84. Ashley’s Place

"I don't understand your question, Dad. Are you asking why I did my job while my brother couldn't muster an ounce of seriousness in front of the shareholders?" she asked, staring into his eyes, trying to gauge his reaction.

"You two were supposed to work together, as a united front, to create something great," Rudy said. "Instead, you chose to go off on your own. That's how you made your brother look bad."

Ashley stared at him in disbelief. "So what you're really saying is that you expected me to do all the work while my brother took the credit."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Rudy countered. "He's your brother, the heir to all of this, and now, thanks to you, the shareholders have lost confidence in him."

Ashley's stomach twisted at the confirmation of what she had long suspected: her father never wanted her to succeed him.