Alexander’s POV After spending the night at my parent’s villa, I left early for the company.
An executive meeting had been scheduled for eight o’clock.
By the time I reached the conference room, there were still ten minutes before the meeting was due to begin.
As expected…
Everyone was already there.
Over the years, they had grown accustomed to my punctuality.
Eventually, they had learned to be punctual themselves.
The moment I pushed open the glass doors, the conversations inside came to an abrupt halt.
Every pair of eyes turned toward me.
Ignoring the attention, I walked calmly to the head of the long conference table and took my seat.
“Good morning, everyone.” “Good morning, Mr.
Livingston.” The greetings came almost in unison.
I placed the documents in front of me and looked around the room.
“Let’s begin.” The projector lit up as the quarterly report appeared on the screen.
The atmosphere remained professional until one of the senior shareholders cleared his throat.
“CEO Livingston, before we move on to the financial reports, there’s something we’d like to address.” I looked at him.
“Go ahead.” He exchanged glances with several others before speaking.
“The issue with the agricultural division.” Silence settled over the room.
Everyone knew exactly what he meant.
Several months ago, one of the company’s Agriculture’s farms had suffered a severe pest infestation.
Although the affected produce had never reached the market, news of the incident had spread online before the company could release an official statement.
The damage wasn’t to the products.
It was to the public’s trust.
“Our latest consumer reports still show hesitation in several regions,” another shareholder added.
“Many distributors are reducing their orders while waiting to see if the company has truly resolved the issue.” “We’ve already replaced every affected crop,” I replied calmly.
“We expanded inspections across all farms.” “We upgraded our quality control procedures.” “Every batch now undergoes additional testing before distribution.” “I’ve personally approved every new safety protocol.” The room fell quiet.
They knew I was telling the truth.
Every measure that could be taken had already been implemented.
Yet another shareholder leaned forward.
“But the public doesn’t see those efforts, CEO Livingston.” “What they see is uncertainty.” “And uncertainty hurts confidence.” Several others nodded in agreement.
“Chairman Livingston has built this company’s reputation over decades.” “If he personally stepped forward, people would regain confidence much faster.” “Perhaps it’s time for the Chairman to take over this matter.” The room became completely silent.
Everyone waited for my response.
I slowly closed the report before me.
“My father is the Chairman.” I paused briefly.
“And I am the Chief Executive Officer.” My voice remained even.
“The responsibility of managing this company belongs to me.” “If every problem ends with the Chairman stepping in…” I looked around the table.
“…then what exactly is the purpose of having a CEO?” No one answered.
“I requested that the Chairman stay out of this matter.” “The decision was mine.” “And it remains mine.” One of the older shareholders frowned.
“But this concerns the reputation of the entire Livingston Group.” “It does.” “Which is precisely why I won’t allow anyone else to shoulder responsibilities that belong to me.” I met each of their gazes without hesitation.
“I understand your concerns.” “I also understand the pressure the company is facing.” “But Livingston Agriculture will recover.” “And when it does…” “It will be because we solved the problem ourselves.” Not because the Chairman rescued us.
The room fell into another long silence.
Some shareholders looked unconvinced.
Others seemed thoughtful.
Finally, the oldest director let out a quiet sigh.
“Very well, CEO Livingston.” “We’ll trust your judgment.” I gave a small nod.
“Thank you.” I reopened the report in front of me.
“Now…” “Let’s continue the meeting.”…
Throughout the rest of the meeting, no one brought up the issue with the farms again, but I could still feel the concern lingering beneath the surface.
The agricultural sector was one of the largest pillars of Livingston Corporation, so their worries were understandable.
What I couldn’t accept, however, was how easily they dismissed everything I had been doing to resolve the situation.
The meeting lasted for several more hours.
By the time I returned to my office, fatigue had already begun to settle into my body.
I decided to have a cup of coffee before burying myself in the mountain of work waiting on my desk.
A few moments later, there was a knock.
“Your coffee, sir.” “Leave it on the table.” I leaned back in my chair, resting my head against it as I closed my eyes for a brief moment.
The door opened and shut quietly as my secretary left.
Only then did I sit upright.
Picking up the steaming cup, I walked toward the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlooked the heart of B City.
From up here, the city stretched endlessly beneath me, its towering buildings and busy streets appearing almost insignificant against the morning sky.
I took a slow sip of my coffee.
Almost unconsciously, my other hand reached for my phone.
My thumb scrolled through the contact list until it stopped on a familiar name.
Isabella.
I stared at it in silence.
For a long moment, my finger hovered over the call button.
In the end…
I still couldn’t bring myself to press it.
I’d done it too many times already.
Every call had ended the same way.
Not reachable.
A quiet breath escaped my lips as I lowered the phone slightly.
“Where are you, Isabella…?” The question disappeared into the silence of the office, unanswered once again.
Here’s your second chapter for the day, and sorry for the delay.