Why, of course, I had no idea. This question has been puzzling Kent and me for quite some time, and yet we could not find an answer.

Thus, I casually asked:

"Why?"

His expression was subtle, his emotions unreadable: I was disgusted by him but I held my thoughts in.

"Ever heard of being driven to the wall to fight for survival?"

"What do you mean?" I was startled, sensing something ominous was on the verge of happening.

Sure enough, Jared's next words nearly choked the breath out of me:

"Because, the Long family business was barely an empty shell— not even that, given my father's poor management and my...