Chapter 2 – New CEO

In the Benson Group, Mr. Taiye Jackson sat in the front seat of the meeting hall, where they were holding a meeting with their various board members.

He whispered softly to his personal assistant, "Introduce the new head to them now."

The attendees sat waiting to meet the newly appointed CEO, whose name had been announced but whom none of the workers had seen yet.

Mr. Taiye Jackson was the former CEO, and his late father, Mr. Benjamin Jackson, had been the first to establish the Benson Group of Companies—originally known as Benjamin and Sons Group of Companies.

They were gathered to witness the official handover of company ownership to Mr. Taiye's only son, Liam Jackson.

Liam was rumored to be cold, unfilial, and arrogant, with some workers fearing that he would deal harshly with them once he took over. They described him as mean and unappreciative, though he was known to be hardworking and had successfully run his own private businesses in the United States. His father had announced his retirement plans and urged him to return to their home country to manage the multimillion-dollar companies.

Liam had initially refused, as he found nothing appealing about returning to Nigeria—except for his mother, a devout Christian who dressed modestly and never missed church to pray for her husband and her only child.

Furthermore, Liam understood that his mother had endured significant marital strife early in her marriage to his father. Mr. Benjamin Jackson had opposed the union, insisting that his son, Mr. Taiye, marry someone else.

Despite women flocking around him and calling his wife barren, Taiye had remained faithful, marrying only Juliet and standing by her even after 10 years without another child.

Mrs. Juliet had suffered multiple miscarriages, which Liam attributed to her constant worry about his father leaving her for another woman.

At 30 years old, Liam was their only child, while his mother was 60 and his father 68.

Despite his frustrations, Liam loved his parents, but he was furious that his father had tricked him.

Mr. Taiye had lied about being ill, even arranging for a fake doctor to call and urge Liam to return from the States. When Liam arrived, he found his father healthy and attending business meetings. Now, Taiye was refusing to let him go back to the United States.

**

Inside the headquarters of the Benson Group of Companies, Liam was in a private room on the second floor. He adjusted his necktie, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and black trousers, with his black suit laid out on the table.

His father had briefed him on introducing him to the board members and partners. Breathing heavily, Liam finally picked up his suit and put it on. Just then, his assistant, Brown Anderson—whom his father had assigned to him on his first day—knocked on the door. Liam responded, "Come in."

"Boss, it's time for the introduction to begin," Brown informed him. Liam nodded, adjusted his suit, and stepped out.

As he entered, his father's spokesperson announced to the prominent men and women in the large meeting hall, "Welcome Master Liam Jackson, the new CEO of Benson Group of Companies."

The hall erupted in applause as Liam stepped forward and climbed the podium. His father sat in the front row, and his father's assistant, Mr. Silas Greystone, handed Liam the microphone for a brief speech.

"Thank you all for attending and witnessing my appointment as the new CEO of Benson Group. I appreciate your commitment and encourage us to maintain our integrity while working hard to build the company into a brighter symbol of transparency and quality products. Thank you for being part of this new journey," Liam said, handing the microphone back to Silas.

The applause grew louder as Liam stepped down and walked to his seat, with a few top executives standing to shake his hand before he sat.

His father, Mr. Taiye Jackson, smiled faintly at him and then stood to give his own speech.

"Thank you all for honoring my invitation and witnessing this new beginning with our CEO, my son Liam Jackson. I appreciate our past workers who have worked tirelessly to uphold our company's reputation and establish us as one of Nigeria's top production companies. I urge everyone—old and new staff, as well as those in retirement—to respect and collaborate with our new CEO. Follow his decisions to help us grow globally, as you can see from his international experience. Thank you once again. Silas, please close the meeting."

Mr. Taiye handed the microphone back to Silas, who briefly discussed new products and prices before ending the meeting with his closing remarks. The attendees and workers stood and exited the hall as the ceremony concluded.

Liam remained in the meeting hall with his father after the guests had left, with only a few people still discussing. He stood and approached his father, who was talking with his friend, Mr. John Patrick, one of their trusted managing accountants.

"Father, I want to have a word with you," Liam said, waiting for him to finish.

"Okay, son, I'll be with you shortly," Mr. Taiye replied. Mr. John turned to face Liam.

"Oh, Master Liam, congratulations on your new position," Mr. John said with a faint smile.

"Thank you, sir. It's an honor to meet you and work with everyone here," Liam replied.

"You can count on us, Liam. Your father is my boss and a good friend. I'm thrilled to see you taking over—I'm sure you'll lead us to even greater growth than your father and grandfather did."

"Thank you, sir," Liam said, smiling faintly, as he appreciated words of praise from colleagues and elders.

"You're welcome, Liam. Mr. Taiye, I'm leaving now. My daughter will be upset with me for not attending her university convocation today, even though she asked me and her mother to come. I couldn't miss your son's introduction, so I sent her mother and elder brother instead."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that, Mr. John. I hope she understands," Mr. Taiye apologized.

"Yes, she will," Mr. John nodded, smiling faintly as he prepared to leave.

"How about I make it up to her? I could introduce her to my son and perhaps extend our family friendship to marriage. I'm sure she'd be happy about that," Mr. Taiye proposed.

Liam frowned deeply from where he stood beside his father. He had no interest in women and disliked how his father was trying to arrange a match with someone he hadn't even met, simply because of his friendship with her father.

"Oh, thank you, boss, but that's only if she agrees," Mr. John quickly declined, knowing how stubborn his daughter could be and not wanting to cause any issues.

"Why wouldn't she? Liam is handsome, and every girl wants him. What did she study in university?" Mr. Taiye asked.

Liam's frown as he glanced between his father and Mr. John. Women were the last thing on his mind.