Chapter 9 - The New Empire
Six months later.
The boardroom of Harrison International was completely silent as I took my seat at the head of the massive mahogany table. I wasn't wearing my usual dark corporate suit; I was wearing a comfortable gray blazer, and my tie was completely missing.
Julian Harrison was gone, his seat occupied by Marcus, whom I had appointed as the new General Counsel. The rest of the board members sat perfectly straight, looking at me with a mixture of profound respect and a healthy dose of fear. They had seen how I had dismantled my cousin's career when he threatened my family.
"Gentlemen," I said, opening the folder in front of me. "The acquisition of Vanguard Holdings is back on the table. But the terms have changed. We are restructuring the forty-million-dollar profit margin into a non-profit foundation."
Several older board members gasped, but no one dared to interrupt.
"The Harrison-Whitmore Foundation," I continued, tapping the document. "It will fund mobile medical clinics, affordable housing, and educational scholarships for single mothers and children on the South and West Sides of Chicago. We are starting with an immediate five-million-dollar grant to St. Jude’s Memorial Hospital to rebuild their pediatric wing."
I looked around the room, my eyes locking onto each executive in turn. "Some of you whispered to the press that I was losing my mind. You thought that spending money on a child on a street corner was a bad investment. But let me tell you something about value. For forty-five dollars, I bought the future of this company. I bought the soul of this family. If anyone in this room thinks that profits matter more than people, leave your resignation on the table by noon. We are done being vultures. We are going to be humans."
No one stood up. Instead, Marcus began to clap, and slowly, the rest of the board joined in, the sound of their applause filling the room where we used to discuss nothing but numbers.
As the meeting adjourned, I checked my watch.
3:00 p.m.
May you like
"Clara," I told my assistant as I walked out of the office. "I’m leaving early today."
"Of course, Mr. Harrison," she smiled, her eyes warm. "Have fun."
