Chapter 4 - The Board's Secret Signal|
Chairman Malcolm Reed adjusted his glasses at the podium. Behind him stood Priya Raman, Aurelia’s General Counsel, and a solemn man carrying a thick black leather folder—Ethan Shaw, one of the top forensic accountants in the country.
Julian took two steps forward, positioning himself directly at the foot of the stage, ready to bound up the steps the moment his name was called. Camilla stood beside him, clutching his arm like a trophy.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Malcolm began, his voice echoing through the acoustics of the grand ballroom. “Thank you for joining us tonight.”
The crowd applauded politely.
“For eighteen months,” Malcolm continued, “Aurelia Systems has faced unprecedented challenges. We weathered supply chain failures, canceled international orders, and a debt load that threatened to destroy eight hundred jobs.”
Julian nodded solemnly, looking out at the crowd as if taking personal credit for surviving the storm.
“Many of you feared layoffs,” Malcolm said. “Many of you sacrificed bonuses. But tonight, I am pleased to announce that Aurelia Systems is officially safe. Our most dangerous debt has been retired, and our future is secured.”
Cheering erupted from the engineering and operations tables near the back.
“This afternoon,” Malcolm announced, “a deal officially closed. A private investment firm acquired a controlling fifty-eight percent majority stake in Aurelia Systems.”
Julian immediately began to applaud loudly, driving the rest of the room to join in.
“Who bought us?” Julian whispered to Camilla, frowning slightly. “Malcolm didn’t mention an equity firm in the last board briefing.”
“Does it matter?” Camilla beamed. “They’re keeping the executive structure. That means you’re running the show!”
Malcolm held up a hand for quiet.
“It is my distinct privilege to introduce the founder of Northstar Holdings... and the new majority owner of Aurelia Systems.”
May you like
Malcolm looked directly past Julian, his eyes locking onto Audrey.
“Ms. Audrey Vance.”
