walked to take his seat, while a few top heads stood up immediately to shake hands with him, as he approached the seat made available for him.

Liam shook hands with them before sitting, and they returned to their seats. His father, Mr. Taiye Jackson, smiled faintly at him and stood up to give his own speech before the final closing from Silas.

"Thank you all for honoring my invitation and being witnesses to this new beginning with our new CEO, who is none other than my son, Liam Jackson.

I appreciate all our past workers who have been working really hard to uplift our company's name and create the transparency that makes us one of the best production companies here in Nigeria.

I would like you all—both old and new workers, and those in retirement—to respect and work amicably with our new CEO and follow whatever decisions he makes for our company to grow globally. As you can see, he is global and has just returned from the States to be with us. Thank you all once again. Silas, I give it to you to close the meeting for today."

Mr. Taiye handed the microphone back to Silas, who read out some briefs about new products and prices. After that, he closed the meeting with his ending speech, while the invitees and workers stood up and exited the meeting hall after the meeting with their new CEO ended.

***

Liam remained in the meeting hall with his father after the number of guests and members reduced, leaving just a few discussing. He stood up and walked up to meet his father, who was discussing with his friend, Mr. John Patrick, one of their managing accountants.

"Father, I want to have a word with you," Liam told his father, so he could wrap up his conversation with Mr. John Patrick, who worked as one of their managing accountants and was very trusted with the company funds.

"Okay, son, I will be with you shortly," Mr. Taiye responded, while Mr. John turned to face Liam.

"Oh, Master Liam, congratulations on your new position," Mr. John smiled faintly at Liam.

"Thank you, sir. It's an honor meeting you too and working here with you all," Liam replied.

"You can count on us always, Liam. Your father is my boss and a very good friend too, and I'm so happy to see you taking over his position. I know you will lead us to much better growth than your father and grandfather ever did."

"Thank you, sir," Liam smiled faintly, as he loved words of praise from friends, colleagues, and even elders—it motivated him to work really hard.

"You're welcome, Liam. Mr. Taiye, I'm leaving. My daughter will be very upset with me for not showing up at her school graduation ceremony today, even after she called me to come with her mother to the university," Mr. John said as he turned to face Mr. Taiye.

"You know I couldn't miss your son being introduced to us as the new CEO, so I asked her mother and her elder brother to attend her graduation ceremony on my behalf, and she will be very annoyed with me for that."

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that, Mr. John. I hope she understands," Mr. Taiye apologized.

"Yes, she will." Mr. John nodded with a faint smile, wanting to leave.

"How about I make up for that and have her introduced to my son? Maybe we can extend our family friendship to marriage. I'm sure she will be happy about that," Mr. Taiye proposed, but Liam frowned from where he was standing beside his father, waiting for him to finish his conversation with his friend, Mr. John.

"Oh, thank you, Boss, but that's only if my daughter will accept," Mr. John quickly replied, knowing how stubborn his daughter was and not wanting her to cause any problems between him and his boss.

"Why won't she accept? Liam is handsome, and every girl wants him. What did she study in the university again?" Mr. Taiye asked, and Liam's frown deepened as he stared from his father to Mr. John.

Women weren't in his interest, and Liam didn't like how his father was trying to court him with a lady he hadn't even met and doubted he would like, just because he was friends with her father.