They're going to be surprised.
I don’t know if the board will back me. And I don’t care.
I adjust the microphone and scan the room, and that's when I see her. Rosanna. Standing near the side exit, partially hidden behind a pillar like she's not quite ready to be seen but couldn't stay away.
She's wearing the blue cardigan I love, the one that usually draped over the couch in the penthouse.
Her expression is guarded, but she's here. That has to mean something.
Tessa is in the front row, giving me an encouraging nod. My attorneys are flanking the podium, prepared for legal questions.
And somewhere in the building my father's portrait hangs in the executive suite—a reminder of the legacy I'm about to potentially demolish in the next ten minutes.
I clear my throat and begin. "Thank you all for coming. I have several announcements regarding O'MalleyMart's recent Heritage Street acquisition and some internal personnel changes. I'll make a brief statement, then take questions."
The room quiets. Phones are out, recording. Cameras are rolling.
Whatever I say next will be public record.
And I don't care about the fallout.
I look at Rosanna one more time, and she gives me the smallest nod. Permission, maybe. Or just acknowledgment that she's listening.
“Effective immediately, O’MalleyMart executives Graham Whitlock and Malcolm Hale have been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation into their conduct during the Heritage Street acquisition.”
A ripple moves through the room.
“This company will be held to a higher standard. Including myself.”
The reporters are already shouting questions, but I raise a hand. "I'll address questions in a moment. First, I want to talk about the Heritage Street building itself."
I pull up an image on the screen behind me—the storefront as it stands today, beautiful even in its weathered state.
“428 Heritage Street has stood for seventy-three years. It has survived recessions, ownership changes, and shifting neighborhoods. It deserves more than to be flattened because it sits on valuable land.”
I let the silence stretch.
“We purchased the building yesterday. That hasn’t changed.”
Murmurs.
This is the moment my father would have leaned into growth projections and shareholder value.
This is the moment I choose something else.
“We are not demolishing it.”
Now they’re listening.
I can feel the board members watching from somewhere above, recalculating my future.
“As of this morning, 428 Heritage Street has received preliminary landmark designation. We supported that designation.”
I glance toward the back of the room, where Rosanna is standing.
“Some things shouldn’t be erased just because we can afford to replace them. The surrounding project will move forward. The building stays. We restore it. We protect it.”
I look directly at the community members in the back. “When restoration is complete, the space will go to someone who fought for it. Someone who believes community matters more than square footage.”
