Third Person's POV.
Percy and Alexis plunged into three days of intense strategic planning, focused entirely on securing a single, high-visibility private sector project. They needed something that would make headlines and forcefully counteract the insidious stagnation Genevieve Sinclair Moore was imposing on their public projects.
"The key is speed and optics," Percy stated, hunched over blueprints with Alexis in his new, spacious office at Aethel Designs. "We need a client that thrives on innovation and doesn't care one bit about old-guard politics. Someone whose entire image is about being the future."
Alexis pointed to a file that had been flagged. "There's a disruptive tech startup, 'Nexus Labs,' launching a major expansion. They want a new flagship headquarters downtown—a building designed to be a literal smart building, fully optimized for sustainable technology. They're moving fast and have the capital to back it up."
"Nexus Labs," Percy repeated, a slow, strategic smile spreading across his face. "Perfect. They hate bureaucracy, and they love disruptive design. If we can land that, the Northwood Project delay won't matter. It'll generate ten times the excitement and positive noise."
Later that evening, back in the quiet, supportive safety of their apartment, Percy was still immersed in the overwhelming Nexus Labs pitch material. Gemini, who had just returned from a long day of classes and his part-time job, saw the stacks of corporate documents and immediately sensed the profound stress rolling off Percy.
"More war plans?" Gemini asked softly, sitting beside Percy on the plush couch, offering an immediate, comforting presence.
"More counter-war plans," Percy corrected, running a frustrated hand through his meticulously styled hair. "Mother is freezing our major public contracts with corporate friction. We need a massive win to break the ice—a new headquarters for a company called Nexus Labs. But their CEO is notoriously hard to impress."
Gemini picked up a proposal sheet, genuinely intrigued by the name. "Nexus Labs? They're huge in sustainable data visualization. I actually wrote a paper last semester on their corporate structure for my business ethics class. They place enormous value on employee well-being and ecological integration."
"That's correct," Percy said, looking up, surprised by his knowledge of the company. "We're pitching a smart, sustainable design, but the structural blueprints are the easy part. It's the ethos of the company that needs to be reflected in the final design."
Gemini, completely forgetting his own tiredness, immediately launched into a detailed, focused analysis of the Nexus Labs founder's core values.
"They've said repeatedly that their headquarters must be a living organism," Gemini explained, tapping the paper with his finger. "It can't just be high-tech; it has to actively improve the lives of the people inside. The air quality, the natural light cycles, the acoustics—those are the details they care about more than the square footage. They want a space that actively reduces employee burnout, not just saves energy."
Percy listened intently, recognizing the deep, actionable insights Gemini was providing—information far beyond what a surface-level corporate brief would include.
"Bunny, this is brilliant," Percy said, his focus sharpening into exhilaration. "We've been pitching them an intelligent building. We should be pitching them a wellness system designed around their staff. Aethel Designs isn't just selling architecture; we're selling productivity and care."
"Right. Emphasize the bio-dynamic lighting that mimics natural cycles, and the integrated green spaces that are actually accessible and not just decorative," Gemini suggested, his eyes bright with intellectual excitement. "That's their language."
"You're amazing! Thank you, Bunny." Percy wrapped his arms around Gemini and kissed him deeply, a kiss of pure gratitude and shared triumph.
Armed with Gemini's specialized, human-centric insights, Percy and Alexis immediately overhauled their pitch. The resulting presentation to Nexus Labs was not about steel and glass; it was about human psychology and optimized performance.
Two days later, the news broke like a thunderclap.
Percy's mother, who was still trying to quietly strangle Aethel Design's supply chain, opened her morning paper to find a massive, front-page headline, impossible to ignore:
AETHEL DESIGNS LANDS LANDMARK NEXUS LABS HQ—$120 MILLION PROJECT SETS NEW BAR FOR SMART DESIGNS.
The accompanying article praised Aethel Design's "visionary approach to human-centric architecture" and "unparalleled understanding of future workplace dynamics."
Genevieve Sinclair Moore's calculated sabotage had been countered by a single, loud, and undeniable success. The Nexus Labs win was so high-profile that it instantly neutralized any whispers of Aethel Design's instability and secured their public market reputation right before the highly anticipated IPO.
Later that afternoon, Percy returned to the apartment, dropping his briefcase with a loud, triumphant thud.
"We won, Bunny," Percy said, pulling Gemini up into a tight, exuberant hug. "We crushed the presentation. The Nexus CEO said our pitch was the only one that truly understood their 'corporate soul.' And that was entirely thanks to you."
Gemini laughed, hugging him tightly, feeling a deep, quiet satisfaction that transcended the corporate triumph. He had won against Genevieve Moore's money and influence, helping Percy beat her sabotage without forcing him into another agonizing confrontation.
"You did all the heavy lifting, babe." Gemini said, smiling brightly, his cheeks flushed with pride. "You just needed a little help from your amazing boyfriend."
"My amazing boyfriend is a genius," Percy agreed, kissing him deeply, celebrating their successful operation.