And for the first time in my life, I watched my father look at me with something other than dismissal. It was pure fear.

“This doesn’t prove anything,” Josephine said. But her voice had turned brittle.

“Even if the will is valid—which we’ll contest—Cecily has no business experience. She can’t run a company,” she said.

“I’m not asking to run the company,” I said. I addressed the full board now. “I’m asking you to examine the facts,” I said.

I pulled the 2018 board minutes from my portfolio.

“March 14, 2018. Harold Ashford proposed Resolution 2018-07 to reduce Genevieve Ashford’s voting shares from 51 percent to 10 percent. His stated rationale—” I said, finding the passage.