10x Cashback: Your Wealth Is Mine-Chapter 110: Boardroom Showdown (I)

The walk to the boardroom was silent and as we walked, everyone cleared out of the way for us. Some even bowed slightly to Clarisse!

Clarisse led the way with the kind of confidence that showed exactly why even her staff showed this much deference, respect and of course, fear.

On the surface, she was a beautiful queen with a liking for decorum but once you could see her clearly, you’ll know that she is so much more than that.

I followed her as we walked, my mind moving between thoughts of what had happened in her office and the coming board vote.

Let me explain all the inconsistencies that have been happening for the past two and a half months.

Like I said before, when the competition had been announced, Jasmine had quickly tried to trap and distract us with Harrington & Co and we’d willingly fallen into the trap.

We needed to stay where Jasmine could see us so that we could make our own moves in secret, the same way Jasmine had tried to use Harrington & Co to trap us so that she can also make her moves in secret.

Fortunately, I had Elsa on my side. After a lot of digging, she had found Jasmine’s actual move.

NovaGen.

Jasmine had two options. A partnership or a buyout.

She can’t go for a partnership. NovaGen wasn’t important enough for that. There was nothing much it could give Apex in a partnership. Which leaves one option.

And as I’d had the price for NovaGen inflated, Jasmine could either abandon the company to find another one to buy with the board vote so near or just purchase the damn thing.

She’d purchased the damn thing.

And here we were, Jenny with a great partnership and Jasmine with an overpriced one. Let’s see where the dice will fall.

We finally arrived at the boardroom and Clarisse entered with the authority of someone entering her throne room.

Everyone, including the board members who were all powerful people in their own right stood up as she entered.

"Take your seat, Nico." Clarisse said, gesturing towards the chairs along the wall that were reserved for the unimportant staff and onlookers. Some people were already seated there. Secretaries and stuff.

It wasn’t like I didn’t expect it but I guess I’d developed a bit of pride, so it did sting a bit to be asked to sit there.

On second thought, Apex was a much bigger company than Imperium Holdings, so that was to be expected. My $29 billion company didn’t even reach half of Apex Investment’s valuation. Which was why I needed to seal it off from the game of thrones now instead of later.

I went off to where I’d been directed and Clarisse took her place at the head of the table. However, everybody could see that today, she was here as an observer. She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, a smile on her face.

The chairperson of the board, a man named Douglas Hayes, called the meeting to order.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for gathering today." One would think he was a game show host with the way he spoke. "As you know, this is an interim vote to evaluate the candidates’ leadership potential and vision for Apex Investments."

"And as such, the candidates have both prepared their visions for Apex. Now, we’ll hear from both of them, after which we’ll deliberate and vote."

He turned to Jasmine who was seated confidently near the center of the table. "Ms. Voss, you may begin."

Jasmine stood with an air of poise. If Clarisse was the Queen, she was definitely the crown princess.

Her every move commanded attention and she looked at the board members with the assurance of a woman who knew these were her future subjects.

"Thank you, Mr. Hayes." She said with a smile. She was in her element.

By the end of the vote, we’d have hopefully put cracks in her confidence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Apex is at a crossroads." She began as she walked out to the front of the room.

"To remain a leader in the financial sector, we must adapt to the rapidly changing market. Innovation isn’t optional. It’s necessary. And in pursuit of that innovation, I’ve championed the acquisition of NovaGen AI, a rising star in the tech industry."

She gestured behind her and the screen clicked on, displaying NovaGen’s branding, metrics and projections.

"One might look at NovaGen and ask, why should our company be interested in it?"

She paused, surveying her audience.

"NovaGen’s groundbreaking work in AI driven analytics and predictive modeling does not just apply to healthcare but will also revolutionize our approach to investment strategies." She continued.

"With NovaGen under the Apex umbrella, we’ll have tools that no competitor can match. We’ll be able to identify opportunities faster, mitigate risks more effectively and drive unparalleled growth."

The board murmured their approval as Jasmine clicked through a series of slides.

The projections showed steep revenue growth, glowing testimonials from NovaGen’s current clients and case studies that painted a rosy picture.

"Not only does NovaGen’s technology align with Apex’s core mission," Jasmine added, "but this acquisition positions us as pioneers. We’re not just investing in the future, we’re shaping it."

Her conclusion was met with polite applause and I couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on my face. Jasmine had gone the same route that we had but not as… in depth.

Where we had verged towards philanthropy, she had verged towards predictive investments. It was as solid a pitch as one could have but Jasmine had overplayed her hand.

The inflated cost of NovaGen, driven up by Elsa and WireFrame Solutions, would be her Achilles’ heel.

She’d sacrificed too much to secure this acquisition and while it might look good on paper, the board wouldn’t like what came next when the true costs were revealed.

Step by step, we’d use things like these to show the board why Jenny should sit on the throne.

That was the way we’re playing things. Elevate Jenny and drag Jasmine down.

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Speaking of Jasmine, she returned to her seat with a smug glance in Jenny’s direction. Jenny didn’t react to it, focusing on her own coming presentation.

"Thank you, Ms. Voss." Hayes said. "Ms. Voss, Jenny Voss," he gestured, "it’s your turn to present."