AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A sombre hush fell over the crowd.
“I want to offer a personal apology for the lack of clarity about the situation. I know you have been left with unanswered questions and rumours going around. The truth is, there has been a lot to work out behind the scenes before the business can move forward. But with those rumours spreading, I felt it was important to call this meeting, to set the record straight and provide you all with the information you need to know.”
Brooke leaned in, whispering beside me. “This sounds promising.”
I nodded, my fingers tapping an anxious beat on the armrest.
David continued. “The last few weeks have been difficult for all of us. I hope each of you has taken the time you need to recover from this tragedy, and I want to remind you that our on-site counsellor is available if anyone needs additional support.”
He took a deep breath. “I know there has been a lot of speculation about the circumstances of Alex’s death, as well as the future of this company. I’m here today to provide you with the facts—to the best of my knowledge—and to address any concerns you may have.”
The room fell silent, the anticipation palpable. All eyes were fixed on David, waiting with bated breath for the revelations to come.
“I’ll start off by confirming recent media reports. Zelthia Group—our parent company, based in Singapore—ran an audit which exposed financial discrepancies in the business. The police believe stress and mental illness were a prominent factor in Alex’s death. Let’s trust this outcome and leave the matter to rest. Please consider his family, who are still grieving, and withhold from speaking to the media.
“Secondly, I can now confirm that Zelthia Group has selected a new CEO. Someone with a very high position in Zelthia will take over here. Final arrangements are still underway, but we can expect the new CEO to take up the post early next month. Meanwhile, I will remain in charge. Please bear with me during this difficult time.
“Now, I’d like to invite anyone who has questions or concerns they want to share to raise their hands, and I’ll do my best to answer them.”
Several hands shot up. David picked someone, making eye contact and aiming a nod in their direction. An assistant passed a microphone down the row.
“I’ve heard the new CEO doesn’t have any experience in this sector. Is that true?” a man asked.
“He has a broad range of experience, but no, not in household appliances and whiteware specifically,” David explained.
“So, the new CEO is a man?” someone else asked.
“Correct.”
David pointed to another person in the crowd with their hand raised.
“Was Alex Patterson stealing money from the company?” a woman asked.
“We are still reviewing the findings of the audit, but I’m afraid it looks that way, yes. We will release more information once we have all the facts straight.”
More hands shot up, stretching towards the ceiling in a bid for David’s attention.
He picked someone else.
“What was the reason for the audit in the first place? How come we never heard anything about this?”
“Profits have been in decline for some time now, so I suspect that’s what caused our parent firm to investigate.”
The next person didn’t wait to be chosen. He yelled his question without the mic. “What Alex did must have been pretty bad. Is the company in trouble because of him?”
Someone else cut in before David could answer. “Why is Singapore getting so involved all of a sudden? Luxmore is a New Zealand business.”
“Yeah!” someone shouted.
“That’s right!” others chimed in.
The questions and opinions started coming thick and fast.
“Is Zelthia going to take control of the company?”
“Are they going to take our jobs?”
“There’s going to be a big restructure, right? That’s what I’ve heard.”
