…
After cleaning up the spilled coffee, Pepper went upstairs to make two fresh cups.
Leon and Tony ended their "secluded cultivation" session and followed her into the living room. The brothers settled into separate armchairs, sipping coffee while admiring the golden shimmer of the ocean beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"Dinner?" Tony asked.
"Obadiah's idea?" Leon replied.
They both turned toward Pepper.
She nodded.
To welcome the Stark brothers back after their near-death ordeal, Obadiah Stane had organized a banquet and specifically asked Pepper to fetch them—since neither of them had been answering their phones.
"Not answering?" Tony frowned. "How could that be?"
Leon quietly took another sip of coffee, glancing at the blacklisted name—Obadiah Stane—on his phone's contact list.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., explanation?"
"Sir, before you began developing the armor, you instructed me to block all incoming communications to avoid disturbance."
"…Right. That sounds like me."
"Tony." Pepper fixed him with a look. "Is this your company or mine?"
He coughed awkwardly and changed the subject.
"If it's Obie, we'll go."
"When?"
Pepper stood, snatched his half-finished coffee from his hand, and walked away—black stockings accentuating every confident step.
"Now."
"Look at the time."
Tony glanced at Leon.
Leon shrugged.
He was curious what Obadiah was really planning.
…
That evening—
A five-star hotel near Stark Tower.
Obadiah had reserved the entire venue. Reporters gathered like sharks scenting blood.
By the time Tony and Leon arrived—each in their own vehicle—the entrance was packed three layers deep.
Security barely kept the doors clear.
Tony stepped out of his signature silver Audi R8. A valet hurried over.
Another valet approached Leon—
And froze.
The Jet Sliger wasn't exactly a standard motorcycle. No throttle. No conventional brakes. Just twin integrated control grips and a central digital interface.
"Mr. Leon, I'm terribly sorry, but I… I don't know how to operate your… vehicle."
The valet—a statuesque young woman—was visibly nervous despite Leon's easy smile.
"No problem," Leon said gently, patting her shoulder. "Just walk in front. It drives itself."
"…Excuse me?"
Before she could process that statement, camera flashes erupted.
The Stark brothers' first major public appearance in three months.
They strode across the red carpet as if attending a premiere rather than a private banquet.
And among the invited elites—
A familiar journalist caught Leon's eye.
Not that he was still thinking about certain memorable encounters.
"Leon. Remember me?"
Christine Everhart approached in a purple off-shoulder evening gown.
"Of course I do."
Leon slipped an arm around her waist and greeted her with a bold, unapologetic kiss—right in front of the cameras.
Onlookers whispered.
"Doesn't he worry about his image?"
Someone nearby laughed.
"What image? He never had one to begin with."
In fact, Leon's unapologetic lifestyle—combined with his striking looks—had earned him a surprising fan base in America's celebrity-obsessed culture.
"Leon! Have my babies!"
"Get in line!"
Even a towering muscular man in suspenders shouted enthusiastically before being drowned out by a chorus of female voices.
Leon was long accustomed to it.
He had even hosted exclusive "fan events" before—though attendance requirements had been… selective.
Meanwhile—
In a rare turn of events, Tony declined the advances of a former fling and scanned the room for someone else.
Since Obadiah was busy giving interviews, the brothers split up to find refreshments.
At the bar, Tony had barely ordered a Scotch when—
"Mr. Stark."
Tony turned.
"Phil Coulson. Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."
"Oh. The 'Shield' people," Tony said casually. "Pepper mentioned you. You tried talking to Leon too, right?"
"It's S.H.I.E.L.D., sir."
"Close enough."
Tony's attention shifted mid-sip.
Across the room stood Pepper in a blue evening gown, golden curls framing her face.
Coulson continued politely.
"We'd appreciate a full debrief. The sooner the better—details fade. How about the 24th at seven p.m., Stark Tower?"
"Sounds good. I'll tell my assistant to schedule it."
Tony downed his drink and shook Coulson's hand.
Then he headed straight toward Pepper.
Their relationship hovered in that fragile space between professional and personal.
Pepper had always hesitated.
She was his employee. The imbalance of power worried her.
And Tony's reputation didn't exactly inspire long-term confidence.
But after the kidnapping—
Things had changed.
For both of them.
Tony knew he needed to give her certainty.
Gather rosebuds.
Elsewhere—
Leon and Christine Everhart had already slipped away to a private suite, resuming their earlier "interview."