abcnovels
Chapter 655
Chapter 655
Chapter 655
Chapter 655 Preserving His Legacy
Suddenly, Louis bowed deeply at Bianca.
Bianca was shocked by that sudden gesture. "What are you doing, Louis?" "Sis..." Louis's voice was filled with lethargy. "The shareholders are beginning to question Brother's disappearance. I've tried to hide the truth from them, saying that Brother is away on a business trip and will be back soon, but I don't think they'll buy it any longer. Brother's will says that you'll be acting CEO of T Corporation. Do you think that you can hold the fort for a while?"
Then, he cast his gaze on Bianca's bulging stomach and sighed. "I know that this isn't the perfect time to bother you, but the company is descending into chaos. I'm trying my best to keep everything afloat, but I'm not that capable."
It was the first time Louis felt guilty about how helpless and incapable he was.
He was not as smart or shrewd as Luke, and he could not maintain his composure. He found it hard enough to be the manager of a single department, let alone running the entire corporation.
Bianca might seem frail and delicate, but Louis's intuition told him that there must be a reason why his elder brother selected Bianca to inherit his business. She must be capable of taking on the huge responsibility of growing T Corporation.
Bianca looked at him without saying a word, though her eyes started to mist up.
'Yes, Luke is gone.
'Now that the corporation has lost its linchpin, things should be chaotic right now.'
Louis gritted his teeth and continued, "Some b*stard spread the rumor that Brother has died, and that caused T Corporation's share prices to fall to its all-time low. Many shareholders dumped their shares, and even the board of directors is calling for an emergency general meeting to elect a new
CEO.
"Brother holds 56% of the corporation's shares, making him the biggest shareholder. His will states that you are the inheritor of his shares. The general meeting will be at ten o'clock tomorrow. I hope that you can attend it, Sis."
Louis did not expect that his elder brother, whom he worshiped, was gone just like that. Even his corpse was missing.
Crawford Manor was shrouded in gloom for the past few days.
Old Master Crawford was hospitalized after suffering a huge shock. He was only recently discharged from the ICU.
Louis finally understood that it was thanks to his elder brother's hard work that he could live a carefree and lavish lifestyle.
He had to admit that his elder brother treated him well and taught him many things.
After Luke went missing, Louis and Jason were holding the fort in the company.
Mr. Doyle was well-respected in the company, but he was not the final authority on company decisions.
He could hold on for the short term, but it was not a long-term solution.
Ever since the rumors started spreading that Luke was dead, the entire T Corporation descended into chaos. Many people clamored for a new CEO, while some wanted to sell their shares and leave the
sinking ship.
Bianca stared in Louis's direction, though her gaze fell on the wedding photo.
In the photo, Luke was hugging her waist. He was slightly bent over so their foreheads touched.
They were kissing while smiling brightly.
It seemed as though it was only yesterday that the perfect scene was captured.
'Til go to the meeting tomorrow. No matter what, I won't let his effort go to waste," Bianca said determinedly as she closed her eyes, unwilling to see that photo.
T Corporation started from a small company on the verge of bankruptcy to its current state as a multinational conglomerate. It was clear that Luke had spent a lot of effort on it.
Now that he was gone, Bianca, as her wife and the woman he loved, had to protect his legacy.
The next day, Bianca meticulously put on make-up so that she seemed more capable and serious. Then, she went to T Corporation.
She took the CEO's personal elevator and arrived at the CEO's office at nine o'clock sharp.
Jason was shocked when he saw Bianca, and his eyes lit up with joy. "Are you here for work, Madam?"
All the secretaries greeted Bianca.
They had different reactions toward Bianca's bulging stomach, though most of them looked at her with pity.
"Shall I prepare a glass of hot milk for you, Mrs. Crawford?" Tina stood up from her chair and headed toward the pantry.
Luke had ordered her to make a hot drink for Bianca every morning.
Even though her boss was gone, it had become a habit for Tina.
"It's fine, Tina. I don’t want any hot drinks now." Bianca wagged her hand at Tina and asked her to sit down. "Don't worry about me. Continue with your work. Come with me, Mr. Doyle."
In the CEO's office.
Bianca sat in the swivel chair and looked at the stacks of documents on the desk. She gently massaged her temples.
Jason stood in front of the desk and reported to her the current situation of the company. Then, he continued, "Everyone is sad that Mr. Crawford is gone, and many of our colleagues were crying because they cannot accept that fact. I can empathize with how you're feeling right now. Mr. Crawford might be gone, but he leaves behind his legacy. You should get a grip of yourself, at least for your children..."
Bianca lifted a hand and signaled for him to stop talking. Then, she started to mumble as though talking to herself, "Luke isn’t dead. He must be still alive somewhere in the world. He will return."
Jason could not reply to that.
His heart wrenched when he saw Bianca trying to deceive herself. Tears welled in his eyes.
Bianca did not say anything further. She started to read through the documents on the desk. Jason had picked those out for her because they were the most urgent ones.
Jason had already dealt with the less important ones.
Bianca sat on Luke's usual swivel chair and carefully perused those documents. Most of them were contracts and bidding proposals that required her signature. There were also all sorts of quarterly financial reports, business plans, and loss-recovery plans to be presented to the board of directors.
Jason could process the reports and plans, but Bianca had to deal with the contracts and bid proposals.
Bianca's eyes were on the documents, but her mind was thinking of Luke.
Her gaze drifted over to a door not far away.
That was the CEO's lounge. She and Luke had made out there more than once.
She rubbed her tired eyes, composed herself, and started to focus on the document on hand.
She had never managed a company before, but Luke had more or less rubbed off some of his business acumen on her. She was not going to be stumped by those simple things.
Bianca left her signature on many documents, but she paused when she read a bid proposal for a plot of land.
The plan was highly detailed, but there was a special note at the end of the document saying that their competitor was Blatt Corporation.