Chapter 11 - MONDAY MORNINGBlake arrived at Mercer Holdings headquarters at 7:15 Monday morning.
His access still worked.
His office remained intact.
His name remained on the executive floor directory.
For a few minutes, he felt foolish for worrying.
Then his assistant entered.
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
She placed several folders on his desk.
“Your ten o’clock with Harrison has been canceled.”
Blake looked up.
“Why?”
“His office requested it.”
“Reschedule.”
“They didn’t give another time.”
Blake frowned.
“What about the governance committee meeting?”
“You’re no longer listed as attending.”
His stomach tightened.
“And Thursday?”
“The succession working session was removed from the calendar.”
Blake stood.
“Who authorized that?”
She looked uncomfortable.
“Your father.”
He walked directly to Harrison’s office.
The executive assistant stood.
“Blake—”
He opened the door.
Harrison was reading a report.
“Dad.”
Harrison looked up.
“Good morning.”
“What’s happening?”
“With?”
“My meetings.”
“Sit.”
“I don’t want to sit.”
Harrison returned to the report.
“Then stand.”
That infuriated Blake.
“You canceled the succession meeting.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I’m reconsidering.”
“Because Mom complained?”
Harrison slowly lifted his eyes.
“Try again.”
Blake swallowed.
“Because of what happened.”
“Yes.”
“It was one argument.”
“No.”
“Dad.”
“One argument is disagreement over Christmas plans.”
Blake glanced toward the door.
Harrison noticed.
“Worried someone might hear?”
“This is private.”
“So was the hallway.”
Blake went still.
Harrison closed the report.
“I watched you.”
There it was.
“What?”
“Security footage.”
Blake’s face drained.
Harrison spoke without raising his voice.
“I watched Sloane strike your mother. I watched Evelyn turn to you. I heard her ask for your help. I heard you order her to apologize. Then I watched you grab her and push her against a wall.”
Blake’s mouth went dry.
“You had audio?”
“Yes.”
“I can explain.”
“Go ahead.”
Blake opened his mouth.
Nothing sounded good.
Sloane was emotional.
Mom wouldn’t stop.
People were watching.
He had been drinking.
Every explanation made him sound worse.
“It got out of control.”
“No. You lost control.”
Blake looked away.
“Are you firing me?”
“No.”
Surprise.
“Demoting me?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“You keep your current responsibilities.”
“And the shares?”
“No.”
Blake’s face hardened.
“You can’t hold my inheritance over my head.”
“Good news.”
Harrison leaned back.
“It isn’t your inheritance.”
“You promised me.”
“I discussed transferring voting stock if I believed you were ready for expanded leadership.”
“You did believe that.”
“I was wrong.”
The words landed brutally.
Blake’s jaw tightened.
“You’re doing this because Mom is upset.”
“I’m doing it because leadership requires judgment.”
“I made one mistake.”
“You chose image over decency.”
“That has nothing to do with business.”
“It has everything to do with business.”
Blake scoffed.
“You think CEOs are saints?”
“No.”
Harrison’s voice remained calm.
“I think CEOs are people whose failures of character become expensive for everyone beneath them.”
Silence.
Blake looked toward the windows.
“You’re destroying years of work.”
“No.”
“Then what do you call this?”
“A pause.”
“For how long?”
“Until I trust your judgment again.”
“And if you never do?”
Harrison looked at him.
“That will depend on you.”
Blake reached the door.
“Mom wanted this, didn’t she?”
Harrison’s expression changed.
Just slightly.
“Your mother asked me not to destroy your future.”
Blake stopped.
“She defended you.”
Harrison reopened the report.
“She always does.”
Blake stood there.
May you like
For once, the knowledge did not comfort him.
It made him feel ashamed.
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