1982 (#27) - Ashley's lab work and the love story with Brian

Ever since Ashley came back for Jack's wedding, John has been overjoyed to have his daughter back in town. Congratulating her for the graduation, John immediately thought of integrating her into the management of his company, but Ashley, with a very tough character and similar to her father, refused important assignments wanting to start from the bottom of his career. So she decides to work incognito in the laboratory under a fake name: Susan. In that department she can help develop new fragrances for Jabot Cosmetics perfumes. In the laboratory, Ashley gets her first professional and non-professional satisfactions; here she meets Brian Forbes, an excellent chemist that Ashley soon starts to date. Ashley's happy and carefree double life is interrupted when Brian sees Ashley and Jack arguing. Incredulous about how Ashley can personally meet the president of Jabot, Brian accuses Ashley of espionage and, enraged, refuses to continue dating her. Soon, however, Ashley explains herself to the man, who understands Ashley's motives and therefore apologizes to the woman. The problems for Ashley and Brian, later, come from Jack himself, who is annoyed by the man who is convinced that he wants to take advantage of Ashley and fires him. Ashley is furious with Jack for his manners and his hunger for power; she then orders Brian's immediate reintegration if he doesn't want his premarital secret revealed. Jack thus hires again the man and receives an intimation from Ashley that he would no longer be in his place if he had still interfered in his relationship with Brian. Ashley and Brian, happy, can continue their work and their love story, even if it is now clear that Ashley and Jack are not in good terms.