Wouldn’t it be flagged during taxation? Wouldn’t there be reporting requirements?
The questions never made it past my throat. Not when she had been staring at me with that same hollow expression, as though she genuinely believed I somehow understood the bizarre revelation she’d casually dropped into the middle of a random Wednesday afternoon.
“Does that work?” she asked. “My portfolio won’t go under five. That much I can guarantee.”
And when she realized I became entirely incapable of forming a response, she’d simply turned around and left.
Lately, all my memories with Cece seem to sharpen the persistent ache in my heart. Especially when I know she’s slowly getting beyond my reach, lost to a version she’s discovering herself.
‘Which Cece?’
Her defeated question rings in my head, day in, day out.
Shaking my head, I force myself to focus on the task at hand. “Alright. Names.” I rub a tired hand over my face before cracking my neck to gain back some level of control.
This is what the last few weeks have been about. And I want us locked in tight.
Jasper sighs. “Again?”
Ronald waves him off quickly, knowing too well that I need this. “Benjamin Huxley, Grant Tremblay, Monica Chaturvedi. Taewon already has a handle on them. They’re all remote, so I’m glad he was able to get a hold of them.”
I nod. That’sthree.
Even with the 27.8% shares landing under my name after my parents’ indictment, I’m walking a little too close to the edge to get voted back in.
“Then we have Ryan and Simran Gauthier,” Jasper continues. “We got a word from Simran that she’d vote in your favor. Her husband will follow suit.”
Five.
“Now, Daniel Penner and Christa Jennings have the highest sway power here,” Ronald says stiffly. “I’m a little worried about Christa influencing her posse, which can amount to at least six votes against you. If she decides, of course.”
So,sevenin my favor. Or maybesixagainst me.
Fuck.
“I don’t think she will,” I mumble, frowning. “Cece talked to her a few weeks ago. They’re… tight—almost. Her daughter goes to Smith, just like Vivienne.”
Ronald shrugs. “I’m almost sure she’s on your side, Levi. But nothing is one hundred percent.”
I sigh. “And the last two? Isaac Lafferty and—”
“Namrata Agrawal,” Ronaldo says. “They’re both pretty much on board. But I’m concerned that Isaac won’t be available for the voting. He’s… I heard he’s facing some health issues.”
I straighten up. “So we’ve got six for sure. Two who are iffy. And one who might be a no-show?”
“And a tenth, who’s your ace, Levi,” Taewon chimes in, and I roll my eyes.
“We didn’t forget that massive percentage of yours, Mr. Choi,” Jasper says, smirking.
“Oh, it’s massive, alright,” he mutters almost imperceptibly.
Ronald snorts despite the situation, but remains silent.
“And the smaller holders?” I finally ask.
Ronald immediately starts scrolling through the tabs he has open on his laptop. “We’ve got a handful of unknowns sitting below the one-percent threshold but above the minimum voting requirement. Individually, they don’t matter much, but collectively they’re worth paying attention to. We can work through them until you… resign.”
I give him a stiff nod. “Any proxies filed?”
