Todos os capítulos de MY DOMINANT CEO : Capítulo 51 - Capítulo 56

NICHOLAS POVThe board meeting I'd been dreading arrived faster than I wanted. I sat at the head of the table, flanked by executives who'd known my father far longer than they'd known me, watching their faces carefully as I presented a restructuring plan designed to free up capital without explaining exactly why I suddenly needed four million dollars in liquid assets."This divestment from the shipping subsidiary" one of the older board members said, flipping through the proposal I'd prepared, "seems sudden. Is there a reason we're moving on this now rather than waiting for the next fiscal quarter?""Market conditions" I said smoothly, a lie I'd rehearsed enough times that it came out without hesitation. "Better to capitalize now before valuations shift."A few skeptical glances passed around the table, but nobody pushed further, my father's reputation for occasionally impulsive decisions apparently providing enough cover for my own uncharacteristic urgency. The meeting continued, num

NICHOLAS POVThree days passed in a blur of preparation, James verifying names, Tatiana providing additional context whenever we hit a gap in our understanding, and Lily keeping the household steady despite the tension thick enough to taste in every room. When the morning of the second meeting finally arrived, I felt more prepared than I had walking into the warehouse the first time, armed now with knowledge instead of simply reacting to Vance's demands.We chose a public location this time, a busy restaurant where witnesses and cameras made certain kinds of threats impractical. Vance arrived precisely on time, dressed as impeccably as before, though something in his expression shifted slightly when he saw the folder I'd brought with me."Mr. King" he said, taking the seat across from me. "I trust you've made progress on the four million.""We need to discuss the actual number" I said, sliding the folder slightly forward on the table without fully opening it. "I've done my own researc

NICHOLAS POVThe confirmation email landed at 9:42 on a Tuesday morning, and I read it three times before I let myself believe it. Three million dollars, sent through the accounts James had checked and rechecked, received by Vance's lawyers, marked final. No conditions, no follow-up demands, no clause tucked in a corner waiting to ambush me later.I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. For almost two months I'd lived with a clock running at the back of my head. Every meeting, every dinner, every time Lily laughed at something in the kitchen, some part of me had been counting days. Now the clock was simply gone, and the silence where it used to be felt strange, almost uncomfortable, like taking off a heavy coat and not knowing what to do with my shoulders.James knocked on the open door and walked in without waiting. He looked like he'd slept properly for the first time in weeks, which probably meant he had."You've seen it" he said."Three times." I turned the laptop tow