Chapter 58: Crisis

Five years later.

The Grayson Corp staff ran here and there in panic as if lava itself would soon be poured over their heads to scotch them all.

“He’s here!” Someone informed with a high pitched tone filled with panic.

“Everyone, back to your work stations.” A sharply dressed woman instructed strictly making the employees scurry to their seats. Even if the Grayson Corp was currently facing a tough situation, the president would absolutely not condone a single employee not doing their jobs as they were supposed to.

“We’re having a huge crisis right now, Alice, President Grayson will be pissed.” A female assistant spoke hurriedly as she followed the formally dressed woman to meet the boss halfway before he would arrive at the boardroom.

“A crisis we have no powers to solve ourselves. If Grayson Corp really changes ownership, it might be the complete end for all of us!”

Alice stood outside the conference room with her assistant as she spotted the frigid man approaching, a team of staff and guards following closely behind him.

Alice hated that she was the one who had to deliver the bad news to him, but as Grayson Corp’s chief of operations, that responsibility fell solely on her.

During the past few days, immediately after this year’s PIP awards where president Grayson had been awarded businessman of the year and youngest billionaire of the year awards in a single row, the longstanding feud and quiet rivalry between the Blakewood Group of companies and Grayson Corp had reached a blazing hot level when all of a sudden, that rivalry was breeched with an unexpected alliance.

It wasn’t an alliance that required anyone’s consent, not even that of the company’s president himself. It was a quiet conspiracy that only just brought itself to light.

Somehow, the Blakewood Groups had acquired very huge accumulative shares of Grayson Corp. It was popular knowledge that Tristan Blakewood omitted himself from not just the family name but the family wealth and company to create his own, however the sudden purchase of shares by the Blakewood Groups could as well term Tristan’s power in his own company useless.

“P… President Grayson.” Alice stuttered when he’d walked up to the board room entrance.

A strikingly sharp pair of hazel eyes settled on Alice making her take a subconscious step backwards and lowered her head unable to form the words to say to him. From the look in his eyes, it was apparent he heard the news already.

She stepped aside as he entered the boardroom with the full force of his rage.

The board room was almost half empty, a space that would usually be filled with strict shareholders.

The silence in the Grayson Corp boardroom felt like a mockery.

The man walked into the room under the quiet gazes of the few remaining shareholders who hadn’t betrayed him. He had a refined appearance, a face framed by dark neatly styled hair that falls slightly over his forehead. His features were elegant yet severe and set harshly, high cheekbones, a straight nose, eyes that looked the exact color of molten flames and green hills, and smooth composed lips.

He was dressed in a tailored suit, with a crisp white shirt, and dark tie, the formal attire enhancing his air of authority ad quiet danger. Five years hadn’t made a single dent on his breathtaking face.

Five years that felt just like days in passing, but within that time a lot had changed, yet a lot still remained the same.

Tristan Grayson stood at the head of the impossibly long marble table, his knuckles turned white where they pressed against the cold stone.

Half the chairs in the boardroom were empty, not just an absence of shareholders but vacated. The clear indication of signatures scrawled on contracts behind his back.

A reports sat right in front of him, the report that officially informed him that the largest block of Grayson Corp shares now belonged to Blakewood Group of companies.

His own grandparents. The dynasty he had turned his back on years ago to forge a name free of their gilded shadow.

“Blakewood Groups approached us too, every single one of us.” An older man with grey in his hair spoke up.

“I have to tell you that their offers were tempting, but I know where my loyalty lies.”

There was a quiet silence as the man’s voice fell and the air in the room turned chilly like winter slowly creeping in until the very air they breathed became almost unbearable.

“I know this must be very shocking news for you Mr Grayson, but the deals cannot be delayed further. I think it’s high time we take things as they come and reach out to Blakewood Groups, they own the highest shares in the company as we speak.” Rina Jones, another shareholder added.

For a full day after the sudden announcement, most operations had ceased in some parts of Grayson Corp who couldn’t work without the approval of the higher ups, the problem was… The man who was the superior might no longer be.

“With the shares combined, will there be a change of leadership?” Another asked. It was an obvious, but it had to be asked. The highest shareholder holds the throne, and at the moment, Tristan Grayson was no longer the highest shareholder.

“There will not be a change of leadership, operations will resume immediately and things will return as they’ve been.” Tristan suddenly spoke and the moment his voice was heard, silence descended over the room.

The board members exchanged quiet glances with one another, each one curious how things would go back the way they used to be when something this huge had happened.

All the shareholders slowly exited the boardroom immediately the meeting was adjourned. Decisions couldn’t be made in a day, and it was clear that this decision should be left for another day.

Kaleb arrived while the board room had been completely emptied.

He had been delayed by the press outside hounding him with questions he had no answers to yet.

“Is this the end of president Grayson’s reigns over Grayson Corp?”

“Will Blakewood Groups merge Grayson Corp into one of their subsidiaries like they do with all other companies they acquire?”

Kaleb had avoided giving answers he didn’t have when the guards had pushed the media aside and created an entrance for him into the company.

He met Tristan’s back when he entered the boardroom, the latter staring out through the mighty windows which surrounded the whole boardroom overlooking the whole city of Neville.

Kaleb halted for a moment, his expression looking troubled before he slowly approached him.

“President, I received a call from Blakewood Group’s VP, they’ll be sending in their lawyers, they plan to make Grayson Corp one of their subsidiaries, another corporation in their group of companies.” Kaleb’s voice was grave as he delivered this news. He knew it wouldn’t be an easy pill to swallow for Tristan.

A low, guttural sound of rage suddenly escaped Tristan. Kaleb stepped back slightly as the folder earlier clutched in his tight grasp was flung into the air. It hit against the panoramic windows overlooking Neville, a city he used to own, the papers fluttered down like a blizzard of white against the steel gray skies outside.

“Prepare the driver, we’re going to the Blakewood estate.”

Kaleb’s head instinctively shot up when he heard that.

Three years ago when the only reason Tristan ever went to the Blakewood estate left, he had never stepped a foot there again. It had almost become permanent, his severed ties with the Blakewoods.

“Yes, President.” Kaleb nodded and immediately began to make calls to have the media cleared out of Grayson Corp entrance.

The skies outside remained gloomy, if one looked close enough they could see faint streaks of lightning within the clouds.

There was going to be a downpour, but Kaleb feared Tristan’s forced return to the Blakewood home would be even more dangerous than the skies pouring down it’s rage.

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