Chapter 352: A Calculated Alliance
A slow smile curved on Owen’s lips at her ability to catch on to things so quickly.
"You are right. My father would never hand over the only leverage he has over us," Owen admitted. "Which is why I am not asking for his permission. I am taking Ross Real Estate from him through the board."
"And how do you plan to do that? Alec Ross holds fifty-one per cent of the voting shares in Ross Real Estate, and the board has been in his pocket for over a decade," Aliana pointed out.
"Fifty-one per cent of the voting shares, yes. But thirty percentage points of that stake are tied to foreign investment portfolios managed through offshore entities," Owen explained, his green eyes glinting sharply.
"Over the past five years, while I travelled abroad frequently, I quietly acquired those shares from the foreign entities. My father believes those voting rights are still securely in his corner. He has no idea that when the annual shareholder vote takes place next month, thirty per cent of the company will be voting in my favour."
Aliana raised her brows in surprise, understanding exactly what he had been up to. "You are going in for a hostile takeover from your own father," she murmured thoughtfully.
"Precisely," Owen agreed with a crisp nod. "Once the vote takes place, I will hold thirty per cent of the voting shares, while my father will be left with only twenty-one. That makes me the largest individual shareholder."
He leaned back slightly. "The remaining directors care about market capitalisation, stock stability, and protecting the company’s assets. If I present evidence of my father’s erratic financial decisions and demonstrate that I have secured enough support among the remaining shareholders, the board will have little choice but to vote him out as chairman."
Aliana fell silent for a moment.
"And where does Van Empire fit into this equation?" she asked, cutting straight to the point. "Why take the position of acting CFO here if you are going to war at Ross Real Estate?"
"Because my father required a token of my loyalty before he would grant me access to the internal Ross board briefings," Owen replied without hesitation.
"He demanded I take the CFO role here to keep an eye on you, believing I would report your every move back to him so that he could use it to destabilise your position, since he knows you will fight back for Jade. I accepted it so he would drop his guard. In reality, being here gives me neutral ground to execute my final strategy against him."
𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
Aliana’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "So you are using my company as a shield while you stage a coup against your own father."
"I am offering you a mutually beneficial arrangement," Owen countered smoothly. "You get to keep your eye on me while I work for you, and in return, I ensure my father never gets a single piece of real intel on Van Empire. Once Alec Ross is ousted, Ross Real Estate will no longer be a threat to Jade, to you, or to this company."
"Ross Real Estate was never a threat to us to begin with," Aliana shot back. "If it comes to handling your father, I am more than capable of crushing him myself. Why should I entertain a back-door deal with you?"
"You don’t need me to do that, Aliana, but think of it as taking a route with far less bloodshed, while I guarantee Jade’s safety in return," Owen replied.
When Aliana didn’t answer immediately, Owen pressed on. "You and Jade are like sisters, and she has dedicated her life to Ross Real Estate. Think about it. How would she feel if you destroyed something she spent her entire youth building alongside the rest of us?"
"I am sure she would be on the exact same page should your father step out of line," Aliana replied coolly.
"She would, but only for some time," Owen murmured. "What about later? How will she feel when she sees your company flourish while hers was ruthlessly dismantled, simply because you wanted to crush my father?"
Owen’s logic struck a chord she could not easily dismiss.
She loved Jade, but she was realistic enough to know that blood ties and inherited loyalty were complicated. Once the immediate crisis faded, subtle resentment could easily root itself between them.
While Aliana’s approach would be more aggressive, Owen’s approach was something that could get Jade off the hook completely.
After carefully weighing his words, Aliana looked up.
"I have to admit, you are playing a clever gambit here, Owen. And while it is commendable how you managed to gain those thirty per cent of the shares, if you think I am simply going to allow you to run your shadow war from my company, you are sorely mistaken."
Owen raised a brow, leaning back slightly. "I am listening."
Aliana leaned back, resting her chin on her knuckles as her light grey eyes locked onto his. "If you want to remain as acting CFO of Van Empire, it will be strictly on my terms. Non-negotiable."
"Name them."
"First," Aliana began, "every financial movement, every audit, and every ledger entry you touch will pass through Nigel and my personal oversight before it is finalised. You will have zero direct authority over foreign wire transfers or major corporate assets without my signature alongside yours. If you want to prove you aren’t siphoning intel or funds to Alec, you operate under complete transparency."
Owen gave a slow nod. "Fair enough. I have nothing to hide in the books."
"Second, you will inform me of anything your father is planning against Jade, whether it concerns the personal funds he recently froze or anything else. Should you fail to inform me, or should any harm come to her, your tenure ends here, effective immediately."
"Jade is my sister. Protecting her is the entire reason I returned," Owen insisted quietly.
"Then keeping her out of the crossfire shouldn’t be difficult for you," Aliana shot back without missing a beat.
"And finally, whatever false reports you feed Alec Ross to keep your cover intact, I see them first. You do not send a single syllable of misdirection to your father without my prior approval. Van Empire will not become collateral damage in your family feud."
Owen studied the striking features of the fierce woman sitting across from him in awe before a subtle smirk curled up on his lips. "You really are as impressive as they say. Leaving absolutely nothing to chance."
"Flattery doesn’t work on me unless it comes from my husband." His smirk faltered at her words, but Aliana continued, "As for you, a contract will. I need you to sign an ironclad contract stating all my terms before you make any move."
A soft, amused chuckle escaped Owen’s lips as he shook his head. "Who would have thought that the little girl playing in my backyard would one day lay down terms so directly? Colour me impressed."
He stood up from the sofa, prompting Aliana to rise as well.
Stepping toward her, he extended a hand. "Shall we shake on a mutually beneficial partnership?"
Aliana stared at his outstretched hand, vividly remembering the strange sensation she had felt the last time they made physical contact.
This time, however, she merely offered a cool, faint smile. "How about you save that handshake for after you have signed the contract and delivered initial results?"
Owen chuckled, smoothly retreating and sliding his hand back into his trousers pocket. "Very well, Madam CEO."