The door to the meeting room swung open, and Thomas stepped inside, surprised by the gathering of board members. As he took his seat, Thomas's eyes scanned the room
"Why are there board members in this house?" Thomas whispered to Bron, his secretary.
"Your brother invited them," Bron replied.
Before Thomas could respond, Jacob entered the room, and everyone stood up. Jacob waved his hand, and the others sat down.
"Thank you for attending this urgent meeting," Jacob began. "As you know, my father's will leaves his shares to Evelyn, making her the next head of J&B. That's disastrous for our business. I've gathered you here today to help me become the next head, replacing Evelyn once and for all."
"How?" one of the board members asked. "She's the face of the company. Terminating her would tank our share prices."
"Don't worry," Jacob reassured. "I'll be the new face of J&B. At the next international J&B Expo, I'll anchor our new product launches, captivating media, influencers, and the public."
"And what about Evelyn?" Mr. Klaus, owner of BLO media and news channels, inquired.
"You don't have to worry about that," Jacob said with a smile. "I'll handle it. Mr. Klaus, I'll need your help in making publicity my priority. Ensure people forget about her."
Jacob's gaze swept the room. "To everyone here, let me be clear: if you have any thoughts of betraying me, abandon them now. I'm happy to be your friend, but you don't want to be my enemy. Choose wisely."
The room fell silent, and then, unexpectedly, the board members began clapping, their hands pounding the table in unison.
Jacob leaned back into the sofa, cigar smoke curling upwards as he puffed. Thomas, seated across from him, broke the silence.
"I didn't know you had most of the board members on our side, brother," Thomas said, eyes widening.
Jacob's sly smile spread.
"I have dirt on most of them," Jacob said. "They do our bidding; their hands are dirty, just like ours."
Thomas's curiosity deepened.
"Brother, what's going to happen to Evelyn? Are we going to kill her?"
Jacob chuckled, exhaling smoke.
"No, not yet. We'll abduct her, hold her until the expo is over. Then, with the board's support, we'll terminate her CEO position. We'll destroy her, one step at a time.