Frankie, visibly worn down, remained silent.
Some director pressed on, âFrankie, Hughes Group is a Legacy.
It stands as a testament to countless peopleâs hard work.
Donât forget Aldrich nearly steered the company off course before.
If you donât take over and leave it to Chase, the company will surely suffer.
â
âYes, Frankie.
Please, can you rally yourself for the groupâs sake?â echoed several directors who were close to him.
Chaseâs expression darkened at their words.
âDonât judge me by my sonâs actions.
Aldrich was framed.
Besides, I am not like my son.
My capabilities are on par with, if not better than, Frankie and his son.
I just need a chance.
â
Frankie looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and disdain.
Chaseâs capabilities were commendable, but his character left much to be desired.
If his integrity matched his abilities, their father would have surely entrusted him with the leadership of the group long ago.
âFrankie, say something.
Who will take over the group?â Chase pressed, ignoring the anger simmering in Frankieâs eyes.
He added pointedly, âMother always wanted us brothers to get along.
â
The emphasis on his last words was a clear warning to FrankieâChase expected compliance, especially with their mother under his control.
Frankieâs anger was palpable, but so was his helplessness.
He had lost two sons, and now his ailing mother was his only remaining family.
Her health had deteriorated sharply after hearing the devastating news about Brian and Rosalyn.
Chase had denied their mother medical attention, refusing to let her go to the hospital or even allowing the family doctor to treat her unless Frankie handed over the companyâs leadership.
If anything happened to his mother, Frankie knew he couldnât bear it.
His sonâs accident had already drained him of any desire to manage the company.
What was the point of the company if he had no family to share it with?
With a heavy heart, Frankie closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
âBrianâs accident has left me unable to focus on the company.
Therefore, I have decided to step down from management.
The responsibility of running the company will fall to Chase.
â
At Frankieâs words, Chase grinned with satisfaction.
He understood Frankieâs emotional nature and knew Frankie would never disregard their motherâs life.
Chase believed that individuals like Frankie, who highly valued family affection, were unsuitable for leading a company.
Handing over leadership to him was a much better choice; after all, business was akin to a battlefield.
Chase firmly believed that only his calculated ruthlessness could secure the Hughes Groupâs position in the cutthroat world of business.
As murmurs spread among the board members, a close ally of Frankie attempted to intervene but was swiftly cut off by Chase.
âAlright, everyone.
Henceforth, I assume the presidency of this group.
Your compliance is non-negotiable.
Anyone in dissentâ¦â