Chapter 259 Handles the Unexpected Incident with Composure
The news of Ophelia unilaterally announcing the severance of her mother-son relationship with Theodore caused quite a stir in Serenovia City.
During this period, due to Theodore's lawsuit and Ophelia's shenanigans, the shares of the Lockhart Group had plummeted dramatically.
Every day the market opened, it was a sea of red, and then it hit the limit down.
In just three days, the Lockhart Group lost tens of millions of dollars.
It made headlines in major financial news.
Experts weighed in, warning that unless the Lockhart Group could pull off a major turnaround, it was on the brink of bankruptcy.
Their top advice was to step down the current chairman and appoint someone else to manage the Lockhart Group, which might offer a slim chance of survival.
Cecilia stared at the news, her frustration evident.
Rose knocked on her office door. "Ms. Lockhart."
She was visibly unsettled.
Someone who was usually very calm was now clearly not.
Cecilia asked, "What happened?"
"There's been talk of a strike," Rose said, her voice tense, "Not just at headquarters but across all branches. The employees are demanding the chairman address them personally and resign, suggesting someone more capable should take over instead of letting the company go down with him."
Cecilia was silent for a few seconds.
It seemed like she was trying to calm herself.
She said, "How many people are supporting this?"
"Right now, at least forty percent of the entire staff of the Lockhart Group is involved."
"So we can't ignore it," Cecilia concluded.
"But how do we handle it? Should we really let the chairman step down?"Rose asked.
"Of course not. In half an hour, we'll hold a company-wide video conference. All branches should connect via video. I'll hold a meeting for all Lockhart Group employees. The meeting will address the chairman's personal issues and provide a direct response to all employees."
"Will you host it, or the chairman?" Rose asked.
"I will."Cecilia replied.
"Can you handle such a large meeting, Ms. Lockhart?" Rose worrily asked.
"I've faced death; there's nothing I can't handle," Cecilia said fearlessly.
Rose was puzzled.
She thought, 'What did she mean by facing death?'
"Go prepare for the meeting," Cecilia reminded.
Rose quickly snapped out of it and left in a hurry.
Cecilia took a deep breath; she thought, 'Vincent really knows how to stir things up.
'Or perhaps...
'There's someone behind him pushing this?'
Half an hour later, Cecilia sat in the Lockhart Group's highest video conference room.
Facing the camera, she was visible to thousands of employees connected through the video feed.
Cecilia took a deep breath.
Facing so many people, even through a screen, was nerve-wracking.
She exhaled slowly, gathering her composure.
Cecilia looked into the camera and began, "Hello, everyone. I'm Cecilia, Theodore's daughter and currently the Sales Director at the Lockhart Group. I'm here on behalf of Theodore to address the recent concerns about his personal issues. The reason I'm speaking on his behalf is that he's currently under investigation and can't be present here. I hope you all understand.
After a brief introduction, Cecilia got straight to the point, "First of all, the so-called evidence of Theodore's bribery, tax evasion, and other crimes is still under investigation and has not been confirmed by the prosecution or the court. In other words, Theodore is only a suspect, not a criminal. Please do not exaggerate or confuse the facts. I can also clearly tell everyone here that Theodore is innocent, the chairman of the Lockhart Group is innocent, and I hope you guys can trust his character.
"Secondly, regarding Ophelia's announcement of severing ties with Theodore and accusing me and Theodore of being unfilial, I can clearly tell everyone that these are baseless accusations. Ophelia currently lives in the Old Mansion, and all her living expenses are covered by Theodore. Here are the bank statements showing Theodore's monthly payments to Ophelia and the Old Mansion, with monthly expenses exceeding fifty thousand dollars. The statements are stamped with the bank's seal, proving they are not fabricated.
"As for why Ophelia is doing this to Theodore, I guess it's the same reason why some of you don't trust Theodore right now. Ophelia has never been involved in the business world and has judged the current situation of the Lockhart Group based on rumors, thinking that the company will be ruined under my dad's leadership. So she used this extreme method to force Theodore to step down. I can understand Ophelia's good intentions for the Lockhart Group, so both Theodore and I chose to remain silent on this matter. Once the situation is resolved, the truth will naturally come to light.
"Finally, I reiterate that the Lockhart Group will not go bankrupt because of Theodore's current situation, nor will there be any rumors that the company will collapse as long as Theodore is in charge. Theodore will be in court this Friday, which is the day after tomorrow. I believe you can wait for two days. If not, you can voluntarily resign, and the Lockhart Group will accept all resignation letters. If Theodore is found guilty in two days, not only will you all leave, but I will also make sure he hands over the Lockhart Group's shares."
With that, Cecilia took a deep bow towards the camera.
The speech lasted just ten minutes.
Cecilia's delivery was crisp and emotionless, with no interaction or flair. She finished, and within half an hour, the staff's unrest had been quelled.
Rose pondered, 'How could a 22-year-old woman achieve such excellence?'
Cecilia just used the number "2 days" to make all employees settle down.
If anyone couldn't wait two days, it meant they weren't supporting the company's interests or were intentionally stirring up trouble. What truly struck Rose was Cecilia's handling of Ophelia. The way she framed it—"the same reason why some of you don't trust Theodore"—eased the tension between Ophelia and the Lockhart family effortlessly.
It was flawless and convincing.
Rose could only sum up Cecilia with one word: brilliant.
"Rose."
"Yes?" Rose snapped out of her reverie.
"Expose the internal video I just made to the public."
"Uh, why?" Rose asked, puzzled.
"I performed so well; it should be seen by more people," Cecilia smiled.
Of course, Rose knew Cecilia wasn't that naive.
Cecilia was clearly trying to calm the external misunderstandings about the Lockhart Group.
At the very least, it would stabilize the stock market.
Every minute of decline meant lost money.
Rose left to handle the task, and Cecilia glanced at her phone. The caller ID read: [Alaric.]
"Get home early tonight. There's a major development in the case."
She thought, 'I knew it. Dominic always brings shocks, while Alaric is a source of surprises.'
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