Julian stepped into the boardroom to a wall of silence. The long mahogany table was filled—twelve members, all watching him like hawks. Margaret Adediran, stern as ever, adjusted her glasses and tapped a manicured finger against her digital tablet.
"We won't waste time," she said coldly. "Mr. King, your decision to go public has rattled every branch of this company. I assume you're prepared to explain yourself?"
Julian set his files down, locking eyes with her. "I didn't come here to explain—I came here to fix what's broken."
A scoff came from the left. Samuel Okoro, CFO, leaned back in his seat. "Fix? You detonated a bomb, Julian. The media is circling, the regulators are asking questions, and our investors are—well—furious."
"I'm aware," Julian replied calmly. "But pretending the rot wasn't there wouldn't have saved us either. At least now, we can clean it out."
Margaret narrowed her eyes. "And what if that 'rot' was what kept this company stable?"
Julian arched a brow. "Then it was never stable to begin with."
Silence. Uncomfortable. Heavy.
David Ajayi, his father's old friend, finally spoke. "Julian… you've made a brave move. But bravery without strategy is reckless. The board's worried—and so am I. Have you thought about what comes next?"
Julian turned slightly toward him. "I have. Damage control is in progress. The PR team is crafting a narrative. Legal is reviewing exposure. And I've scheduled meetings with our top investors. But I'm not backing down."
"You don't have the luxury of pride right now," Samuel cut in. "We're bleeding. Three major contracts have paused. And stock's down twelve percent."
Julian held his ground. "I'd rather bleed now than hemorrhage later."
A younger board member, Adaeze Emezi, chimed in. "What's your long-term play? You've set a fire. How do we rebuild trust?"
"By proving King Global doesn't hide behind walls," Julian said. "We rebuild with action, not excuses."
Margaret gave a tight smile. "Action is expensive. You have four weeks to prove your direction isn't suicide."
Later that evening, Julian was in a private office with David. The two sat across from each other, the tension between them less formal, more personal.
David poured a drink. "You're not your grandfather."
"I never claimed to be," Julian replied.
"But you're sitting in his chair," David said, swirling his glass. "That means something. You're not just leading a company, you're carrying a dynasty. You think the board cares about integrity? They care about dividends."
"I care about legacy," Julian said. "Real legacy. Not this… glossy fraud we've been parading around."
David leaned in. "You want to clean house? Fine. But you'll need allies. Quiet ones. You've rattled the snakes, boy. They'll bite back."
"I'd rather face snakes than sleep with them."
David smirked. "You sound just like your mother."
Julian froze. "What does that mean?"
David's eyes flicked away. "Nothing. Just… be careful. The company isn't the only thing with secrets."
The next day, Julian sat in a glass conference room with five of the company's largest investors. The city skyline framed the tension in the room.
Vera Oke spoke first, her tone icy. "Julian. What you've done is… disruptive."
"It was necessary," Julian replied.
"Our shares are sinking," another investor, Kunle Adebayo, added. "Confidence is at an all-time low. Can you fix this, or are we rearranging chairs on a sinking ship?"
Julian didn't blink. "We're restructuring. Not sinking."
"And who's steering this restructuring?" Vera asked. "A young man playing hero?"
Julian leaned forward. "No. A man who refuses to run a company built on shadows. We either evolve, or we rot."
Vera glanced at the others. "And if we walk?"
Julian met her gaze. "Then I'll find partners who want to build something real. Your money buys stock. Not submission."
The tension hung thick. No one spoke. Then, finally, Kunle gave a small nod. "You've got three weeks. Show us something… concrete."
Back in his office, Julian stared out the window, the city lights dancing beneath him. His phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number:
"You've stirred the wrong waters. Not everyone plays by your rules."
Julian's jaw clenched.
He'd expected opposition.
He hadn't expected threats.
But he wouldn't back down.
Not now.