Page 60 of Behind These Four Walls
Isla’s mouth opened and closed; she was at a loss for words.
He shook his head disappointedly, removing his black-framed glasses. “Are you nervous? Because the Isla Thorne I know doesn’t look like she’s about to jump out of her skin. You stood in my kitchen and told me to hire you.”
“I almost killed you.”
He smirked. “Takes more than a few drops of almond extract.”
“How can you be so cavalier about a severe allergic reaction?”
“Because sometimes you have to choose your battles, and this isn’t one you were waging.”
She was confused.
“There hasn’t been almond in this house ever since Holl had a reaction. Suddenly it makes an appearance and is used by someone who had absolutely no idea about it. The only people who know are staff, some employees, and family. Maybe there’s someone who doesn’t like me. Have you noticed that during your interviews? Who have you spoken with, and do they hate me?”
“I’ve asked around here. Also at your offices downtown and around town with locals. I’ve even visited the Foundation’s headquarters on Fifth. But I’d like to shadow you one day. See you in real action.”
He asked, “Really?” He laughed. “That’s the Isla Thorne I hired. Who does that come from, your mother or your father?”
“My father is dead, and my mother isn’t in my life,” Isla said quickly, wanting to stay as far away from her history as she could.
Victor said, “Can I be frank?”
“Please,” Isla encouraged.
“You’re good with words, Isla. You can talk your way into and out of just about anything. I know that from dinner. A family like mine doesn’t intimidate you. And like I said, Holl likes you, and she’s rarely gotten close with anyone ever since Edie left. You managed to finagle your way into my home, spend the night, and ask for a job. Did you really think I needed someone to interview me for an award that means nothing to me?”
“Mr. Corrigan,” Isla stammered, caught off guard by his bluntness.
“Whatever your reasons, you shake things up. You shake this family up, and I’m curious to see who falls and who rises to the top.”
She had no words. She was confused about who had been playing whom all this time. “You’re—you’re using me as your sword?”
He smirked. “Ask me your questions.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Before she could begin, Victor interrupted, giving a series of instructions to Dixon about business Isla couldn’t keep up with.
Victor returned to her. “Impress me with your accumulated knowledge so far.”
She filed through the information she had, picking out what she thought he’d like to hear. “The emblem of the Corrigan Group is inspired by theabe duaWest African adinkra symbol for wealth, resourcefulness, and self-sufficiency. Its palm tree is a symbol of resourcefulness because many different products are made from that single tree. And in the same light, many companies and products can be and have been made through your company, like with the palm tree. A nod to your African ancestry.”
“Absolutely that. Thank you. Now if only my children would understand the importance of being resourceful and self-sufficient ... in the right way,” he said dourly. He pulled himself out of whatever hole he was about to fall into and gestured at her. “Continue.”
“You grew up working at your father’s textile mill to learn the business from the bottom up. He wasn’t just going to hand it to you, very much like what you’re doing with your sons. The mill trucked the products up and down the East Coast, and you drove those trucks. Later, you restructured your companies and began buying and restructuringothers, diversifying and building the Corrigan Group to where it is now, with its many subsidiaries and endowments and hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide. You shed sweat, blood, and tears along the way to build what is now one of the largest corporations in the US, not to mention internationally.
“You’re driven, not only because you’re a businessman but also to grow multigenerational wealth, and additionally because for a Black family in America, the bar is set higher, and you unfortunately have to prove more, just for the simple fact that you’re Black. You’ve gone against the odds when everyone said you weren’t qualified enough, which means, if we’re honest, you weren’t the right race to have this level of success and status. You want to make sure that whoever your successor is, it isn’t about power, money, or self. You want someone who will care about the company, the people who keep it running, and what the company stands for.”
Victor had a small smile playing on his lips as he observed Isla. He shared a look with Dixon, who tried to busy himself with his own black portfolio of paper and things. She wasn’t sure if he appreciated her analysis or was about to have her proverbially executed and booted off the premises. But she continued on. There was a point to everything, yet she still hesitated. “I know about your history with your wives.” She took a breath. “I even know about your history with the love of your life, Elise, Edie’s mom.”
This earned his scorn. “Your point, Isla? I know my history and don’t need a rundown of it from my guest.”
“Thought I was the interviewer here.”
“Whatever it is that you are today. Point is, I don’t need to rehash about me. Let’s wait until I’m dead and they write a huge, sweeping eulogy and biography about me. Then you can sit at my grave and read it to me, where I’ll have no choice but to listen then, won’t I?” It was a joke, but he was dead serious.
“Fair enough.”