Because he had never allowed himself to see her as a businesswoman.
And as the meeting continued, another uncomfortable truth began to emerge.
His mother was not simply reviewing the acquisition.
She was judging whether he deserved to become part of the company she had spent decades building.
The meeting continued for another forty minutes.
Every time Andrew attempted to accelerate the negotiations, Evelyn returned to the details.
Employee retention.
Debt obligations.
Property maintenance.
Environmental compliance.
Long-term tenant agreements.
She questioned the financial assumptions, challenged two projections, and requested clarification on a clause that Andrew's legal team had apparently overlooked.
Lauren became increasingly restless.
She checked her watch several times.
Finally, she leaned toward Andrew and whispered.
"Can we speak outside?"
Andrew nodded.
"Excuse us for a moment."
They walked into the hallway and closed the glass door behind them.
Lauren immediately lowered her voice.
"Something is very wrong."
Andrew looked irritated.
"What?"
"Your mother is controlling this entire meeting."
"She's the chairwoman. I understand that now."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't know!"
Lauren stared at him.
"Andrew, listen to me. We need this acquisition. Your company is heavily leveraged. The financing agreement expires next month. Without this deal, the lenders could start demanding repayment."
"I know that."
"Then you need to control the situation."
Andrew frowned.
"How exactly am I supposed to control my mother?"
Lauren looked toward the conference room.
"Remind her that she's dealing with her own son."
He stared at her.
"That's your solution?"
"She clearly wants something."
"She wants the agreement to protect employees."
"She wants power."
Andrew remained silent.
Lauren continued.
"Think about it. If she can delay the transaction, she can force you to accept whatever conditions she wants."
"She's not trying to hurt me."
"Then why did she humiliate you in front of everyone?"
Andrew looked confused.
"She didn't humiliate me."
Lauren gave a bitter laugh.
"Andrew, everyone in that room knows you're dependent on her signature."
He looked through the glass.
His mother was sitting at the head of the table, calmly reviewing documents.
The same woman he had grabbed by the collar less than an hour earlier.
For a moment, something resembling guilt crossed his face.
Then Lauren touched his arm.
"Don't let her make you look weak."
Inside the room, Evelyn was speaking with Richard.
"How is the transition plan coming along?"
"Well. The board is satisfied with the latest structure."
"And the financing?"
"We have confirmation from the lending consortium."
"Good."
Richard hesitated.
"There's one additional matter."
Evelyn looked up.
"Go ahead."
"Some members of our board are concerned about Andrew's current financial position."
Evelyn removed her glasses.
"I expected that."
"His company has significant outstanding liabilities. Several lenders have also raised concerns about the quality of its recent acquisitions."
"Have they?"
Richard nodded.
"His management team has been operating with very little financial flexibility."
Evelyn looked toward the hallway.
"Then perhaps we should examine his disclosures more carefully."
Caroline opened another folder.
"We received the supplementary financial statements yesterday."
Evelyn studied the first page.
Her expression changed.
"Why wasn't this included in the original review?"
Caroline hesitated.
"It was submitted separately by the buyer's advisers."
Evelyn turned another page.
"These figures don't match the previous statements."
Richard leaned closer.
"Which section?"
"The liabilities schedule."
Caroline checked the numbers.
"You're right."
Evelyn continued reading.
"There's also a related-party transaction listed here."
Richard frowned.
"With whom?"
Caroline examined the document.
"Whitmore Capital Advisory."
Richard immediately straightened.
"That is a separate entity."
"Who owns it?"
Caroline searched through the supporting documents.
"According to the filing, Lauren Whitmore holds a controlling interest."
Evelyn slowly removed her glasses.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she closed the folder.
"Richard, I want the complete transaction history."
"Understood."
"And I want an independent review of every advisory fee connected to this acquisition."
Richard nodded.
"Of course."
At that moment, Andrew and Lauren returned.
Lauren smiled as if nothing had happened.
"Are we ready to move forward?"
Evelyn looked at her.
"Not quite."
"What seems to be the problem?"
Evelyn placed the financial statement on the table.
"Perhaps you can help us understand this particular transaction."
Lauren glanced down.
The smile disappeared from her face.