Chapter 43 Slush funds
Alexander.
The moment I stepped into Graham Corp's lobby, I felt the eyes of everyone focus on me.
Staffs whispered behind cupped hands, their eyes tracking my every move. Some of their gazes held admiration, others barely concealed their excitement. A few nodded respectfully as I passed, clearly pleased to see me back.
But there were others. The ones whose loyalties lay elsewhere. Their stares were cold and unwelcoming. Viola's people, no doubt. And Tristan's sympathizers who saw my presence as a threat to their golden boy's chances.
I ignored them all.
My mind was already preoccupied with more pressing matters.
I straightened my tie and headed toward the executive floor, Walter trailing silently behind me with his tablet and that perpetual look of mild concern he wore whenever I was about to stir up trouble.
The boardroom doors were massive and imposing. The staffs pushed them open without hesitation as I walked through.
The conversation inside died instantly.
Twelve pairs of eyes locked onto me. The board members sat around the long mahogany table like judges at a tribunal, their expressions ranging from curious to outright hostility.
Noona sat at the head of the table, looking superior as ever in her pearl necklace and navy suit. She gave me a small, approving nod.
Viola sat three seats down from her, perfectly composed in designer everything, but her eyes burned with barely restrained irritation at my arrival.
And Tristan. My dear stepbrbrother leaned back in his chair with forced casualness, his jaw tight. He looked at me the way a rival looks at an opponent before a match.
I ignored the tension and walked straight to the empty seat beside Grandma, pulling it out with deliberate calm.
"Alexander," Noona said warmly, though I caught the warning in her tone. Behave yourself.
"Noona." I sat down, crossing one leg over the other. "Apologies for the delay. Traffic."
"Traffic," Viola repeated with a thin smile. "How inconvenient for someone who might soon be running this company."
I didn't bother responding to her jab.
"Now that everyone is present," Grandma began, folding her hands on the table, "let's get straight to the matter at hand. As you all know, I turned seventy this year. It's long past time for me to retire and pass the reins to the next generation."
Murmurs rippled around the table. Some board members nodded in agreement. Others exchanged uncertain glances.
"Which is why," Grandma continued, her voice steady and commanding, "I am officially proposing that Alexander Graham take over as CEO of Graham Corp."
The murmurs grew louder. Just as I expected.
"With all due respect, Madam Graham," a gravelly voice spoke up. Director Gregory, a man in his late sixties with silver hair and a perpetual scowl, leaned forward. "While we all acknowledge Alexander's... business acumen, there is another candidate who deserves equal consideration."
"Indeed," Director Evelyn added smoothly. She was a sharp faced woman who'd been on this board for nearly two decades, and everyone knew she was one of Viola's closest allies. "Tristan has been with this company since he was twenty three. He knows Graham Corp inside and out. He also deserves this position."
I expected this. Walter had warned me that Gregory and Evelyn would lead the opposition.
Grandma Winifred's expression didn't change. "I understand your concerns. However, Tristan still has much to learn before he's ready to lead a company of this magnitude."
Viola's teacup clinked a little too loudly against her saucer.
"And what exactly does Alexander have that my son doesn't?" Viola's voice was ice wrapped in silk. She smiled, but her eyes were daggers. "Forgive me, Mother, but it seems you're showing favoritism. Tristan has dedicated years to this company while Alexander went off building his own empire abroad. What makes him more qualified?"
The room went silent.
I could feel Grandma's blood pressure spiking from here. Her fingers tightened around the armrest of her chair, her face darkening with fury.
"What insolence--"
"It's fine, Noona." I placed a hand gently on her arm, cutting her off before she could unleash the full force of her wrath and send her BP through the roof.
She turned to glare at me, but I gave her a look that said, Let me handle this.
She exhaled sharply through her nose but settled back into her chair.
I turned my attention to the board with a calm expression calm.
"Director Evelyn raises a valid point," I said cooly. "So allow me to address it. Firstly, I'd like to remind everyone in this room that I am already the CEO of a highly successful company. ECO Oils, as I'm sure you're all aware, is one of the leading energy firms in the region. That alone makes me more than qualified to lead."
Gregory opened his mouth to interject, but I continued without pausing.
"Secondly, if not for my grandmother's insistence, I wouldn't even be here. No offense, Noona." I glanced at her briefly. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "I'm a busy man. Frankly, I don't have the time or the interest to fight over a position I didn't ask for."
Tristan's jaw clenched. I saw it from the corner of my eye.
"That being said," I continued, leaning forward slightly, "I also have nothing against my brother taking the CEO position. Truly, I don't."
Viola's expression flickered with surprise. Tristan's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"But," I said, letting the word hang in the air like a blade, "there are certain... flaws that cannot be ignored. Flaws that call for question whether Tristan is truly ready for this responsibility."
The murmurs returned, louder this time.
Director Gregory frowned. "What flaws are you referring to?"
I allowed a small, cold smile to on my lips.
"Before I even considered accepting my grandmother's proposal, I did my research. Thoroughly. After all, if I'm going to lead this company, I need to know everything about it." I paused, letting the tension build. "Including the finances."
Viola went very still.
I turned my gaze directly on her, my voice dropping to a calm, deadly quiet.
"Now, can someone explain to me why there are records of illegal slush funds made by my stepmother, Viola Fanning?"
The boardroom erupted.
Gasps. Sharp intakes of breath. Chairs scraping as some of the board members leaned forward in shock.
Viola's face drained of color. For a split second, she looked genuinely stunned, as if she couldn't believe I had actually said it out loud.
Tristan's eyes widened. He knew. Of course he knew. But he'd been too afraid, too controlled by his mother to do anything about it.
I almost pitied him. Almost.
Grandma Winifred's glare could have melted steel. She turned slowly toward Viola, her voice low and venomous.
"Is this true?"
Viola stammered, her composure cracking. "I--Mmmother, this is absurd. Alexander is clearly trying to--"
"Six. hundred. million. dollars, Viola," I said calmly, crossing my arms. "That's not a small amount. Care to explain where it went?"
She looked like she wanted to disappear into the floor.
Director Evelyn cleared her throat uncomfortably. Even she couldn't defend this.
I turned my attention to Tristan, who sat frozen in his chair, his hands clenched into fists on the table.
"Tell me, brother," I said quietly, my voice cutting through the chaos. "As the COO, you review the financial records regularly. You had to have seen this. And yet you said and did nothing."
His jaw worked. He didn't answer.
I leaned back in my chair, studying him with something close to sympathy. He is my blood after all, his just unlucky to be born by the worst mother one count ask for.
"If you're truly capable of being the next CEO of Graham Corp, then you need to prove it. Not to me. Not to Grandma. But to yourself." I let the words sink in. "Family sentiments are a weakness when they blind your decisions. They'll drag you down and cost you your freedom Tristan."
I held his gaze, and for a moment, something flickered in his eyes.
Maybe the realization of the truth hit him hard.
"I advise you to take a stand," I said softly, "before it's too late."
The room was deathly silent.
Grandma's voice rang out suddenly in anger.