"One minute! I'll break this, mother! Wait, oh yeah." The heated argument between Seth and Les reached a boiling point. Seth's defiance was matched only by his father's disappointment. "Stop pulling me! You're done. I—" "No! Wait a minute," Seth interrupted, "You want to know what I was doing there?"
Les crossed his arms, unimpressed. "I do. I was consulting." Confusion turned into suspicion on Les's face. "Consulting? What does that mean?" Seth hesitated for a moment before replying, "It means I’m actually making money telling other places how to run their businesses."
Les's eyes narrowed. "In other words, you're giving away our trade secrets?" Seth scoffed, "Can I talk to you alone?" Les gestured towards the door and growled, "Get the hell out of here, Seth!" Seth persisted, "Just a second. Close the door." Les hesitated but eventually obliged.
"Have you seen your brother?" Les asked Ashley, who shrugged. "I don’t remember where he is," she replied, looking distracted. Les muttered under his breath, "Why doesn’t he ever just show up when he’s needed?"
Seth's phone buzzed. "Hey, where are you?" Les barked over the phone. "I’m around," Seth replied casually. "What does that even mean?" Les demanded. Seth responded, "Means I’ll be there in a little bit. Check his calendar if you’re so curious."
Frustrated, Les opened the calendar and scanned for clues. "Dad, it doesn’t matter," Ashley chimed in. "He’ll be back. Let it go." But Les wasn’t convinced. "I like to think I can trust him, Ashley, but I would’ve never imagined this betrayal."
Les's disappointment deepened as he pieced together the story. Seth wasn’t just consulting for competitors—he was actively selling family secrets. "He’s cozying up to the competition!" Les roared. Ashley frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked cautiously.
Later, when Seth arrived, Les wasted no time confronting him. "Where were you?" Les asked sharply. Seth feigned innocence. "I was running errands," he said. "At Bill’s Pawn Shop?!" Les snapped. Seth’s expression changed. "So you know," he muttered.
Les pressed on. "Why were you working with my competitors? Do you think I wouldn’t find out?" Seth raised his voice, "I wasn’t working for them. I was consulting!" Les wasn’t buying it. "Consulting? You're helping them beat us, Seth!"
Seth finally came clean. "I’ve been trying to find a buyer for our Pontiac location. The first deal fell through, but I’ve got a new buyer now." Ashley’s face turned pale. "You’re selling out the family business?!" she exclaimed.
Les's anger reached its peak. "You’re bleeding our brand dry! Do you even care about what this business means to us?" Seth defended himself, "We’re losing money. This location isn’t sustainable anymore." Les shouted, "You’ve crossed the line, Seth!"
Meanwhile, a new crisis unfolded. Bobby J, an employee, was caught on security footage in restricted areas. "Why were you back there?" Seth demanded. Bobby J stammered, "Les sent me. A customer needed a ring polished, and Jeff wasn’t here."
Seth frowned but eventually relented. "Fine, but next time, communicate better." Bobby J nodded, relieved. Tensions were high, and Seth’s impulsive decisions continued to create chaos within the team.
Another dramatic moment involved a customer accusing the business of damaging her fur coat. "You tore my coat, and now you won’t pay for it?!" she screamed. Despite their efforts to resolve the issue, the customer stormed out in a fit of rage.
The family dynamic was strained beyond repair. Les knew something had to change. He pulled Seth aside. "You need to respect Ashley and the business we’ve built. This isn’t just about you." Seth reluctantly agreed, but tensions remained, leaving the future uncertain.
