Third Person's POV.
The following day, Percy and Alexis arrived for a planned lunch with Phillip Sinclair at his exclusive golf club. To Percy's mild annoyance, his cousin, Mark, was already seated at the table, scrolling through his phone with a deeply bored expression—the very picture of forced family attendance.
The moment Percy sat down, Mark looked up, a familiar, mischievous glint in his eye.
"Look who finally showed up," Mark announced, grinning widely. "Dom, I heard you've been making enemies in high places. How's the independent life treating you?"
Percy winced visibly at the sound of his middle name, Ser-Dominic, which Mark liked to shorten every single time just to annoy him. "Don't call me that, Mark!" Percy warned, his voice low and dangerous.
Before Mark could press the issue, Percy reached across the table and delivered a quick, light wack to the back of his cousin's head—a gesture of shared history and controlled aggression.
Phillip, who had been watching the exchange with a tolerant, weary smile, immediately burst out laughing, effectively saving Mark from any further retaliation.
"Oh, leave him alone, Mark. He's trying to run a company. And you," Phillip said, shaking his head at Mark, "you're barely surviving your final year as it is."
The tension in the air lifted immediately, replaced by the easy, if slightly volatile, familiarity of family.
Once the initial orders were placed, the conversation turned serious. Percy leaned forward, his genuine gratitude evident in his voice.
"Uncle Phillip, I really can't thank you enough for stepping in yesterday," Percy said earnestly. "You know Mother wouldn't have stopped otherwise. That Nexus Labs win only made her angrier."
"Yes, thank you, Dad," Alexis added, reaching over to squeeze her father's arm. "You literally saved Aethel Designs from a massive, unnecessary supply chain entanglement. We were about to divert resources internationally just to bypass her."
Phillip nodded, his expression sober. "You're both brilliant, and that Nexus win was spectacular. But Eve was using the family network against the family itself. That was the line," he stated firmly. "It was time for me to step in."
He then looked directly at Percy, softening his tone slightly. "You need to understand, Percy, your mother is hurting. She sees your departure not just as a career choice, but as an ultimate rejection of everything she'd planned for you. She equates your personal success with her failure."
Phillip shifted, adopting the role of the family patriarch offering crucial life advice.
"I told her to stop attacking the company, and she will—for now. But I also need to tell you what I told her: It is okay for you to choose your happiness. You have every right to build your own life and your own company, and I'm proud of how decisive you've been."
He sighed, the sound heavy. "However, Percy, you also need to try and make peace with your mother. Not for the business, but for your own sake. Family is important. You don't have to agree with her, and you certainly don't have to work for her, but a complete, permanent severing of ties, like that name change you threatened—that's too harsh. It leaves wounds that never heal, not just for you, but for the rest of us."
Mark, surprisingly, chimed in, leaning forward with a rare moment of sincerity.
"Yeah, Dom. Chill out a little. The name change and leaving the family is overkill. She's upset, but she's still Aunt Genevieve. She wouldn't do anything to hurt you intentionally."
Percy rubbed his forehead, acknowledging the weight of his uncle's words. He understood that his dramatic move, while necessary for independence, had created a rift that would affect the wider family.
"I understand, Uncle Phillip," Percy replied. "I only used the name change threat because I had exhausted every other option to make her stop interfering with my life. But I hear you. I won't execute the threat unless I absolutely have to. I'll maintain distance, but I won't deliberately escalate the personal side anymore."
He looked at Alexis, a silent agreement passing between the co-founders: they would focus on business, and Percy would manage the personal ceasefire.
"Thank you, Percy. How's Gemini doing?" Phillip asked, the direct shift to Gemini indicating a quiet, genuine concern. "He seemed spacy at work yesterday."
"He's worried that all this is happening because of him," Percy found himself telling his uncle, lowering his voice slightly.
"I get it. Be good to him, Percy, he's a good kid," Phillip said, patting him on the shoulder before excusing himself to take a call.
The moment Phillip was gone, Mark pounced, a grin back on his face. "I could take him out for some fun time, if you want, Dom."
Percy glared at him, a familiar possessiveness immediately kicking in. "Don't even think about it. And stop calling his phone whenever you want, he's not your friend."
Mark scoffed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I know he's yours, but I like hanging out with him too! Besides, he's not complaining about me calling him."
"I don't like it, so quit it!" Percy interjected sharply.
Alexis laughed out loud, shaking her head. "Oh my, I can't believe I'm witnessing the great, detached Percy in love." She teased, bumping his shoulder.
Percy rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, but the unmistakable smile in his eyes—soft, genuine, and proprietary—was all the confirmation Alexis needed. Her cousin's commitment to Gemini was absolutely non-negotiable.