“I suggest we be rid of him right away, to serve as a warning to the others!”
“No, we have to make him return every last dime he stole from the company over the years!”
“Yes! We will do that, and then get rid of him!”
Kallum was certainly furious to hear that the board members who were so loyal to him before were now ready to lynch him.
However, he was afraid to say a thing, even as he subtly glanced at Frank while wondering if he could take Helen hostage before Frank realized it.
On the other hand, Helen was hiding a giggle as she listened to the board members’ shouts of indignation even as they scapegoated Kallum.
Turning to Kallum, she narrowed her eyes and asked, “So, Mr. Gaetz. Do you yield or not?”
Kallum turned away-how could she still ask something so pointless at this stage?!
But he was already set on this path, and he shall see through it!
“No, I refuse!” he snapped coolly. “You may be able to fool these idiots, but not me! You’re just coercing them to cooperate, or Lanecorp would fall to chaos with a sudden purge of executives! You’ll abandon them in time, or am I wrong?”
The board members were once again snapping and condemning Kallum’s rant, but they were also casting looks of concern at Helen.
After all, Kallum had a point which concerned them-Helen had leverage against them, so it was only natural that they were wary.
And yet, Helen did not worry at all, even holding up a hand to stop their outburst as she sneered. “I’m not a person who disposes of personnel like tools. I promise-if I’m not betrayed, of course-that I’ll be increasing every board member’s bonus by twenty percent at the end of the year and giving a fifty percent base salary increment.”
The board members’ eyes lit up at Helen’s promised boons.
Her assurance that they would make even more money together already boosted morale.
As for the specific numbers she provided now, it meant that she was not just providing lip service.
If Helen failed to fulfill her promise, it was on her.
It was an almost insignificant
excuse, but it was enough to assure the board members since they were worried Helen would abandon them Once she was done with them.
And since Helen offered a promise, they did not lose anything if she fulfilled it, and they could just walk away if she failed.
Aside from the head accountant
Owen Briggs, the other board
members just had to make sure they
paid for what they had taken and
Helen’s leverage would be void in
months.
Embezzlement? What embezzlement?
And seeing that the other board members were now looking at Helen respectfully instead of fearfully, Kallum quickly realized that he had fallen for Helen’s trap.
Helen was using him to bring to light the board’s doubts toward her, offering them further assurance and reining them in for her cause.
However, that also gave Kallum an idea-since she was using him anyway, he could use this against her!
“Helen Lane,” he said bluntly, “lip service and your health and safety department.is pointless. Making money isn’t done by words alone if you want everyone in the company to follow you, you should show that you can actually achieve
something!”
“Really? Achieve what?” Helen asked.
Seeing that she took the bait, Kallum was awash with glee, but he kept a straight face.
