As if Alvin was heading the meeting, everyone focused on Alvin and waited for him to speak.
Liam looked at Linus Collins. He easily guessed Alvin's intention at first sight but he was reluctant to come to any conclusion because Linus was new to the business field.
Why would Alvin bring Linus there?
Will the shareholders approve Linus in the absence of the Chairman?
Was it some kind of revenge on Casper?
Casper had seen the Collins like dirt under his feet and threatened Elder Collins to stop Alvin. Now, Alvin was trying to hurt Casper's ego and hand over Casper's pride to the same Collins family.
Liam wanted to laugh at Casper's fate. Elder Collins had requested numerous times and begged Casper to send baby Alvin with them. But Casper didn't let Alvin live with the Collins family and treated Elder Collins like a beggar without allowing him to enter the mansion even to take a look at baby Alvin.
Now, Casper will have to beg Alvin or the Collins family if Alvin succeeds in his plan. And interestingly, Liam wasn't feeling bad for Casper. It made him feel unfilial, cold-hearted but it was the truth he had to accept.
Alvin took his own sweet annoying time before his eyes landed on Liam. He didn't care what Liam was thinking, Casper didn't deserve any kind of lenience after he risked his staff's lives and killed four.
"CEO Matthews," His clear crisp voice sounded in the hall. He pointed at the screen which stated that Casper was responsible for managing a company's overall operations.
He summarized his intention without sparing many words to explain to them, "As we all can see Chairman Matthews single-handedly took control of the company." It included delegating and directing agendas, driving profitability, managing company organizational structure, and strategy, and communicating with the board.
Liam's fingers rolled into fists. He knew Alvin didn't mean to insult him and just stated the fact. It was the arrangement of his father who had the final say in everything even if he was slogging his ass off for the betterment of the company of the employees. At the end of the day, the files needed Casper's approval.
Rather than calling him a CEO, he was more or less an assistant who took care of meetings, drew out the plans for the projects his father was ordering, and improved the ideas of the employees. In the end, he was an employee who was facing Casper and his wrath if there was any mistake.
Breathing out, Liam met Alvin's eyes. Unless Alvin wasn't going to cause trouble for the employees, he had no issues.
"How certain are you to handle the company on your own?" Alvin's cold words sliced through the silence, slightly hurting Liam in the process.
His father had made him a marionette that nobody would believe in him. Probably Liam didn't have complete confidence in himself after being fooled by his father.
There was a noise in the silence. The shareholders who hadn't thought anything earlier started looking at each other and doubted Liam. They also wondered if Alvin was going to replace Liam or if Linus Collins was there to take the highest position.
Although Alvin never really spoke or supported Liam upfront in the public, Alvin never did anything to hurt Liam. Despite knowing Alvin would be a better choice to replace Liam, Harrison didn't wish to remove Liam from the company.
It wasn't Liam's mistake that he was being dutiful to an autocratic father. Liam was talented and farsighted. He just needs to face the difficulty to grow hard. Thus Harrison didn't favor how Alvin was making it hard for Liam.
However, the first to question Alvin was Liam. He calmly appealed to Alvin to speak his plan without causing any ruckus "What do you suggest?" He can't prove his capability sitting in the office.
Apart from that, he didn't like the life his father lived. He would prefer a life where he would stop working after five in the evening and go to his wife and daughter. He would like to spend time with his wife and daughter on weekends instead of stressing about the company and its accidents.
If Alvin wants the position, Liam will heartily leave the position to Alvin. If Linus was going to help him at the company, he would warmly welcome Linus.
Alvin narrowed his eyes at Liam who wasn't fighting him to keep his position safe, or blaming him anymore for the Matthews family. Being a good person is tough. They either change after getting hurt or feel incapable. Worse, they fall into depression.
Anya had been through that vicious cycle, Liam needed it. Frankly, Alvin still felt Liam was having it easier than what his wife went through.
Since it was going smoothly, Alvin lifted his left hand aside, pointing at Linus next to him, "I suggest Linus Collins as the new acting CEO of the company."
The unyielding voice earned loud gasps and widened eyes in response. Even Liam froze for a moment to hear it loud. If he wasn't capable despite working all these years, how could Linus be capable without any experience? They weren't running an NGO.
Not just Liam, Harrison and the shareholders were also baffled by the recommendation of the man who was known for his nonprofit selfless work. He had no business experience or knowledge about the company to sit in the decision-making position.
pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ The hall was instantly filled with the discussion of the shareholders among themselves about Linus. Alvin turned to the left and glanced at Linus through the side eye.
Rob would have been the best for the position of CEO of Matthews Industries. However, why will Alvin lose Rob to Matthews Industries when he had Skylark?
So Alvin had three choices for his plan. One, make Casper's nightmare come true by taking over the company.
Alvin was disgusted to be linked to Casper, he couldn't be a successor of Casper. Instead, he could follow his wife all day long.
So Alvin was left with two choices for his plan. One, Ean Watson. The person who remained by his side when Casper and Gianna failed to pull away from him. The man who loathed the Matthews family more than anyone was good for the position to piss off Casper.
Two, Linus Collins. He is capable but less experienced. More than that, Alvin wished for the Collins family, especially Elder Collins to step all over the pride of Casper.
Thus Alvin asked Linus and Ean to come to a mutual agreement before the shareholders' meeting. He learned about Linus's arrival when Rob dropped him a message a few minutes ago.
Linus was confident but he had his startup to follow his passion. Heading a company hadn't even appeared in his mind, much less driving away from his passion.
On the other hand, Ean might not have verbally sworn his loyalty to Alvin, but he was there with Alvin through thick and thin, standing by him without a second thought. He just couldn't leave Alvin's side.
Although Alvin hadn't voiced it, Linus and Ean had the choice to refuse him. So Alvin wasn't sure how Linus compromised with his dreams and chose to walk in the path he was paving.