Chapter 2 – New CEO

At Benson Group, Mr. Taiye Jackson sat in the front row of the conference hall, holding a meeting with the board members of his various companies, all registered under his name.

He leaned toward his personal assistant and whispered, "Introduce the new head to them now."

The attendees sat in the meeting hall, waiting to meet the newly appointed CEO. His name had been announced, but no staff member had seen him yet. Mr. Taiye Jackson, the former CEO, had taken over after his late father, Mr. Benjamin Jackson, who was the original founder of Benson Group—short for Benjamin and Sons Group of Companies.

The employees sat in the conference hall, eager to witness the transition of leadership to Mr. Taiye's only son, Liam Jackson.

Liam was rumored to be cold and unapproachable, and many workers feared that once he assumed his new role, they would be dealt with harshly.

Some had heard that he was arrogant, strict, and unappreciative. Nevertheless, he was known to be hardworking and had successfully built a private business in the United States.

When his father announced his retirement and asked Liam to return home to take over the company, Liam initially refused. He had no interest in returning to his country. The only person he missed was his mother, a devout Christian who dressed modestly and never skipped church, always praying for him and his father.

Liam had come to understand that his mother had endured numerous hardships in the early years of her marriage.

His paternal grandfather had strongly opposed his father, Mr. Taiye, marrying Ms. Juliet, claiming that she was unworthy due to her poor background. Despite the disapproval, Mr. Taiye remained faithful to Juliet, rejecting the advances of other women and ignoring those who called her barren.

Mr. Taiye insisted on marrying Juliet and remained devoted to her, even though his family disapproved, especially after she was unable to conceive another child following Liam’s birth.

Liam knew his mother had suffered multiple miscarriages, constantly worrying that his father would leave her. She had lost many pregnancies, and he was the only child who had survived. He had just turned 30, while his mother was now 60, and his father was 68.

Liam loved his parents, but he was furious when his father tricked him into returning home. His father had faked an illness, arranging for a doctor to call Liam and claim that he was seriously sick.

Liam had rushed home, only to find his father in perfect health, actively attending business meetings. Furious at the deception, Liam wanted to return to the United States, but his father refused to let him leave.

Inside the exquisite headquarters of Benson Group, the company oversaw various sectors, including oil manufacturing, gas plants, steel production, and essential commodities. Their operations were globally recognized.

Liam stood in a private room on the second floor, adjusting his necktie and cufflinks. Dressed in a black tuxedo and matching shoes, he prepared himself for the formal introduction to the company’s board members and stakeholders.

He sighed and picked up his suit jacket to put it on. Just then, his assistant, Brown Anderson—whom his father had assigned to him on his first day at the company—knocked on the door.

"Come in," Liam responded.

"Boss, it’s time for the introduction to begin," Brown informed him.

Liam nodded, finishing his adjustments. He stepped out of the room and headed to the conference hall. The spokesperson announced to the assembled staff:

"Welcome, Master Liam Jackson, the new CEO of Benson Group of Companies Limited."

As Liam walked onto the stage, the hall erupted into applause. He stepped up to the podium, where his father’s assistant, Mr. Silas Greystone, handed him the microphone.

Liam addressed the crowd. "Thank you all for attending and for welcoming me as the new CEO of Benson Group. I hope we will continue to uphold integrity, work diligently, and strive for even greater recognition of transparency and high-quality products. Thank you all once again for being a part of this journey."

He handed the microphone back to Silas and stepped down from the podium, receiving another round of applause. Some top staff members stood up to shake his hand as he made his way to his designated seat. He shook hands with them before sitting down.

His father, Mr. Taiye Jackson, smiled faintly before rising to deliver his own speech, followed by the final remarks from Silas.

"Thank you all for honoring my invitation and witnessing this new beginning with our new CEO, my son, Liam Jackson. I deeply appreciate all our past and present employees who have worked tirelessly to build our company’s reputation as one of the best in the industry. I encourage you all—both long-standing and new employees—to respect and support our new CEO as he leads us toward even greater global success. Thank you all once again. Silas, please close the meeting."

Silas proceeded to outline new company initiatives and pricing adjustments before concluding the meeting. Afterward, the employees stood up and exited the hall.

Liam remained behind with his father as the number of guests dwindled, leaving only a few in discussion. He walked over to his father, who was speaking with his friend, Mr. John Patrick.

"Father, I need to have a word with you," Liam said, waiting for him to wrap up his conversation with Mr. John Patrick, one of the company’s most trusted financial managers.

"Okay, son, I’ll be with you shortly," Mr. Taiye responded.

Mr. John Patrick turned to Liam and smiled. "Oh, Master Liam, congratulations on your new position as CEO."

"Thank you, sir. It’s an honor to meet and work alongside you all," Liam replied.

"You can always count on us, Liam. Your father has been a great leader and friend, and I am happy to see you continuing his legacy. I trust you will lead us to even greater success than your father and grandfather did," Mr. John said.

"Thank you, sir," Liam replied with a faint smile. Praise from his colleagues and elders always motivated him to work harder.

"You're welcome, Liam." Mr. John then turned back to Mr. Taiye. "Boss, I should be leaving now. My daughter is upset that I missed her convocation today. She called earlier, asking me to attend with her mother, but I told her I couldn’t miss this important introduction."

"Oh, I’m so sorry about that, Mr. John. I hope she understands," Mr. Taiye said apologetically.

"She will, but she won’t be happy about it," Mr. John replied with a faint smile.

Then, Mr. Taiye suddenly suggested, "How about I make it up to her by introducing her to my son? Maybe we can extend our family friendship into marriage. I’m sure she would be happy about that."

Liam’s frown deepened as he stood beside his father, waiting for the conversation to end. He had no interest in women, and he disliked how his father was trying to arrange a match for him with someone he hadn’t even met.

Mr. John quickly rejected the idea. "Oh, thank you, Boss, but that would depend entirely on her decision."

Mr. John knew how stubborn his daughter was and didn’t want her to create any problems between him and his boss.

But Mr. Taiye insisted. "Why wouldn’t she accept? Liam is handsome, and every woman wants him. What did she study at the university again?"

Liam’s frown deepened further. He had no interest in his father’s matchmaking schemes, especially when he hadn’t even met the woman in question.