Chapter 3 Unexpected decision..

ROWAN MILTON

Normally, just a snap of my fingers to my guards would get the crazy lady on her knees but since none of my men were around, she freely got me defeated.

"Just pray we don't meet again, else!" I groaned again, clenching my thighs..

I'd decided to spend the night in one of my hotels yesterday due to the terrible traffic jam on the bridge, only for me to have a pretty drunkard suddenly appearing from the door and demanding for a 'Relieving bang'

No one had done such a thing to me before..

Not just because of my influential status which they feared, but also because of my decency.

She was literally my first bedmate since I broke up with Cynthia six years ago and I had no idea why I refused to resist her when she forced me to the bed.

Did I really wanted the nightstand like she said?..,

My phone rang, just while I was still groaning and with a sigh, I stretched out my hand to where it was, picking up the device.

Mum's name popped on the screen as the caller's ID and I hesitantly swiped green. Why was she calling that early?

"Hello.."

"What the hell do you think you are trying to do? Miss the board meeting when you know how bad it's important?!" She yelled over the phone.

I sighed. Wasn't it still so early for her reprimands?..

"What are you talking about?" I questioned.

"Are you really asking me that?, the board meeting has started and you're nowhere to be found, are you -"

I interrupted with a gasp.

"Fuck! I forgot about the meeting!" I exclaimed, getting up from the bed immediately, throwing off the phone without even bothering to end the call.

That crazy brown-head is the reason why I totally forgot!..

Shit!

I took my bath and dressed up hurriedly, making sure I spent nothing more than ten minutes before getting out.

All the workers in the hotel bowed their heads as I walked past them and despite being in a hurry, I still managed to make a correction.

"You don't clean with a dirty apron, go change that rag!" I said to the cleaner who nodded immediately.

"Yes, your excellency"

"No more room bookings this weekend. Some of the rooms need to be redesigned. Contact the usual brand" I said to the receptionist on getting to her desk.

"Noted sir." she added.

I got into my car on getting out and drove off to the consortium secretariat where the board meeting was taking place.

And just had Mum said, they had already started. Well, I was thirty-five minutes late already.

"You can't just walk into the middle of a meeting without a simple greeting word even after being almost an hour late!"

I got a challenge immediately as I settled on one of the available chairs.

As expected, that was from Lewis. My biggest headache.

Was it right to distract everyone by greeting them upon my arrival?

How could someone be this dumb and stupid?

"Stop interrupting the meeting, CEO Lewis" my mom, whom everyone regarded as Chairlady Kim Milton, cautioned, secretly giving me a 'You are so dead' look for my lateness.

She was sitting right on one of the three biggest seats in the room alongside two other people who were chairmen.

"Sure, defending your son as usual. Ethics is no respecter of status, okay!" Lewis retorted.

The group's assembly speaker had to stop his speech the very time I spoke.

"Do you realise you're speaking to my mother?"

My words came out in a deep, stern voice.

"My father is here too as a chairman just like her, what's the big deal?" he scoffed.

I wanted to speak but someone gave my hand a gentle squeeze, stopping me. That was Nora Smith, an older business partner.

I folded my other fists, trying to control myself as she had begged me to, with her expression..

Things were definitely going to go wrong if I didn't.

"We'll continue the meeting," the speaker of the group's assembly, who was also the secretary, said.

"Three top ranking conglomerates make up the Haules group – the largest and most powerful consortium in North America which has its presidents on the seats of ambassadors in the American-European business council that comes up every two years.

And just as it's usually done once in every four years, we'll appoint a new president to the office before the next council meeting" he spoke fluently in his admirable American accent.

I hesitantly clapped just like everyone did.

"The Senior directors who came together to discuss and decide the eligibility criteria for the position have given their feedback", he paused, sparing everyone a swift glance.

Why the hell was Lewis smiling by the way?..

"Unlike every other year, The American-European board has given an age limit for the presidential position and that's 40 years. Also, they've extended the four-year office duration to eight",he paused again.

I turned to mum with widened eyes and with a smile, she nodded.

Wow!!

"We've made a decision on our own through this order too. As we speak, the only people under age forty in this assembly are the heirs of the chairmen and chairlady. However, heiress Zinnia of the green square conglomerate is ineligible for that position as a woman, leaving us with CEO Lewis of the Tarshish conglomerate and CEO Rowan of the Novax conglomerates" he announced.

My heart skipped a beat at that statement. I wasn't expecting this at all!!

"As we've decided, our next president from this duo must be someone capable and responsible. For this reason, we'll be appointing the Individual who has a stable family of a responsible wife, and a son in the next thirteen months" he released the bombshell..

Everyone clapped, including Lewis.

I knew he had a wife unlike me, though I had no idea what she looked like.. but he lost his son already, didn't he?

I shifted uncomfortably on my seat. The criteria was terrible and of course, I wanted the position!..

"CEO Rowan, you can hasten up your preparations regarding your marital life as we have just thirteen months away. Thank you" the speaker concluded, before sitting while everyone clapped again.

"Having no family doesn't mean I'm not responsible" I defended.

"Well, you're very irresponsible, aren't you?.." Lewis scoffed.

I got up immediately, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of surrendering to defeat.

"Why don't we see who meets the requirements sooner then. You lost your son, didn't you?" I smirked and furiously, he retorted.

"Then the battle line is drawn!"