Chapter 28
The room exploded into stunned silence, with Amabel’s disbelieving gasp hanging in the air. “What?!” She shot up from her seat, her voice a challenge.
Felix quickly followed, his eyes wide with incredulity. “That can’t be right! It can’t be Cressida!” He exclaimed, his voice rising in protest.
Tamsin raised an eyebrow, her expression puzzled. “Why the surprise?” she asked, her arms spreading wide in a questioning gesture. “She’s his wife, after all. Why wouldn't it be possible?”
“Cressida is-” Felix spoke Cressida’s name, but his mother's sharp tone cut him off.
“Felix!” Amabel warned, her voice raised. Their eyes met, and she subtly winked, signaling him to hold back his thoughts.
A silent understanding passed between Dawson and Felix as their eyes met. Felix sat down without uttering a word, and his mother trailed behind him, taking her seat as well.
‘This can’t be… Cressida would never betray me. Not her.’
Amabel’s eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched, and she grasped her gown tightly on her thigh. Her head shook rapidly, the movement becoming more pronounced as she struggled to process the revelation. Everyone’s gaze, including Felix’s and Griffin’s, snapped to her, drawn by her unspoken distress.
“Looks like your mom’s lost touch with reality,” Tamsin said, her tone laced with mockery as she nodded toward Amabel while holding Felix's gaze. “You should try calling her back. After all, she's your mom—your voice might snap her out of it.”
Felix’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Mom…” he whispered, but Amabel was too consumed by her furious thoughts to hear him.
“Mom…” he called softly, tempering his tone to mask the embarrassment and anger swirling inside him. When she didn’t respond, he raised his voice. “Mom!”
“Huh?” Amabel responded abruptly, her eyes snapping back into focus as she got out of her thoughts. Her gaze landed on Felix’s face, and understanding dawned—she knew exactly what had happened. She held his stare, speechless.
Felix’s eyes dropped, guilt washing over him for raising his voice. “Let’s focus,” he muttered, his gaze fixed on the floor. “We’re still in the meeting.”
“Oh.” Amabel uttered and couldn’t add another word because she was feeling embarrassed.
“Essentially, he's advising you to compose yourself,” Tamsin interjected, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “He was taken aback, just like you. But, well, one can't exactly lose composure now, can they?”
She leaned forward slightly. “When I said you'd reap what you'd sown, you thought it was a joke. But the picture's becoming clearer, isn't it?”
Her eyes never left Amabel’s face. “And it’s about to get even more interesting. Your actions... they're coming full circle. Today's meeting might just deserve a new title. The Consequences of a Celebrated Individual's Mother's Actions.”
Fraser chuckled, his tone laced with mockery. “The seeds they sowed yesterday have sprouted into today's harvest,” he said, pausing for dramatic effect as Tamsin scoffed. “Since they won’t stop now, today's planting will definitely grow into tomorrow's harvest.”
Tamsin’s head bobbed in agreement, her finger wagging emphatically. “Exactly,” she chimed in, her voice heavy with sarcasm. “And certainly, the harvest is going to be huge.”
Dawson's patience had worn thin, but instead of confronting Tamsin, the source of the disruption, he turned his frustration on Fraser. “Fraser, if you have a personal issue with someone here, it shouldn't spill over into this meeting. If you want to settle scores, can't it wait until after we're done?”
“You'll have ample opportunity to meet... outside, I'm sure.”
Tamsin nodded, her voice measured. “Yes, they can,” she said, her gaze drifting slowly before locking onto the chairman's. “But, Chairman, what if instead of scolding an innocent party, you addressed the real source of the disruption?”
Her eyes widened, challenging him. “As the leader, it’s your prerogative to caution anyone in this room—so why not exercise that authority where it's due?”
Tamsin's snicker turned into a sly smile as she leaned back, her chin tilting upward. “Or perhaps you've lost your authority,” she suggested.
Her gaze snapped back to his, eyes locking in a challenge. “You feel it slipping, don’t you?”
“We’ve—” Griffin started to speak, but Tamsin’s sharp glance cut him off, her eyes flashing a warning.
“Directors or not, there’s a clear chain of command,” she hissed, her stare daring Griffin to defy her. “Cross me, and you'll regret it.”
Griffin’s eyes dropped, and he leaned back, swallowing hard as Tamsin’s gaze lingered before moving to the chairman.
“Mr. Chairman, if everyone follows the rules and I break them, I'd own up to my mistake and face the consequences,” Tamsin said, her eyes locked on his. “But how can you expect me to play by the rules when you’re not holding yourself to the same standard?”
Tamsin slumped back in her chair, her sigh lingering in the air. “Unless people get their acts together, forget about peace—I won’t stand for it.” Dawson opened his mouth to respond, but Tamsin wasn't having it.
“Let’s skip the small talk. What’s your take on Alaric’s proposal? His wife is stepping in till he’s back on his feet—yes or no?”
The chairman’s gaze snapped to Alaric. “Have you talked this over with your wife? Is she on board?”
Alaric didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, she agreed.”
Dawson nodded. “Alright. So, why do you want her to take over?”
Alaric’s response was immediate. “She’s got the skills, and she’s the only one I trust completely.”
Dawson nodded thoughtfully, his sigh lingering. "What's her experience level? Has she managed a company or led a department before?”
Alaric’s response was candid. “No, she’s never held a role like that. But I think she’ll learn as she goes. I started from scratch and turned out okay, didn't I?”
He paused, his confidence unwavering. “She just needs the chance to prove herself.”
“You don't think that story's going to fly with me, do you?” Dawson asked.
“Let’s be real. You didn’t exactly start from scratch. You're comparing apples and oranges here,” he pointed out. “Your wife’s a college graduate, and you’ve got a degree and experience under your belt. And don’t forget, I’ve been monitoring you since you took on that manager's role. You're not exactly comparable.”
“Fair point,” Alaric said. “But Cressida’s got more going for her than I did when I started. And she's not flying solo—she’s got me, Tamsin, and Fraser monitoring things. We’ll make sure she’s good to go.”
Dawson let out a heavy sigh, his reluctance to let Cressida take over clear. However, the mention of Tamsin’s name threw him off balance, making his decision more complicated.
“This is a business, and we can't afford to make reckless decisions,” Dawson said, pausing for a moment.
Knowing Tamsin wouldn’t support delaying the decision, he opted for a different approach. “Alaric, I’d like to meet your wife. Ask her to come to my office with you.”
Tamsin cleared her throat. “I hope meeting you privately in your office will yield a good result and not the other way round…” she uttered, buying herself a gaze from the chairman, but she quickly lo
oked away before his gaze could meet hers.