Chapter 5 - ROWAN STRATEGIC
Rowan Strategic Advisors belonged to Grant Rowan.
He was not a hidden lover.
Not a family member.
Not a criminal mastermind.
He was a deal consultant.
Brenda hired him ten months earlier to help Cole Bennett Events become “institutional enough” for hotel and corporate accounts.
Audrey remembered the name vaguely.
She had approved a consulting budget.
Not the success fee.
Recommended:
formal HR,
incentive compensation,
succession planning,
executive role definitions.
Grant began building the plan through Brenda.
Audrey asked Brenda:
“What did Grant tell you about me?”
“That you were planning to step back after the baby.”
“I never said that.”
“I know.”
“When did you know?”
Brenda looked down.
“After I kicked you.”
Audrey’s face hardened.
Brenda continued.
“I went home and listened to an old voice memo.”
“What voice memo?”
A meeting eight months earlier.
Audrey said:
After the baby, I may not want to keep doing eighty-hour weeks.
Grant later paraphrased that as:
Audrey intends to transition from operations postpartum.
Not the same.
Brenda heard what she feared.
Audrey asked:
“Why did that scare you?”
Brenda finally said the deepest part.
“Because I thought you were going to leave me with the company after making me the bad sister for caring about it more.”
Audrey stared.
There was history there.
Mason investigated Rowan Strategic.
Then Mason found the fee schedule.
Only $250,000 was due at closing.
The remaining $750,000 depended on margin targets over three years.
Less outrageous.
Still significant.
Audrey asked:
“Does Grant benefit if I leave?”
Mason checked.
Yes.
A “transition efficiency multiplier” increased his performance fee if the company consolidated operating authority under one founder.
Audrey stared.
Grant’s advice favored a structure that could pay him more.
Then Kelly found another email.
Grant to Brenda:
THE CLEANEST PATH IS TO DOCUMENT WHAT IS ALREADY TRUE — AUDREY IS EFFECTIVELY OUT.
Audrey whispered:
“But I wasn’t.”
Brenda said:
“I know.”
Then Mason opened the attachment Grant had sent with that email.
A checklist.
One item was highlighted:
OBTAIN MEMBER CONSENT OR DOCUMENT DELEGATED AUTHORITY.
Audrey looked at Brenda.
“Did you ever obtain my consent?”
“No.”
“Did Grant know that?”
May you like
Brenda swallowed.
“Yes.”
