Chapter Six

Armand couldn't believe the words on the screen when he turned to look.

“Breaking News: Tragedy Strikes as one of the apartments built by the Armstrong Empire collapses!”

The Newscaster then appeared, and the words that came out of her mouth reminded Armand of Vanessa's words.

“Injuries reported as one of the buildings which was constructed by the renowned Armstrong empire has collapsed. Many are speculating that the collapse happened as a result of the use of inferior building materials. However, we urge you all to stay tuned. There's no word from the Armstrong headquarters yet.”

Armand kept staring at the screen. This was new, and none of the buildings began collapsing until months after Aaron had been made CEO before.

“What will you do?” Carla asked.

“I think I'll…” Armand didn't get to finish that statement because Carla's eyes narrowed with greed, and she reminded him once more why he should hate her.

Disregarding the fact that many had been wounded, Carla bombarded Armand with irrelevant questions, “How much money do you think this will make your company lose? Will you become poor again?”

Armand's gaze hardened as he silently pushed back the envelope that she had given to him.

Rising abruptly, he dropped a $100 bill on the table, gesturing towards Carla, “You can use that to get a cup of coffee.” He said before striding out of the restaurant, leaving Carla stunned.

Fortunately, Jerry was waiting outside for him. Armand hopped into the car and instructed Jerry to drive off to the company.

Immediately, he picked up his phone and dialled Mr. Armstrong's number. After a few rings, Mr. Armstrong's voice greeted him on the other end of the line.

“Mr. Armstrong, have you heard the news?” Armand asked.

“Yes, Armand, I have,” Mr. Armstrong replied, “I must say, I was surprised to hear about it. We never use inferior materials. Apart from that, if there's ever any minor issue concerning one of our buildings, the media usually reaches out to us first. But this time, it was just announced.”

Armand's mind raced as he pondered his next move. “I need to call for a meeting.”

“I think you should do that and address the situation head-on.” Mr. Armstrong concurred.

“I will keep you updated, Mr. Armstrong,” Armand said before ending the call, his mind already racing with plans for the meeting ahead.

Armand wasn't sure how the meeting would go. With what Mr. Armstrong had just told him that it was clear the building collapse and the media reporting about it before reaching out to the Armstrong headquarters first was somehow related.

They arrived at the headquarters, and the moment Armand stepped into the building, he could feel how tense everyone was.

He didn't have a secretary yet, so when he saw Vanessa, he was so happy.

“Hey, I need your help with something. Can you please help me tell all the directors to meet me in the conference room. We need to have a meeting.” He requested.

“Sir, they're all in the conference room already. They're waiting for you.” Vanessa replied.

“That was fast.” Armand muttered to himself, “Thanks Vanessa.” he said aloud and made his way to the conference room.

Armand pushed open the door to the conference room. All eyes turned towards him, and there was tension in the air.

Straightening his shoulders, he offered a nod of acknowledgement to the assembled directors before taking his place at the head of the table.

“Good day, everyone,” he greeted, his voice steady, “I'm glad to see you're all already seated and ready to discuss this recent development.”

As he scanned the room, his gaze lingered on the faces of the directors and it was clear that something other than the building which had just collapsed was troubling them, however, he didn't know what it was.

Clearing his throat, he continued, “As you're all aware, the collapse of one of the buildings constructed by our empire has become a matter of public discussions and it is important that we address how it happened right away.”

Before he could delve further into the discussion, Aaron, who had been standing by the window, interjected. “Armand, there's something more pressing we need to discuss,” he stated.

Armand's brows furrowed in confusion, “What do you mean Aaron? What could be more important than discussing a collapsed building that caused injuries to a lot of people?”

“That can wait. We need to discuss the matter of who is rightfully supposed to be the CEO of the Armstrong empire.” Aaron answered.

Armand's jaw clenched, “This again, Aaron? We already have this matter settled. I am your CEO. Mr. Armstrong made his decision clear. He made me his heir and successor. There's nothing you or any other person in this room can do about it.”

Mr. Daniel, Aaron's right-hand man, stepped forward. Armand recognized him immediately. He had been second in command when Aaron had been made CEO, and just like Aaron, he hated Armand.

“It doesn't make any sense, Armand,” Mr. Daniel stated coolly.

“You, the son of a maid, named heir over Mr. Armstrong's blood nephew who is still alive. I can not support such a decision.”

Armand knew exactly what both of them were trying to do. They were trying to undermine him in front of the directors. That way, they could all go against Mr. Armstrong and make him change his mind, but before he could respond, Aaron nodded in agreement.

“Exactly, Mr. Daniel. Armand, perhaps it's time for you to reconsider your position. Go and find your father and inherit whatever scraps he left behind. Leave the Armstrong empire to those who truly deserve it.”

Armand felt a surge of anger coursing through him, but he fought to maintain his composure. This was not the time for impulsive reactions.

Taking a deep breath, he met their challenging gazes head-on. “I will not allow you to undermine me,” he declared firmly, “I belong here.”

“You do not!” Aaron yelled, “You're nothing but a parasite! Take your belongings and leave!”

“Armand will not be going anywhere. He is exactly where he belongs.”

The room fell into a stunned silence as Mr. Armstrong's authoritative voice cut through the tension.

Aaron's face paled. He was not expecting Mr. Armstrong to show up.

Mr. Armstrong moved gracefully across the room, his presence commanding attention as he stood beside Armand. He then placed a hand on Armand's shoulder.

“Armand is exactly where he belongs.” Mr. Armstrong repeated.

“No uncle, he is not. He isn't related to you by blood. Passing your empire to him makes no sense!” Aaron argued.

“You're wrong.” Mr. Armstrong replied.

Confusion was etched across Aaron's face, “What do you mean?”

Mr. Armstrong surveyed the room and announced, “Armand is my son.”

Loud gasps echoed around the room, disbelief evident on every face. Everyone thought the Armstrong's were childless.

Aaron, still reeling from the revelation, asked, “Uncle, you're joking, right?”

Mr. Armstrong's stern demeanour was the only response he needed.

Mr. Armstrong then retrieved an envelope from his pocket and passed it to Aaron, “Here's the result of a DNA test to dissolve any further doubts you might have.”

“This makes no sense. How?” Aaron stuttered.

Mr. Armstrong responded firmly, “I owe no one except Armand an explanation. I need everyone to leave this room immediately, I need to discuss this with my son and let this be the last time any of you ever try something like this again.”

With that, everyone left the room, leaving Armand and his father.

Armand was the most shocked at the revelation, “How?”

Mr. Armstrong's expression softened, “It's a long story, my son,” he gently replied, gesturing for them to take a seat.

As they settled into the chairs, Mr. Armstrong began to explain.

“Mary, the woman you thought was your mother, was actually just a very dedicated maid in our household. During a time of crisis, our enemies were threatening our lives, and your mother and I had to make a very difficult decision.”

With a voice laden with concern, Armand asked, “What crisis?”

Mr. Armstrong sighed heavily, “Our rivals were relentless. They burned down several of our branches, and it became clear that they wouldn't stop at attacking our properties. Your mother and I knew we had to make the ultimate sacrifice.”

Armand's heart clenched as he realized the sacrifices his parents had made for him.

“No one knew what you looked like, so it was easy to have Mary move in with us and have her act as your mother.” His father said.

As the weight of those words settled over him, Armand realized his mission was going to be much more challenging than he had anticipated.

The Armstrong empire had collapsed before, but Aaron was left unscathed, which meant one thing, Aaron had formed an alliance with his father's enemies who had returned after Aaron was made CEO before.

Armand couldn't allow that to happen. His first mission was clear: Aaron had to go.