2— New CEO

At the Benson Group, Mr. Taiye Jackson sat in the front seat of the conference hall, where he was having a meeting with the board members.

He spoke to his personal assistant softly in his ear like a whisper, "Introduce the new head to them now."

The company staff sat in the hall, awaiting to meet the newly appointed CEO, whose name had been announced, but none of the workers had seen him yet.

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

They wanted to witness the new handling of company ownership by Mr. Taiye's only son, Liam Jackson.

Liam was rumored to be cold and unfulfilling, and the workers knew that once he resumed the position as the new CEO of the Benson Group, they would be dealt with.

Some of the workers had heard of him as arrogant, mean, and unappreciative, but nonetheless, he was still very hardworking and running some of the private businesses he owned in the states, even before his father finally announced his retirement plan to him and asked him to return home to his country to run his multimillion-dollar companies.

Liam had first refused, as he didn't want to return to his country, as he didn't find anything interesting, except for his mother, who was a God-fearing Christian mother, as she dressed holily and never skipped attending church to pray for him and his father, as he was her only child.

Liam was meant to understand that his mother had undergone a lot of marital crisis at the beginning of her marriage with his father, as his paternal grandfather, Mr. Benjamin Jackson, had refused his son, Mr. Taiye, from marrying Mrs. Juliet. But because his father truly loved his mother, even though women were flocking around his father in the past, trying to seduce him and calling his mother barren, his father still insisted and married only his mother, Mrs. Juliet, without having any other extramarital affairs.

Mr. Taiye stuck to only his wife, Mrs. Juliet, and stood by her even though his family refused and stated she couldn't give him another child even after 10 years of Liam's own birth.

Liam's mother had had a lot of miscarriages, and he knew it was because she worried so much about his father leaving her and marrying another woman, causing her to lose all those babies she had carried in her womb, except for him, as he had just turned 30 years old, while his mother was 60 years old, and his father was 68 years old.

Liam loved his parents nonetheless, but his father had tricked him by lying to him that he was sick and even arranged a fake doctor who called him over on the phone and told him of his father's ill health, asking him to return home from the states.

Liam was so shocked to return home and see his father healthy, moving around, and even attending business class meetings.

Liam was angry that his father had tricked him into returning and refused him from going back to the States.

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Inside the headquarters of the Benson Group of companies, they had oil manufacturing products, gas implants, steel production, and other production of other basic amenities, as their company was well known around the globe.

Liam was in one of the private rooms on the second floor, adjusting his necktie as he wore a long white sleeve and black plain trousers, while his black suit was kept on the table. His father had spoken to him about introducing him to their different boards of members and partners managing their businesses.

Liam breathed out heavily and finally picked up his suit to wear. Just then, his office assistant, Brown Anderson, whom his father had first assigned to him on his first day of joining the company, knocked on the private room door.

"Come in," Liam responded.

"Boss, it is time for the introduction to begin," Brown informed him.

Liam nodded as he wore back his black suit properly.

Just as Liam stepped out of the hall, his father's spokesperson announced to the rest of the prominent men and women sitting in the large meeting hall, "Welcome, Master Liam Jackson, New CEO of Benson Groups of Companies Limited."

The hall immediately went on a round of applause for Liam as he stepped out into the front and climbed on the podium. His father was also sitting at the front seat while his father's assistant, Mr. Silas Greystone, handed him the microphone to give a speech to the staff.

"Thank you all for acknowledging our invitation and being a witness to my submission as the new CEO of Benson Group. Well, I would like us to continue with our integrity and work really hard to continue building our company into a much brighter recognition of transparency and guaranteed products. Thank you all once again for being a part of my new journey. Thank you," Liam said as he handed the microphone back to Mr. Silas Greystone, who was the spokesperson.

Liam stepped down from the podium, and the round of applause increased as he walked to take his seat while some of the few top staff stood up to shake hands with him, as he approached to sit on the front seat made available for him.

Liam shook hands back with them before sitting, and they returned to their seats, while his father, Mr. Taiye Jackson, smiled faintly as he stood up to give his own speech, before the final closing speech from Silas.

"Thank you all for honoring my invitation and being a witness to this new beginning with our new CEO, who is none other than my son Liam Jackson. I appreciate all our past workers who have been working really hard to uplift our company's name and create a sense of transparency that we are one of the best production companies here in Nigeria. And I would like you all, both old and new workers and those in retirement, to respect and work amicably with our new CEO and to follow whatever decision he implies for our company to grow globally, as you can all see his global experience and that he has just returned from the states to be with us. Thank you all once again, Silas. I give it to you now to close the meeting for today," Mr. Taiye said as he handed back the microphone to Silas, who read out some new briefing about the new products and prices.

After that, Silas closed the meeting with his ending speech, while the invitees and all the top workers stood up and exited the meeting hall after the meeting with their new CEO ended.

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Liam remained in the meeting hall with his father after the number of guests and staff had reduced, remaining just a few, and he stood up and walked up to meet his father, where he was discussing with his friend, Mr. John Patrick.

"Father, I want to have a word with you," Liam told his father, so he could round up his conversation with Mr. John Patrick, who worked as one of their top managing accountants and was very trusted with their company funds.

"Okay, son, I will be with you shortly," Mr. Taiye responded, while Mr. John Patrick finally turned to face Liam.

"Oh, Master Liam, congratulations on your new position as our CEO," Mr. John smiled faintly at Liam.

"Thank you, sir; it was an honor meeting you too and working here with you all," Liam replied.

"You can always count on us, Liam. Your father is my boss and a very good friend, and I am so happy to see you taking over his position as the new CEO. I know you will lead us to much better growth than your father and grandfather ever did," Mr. John said.

"Thank you, sir," Liam smiled faintly, as he loved praise words from his friends, colleagues, and even elders, as that motivated him to work harder.

"You're welcome, Liam… Mr. Taiye, I am leaving now. My daughter will be very upset with me for not showing up today at her school graduation, even after she has called me to come with her mother to the venue," Mr. John said, as he faced Mr. Taiye.

"Oh, I am so sorry about that, Mr. John. I hope she understands," Mr. Taiye responded.

"Yes, boss, she will," Mr. John offered a faint smile, wanting to leave.

"How about I make up for that and introduced my son to her, and maybe extend our family friendship to marriage? I'm sure she will be happy about that," Mr. Taiye suggested.

Liam frowned from where he stood as he waited for his father to finish his conversation with Mr. John Patrick, but Mr. John quickly rejected the idea. "Oh, thank you, Boss, but that's if only my daughter will accept."

Mr. John knew how stubborn his daughter was, and he didn't want her to cause any problems between him and his boss, but Mr. Taiye quickly said, "Why won't she accept? Liam is handsome, and every lady wants him. What did she study again at the university?"

Liam's frown deepened as he stared from his father to Mr. John.

Women were not of his interest, and Liam didn't like how his father was trying to court him with a lady he hadn't even met, and doubted he would like just because his father was friends with her father.