*Conference Room”
The moment Jake stepped into the room he could feel the awkward and highly tensed atmosphere. The different look which everyone present in the room was shooting at him held their different meaning and he could take a wild guess at what they meant.
They were all worried and equally disappointed, but their disappointment was the last of his worries. He walked into the room with his signatory commanding aura. Outside this building he’s just like every young man out there, but when he was here he was their leader, who ruled with an iron fist, and he wasn’t about to lose his cool before them.
He walked round the table and took his seat at the head of the table. He scoffed when he saw her sitting there like some reasonable and chaste being in her white suit. They locked eyes for few seconds before Jake tore his gaze from her. Funny how she’d arrive early for something like this, almost as if she was seeking for his down fall. Well he isn’t surprised, after all there has been some bad blood between them. He felt slightly uncomfortable when Hillary shot him a knowing smile. What that tend to bring some omen with it.
Jake looked at the faces across the table, cleared his throat and said, “Let’s begin”
The moment he said that, the room suddenly became even more tensed than it was before, and before someone could say something the door of the room was flung open, and grandfather Beau walked in. Everyone was surprised when he did, Jake was equally shocked to find his grandfather walk into the conference room.
Everyone shot up to their feet the moment he walked in, and gave a quick bow as they acknowledged his presence. Since he has passed on the rein of the company to his grandson, Jake, grandfather Beau has never made an appearance at the company till today. But though he has faded himself into the background so as to let his grandson shine, he still commanded the respect he truly deserved. He nodded his head as he walked towards his grandson.
“Grandfather–” Jake called out, but his grandfather gave him a look that kept him shut. He wasn’t angry, but he was offended that Jake was having such issues and be was being quiet about it.
Jake nodded his head and offered his seat to his grandfather before moving to the next which has suddenly been made available for him.
“You can all sit” He said in a casual tone, his eyes fell on a familiar entity and he turned his gaze from her like he hasn’t seen her at all. His actions made Hillary frown slightly, she hated the fact that the old man didn’t hold her at high regard. He didn’t see her as a worthy opponent and that was really undermining. She calmed herself down and in the next second the unpleasant smile which was written on her face had suddenly disappeared, and her signatory smile was now plastered across her face.
Grandfather Beau observed the careful look on the faces of the shareholders. He knew they weren’t comfortable with his presence, “I’m only here to observe, so you guys can carry on” He said in a very casual tone. But who was he kidding? This was the main reason he was here, to keep them in check from haraunging his grandson. It’s wasn’t like he was undermining Jake’s ability to looking after himself, but he didn’t want to leave him to these wolves, most especially when he knew there was an underhand behind the ongoing crises. He has been in this business for too long for him to know that, some of the people sitted here must have made the deal with the devil.
The men looked among themselves wondering who among them would speak up first. And surprisingly someone cleared his throat to speak not surprising Jake and his grandfather at all.
He turned to Jake and said. “President Jake we’d like to know the meaning of what is going on with your new project.” He said emphasizing on the word ‘Your’.
Jake looked at him silently for a while, “There has been so technicality issue, the software has been infected with a virus, but it’s currently being resolved”
“Can you explain to us, how an anti-malware software gets infected with a virus?” Another shareholder asked with in a stern tone.
“Viruses affect every softwares, but—”
“But this is the first time, one of our softwares is been affected. It has never happened e
before, funny how it’s happening on your time and with your very own software. If you haven’t noticed we’re losing money. The number of customers uninstalling the app from their servers and devices is on the rise, and ProGuard is staggering at it is. Have you noticed the price of our stocks this morning, it has diminished by 30%, and that’s money we’re losing. CEO Jake we’re bleeding money” The man spat out angrily.
“This is barely the second day and we’re already having so much loss, please tell us what are you going to do about it?” Someone else spoke up.
“The teams are currently trying to neutralize the virus, but they haven’t been able to. But I’m currently on top of it” Jake said calmly, even though inside of him he wasn’t calm at all. He was about to spit out blood and smash all their heads against the wall. When ProGuard was reeling money and fattening their pockets and bank accounts they weren’t undermining him, now there’s was a problem at hand, instead of them to work with him in thinking of a solution out of this they were slandering him. And what was that about the company suffering a loss for the first time under his administration, it seems they have forgotten the company was also at his highest under his same leadership.
“You being on top of it hasn’t provided a solution for us for the past two days. Staffs have been working all through the weekend to fix this, but there are yet to be any result has does that show you being on top of it”
“So do you want to provide a solution instead?” Jake asked in stern voice, a cold int passing through his eyes.
The first man who had spoken up, suddenly rupt out in laughter, earning alot of attentive eyes towards him. He noticed the way grandfather Jake was now staring at him.
“Mr Andrew can you tell me how my grandson’s words has amused you?” Grandfather Beau said sarcastically.
“I’m sorry Elder Beau for my unruly behavior, but i want to I know if CEO Jake has now become incapable that he’d now want us to provide solutions for his misdoings?” He asked cocking a brow at Jake. Jake’s eyes narrowed into slits, his hands clenched under the table.
“Are you indirectly saying I’m incapable? Do you by chance want a whiff of my seat?” Jake asked in a cold tone, his eyes staring darts towards him. He was more focused on the man, that he didn’t notice the smile on Hillary’s face.
“Are you giving it away?” The man asked back, his tone not holding any form of friendliness in it.
“Gentlemen, can we calm down. We’re here to see through the problem facing us, and not throw knives or blames at each other. We’re supposed to put in collaborative effort to solve this” Came the only female voice in the midst of the men.
Jake snapped his head towards Hillary, and but he didn’t say anything, he didn’t have time for her nonsense now. Heaven know how much he despised her, but she was the least of his problem…..or so he thought. He scanned his eyes through everyone sitted across the table, he could see through them. The hidden intention written over the majority of their faces was as clear as day. This meeting wasn’t to resolve the problem, but it was a coup formed to get him out of his seat.
This only meant who ever was behind the virus, was sitted right in the room.
He looked more intently at their faces. ‘But who could it be?’ He thought.
Grandfather Beau was about to say something before Jake suddenly stood up. Everyone raised their gaze to him, he looked at everyone of them like suspicious beings.
“It seems many of you’re doubting my ability to lead this company, but you’re holy back from saying so. I’m going to help you make things easy for you. If I’m not able to solve this problem within a week then I’ll give up my position as the CEO of this company” He announced, surprising everybody, most especially Hillary. She didn’t expect Jake to suddenly say something like that. But well everything was working in her favour.
Grandfather Beau looked up at Jake with a deep frown on his face, but Jake ignored him, as he studied all the faces staring at him right now.
“Is this a joke? In one week this company will be under water, and everyone of us will be begging to survive” Mr Andrew spoke again, and a few of some other shareholders nodded their head approvingly.
Tilting his head towards him, Jake asked, “So what do you suggest?” Jake asked with suspicious eyes. Maybe he was the one?
“Let’s be truly realistic, we’re already counting so many losses in just two days, then imagine what 7 more days can do. But since you’ve thrown in a challenge, why don’t we spice it up. What if there’s someone who can solve this way earlier than you, would you give your position to that person?” The man asked with a taunting smile etched on his lips.
“Someone like who? You?”
“No someone like her” The man replied pointing towards Hillary, who feigned a surprised look.
“Me?” Hillary asked in a surprise tone.
“Yes I think, Mrs Hillary here also has what it takes to lead this company, after all she’s still a Beau. A little competition might help you work harder in defending that seat of yours and speed up the process of coming up with a solution for this impending soon which is about to unfold” The man said, while a majority of the people nodded their head affirmatively. Jake scoffed when he saw the responses coming from the others.
It was clear that the majority of them were just pawns. But he’ll deal with everyone of them after this. He’d make sure they regret ever challenging him on this day.
Jake glanced at Hillary and his lips curved upward reflecting a cynical smile when their eyes met.
The faked surprise look on her face can fool anybody but not him. He has known her to be a deceptive person, most especially with her looks. What he didn’t know was her interest towards the company.
He continued to look at her, giving her a knowing look, and she also smiled at him. Jake cringed in his head for letting his guard down around her. His hatred for her has blinded his sense of reasoning so much that he didn’t see the potential of she trying to sabotage him or usurp his seat at the company.
Was this why his grandfather had warned him about her upon his return? Did he know something about this and that’s why he was here? Jake spared a glance at his grandfather, but the old man was too busy looking ahead, he was definitely thinking about something. Something he didn’t know about, and he had a feeling it was somehow related to him.
Jake looked back at the man who had been against him all this while. It was obvious that he was in this with that evil witch. He didn’t even have to wonder how she had gotten some major shareholders on her side. All it takes was to get one big fish to reel in the other smaller fishes. And it was common knowledge that Hillary was a big time vixen, wasn’t that the character she played on screen? She played it well both on screen and in real life. She must have bedded his fool and that’s why he was here acting like her puppet— so he thought.
He scoffed in his mind when he thought about all Hillary’s wrongdoings. He was keeping tab of them, when the time comes he was going to make her pay. She’d wish she was dead because death would be easier than what he was going to do to her, stepmother or not.
“I accept this challenge” He said in a strong tone.
“Jake” Grandfather Beau called, but Jake glanced at him and gave him a reassuring look, indicating he had things under control. He wasn’t going to lose his company, his family legacy and most importantly he wasn’t going to lose to the woman who killed his father. Never!
“Good” Mr Andrew said as he looked to his accomplice who nodded their head.
“But I have a condition” Jake suddenly said, surprising all of them, except Hillary who was looking at him expressionlessly.
“What is it, CEO Jake” One of the shareholders asked.
“That after all this, all my contender will sign off her shares to me” He paused for effect, and leaned forward to show the death look in his eyes, before the continued, “And the lot’s of you can get the fuck off my company” He roared lividly.
He’d rather run the company alone than have a bunch of useless fools as irrelevant shareholders. They can pull their stupid funds out of his company, but that’s only if he let them walk away with a dime. If they thought they’d shake him up with their useless plan, then he’d show them what real scheming was.
“You can’t do that” One of Hillary’s minions jumped to his feet and snapped.
“Yes you can’t, this company is dependent on our funds” Another said in a menacing tone.
Mr Andrew let out a mocking laugh, “CEO Jake doesn’t know what he’s saying. It seems you really do lack some leadership skills. We pull out and Acrosoft dies, you should know better” He said mockingly.
Jake narrowed his eyes at him, his brow arched on both sides and his eyes as cold as ice, “Then it seems, I’ve to teach you what true leadership is” Jake replied in a calm and cold tone. The fact that he was unfazed about all this and was confident with his threats made the men uncomfortable. They shot a look at Hillary, but she was completely unfazed by Jake’s to words and threat. As a matter of fact she looked amused, and that could only mean she had the situation under control. There was no way they’ll lose. She had promised them a flawless plan, except they wouldn’t be bold enough to challenge Jake in this manner, especially in front of the Elder.
Jake locked eyes with Hillary again before abruptly standing up from his seat. “If that would be all, then this meeting is over” Jake said in a cold and authoritative tone. There was no need in prolonging the meeting. The meeting was one scheduled to review the preceedings of the company in the last few months. It was the usually quarterly meeting, but it had just turned into something else.
Jake turned to his grandfather who was also looking at.
“Grandfather let’s go” He said, making the man nod his head. He turned his head to look at Hillary and their eyes met, this was the first time since the meeting started that he was paying a proper look at her. His gaze didn’t last ten seconds before he stood up to his feet with Jake assisting him, not that he needed any by the way.
Jake turned to his secretary Patrick who was still seated, looking like he was lost in a trance. Poor guy was yet to understand what just happened.
Did a board meeting just turn into a competiting ground?!
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 5
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