“They accepted our offer, and it appears that the dictator’s words were the decisive factor in their swift agreement.” Felix relayed the news to Aron.
“Has he asked about his $20 million remuneration?” Aron inquired while he was at Professor Janusz A. Zajdel’s residence, where he was collecting professor’s brain data, while conversing with Felix.
“He didn’t directly state it, but he insinuated it, and in response, I assured him that I would transfer the money to whichever bank account he preferred,” replied Felix.
“Once he provides you with the account number, forward it to me so that I can promptly initiate the transfer, as we wish to avoid any misunderstandings” instructed Aron.
“Sure.”
“Now that we have completed Phase One of the plan, let us immediately start with the consolidation of the company without delay,” Aron said.
“Of course. When will you be sending us the details for Phase Two?” inquired Felix.
“I just sent it to you now, read it and call me back if you have any questions?”
“Sure” Felix answered back and ended the call.
30 minutes later.
As Aron was leaving the professor’s residence after completing his brain data collection, Felix called him back.
“Why did you call back so quickly?” Aron asked.
“I noticed in the plan that I am expected to assume the role of CEO in the new company,”
“Yes, is there anything wrong with that?” Aron asked, his head tilting to the side looking for anything weird in that.
“Are you absolutely certain that I am the best candidate for the CEO position? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to hire someone with specific expertise in that area?” questioned Felix, expressing his uncertainty about assuming the role.
“I understand your concern, but I have complete faith in you. You don’t have to worry about doing justice to the role. Just ensure that you appoint a competent Vice President from the list I provided and seek their guidance to enhance the company. I selected you for the CEO position because I need someone I trust in that position. There might be occasions when I give peculiar orders, and I require someone to implement them. You meet all the necessary criteria, which is why I have faith in your abilities,”Aron explained.
“Alright, I’ll contact you again once I’ve read through the entire plan with the team,” responded Felix before bidding Aron farewell and ending the call.
……
Two weeks later.
The Rothschild’s compound was filled with luxurious mansion, but they were all eclipsed by the grandeur of the family head’s residence.
Usually, there was little to no movement within the mansion as the family head disliked being visited for no reason. However, today was an exception as there were about sixteen cars parked at the entrance of the mansion. It was the day of the board meeting, and all the members were present, including those who were responsible for preparing the meeting room.
Inside the mansion, workers were shuttling back and forth, ensuring that nothing of importance was forgotten during the preparation for the meeting. Once they had completed preparing the meeting room, they immediately informed the board members.
After receiving the call, the board members began to move toward the meeting room to avoid arriving after the family head, or for today, the board chairman.
Inside the meeting room.
Hebel could be seen talking with his friends “Those who participated in cuckoldry and were threatened by Rina using it.”
Last week, one of them mustered the courage to reach out to the others to check if they too had been threatened with similar evidence. This led to them reconnecting, and they discovered they were all in the same predicament, forming a bond stronger than when they were mere bystanders watching their wives getting pounded by other men.
The board members were engaged in small group conversations when Arieh made his entrance into the room. As soon as he appeared, the members turned towards him and greeted him with nods, but Arieh didn’t reciprocate the gesture. He swiftly proceeded to take the nearest seat to the chairman’s position.
After Arieh took his seat, the other board members resumed their discussions but with a lowered volume. They did so to avoid any potential irritation to Arieh, as they were wary of him causing trouble for them.
The hushed conversations continued for a few more minutes until the door suddenly opened. The family head then made his entrance, with his secretary following close behind him as he elegantly walked into the room.
As soon as the family head entered the meeting room, all the board members, including Arieh, stood up to show their respect. They remained standing until the family head had taken his seat.
Once he took his seat, the family head nodded his head, acknowledging the greeting from the board members and gesturing for them to take their seats.
After the board members took their seats, the board chairman turned to his secretary. Taking the cue, she made her way to the podium and assumed her role as the secretary for the day’s board meeting.
Without any delay, the secretary called the meeting to order, officially starting the board meeting.
The roll call followed promptly, and it was passed without any issue, as everyone was present, and the secretary could already see that.
The board members promptly proceeded to approve the meeting agendas. Unlike many other companies where this process could take a significant amount of time, here, there were no proposed items that would not pass.
This was because most proposals were brought forward only after gaining the approval of Arieh. In cases where Arieh did not approve a proposal, it would have to be under the direct orders of the family head for it to reach the meeting agenda.
Following the approval of the meeting agendas, the board members proceeded to discuss the CEO’s report, followed by the financial report, after having passed the approval of minutes from the previous meeting.
The board meeting continued smoothly until it reached the part of the agenda where they were discussing new business.
During the new business section of the meeting, the board members would discuss new topics or proposals.
When they reached this part of the meeting, Hebel spoke up to propose a new topic for discussion. She had been instructed to do so by Rina.
“Shouldn’t we discuss what happened to Miss Rina?” Hebel proposed, following the script he had been given by Rina a few weeks prior.
After Hebel proposed the topic, all the board members, including Arieh, turned to the family head to see if he approved for it to be discussed.
“I recall making myself clear that I intended to make an example out of Terry. Why are you suggesting we discuss this again?” asked the family head in a dignified tone, speaking up for the first time since he had entered the room.
“I wasn’t suggesting that we don’t make an example out of Terry. However, are we not going to compensate Rina for this blunder?” Hebel clarified, doubling down.
“Do you mean that we should compensate her for her injury?” Yoel asked, following the script.
“We need to demonstrate that if something happens due to a mistake of the vetting team, we must compensate her so that it is clear that it is not her fault,” Hebel explained, giving his reasoning for the proposal.
Arieh was taken aback by this sudden change in Hebel’s stance, as he knew how much Hebel despised Rina. “What happened to him? Why is he taking her side?” Arieh pondered silently, still sitting quietly.
“What do you suggest we compensate her with then?” The family head asked Hebel about the details of his proposal, wanting to understand the specifics of what was being suggested.
“How about we bring her back to work and appoint her as the head of Ally Financial?” Hebel proposed.
When Arieh heard Hebel’s proposal, he smiled to himself and thought, “So that’s where this was heading. Hebel, you sly son of a bitch.”
Arieh smiled feeling happy, Instead of feeling angry or advocating against Rina’s return to work, the position that Hebel suggested for her removed any opposition he might have had.
Ally Financial was currently in a precarious situation, as it had become collateral damage during their war with the Morgans. The company was embroiled in a legal battle with the United States Justice Department over their mortgage practices during the financial crisis, and the outcome of the case could potentially have devastating consequences for the company.
During the conflict with the Morgans, the company was used as a tool to deceive and mislead them, causing them to be unprepared for the next move. As a result, Ally Financial is still struggling to survive and is on the brink of bankruptcy. The fate of the company now rests on how they settle with the Justice Department regarding their mortgage practices during the financial crisis.
This made Arieh nod in approval at Hebel’s sinister plan, unaware that it was entirely orchestrated by Rina (+Nova +Ava +Aron(?))
Arieh quickly moved to call for a vote, wanting to avoid any possibility of someone suggesting a better placement for Rina. He knew that Ally Financial was the worst of their family companies and hoped that everyone would agree to Hebel’s proposal.
“Those in favor of the proposal, please raise your hand,” the meeting secretary said, calling for the vote.
When everyone except the family head raised their hands, Arieh smiled to himself, thinking, “Ah, Rina, this is what you get for fighting me without proper preparation. Look at my people coming up with ways to fight for me and punish you without even a direct order from me.”
Tang! Tang! Tang!
The sound of the hammer hitting the board was heard, signifying that the motion had passed.
In that fateful moment, Arieh basked in the glory of his victory, a smile stretching across his face, his ego bloated with the satisfaction of having his way.
But little did he know, that the very hammer that sealed Rina’s fate, also hammered the first nail in his coffin. The beginning of the end for a once-great titan, The downfall had begun.