Chapter 2.

In Benson Group, Mr. Taiye Jackson sits in the front seat of the conference hall, where they're having a meeting with their different boards of members working under him. In his other companies, which are all registered under his name.

He spoke to his personal assistant softly in his ear like a whisper, "Introduce the new head to them now." Well, they sit in the meeting hall waiting to meet with the newly appointed CEO, whose name has been announced, but none of the workers have seen him yet, as Mr. Taiye Jackson is the former CEO while his late father, Mr. Benjamin Jackson, was the first to establish the Benson Group of companies. Which means Benjamin and Sons Group of Companies.

They sit waiting to witness the new handling of company ownership by Mr. Taiye's only son, Liam Jackson. He's rumored to be cold and unfulfilling, and the workers know that once he resumes the position as the new CEO of Benson Group, they will be dealt with.

Some of the workers have heard of him as arrogant, mean, and also unappreciative, but nonetheless, he's still very hardworking and running some of the private businesses he manages in the states. Even before his father finally announced his retirement plan to him and asked him to return home to his country to run his multimillion-dollar companies.

Liam has first refused as he didn't want to return to his country, as he doesn't seem to find anything interesting, except for his mother, who is a God-fearing Christian mother, as she dresses modestly and doesn't skip attending church to pray for him and his father, as he's her only child.

Liam was meant to understand that his mother underwent a lot of marital crises at the beginning of her marriage with his father, as his father's father, Mr. Benjamin Jackson, had refused his son, Mr. Taiye, from marrying his mother, Mrs. Juliet, but because his father truly loves his mother, even though women were flocking around his father in the past, trying to seduce him and calling his mother barren.

His father still insisted and married only his mother, Mrs. Juliet, without having any other extramarital affairs.

His father stuck to only his wife, Mrs. Juliet Jackson, and stood by her even though his family refused and stated she couldn't give him another child even after 10 years of Liam's own birth.

Liam's mother had a lot of miscarriages, and Liam knew it was because she worried so much about his father leaving her and marrying another woman that she lost all those babies that she had carried in her womb, except for him, as he just turned 30 years old, while his mother is 60 years old and his father is 68 years old.

Liam loves his parents nonetheless, but his father had tricked him by lying to him that he was sick and even arranged a fake doctor who called him over on the phone and told him of his father's ill health, asking him to return home from the states. And he was so shocked to return home and see his father healthy, moving around, and even attending business class meetings.

Liam was angry that his father had tricked him into returning and refused him from going back to the States either.

Inside the headquarters of the Benson group of companies, they've got oil manufacturing products, gas implants, steel production, and other production of other basic amenities too, as their company is well known around the globe.

Liam is in one of the private rooms on the second floor, adjusting his necktie as he wears a long white sleeve and black plain trouser, and his black suit is kept on the table. His father had spoken to him about introducing him to their different boards of members and partners managing their businesses.

Liam breathed out heavily and finally picked up his suit to wear. Just then, his office assistant, Brown Anderson, whom his father first assigned to him on his first day of joining the company, knocked on the private room door, and he responded, "Come in."

"Boss, it is time for the introduction to begin," Brown informed him, and Liam nodded as he wore back his black suit properly.

Just as Liam steps out of the hall, his father's spokesperson announces to the rest of the prominent men and women sitting in the large meeting hall, "Welcome, Master Liam Jackson, New CEO of Benson Groups of Companies Limited."

The hall immediately goes on a round of applause for him as he steps out into the front and climbs on the podium. His father is also sitting at the front seat while his father's assistant, Mr. Silas Greystone, hands him over the microphone to give out a few speeches to their staff.

"Thank you all for acknowledging our invitation and being a witness to my succession as the new CEO of Benson Group. Well, I will like us to continue with our integrity and work really hard to continue building our company into a much brighter recognition of transparency and guaranteed products. Thank you all once again for being a part of my new journey. Thank you," Liam said as he handed the microphone back to Mr. Silas Greystone, who was the spokesperson.

Liam stepped down from the podium, and the round of applause increased as he walked to take his seat while some of the few top head staff stood up immediately to shake hands with him as he approached to sit on the front seat made available for him.

Liam shakes hands back with them before sitting, and they return back to their seats, while his father, Mr. Taiye Jackson, smiles faintly as he stands up to give out his own speech before the final closing speech from Silas.

"Thank you all for honoring my invitation and being a witness to this new beginning with our new CEO, who is none other than my son Liam Jackson. I appreciate all our past workers who have been working really hard to uplift our company's name and create a sense of transparency that we are one of the best production companies here in Nigeria. And I will like you all, both old and new workers and those in retirement, to respect and work amicably with our new CEO and to follow whatever decision he implies for our company to grow globally, as you can all see his global and just returned back from the states to be with us. Thank you all once again, Silas. I give it to you now to close the meeting for today," Mr. Taiye said as he handed back the microphone to Silas, and Silas read out some new briefing about the new products and prices.

After that, Silas closed the meeting with his ending speech while the invitees and all the top workers stood up and exited the meeting hall after the meeting with their new CEO ended.

Liam remained in the meeting hall with his father after the numbers of guests and staff reduced, remaining just a few and discussing. And he stood up and walked up to meet his father, where he was discussing with his friend, Mr. John Patrick.

"Father, I want to have a word with you," Liam told his father, so he could round up his conversation with Mr. John Patrick, who works as one of their top managing accountants and is very trusted with their company funds.

"Okay, son, I will be with you shortly," Mr. Taiye responded, while Mr. John Patrick finally turned back to face Liam.

"Oh, Master Liam, congratulations on your new position as our CEO." Mr. John smiled faintly at Liam.

"Thank you, sir; it was an honor meeting you too and working here with you all," Liam replied.

"You can always count on us, Liam. Your father is my boss and a very good friend too, and I am so happy to see you taking over his position as the new CEO. I know you will lead us well to much better growth than your father and grandfather ever did," Mr. John said.

"Thank you, sir," Liam smiled faintly, as he loves praise words from his friends, colleagues, and even elders, as that motivated him to work really hard.

"You're welcome, Liam. Mr. Taiye, I am leaving now. My daughter will be very upset with me for not showing up today at her school convocation, even after she has called me to come with her mother to the venue," Mr. John Patrick said, as he faces Mr. Taiye.

"You know I cannot miss your son being introduced to us as the new CEO, so I asked her mother and her elder brother to attend her convocation ceremony on my behalf, and she will be very annoyed with me on that." Mr. John told Mr. Taiye, and Mr. Taiye responded, "Oh, I am so sorry about that, Mr. John. I hope she understands."

"Yes, boss, she will." Mr. John offered a faint smile, wanting to leave while Mr. Taiye spoke. "How about I make up for that and have her introduce to my son, and maybe extend our family friendship to marriage? I'm sure she will be happy about that."

Liam frowned from where he stood as he stood beside his father, waiting for his father to be through with his conversation with Mr. John Patrick, but Mr. John quickly rejected it. "Oh, thank you, Boss, but that's if only she will accept."

Mr. John knows how stubborn his daughter is, and he doesn't want her to cause any problems between him and his boss, but Mr. Taiye quickly said, "Why won't she accept? Liam is handsome, and every lady wants him. What did she study again at the university?" Mr. Taiye asked, but Liam's frown deepened as he stared from his father to Mr. John.

Women weren't of his interest, and Liam doesn't like how his father is trying to court him with a lady he hasn't even met and doubts he will like just because his father is friends with her father.