AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Of course, that leaves the remaining fifty-one percent, which is owned equally between myself and Izabella. Welcome to a new regime, gentlemen,” I say, faking as much bravado as I can muster.
“No,” Dad cries. “That’s not possible.”
“If you’d like to turn to page one of your booklets, you’ll find the legal documentation of ownership,” Izzy says, so happily that I don’t bother to hold back the grin that’s trying to break free.
“We don’t plan to tell you how to suck eggs,” Hawthorn announces. “You’ve all proven that you’re good at your jobs given how successful Rhodes Corp. has continued to be over the last four years since Reginald’s death. However, we do have a couple of issues that we need to address.”
From this point on, the guys take over, running the meeting how we planned, while the men all stare at us, some obviously more comfortable with their new teenage bosses than others. My eyes stay focused on my dad, his skin a sickly gray color. His lips are downturned into a stunned frown as he just stares at the papers in front of him, his eyes flicking back and forth over the legal documents that prove that between the six of us, we now own Rhodes Corp. in its entirety.
He looks like he’s aged ten years in the last forty minutes, and a sick sense of satisfaction rolls through me as I watch him suffer. After the guys have discussed the changes that we plan to make to the business, I’m shocked to find the room full of smiles and nods of agreement.
Turning my head, I look at my sister, and she smiles back at me before she addresses the room. “We know we’re young, but Rhodes Corp. is ours now, and we intend to see it prosper long into the future. My great-grandfather played an essential role in the running of this business, and in the future, one of us will step into his impressively large shoes, and with your help, we’re confident we can uphold the Rhodes name for generations to come. With that in mind, we’ve come to a unanimous decision that we’re hoping you’ll support us on.”
“Barnaby, would you mind standing up?” Gulliver asks, a wide, unassuming smile on his face.
Dad jolts to attention and looks around the room, his eyes falling on all of us smiling at him and openly encouraging him to stand up. Reluctantly, he pushes to his feet, his lips parting as a question forms on his lips.
“Dad, you’re fired,” she announces succinctly. “Your termination is on the grounds of gross misconduct and misappropriation of company funds. We’ve had it brought to our attention that on a recent trip to Marrakesh, you used the company jet, property, and expenses allowance under the guise of visiting new clients, but we have proof that instead you spent the time on an impromptu vacation with your wife, meeting with no potential clients, resulting in zero revenue made to offset against the trip. Unfortunately for you, Rhodes Corp. prides itself on its hardworking ethos and fortitude toward constantly striving for success. As an organization, we cannot allow one bad apple to make a mockery of our ancestors’ perseverance and drive to succeed. On this occasion, we won’t be pursuing any legal action against you, but we ask that you return to the Rhodes Corporation head office and clean out your desk, or alternatively, we can have security do that for you,” she says with a wide smile.
“You…” Dad stutters. “You can’t do that.”
“Actually, we can,” I say, pushing up from my seat and bracing my hands on the table in front of me. “Izzy and I aren’t just majority shareholders, we’re also directors as per Great-Grandfather’s will, so perhaps a motion. All those in favor of the termination of Barnaby Rhodes on the grounds of gross misconduct and misappropriation of company funds, please raise your hand.” I don’t take my eyes from my father, as every person in the room lifts their arms into the air. “Motion carried,” I say, allowing my lips to tip up just enough that he can see. “You remember Mark, our former driver, right?” I say, pointing to where Mark is standing in the doorway, a wide smile etched across his face. “He’ll take you to the office to collect your things.”
Dad’s face turns redder and redder as his hands clench into fists, and he snarls, gritting his teeth as he glares at me. I wait for his anger, for his foul, repulsive words, and when they don’t come, I brace myself for violence. He’s never hit me, not the way he lashed out at Izzy, but I’ve also never seen him look as furious as he does right now.
One of the other directors clears his throat, and I remember there’s other people in the room, it’s not just me and my dad, and no matter how much he might want to, he can’t attack me in a room full of his former colleagues and my family.
“Fucking cunt,” he hisses, barging past Mark and out of the conference room.
“Our father, ladies and gentlemen,” Izzy says quietly from my side.
Sitting back down, I lift my chin and glance to Hawthorn, then back to the people in front of us. “Gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure meeting you. I’m sorry about that little scene, but we appreciate your support, and we look forward to working with you in the future.”
Davis stands up, and the rest of us follow suit, moving from behind the desks for the first time and stepping out to shake hands with the directors of the company we now own. Even Grandfather looks grudgingly impressed as he reaches out to shake my hand.
* * *
“Did you see his face?” Izzy asks for the fifth time since we said goodbye to the last of the Rhodes Corp. staff and left the hotel.
“We saw, Little Ghost, we recorded it too, just like you wanted,” Gulliver tells her, ruffling her hair as he pulls her to him and presses a kiss to the side of her neck.
“How do you feel?” Hawthorn asks me quietly, as the others laugh and joke about my father’s reaction to losing his job.
“Honestly, a little numb,” I say, turning around to look at him and eagerly moving into his embrace when he opens his arms for me.
“It’s not over yet, this was all just part one.” He laughs darkly.
“Would it be weird if I got a screenshot of that look on his face and blew it up and put it on the wall?” Izzy asks loudly.
A soft chuckle falls from my lips, and I close my eyes and smile, just listening to the sounds of the others around me. “Maybe a little weird,” I say, not moving from my position snuggled against Hawthorn’s crisp white shirt. “How about we get it framed and send it to him for Christmas?”
Hawthorn’s chest vibrates with rumbling laughter. “Evil,” he whispers against my head.
“You love it.”
“Yes, I do,” he agrees, prying me from his chest to roughly kiss me.
“Get a room,” Kip jeers.
