A week had passed, but the speculations only intensified.
The Rochefort Group released a statent three days ago, but the dia questioned Franz’s leadership publicly. They were not questioning his legitimacy, but his inexperience.
Another eting was scheduled that day.
Arianne already received the report on a slight dip in Rochefort Group’s market share.
The more they kept their silence, the more the rumors would persist. Partner companies and major investors had been pressuring in recent days, despite assurances.
The conference room lights had been dimd slightly, just enough to see everyone’s faces. Charts had been cast on the screen, allowing everyone to focus on them.
The long table divided the room evenly. The head seat remained empty.
Franz sat to its right, posture straight, while his hands folded loosely on the table. He hadn’t bothered to remove his jacket. Arianne sat opposite him, her tablet closed, her attention fixed on the room rather than the screen.
"We’ve reiterated continuity three tis this week," Carla said, tapping the table once.
"And?" An executive asked.
"And the market keeps asking who signs when the Chairman can’t."
"What else could we do?" One of the board mbers asked. "Assurances aren’t enough to convince the major investors. Telling them that business as usual wasn’t enough."
They emphasized continuity, but not everyone was confident. Most expected a succession instead. The dia and several analysts had been asking the sa question: Who is making the final decision?
"Franz has been acting as the authority so far, which gives him extended powers, but his inexperience has beco the focus of the dia. So analysts even fra him as a symbolic leader." An executive from communication sighed.
An executive tapped the docunt before him.
"What if we create a crisis committee and spread authority among senior executives?" he asked.
Lucas shook his head.
"That would only lead to slow response ti and signal indecision. It might also create possibilities for internal leaks and conflicting narratives that others might take advantage of," he said.
"Would it be possible to bring in an external consultant instead?" A director asked.
A man in his late fifties frowned upon hearing the suggestion.
"Won’t it bring suspicion on us instead? It might imply a loss of internal control," he grumbled.
"Bringing an external CEO might be professionally sound, but that would open legal challenges. It’s not like Franz is totally incompetent."
"What if you step up instead, Lucas?" Soone said after a long silence. "You are a Rochefort as well. You know the ins and outs of the company. Surely, there’s no other qualified among the Rocheforts aside from you."
"Alex’s children are still very young, and most of the Rochefort family aren’t actively involved in running the company aside from owning a few ager shares. What do you think, Lucas?"
Lucas lifted his head and adjusted his glasses.
"I might be the lead counsel of Rochefort Group, but I do not have the competence to run it. Practicing law and running a company are two different battlefields," he replied.
"Then why don’t we let Ms. Sumrs take a quiet authority? Since she’s already here with us, there wouldn’t be any massive changes. She can steer the decisions until the Chairman is stable."
Hearing those words, everyone turned their heads to look at Arianne.
Arianne remained silent. She only tilted her head to one side, looking at them impassively.
"The market demands transparency," Lucas reminded the board. "If the dia found out her influence, they might ask why she isn’t formally in charge."
"Is there any other way?" The man seated next to Lucas asked him, "We already delayed the final phase of the rger. Attempting to delay it and buy ti could trigger penalty clauses. It would cause us further liability."
"The way I see it, we’re not facing a leadership problem." An older director comnted. "We are facing a qualification problem instead."
He then turned to look at Lucas.
"Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t even be discussed. But is there any charter we have yet to explore?" he asked.
Lucas’s expression suddenly changed. His usual calm deanor was suddenly replaced with interest.
"You have a point, Mr. Bennett. But shouldn’t we make the requirents clear first?"
Mr. Bennett nodded.
"Obviously, if we need soone who would beco an Interim CEO, it must be part of the Rochefort family or legally affiliated." He started, clasping his hands together as his eyes swept to his colleagues.
"That person must be competent, credible, and know how to do damage control. However, Franz should have the final say. "
"There’s only one way to et all of these conditions at once." Mr. Bennett said.
No one said a word. So were confused, while others imdiately understood what he was saying.
Soone cleared his throat, while the woman seated across Arianne frowned. Others shifted in their seats and looked away.
"Mr. Bennett, that’s not sothing we can suggest." The man seated next to the director said after a long silence.
Mr. Bennett sighed.
"I’m aware that this board does not arrange marriages, but unless you can offer a better solution...."
His words trailed off, implying the seriousness of the situation they were in.
His eyes then settled on Arianne.
She didn’t react imdiately.
Arianne t his gaze without surprise or discomfort. If anything, her expression suggested she had already followed the logic several steps earlier. She didn’t interrupt or deflect.
The board, however, did not share her composure.
"That’s inappropriate," one of the directors said. "We are talking about governance, not personal arrangents."
"We are talking about governance," Mr. Bennett replied evenly. "Which is precisely why this is uncomfortable."
Another mber leaned forward. "Even if the charter allows legal affiliation, the optics alone—"
"—are already deteriorating," Lucas interrupted. "What we are facing now is not just reputational risk in theory."
He tapped the report on his tablet, casting it on the massive screen before them.
"A slight dip today. We might expect volatility tomorrow."
No one contradicted him this ti.
"The issue isn’t whether this solution is appropriate," Mr. Bennett continued. "It’s whether we have another alternative that stabilizes authority imdiately."
"And doesn’t threaten Franz’s authority," soone added.
All eyes then turned to Franz.
Like Arianne, he had not spoken since the eting began. He sat upright, his shoulder squared as he listened attentively despite his apparent tiredness.
Franz straightened slightly. The shift was slight, but it pulled attention toward him.
"I will not be replaced," he finally said.
"That’s not what’s being proposed, Franz," Lucas told him.
Franz’s gaze did not leave the center of the table.
"I won’t authorize anything that strips this company of custodial oversight."
"No one is suggesting that," Mr. Bennett replied. "On the contrary."
Franz glanced at Lucas, asking for clarification.
"This configuration preserves your authority. It reinforces it." Lucas replied.
Franz looked at Arianne for the first ti since the discussion shifted.
She didn’t look away and t his gaze.
"This might sound unorthodox, but we cannot let legitimacy remain undefined any longer."
A director exhaled sharply, not liking the idea of arranged marriage between Arianne Sumrs and Franz Rochefort.
"And if we do nothing?" he asked.
"Then the market will decide for us," Lucas answered.
The silence that followed was thick and suffocating.
Arianne broke it this ti.
"If this is the path you’re considering, then clarity matters," she said, her voice even.
Several heads lifted.
"Terms would need to be explicit," she continued, "Scope, duration, authority limits must be defined along with the exit conditions. Franz’s role would have to be non-negotiable."
Mr. Bennett studied her for a mont, then nodded. "Of course."
"No public announcents without consensus," Arianne added. "No assumptions beyond what is formally agreed."
The board mbers exchanged looks. This was no longer hypothetical.
Lucas closed his folder.
"Then we are aligned on one thing. If this route is pursued, it will not be symbolic."
Arianne nodded. "Yes, it will be operational."
No one said the word.
The implication had already settled in place.
And for the first ti since the chairman collapsed, the room stopped searching for alternatives.
No one objected.
Across the table, Franz t Arianne’s eyes.
He didn’t look away this ti.
User Comments
0 comments from readers