Chapter 21 #2
Gabe slammed his hand on the table, and the room went silent.
“Olivia.”
She rose and handed everyone a packet.
“This is the official announcement that Luna Holdings now owns Icinda.” I tried not to show my reaction to the name. “Icinda will be folded under the umbrella of my corporate holdings, and restructuring will begin this week. That starts with you.”
Dead silence and wide eyes.
“You can’t fire us. The CEO does not have that power,” a man who looked about seventy with thick white hair and dull green eyes said.
“True, as CEO I don’t have that power, but as this board has always been more decorative than useful and seeing that I am the majority shareholder in both Luna and Icinda, I do.
Terry, you can stay. The rest of you can leave.
I’ll have my attorney contact you about compensation for the private shares my father rewarded you for doing such a pitiful job. ”
The room erupted, and I tried not to react. Gabe held his ground as the door opened and two men dressed in black suits with earpieces walked into the room.
“Please escort these gentlemen out of the building.”
Gabe stood, arms crossed, his glare not faltering as the men left in a huff. I squeezed my hands in my lap, trying not to show any reaction.
“Well played,” the remaining man, Terry, said, sitting back in his seat.
“I don’t play,” Gabe said, rolling his neck.
“No longer is this board a decorative title given to my father’s loyalists.
There’s too much at stake. Olivia will work with you to find replacements.
I’m cutting the board down to seven members.
I have hand-picked two, and I expect you to fill the remaining seats with diverse members.
I will only consider those vetted through Olivia. ”
Arms unfolding, he continued, “I’ve brought Victoria Hent on board to fill my former position. With her track record at Bradman, she’ll have the financials for Icinda back on track.”
“After you let them unravel?” Terry dared. His observant green eyes held Gabe’s.
The corner of Gabe’s mouth twitched. “That’s why I kept you on the board, Terry.
You’re not afraid to speak up. And no, I didn’t unravel my father’s business.
” He glanced at Olivia. “Well, maybe I had a hand in that, but my father’s failure is due to his greed and arrogance.
Think what you’d like to think, but make sure you understand the success of the company is the only priority from now on, not title dropping and ego smoothing.
Good day, Terry, I’ll leave you in Olivia’s hands. ”
He motioned for me to follow, and I trailed his brisk steps out of the room, holding my tongue until the elevator closed on us.
“It would have been nice to have a heads-up that you were cleaning house.”
“Probably, but seeing as it’s your first day, it didn’t seem necessary.” His eyes remained focused ahead.
The door opened, and he continued his long strides, ones I had trouble catching up with. Dropping my stuff in my office, I ran back out and caught up with him just as he stepped into his office.
“Are you following me for a reason?” he asked, taking his jacket off and laying it over a chair.
My eyes jumped around the space, taking in the magnificent view of the city behind him, the liquor bar, the private bathroom, the small sitting area.
Things I hadn’t noticed during my interview because seeing Gabe had left me shaken. It was an office fit for a king.
“Did you sabotage your father’s business?”
He stormed over and slammed the door so quickly that I jumped. “I did a lot to get where I am today, Victoria. Gave up everything and, yes, may have made a few unethical moves. Nothing I did was unnecessary. If you don’t like it, then leave.”
My pulse quickened as the dark side of Gabe came into full display. I hated that it made me even more attracted to him. He stood there, his eyes steeled, his muscles tense.
“Will I find anything in the financials that is illegal?”
“No. They’re clean. The company is clean, as is every company I own.”
I tilted my head. “Explain.”
Hazel eyes narrowed before they turned away from me. He walked across the room, pouring himself a glass of liquor before taking a sip. I couldn’t help but wonder when he’d turned to hard liquor and when he’d started drinking in the morning.
“Fiorella Holdings is the head company, but below it are multiple layers of LLCs, including Luna Holdings. Most are real estate holdings, but certain branches have businesses that complement the main real estate structure. A few limo services, some restaurants, rental properties, the list goes on. Within the main real estate holdings are the pieces of my father’s empire.
Your job is to piece those back together so Icinda returns to its former glory. ”
My forehead creased as I tried to understand. “Why, when you were set to become CEO, would you dismantle your own company and buy your father out?”
He took another drink. “That’s not something you need to know.”
“More secrets.” No response, just a gaze that held mine with an intensity that burned me. “You’ve changed, Gabe. What happened to you?”
Placing his glass on his desk, his long legs closed the distance between us.
“This is me, Tori. The person I’ve always been.
The one I was before I met you.” Hand scraping through his thick hair, he said, “But who I was with you…was honest. You’re the only person with whom I could be someone different, someone I had lost, someone I gave up the day I left you because he was impossible to be with anyone but you. ”
I didn’t know what to say. The emotions his confession had stirred left me confused as sadness and regret swirled along with a longing to go back to that time.
He released a sigh and turned from me. “We have a team meeting at eleven to discuss the restructure and next steps. I expect you to bring your ideas and to speak your mind. I hired you because you’re good, Tori.
What you did at Bradman shows that. Bring that intelligence to the meeting and don’t hold back with your suggestions or your thoughts.
But if you accuse me of doing anything illegal or nefarious in front of anyone in this office, I’ll replace you. ”
And those emotions solidified, returning to the hate that had festered for years.
“Understood.”
I left the office, the weight of his gaze still on me as I questioned why I had taken this job.