"It's at times like this I regret not taking the company public," Leo mused, a cold smile playing on his lips. "I can only imagine the glorious freefall of the stock prices if I had. The chaos would have been absolutely mesmerising."
He watched the unfolding madness with the detached amusement of a deity. Because the company remained privately held, the public outcry couldn't touch its core assets, a fact that was both a blessing and a strategic hurdle for him.
This private status was exactly why the matter of succession had become such a legal mess. Even with the world screaming for blood, the board of directors couldn't simply seize the throne.
Without a public market to force a buyout or a hostile takeover, the empire was locked behind a gate that only a blood descendant could open.
Since Leo had no heirs, the board was left in a state of limbo, forced to manage the company indirectly while pretending to search for a bloodline member.
