Chapter 9 - The Boardroom Intrusion
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The acquisition of Sterling Dynamics was supposed to be the crowning achievement of Pedro's fiscal year.
He sat at the head of a massive glass table in a high-rise conference room, flanked by lawyers and executives. The tension was palpable. The CEO of Sterling was a ruthless negotiator, pushing Pedro for every last concession.
"We need to guarantee the severance packages for our current board," the Sterling CEO demanded, leaning forward aggressively.
Before Pedro could respond, a sharp, jarring ringtone echoed through the silent boardroom.
Every eye turned to Pedro's pocket. It was his private line—a number only the estate had.
Pedro frowned. He normally would have ignored it, but his conversation with Abigail the previous night echoed in his mind. Your boys are waiting for you.
"Excuse me," Pedro said, standing up. He answered the phone without leaving the room. "Hello?"
"Dad!"
It was Jerry. His voice was frantic, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind and Ben yelling in the background.
Pedro's heart dropped into his stomach. "Jerry? What's wrong? Where is Abigail?"
"She's trying to get the kite out of the tree! But Ben fell in the mud, and there's a really big frog, and Abigail said we should call you because you know a lot about frogs!"
Pedro blinked. The boardroom full of elite executives stared at him, expecting a crisis of global proportions.
"A frog?" Pedro repeated, completely bewildered.
"It's huge, Dad! It looks angry. What do we do?"
Pedro looked around the room. He looked at the multi-million dollar contracts waiting for his signature. Then, to the absolute shock of everyone present, the billionaire CEO let out a loud, genuine laugh.
"Don't touch it," Pedro instructed, a wide smile breaking across his face. "Frogs like the mud. Take a picture, and show it to me when I get home tonight. I'll be home for dinner."
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He hung up the phone and looked back at the Sterling CEO.
"My apologies," Pedro said, still smiling. "My sons had a reptilian emergency. Now, about those severance packages. The answer is no. Take the deal, or I walk."
