Chapter 294 Cecilia's Boldness
In the midst of the meeting, Cecilia's gaze locked onto Theodore's face, witnessing a proud twinkle in his eye. He was proud of his daughter's recognition, a feeling that sparked a pang of sorrow in Cecilia's heart. In her past life, she could have stood by her father, alleviating his worries and becoming his pride.
Instead, she poured her all into a love that turned toxic, leading to the downfall of their family. Without her rebirth, she would have been too ashamed to meet her parents in heaven.
She brushed aside the welling moisture in her eyes, determined not to succumb to such sentimentality. At least now, she was alive, and she would live on.
"I disagree!" A dissenting voice suddenly echoed in the conference room.
Cecilia turned to see who had spoken. It was not Andrew this time, but another senior executive.
"Cecilia is undoubtedly capable, I'll admit, but it's not fitting for her to take Vincent's position," he paused, mustering his courage, "Please don't take offense to what I'm about to say."
"Mr. Wood, please speak your mind." Theodore showed respect to the elder executive, one of the few the Lockhart Group's founding shareholders still around.
"When your father passed the reins to you, he also made it clear that Vincent's role was set. In other words, while you own the Lockhart Group, the benefits are not yours alone to enjoy. What I'm saying is very straightforward: Vincent's post should be inherited by his only son, Andrew. Cecilia can take over any other position, but not this one; it belongs to Andrew."
Andrew couldn't help but smile with glee; there was still support for Vincent among the shareholders. He was beginning to fear that the Lockhart Group would fully slip into Cecilia's grasp. The thought of becoming the Senior Vice President... that title made his heart race with excitement.
Theodore nodded. "Thank you for your frankness, Mr. Wood."
"It's part of my duty, and I worry that my words might be harsh," Mr. Wood replied, with a sense of relief.
"But Andrew's current achievements hardly make him a suitable candidate," Theodore remarked plainly.
Andrew's face turned from glee to gloom.
"Cecilia made the same promises as Andrew and Juliana when she joined the company. Secretary." Theodore called his personal assistant.
She promptly advanced the slideshow.
"This is Andrew's performance over the past three months. The goals he set were to tackle the international amusement park project and double the revenue of the product lineboard through contracts. The results show that the international amusement park is still caught in the grey area of municipal planning, and the order volume, compared to last year, has decreased by a fifth."
Andrew was left utterly humiliated.
During his time at the company, he hadn't achieved anything notable. It wasn't that he lacked ambition; he just found himself powerless. While Cecilia continued to shine, he felt like he was floundering, unable to grasp any meaningful progress. Days turned into weeks, and before he knew it, three months had slipped by.
"Mr. Wood," Theodore interjected, "You clearly stated in front of everyone, including Vincent, that if Andrew and Juliana failed to meet their targets, they would be demoted to entry-level positions. Given Andrew's performance, not only is he not being demoted, but he is also being considered for a higher role. This seems somewhat inappropriate."
Mr. Wood wasn't necessarily siding with Vincent. His aim was fairness, and he was speaking from that perspective.
Theodore respected Mr. Wood's stance and understood where he was coming from.
"In that case, I won't press further. I just feel that if you insists on placing Cecilia in the Senior Vice President role, it could lead to negative perceptions."
Mr. Wood's concern was for the company's reputation.
Standing up, Cecilia made her position clear. "I agree with Mr. Wood. If I take on the role, it would be seen as the Chairman deliberately trying to undermine Vincent's family. It wouldn't just be the board that would have a problem with it; I couldn't bear to see my father being unjustly criticized. So, I will not accept the position of Senior Vice President."
Theodore looked at Cecilia with admiration. Her resolve was impressive; she was refusing the very position many would scramble to attain. However, by making this choice, she might be closing doors for herself. If this position had been reserved for Vincent's family, Cecilia might never have had the chance to claim it.
If she couldn't secure this role, she would have to wait for her inheritance—a prospect that could take a long time. Theodore felt a pang of sympathy for her.
"However," Cecilia said, shifting her tone, "The Chairman made it clear that now Vincent is in prison, the CEO has been temporarily handling the Senior Vice President's duties. Given the CEO's limited bandwidth and the fact that the Lockhart Group has never hired two CEOs, and considering Andrew's performance, he's not suited for this role. I'm willing to take on the responsibilities of the Senior Vice President position without the official title. I'll do the job without the title."
In other words, Cecilia was proposing to perform the duties of the Senior Vice President for her current salary.
The room fell into stunned silence. What Cecilia was suggesting amounted to working off the books.
She added, "If, at any point, the board believes there's a better candidate for this role, or if Andrew manages to turn things around, I will gladly step aside."
Her statement left everyone speechless. Any further objections would seem like a deliberate attack on Cecilia.
There was a sense of awe at Cecilia's boldness. It was a kind of fearlessness that only youth could bring.
It was clear: the future was indeed in the hands of the younger generation.
In the hushed meeting room, no one spoke a word.
Seeing Cecilia's firm stance, Theodore agreed, "Given Cecilia's decision, and if there are no objections from the other board members, then we'll proceed as Cecilia suggested. The company won't officially appoint her to the Senior Vice President position, but she will take on all the responsibilities associated with it."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
