A Female CEO Made a Single Dad Pick Up Her VIP Guest—and Then the VIP Asked, “Why Isn’t He the One Running Your Company?”
Chapter 3
The question stayed in the room long after Charles had stopped speaking.
Victoria recovered first.
“Because Ethan isn’t an executive.”
Charles raised an eyebrow.
“So?”
“He doesn’t have the experience.”
Ethan almost smiled.
Victoria noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Charles looked at Ethan.
“Do you believe you lack experience?”
Ethan thought.
“No.”
Victoria stared at him.
“Ethan.”
He stayed calm.
“You asked.”
Charles smiled.
“He answers directly.”
Victoria stood.
“Charles, may I speak with you privately?”
“Of course.”
She looked at Ethan.
“You can go.”
Ethan stood.
“Thank you.”
He left.
The elevator doors closed.
Only then did he realize his hands were shaking.
He had spent seven years at Sterling Industries.
He had never been in a room like that.
Never had a billionaire investor casually asked why he wasn’t running the company.
And he certainly had never heard Victoria sound uncertain.
When Ethan reached the lobby, his phone buzzed.
Lily.
“Dad?”
“Hey, sweetheart.”
“Can you come to school?”
“Why?”
“I forgot my science project.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“What happened?”
“It broke.”
“What broke?”
“The volcano.”
He laughed.
“I’ll be there.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
He left the building.
Thirty minutes later, he was kneeling beside Lily on a school hallway floor, repairing a cardboard volcano.
“Hold this.”
She laughed.
“Dad, you’re getting glue on your suit.”
“I don’t own a suit expensive enough to care.”
She smiled.
“Are you going to miss my science fair?”
“No.”
“You promise?”
“Promise.”
She hugged him.
Ethan looked at his daughter.
For years, she had been the reason he turned down promotions.
He couldn’t work nights.
He couldn’t travel constantly.
He couldn’t disappear for weeks.
He had responsibilities.
He also had no regrets.
But that afternoon, something unexpected happened.
Victoria called him.
“Where are you?”
“At my daughter’s school.”
“I need you back.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Mr. Whitmore wants another meeting.”
“With me?”
“Yes.”
“I can come after four.”
“No.”
Victoria paused.
“Tomorrow morning.”
Ethan frowned.
“That’s strange.”
“What’s strange?”
“You’re asking me to meet a billionaire because he wants me there.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Silence.
Then Victoria said:
“Because he asked for you.”
The call ended.
The next morning, Ethan returned to the executive floor.
Charles was waiting.
This time there was no presentation.
Only three people were in the room.
Victoria.
Charles.
Ethan.
Charles gestured toward the chair.
“Sit.”
Ethan did.
Charles opened a folder.
“Tell me about Sterling’s operations.”
Ethan began.
Then he stopped.
“Are you asking me to report on my employer?”
Charles smiled.
“I’m asking you what you believe.”
Ethan glanced at Victoria.
She nodded.
“Go ahead.”
Ethan spoke.
For forty-five minutes.
He explained everything.
The company’s strengths.
Its weaknesses.
Its blind spots.
Its culture.
Its leadership.
He talked about the problems employees were afraid to mention.
Departments that didn’t communicate.
Managers who protected their positions.
A procurement system that rewarded long-term contracts instead of efficiency.
An executive structure that concentrated every decision at the top.
Charles listened.
Victoria took notes.
Finally, Charles asked:
“What’s the biggest threat to this company?”
Ethan answered immediately.
“Leadership fatigue.”
Victoria looked up.
“Excuse me?”
“Everyone waits for the CEO to decide everything.”
He continued.
“That works when the CEO has time.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“Then the company slows down.”
Victoria crossed her arms.
“Are you saying I’m slowing the company down?”
“No.”
Ethan paused.
“I’m saying you’re doing too much.”
Charles smiled.
Victoria didn’t.
“How would you fix it?” she asked.
“Delegate authority.”
“To whom?”
“People who already know the business.”
“Names?”
Ethan hesitated.
Then gave them.
He named department heads.
Managers.
Supervisors.
People who had never sat in the executive boardroom.
Charles watched him carefully.
“You’ve thought about this before.”
“Every day.”
“Why haven’t you said it?”
Ethan smiled.
“You never asked.”
Victoria looked down.
That answer hurt.
Because it was true.
After the meeting, Charles left first.
Victoria remained.
“Do you know what just happened?”
Ethan nodded.
“No.”
She looked at him.
“He asked me the same question again.”
Ethan waited.
“What question?”
Victoria said quietly:
“Why aren’t you running this company?”
Ethan laughed.
“Because I’m not you.”
She looked at him.
“That’s exactly what worries me.”
