The next few weeks passed in a blur of long meetings, late nights, and an unspoken shift neither of us acknowledged but both felt. Mark was stepping into his father's shoes, a role he had been preparing for his entire life, yet I could see the weight of it pressing down on him.
The transition wasn't just paperwork and signatures—though there was plenty of that. It was about proving himself. To the board. The investors. The people who had trusted Edward Rowley for decades.
I saw it in moments, scattered yet significant. The first major deal he signed as acting CEO, his signature steady despite the tension in his shoulders. The board meetings where more and more, the questions were directed at him instead of Edward. The way investors watched him—not just with respect, but with scrutiny, waiting to see if he would live up to his father's legacy.
