A six-year-old hidden in my office because I had believed the only acceptable employee was one whose personal life never interfered with work.
“Adrian.”
“I know.”
“Did you buy the company because of her?”
He considered the question.
“At first?”
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I was twenty-nine and had more money than perspective.”
I waited.
“When Blackwell & Reed became available, I saw an opportunity to acquire a respected firm. I also saw an opportunity to take control of a place that had once made my mother feel disposable.”
“That sounds dangerously close to revenge.”
“It was.”
My eyebrows rose.
He shook his head.
“Not the dramatic kind. I didn’t want to destroy the company. I wanted to prove I could run it better.”
“Did you?”
“For a while.”
He looked ashamed of the answer.
“I improved profits. Raised salaries. Brought in larger clients. Expanded internationally.”
