“We can’t prove Carter’s involvement in any of those events. It could all be one big coincidence.”
Plus, blaming something of the sort on him doesn’t make sense to me in the first place.
The Carter I know comes from old money—he’s even got the third at the end of his name to prove it. His parents are so well off that they donated a multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art engineering facility to MIT.
What could he possibly gain from a stunt like this when he has the best connections at the tips of his fingers?
“You’re one stupid motherfucker, Nathanial William Archer,” Melanie retorts. “He’s behind it all. How can you not see it?”
Another name spewed that isn’t my own, but I let it pass. A full legal name in times of distress can be satisfying.
“The engineering speaks for itself, Melanie. Archer Aviation is good at what we do, and I believe we can put out something better in no time, if not tomorrow, then later—”
“I’m stopping you right there.” Melanie cuts me off with what I imagine is a talk-to-the-hand gesture. “There will benoaviation left for you to do if this situation isn’t fixed quickly.”
I let out a sigh of defeat, really feeling the weight of her words.
As much as I hate to admit it, she’s every bit right. The bad press has calmed down a little over the past couple of weeks, but if I go up on that stage with nothing worthy to present, it’ll be like jumping off a cliff for Archer Aviation. Kamal Jameel has made it clear he’s going to back out, and I can only assume the same inherently applies to Everett Staines.
Not that we’ve talked since the night of the spark incident.
“Look, once you get over your moral high ground, call me. I’m planning his downfall as we speak. Nobody treats my cousin like this. Hey Siri, playI Did Something Badby Tay—”
“We’re not doing any of that, Melanie,” I say on a loud exhale, tired of this arguing.
“Ha! Well, have fun coming up with an entirely new idea if you’re not willing to do damage control.”
Melanie’s words settle, and the gears in my head start turning. A smile inches its way up my lips when the next best course of action becomes clear.
“You may have just solved our problem,” I admit, astonished that something good came out of this conversation.
“What are you talking about?” Confusion drips from her every word, before it catches up to her. “Nate, I was kidding. You can’t make an entirely new presentation in one night, and alone at that. All your engineers are asleep.”
“Watch me,” I say with a wicked smile.
Melanie is about to raise her voice again, but I hang up on her. She’s served her purpose. And one thing always stands: no one ever tells me what I can’t do.It’ll just make me want to do it a lot more.
I built Archer Aviation from the ground up—alone at the start, before expanding. We hired more engineers and supporting staff, and built an incredible team as demand and funding grew. No way am I going down without a fight. The work,sweat, and tears I’ve poured into this company to make my dreams come true won’t go to waste.
I look up in time to see Vivienne stop inches away from me with fury in her eyes. “Give me a bat, and I’ll break his kneecaps. Or get me access to a lab, and I’ll make a small explosive. It’ll be just enough to send him to the hospital and make him regret his life choices. It’s up to you. Pick your poison.”
I want to laugh—I want to laugh so hard because something about furious Vivienne reminds me of the way she used to act when she hated me. Now that I’m on the opposing side, it’s apparent that she’s just deeply passionate about the people who wrong her or those she loves.
“There’s no need for either. I’m presenting something new tomorrow.”
“You have something else prepared?” She tilts her head to the side, perplexed.
I shake my head with a smile. “No. I’m coming up with a new idea.”
“What!” Vivienne’s arms go limp by her side. “You’re going to come up with an entirely new idea in the next twenty hours?”
“Precisely,” I confirm with a nod.
“And you really think you’ll succeed at it?” she asks, still in disbelief, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar.
I shrug. “You never know unless you try.”
Vivienne goes quiet for a minute. “And you believe in yourself?”
