Third Person's POV.
The following afternoon, Gemini was seated in a secluded corner of the university library, surrounded by open texts and piles of notes. He was deeply focused on research for a challenging assignment, pouring over academic journals. Despite the chaos surrounding his personal life, he felt grounded in his studies; this academic focus was the one thing he had complete control over.
His phone buzzed with an unexpected message: "Mr. Rivers, please report to the Dean of the Student Affairs office immediately regarding an urgent matter."
A wave of cold panic instantly washed over Gemini, freezing the focus in his brain. His mind raced, leaping to the worst possible conclusions. Had his grades slipped? Was there an issue regarding his scholarship funds? The extreme stress he'd been under because of Percy's family fight immediately translated into acute academic fear.
Ohio, who was studying at the opposite end of the long table, noticed his abrupt change in demeanor—the way he went from focused to rigid in an instant.
"What is it, Bunny?" she asked, sliding her chair closer and seeing the look of dread on his face.
Gemini wordlessly showed her the screen. "An urgent summons to the Dean of student affairs office. Why? I haven't done anything wrong, I swear."
"Okay, take a breath," Ohio instructed firmly, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Urgent just means now. It doesn't mean bad. Your grades are flawless, and your tuition is handled. It's probably a scheduling issue or some university project they want you to be part of. Just go there, listen first, and call me the second you know what's up. Don't panic, okay?"
He nodded, forcing himself to take a deep, stabilizing breath, trusting Ohio's wise, pragmatic perspective. He packed up his essentials and walked across campus, his heart pounding a nervous, frantic rhythm against his ribs.
Gemini checked in with the Dean's secretary and was ushered into the large, wood-paneled office. The sight that greeted him instantly confirmed his worst, most dramatic fears, replacing the academic anxiety with cold, social dread.
Sitting rigidly in a guest chair was Genevieve Sinclair Moore. The Dean, Dr. Hayes, a portly man in a tweed jacket, was standing awkwardly near his desk, looking profoundly uncomfortable.
Dr. Hayes offered Gemini a weak, apologetic smile. "Mr. Rivers, thank you for coming so quickly. Mrs. Moore had a private matter she needed to discuss with you. If you'll excuse me, I have another meeting."
The Dean retreated swiftly, closing the door and leaving Gemini alone with the woman who held the power and the venom to disrupt his entire life.
Mrs. Moore did not waste a second on pleasantries. She indicated the chair opposite her with a sharp, possessive gesture.
"Sit down, Mr. Rivers," she commanded, her voice dropping to a low, icy register that suggested years of unquestioned obedience. "Let's dispense with the pleasantries. I know your relationship with my son is the direct cause of his insolence and his desertion of Moore's Legacy. Everything I've built and given him since birth."
"Mrs. Moore, I don't believe that's true," Gemini replied calmly, refusing to sit, maintaining his height as a small form of resistance. "Percy's career choices and his personal decisions are his and his alone. He is an adult."
"Nonsense," she scoffed, dismissing the concept of free will with a wave of her perfectly manicured hand. "He's making reckless, emotional decisions because he is distracted by you. I am here to ensure that distraction ends. My son's happiness is intrinsically tied to his success, and right now, you are impeding it. I need you to leave him."
Genevieve Sinclair Moore then reached into her expensive leather handbag and pulled out a checkbook. With a deliberate, theatrical flourish, she unscrewed the cap of her pen and scribbled a name onto the 'Pay to the order of' line. She then slid the check across the polished desk. It was completely blank.
"Consider this a retainer," she said, her voice dripping with superior condescension. "You fill in the amount, Mr. Rivers. Whatever it takes. A sufficient amount to clear whatever debts you owe, pay for the rest of your education, and set you up somewhere far away from this city. You take this, you sever all contact with my son, and you can guarantee yourself a comfortable future. My relationship with Percy, whether business or personal, has always flourished, and you are currently bad for both."
Gemini looked at the blank check. He didn't move. He didn't touch it. The cold, sick panic he had felt earlier was replaced by a quiet, steely resolve fuelled by the memory of everything he'd experienced with Percy—the pure love, the sacrifices, and the pain of being apart.
"Thank you for the offer, Mrs. Moore," Gemini said, his voice steady and polite, a stark contrast to her aggression. "But I'm afraid I have to refuse."
Mrs. Moore's composure wavered, a flicker of genuine shock crossing her face. "Refuse? You're looking at an easy seven-figure opportunity here, boy! Don't be foolish! You need the money, I know you do."
"You're right," Gemini agreed, his gaze leveling with hers. "I do need the money, and I will work until I have it on my own merit. But my relationship with Percy has absolutely nothing to do with money," Gemini stated firmly. "And it certainly can't be bought with money. Sure, having money is a great comfort. But having someone who genuinely cares about you is even greater. I care about him, and he cares about me. A blank check doesn't change that reality."
He gave her a respectful but cold nod. "I believe our conversation is concluded. Excuse me." Gemini turned to leave, but paused with his hand on the doorknob. He turned back, fixing the powerful woman with a steady, empathetic, yet devastating gaze.
"Mrs. Moore," Gemini said quietly, "I might be the last person you want to hear this from, but I will suggest this: Percy loves you, but he's exhausted. He's tired of living for your approval. And children tend to fight back twice as hard when their parents push too hard. If you truly want him back in your life—which you clearly do—you need to stop fighting his happiness and try, just once, to see things from his point of view. He's been doing things your way his whole life; it's time for you to do things his way."
He didn't wait for the angry rebuttal he knew would inevitably follow the moment she regained her composure. He simply opened the door and walked out, leaving Genevieve Sinclair Moore stunned and utterly defeated by his moral refusal.
Gemini found Ohio waiting anxiously outside the building, immediately jumping up from her bench when she saw him.
"What happened? What was the urgent matter? Was it about your scholarship? You look pale!" Ohio demanded, rushing over.
Gemini pulled her toward a quiet corner away from the main walkway, his composure slightly frayed.
"No, it wasn't my scholarship or the university," Gemini confessed, running a shaky hand through his hair. "It was Mrs. Moore. She was waiting for me in the Dean's office."
Ohio gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. "Percy's mother! Here? In the Dean's office? What on earth did she want from you?"
"She offered me a blank check to leave Percy," Gemini said, the absurdity of the situation finally making him tired. "She tried to buy me off, Ohio."
Ohio stared at him in wide-eyed awe for a long moment, then burst out laughing, a relieved, slightly hysterical sound.
"A blank check? You are a legendary idiot! You actually said no? You could've easily made seven figures, Bunny!"
"That's what she said, and I still said no," Gemini confirmed with a small, weary smile. "But listen to me, Ohio. This stays between us. You cannot tell Percy or Penelope about this meeting."
"Umm... Why not?" Ohio asked, frowning.
"Because if Percy knows she approached me like this, especially after he told her not to, he will detonate," Gemini explained, his voice deadly serious. "He just threatened to change his name; finding out she tried to buy me off would finalize that decision in a spectacular public way. I refused her; I don't want this fight to escalate further because of me. I need him focused on Aethel Designs, not on protecting me at every single point. This is my secret to keep."
Ohio studied his resolute expression, the weight of his decision sinking in. "Okay. Your secret is safe with me. But I think we should start referring to her as 'Voldemort' instead of the Ice Queen."
Gemini laughed, shaking his head gently. "Stop! We can't do that, Ohio. She's still Percy's mother."
"I know, I know. I just can't believe she tried to buy you off with money. Didn't Percy already hand you a black card? You don't need her money."
"Right. I used to think about money every minute, but now that I have access to it, I don't even know what to use it for," Gemini said, shaking his head slightly. Ohio smiled mischievously, which immediately made him panic. "Don't say it!" he warned, knowing Ohio was up to no good.
But she did.
"Let's go shopping!"