Jayden sat in his father's office, the same office where his grandfather had sat when he was running things, the same office where family meetings turned into shouting matches over fundamental disagreements about the company's direction.
Sam was behind his desk, looking tired.
"You authorized the Jakarta expansion without consulting anyone," Sam said flatly.
"I evaluated it, ran the numbers, and it made sense," Jayden replied. "We need to diversify our Asian holdings."
"That's a thirty-million-dollar decision," Sam said. "You don't make those alone."
"Why not?" Jayden asked. "At some point, I'm supposed to be leading this company. When do I get to actually lead?"
"When you prove you can follow rules first," Sam said.
"Your rules," Jayden said. "Which are just the old man's rules that you inherited and never questioned. That's not leadership, Dad. That's cowardice."
Sam stood. For a moment, Austin thought his father might hit him. Instead, he walked to the window and stared out at the city.
"The old man's dying," Sam said quietly. "I found out last week. He has maybe a year. When he's gone, this company falls to me, fully. And you become the backup plan. If you want to lead, start by understanding that power has consequences. Your decisions affect hundreds of people's livelihoods. You can't just do things because you feel like it."
"I'm not doing it because I feel like it," Jayden said. "I'm doing it because it's right."
"You think a lot of yourself," Sam said, turning back. "I'm not sure you've earned it yet."