Mrs. Anozie's curiosity was instantly piqued. Someone important enough to warrant the whole family's presence?
"Alright, honey. I'll let them know. Whoever it is must be really special. Don't worry, I'll make sure everything is ready."
Olaedo smiled, her thoughts tinged with amusement. 'Special, huh? Let's hope your shock absorbers are ready.'
"Thanks, Mom. See you Thursday!" she replied, pumping her fist in silent celebration and made to text Nnenna.
Before texting Nnenna, Olaedo paused for a moment, her fingers hovering over her phone screen. 'What if she's busy on Thursday evening? I can't just spring this on her,' she thought.
She decided to check with Nnenna first, typing out a considerate message:
"Hey, Nnenna! Are you free on Thursday evening? I would like you to come over to my parents' place for something important if you can make it. Let me know!"
Satisfied, she hit send and leaned back, waiting for a response.
------
At New Age Group CEO's Office
Across town, Chibuzor stared out the window of his office, a rare nervousness creeping over him.
'Meeting her family on Thursday? I barely have enough time to prepare!'
He sighed, running a hand over his face.
'What do I buy? Will they like me as their son in law? What if they think I'm unworthy of Olaedo?'
He paused, realizing something strange.
'Wait...why am I so concerned about them liking me? Isn't it enough that they accept the relationship? This isn't even real!'
Shaking off his thoughts, he summoned his secretary.
Moments later, a gentle knock preceded her entrance.
"You called for me, sir?"
"Yes," Chibuzor said, his tone steady despite his inner turmoil. "Clear my schedule on Thursday evening and prepare suitable gifts for a mother in law, three teenage brothers in law, and a family friend."
His secretary nodded, her curiosity piqued but she chose to remain silent, not daring to ask any questions.
Chibuzor nodded in approval. 'She's efficient. No unnecessary questions.'
Leaning back in his chair, he picked up his phone to call Olisa. He needed a wingman, someone to diffuse tension and lighten the mood. Olisa, of course, agreed, though he couldn't resist commenting on how strange it was for Chibuzor to meet his in laws after getting married.
"No questions, Olisa. Just be there," Chibuzor said curtly.
At noon in Anozie holdings head quarters, Olaedo gathered her presentations in preparation for the first board meeting since the scandal three months ago.
Unlike her last board meeting where apprehension clouded her steps, Olaedo now radiated an air of quiet confidence, much more higher than three months ago. She no longer hesitated to approach the boardroom or mark a "short distance" as she had done before.
This time, she walked with extra poise, her heels clicking with purpose against the tiled floor. Her secretary, noticing this shift in demeanor, quickly stepped ahead and opened the door for her, ushering her in with a respectful nod.
The boardroom was abuzz with murmurs as directors shuffled into their seats, exchanging glances filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, there was cautious optimism, the company's share price had shown a slow but steady recovery. On the other hand, doubts still lingered among skeptics.
The chairperson, Mr. Igwe, banged the gavel sharply, calling the meeting to order. "Ladies and gentlemen, let's begin."
The floor was handed to the CEO, Olaedo, who began confidently.
"Good evening, esteemed board members. It's been a challenging three months for all of us, but I'm proud to present our progress and the steps we've taken to stabilize and strengthen our position."
She displayed charts on the projector. "As you can see, our share price has begun to recover, growing by 30% over the past three months."
"Our PR and marketing teams executed targeted campaigns to rebuild public trust. We engaged directly with stakeholders, ensuring transparency in all our communications."
"Internal audits have been completed, and all departments now follow updated protocols to prevent a recurrence of past mistakes."
"Finally, I'm pleased to report that we've secured additional investments totaling 5.26 billion. These funds have stabilized our cash flow and reassured stakeholders of our financial strength."
"The additional investments have also helped us to invest in projects which have yielded profit of up to 5 billion."
The room buzzed at the mention of the investments and profits. Opponents from last three months exchanged uneasy glances, but some still seemed unconvinced.
Mr. Ade, one of the loudest critics from the last meeting, raised his hand. His expression was less smug than before but still doubtful.
"While I commend your efforts, CEO, I must point out that a temporary uptick in share price is not proof of long term success. What assurances do we have that this isn't just a short lived rebound?"
Olaedo nodded, anticipating the objection. "An excellent question, Mr. Ade. Let me address that."
She clicked to the next slide: a detailed five year growth plan. "This isn't a mere rebound. We've restructured operations to improve efficiency and cut costs. These measures, combined with our new investments, position us for sustained growth."
Mrs Ikenna hesitated but eventually spoke up.
"I'll admit, I doubted your leadership after the scandal. However, I can't argue with the results so far. But how did you secure such significant investments so quickly?"
Olaedo maintained a calm demeanor, hiding her personal stake in the matter. "I leveraged our strong market fundamentals to attract high net worth individuals and firms who believe in our vision."
Some directors looked impressed, others skeptical, but no one could openly challenge her claim without evidence.
Sitting on her CEO seat, Olaedo secretly heaved a sigh of relief 'I have to be strong. It's not over yet....'
Mr. Dike, a consistent contrarian, leaned back and smirked. "Even if this money buys us time, what's to stop another crisis from derailing us again? Trust takes years to build and seconds to destroy."
Olaedo met his gaze without flinching. "You're absolutely right, Mr. Dike. That's why we've implemented strict governance measures, including third party oversight, to ensure we operate with the highest integrity."