Page 78 of Fifth Avenue Devil

"Get that away from me!" Archer snaps, slapping the glass away and sending water splashing onto the expensive carpet.

Monique makes a face like she’s smelled something bad. Without so much as a greeting to me or a move to clean up the mess, she retreats to a white sofa on the other side of the room. She picks up a magazine and pages through it, pointedly ignoring me.

Fine by me. I could do with less Monique Gellar in all aspects of my life.

Archer makes an attempt to sit up, but fails. I walk closer to the bed, feeling like an interloper in his private time. “Archer. Good to see that you’re still with us,” I say.

"Nate," he says. His voice is strained, but it drips with arrogance. "You’re late."

I’m not late. I’m actually a few minutes early. But that’s trivial. "You called me. I came," I retort. My eyes flicker around the room, searching for even the slightest indication of Annalise's influence. Surely there will be a family photo here?

But here too, her essence seems conspicuously absent.

I’m so captivated by Annalise. How can her parents be so unmoved?

"Let's get down to business," Archer grumbles. “I have to rest soon.”

"So what is it you want from me, Archer? What could possibly be so important that we had to meet in your bedroom? Surely it could’ve waited until you could dress yourself, at least.”

"Careful with that tone, Fordham," he warns, though I can see the glint of amusement in his eyes. Archer smirks, though it seems strained. "Very well. This is about my legacy and the future of Gellar Industries."

“What about your legacy?” I lean forward slightly. "Do you mean your daughter?"

That elicits a rough, raspy laugh. After a few seconds, Archer starts coughing. The cough turns into violent hacking and a nurse appears, summoned by the sound. “Do you need–”

Archer shakes his head, dismissing her with a flick of his wrist. “Fuck off,” he wheezes. “I’m…” He coughs again. “Fine.”

I cast a gaze over him. Has Archer been awake for a while and is just now seeing visitors? Or might there be lingering cognitive issues from the stroke and the following coma?

Clearing my throat, I push ahead. I don’t know what Archer wants from me, but I think it’s wise to defend what I’ve been doing. "You know, Annalise has been doing damn well as CEO while you've been... under the weather. I’ve been helping her get her footing. But she has a real talent for the job."

I let the words hang in the air and watch Archer's reaction closely.

A gravelly sound that might be laughter bursts from his throat. Archer glares at me, his eyes filled with nothing but contempt.

"Annalise?" he scoffs. "That little girl couldn't run a lemonade stand alone. Gellar Industries won’t last the quarter with her at the helm."

My temper flares. What he’s saying makes no sense. I clench my fists, struggling to maintain my composure. "Then why leave her in charge?"

"Maybe I wanted to see how long it would take for her to fail," Archer replies. "Or maybe I'm testing her mettle. Maybe I just wanted someone weak to hold my position so that I can take over again once I’m ready."

“Please,” I tilt my head and narrow my eyes. “I don’t think you are capable of thinking about a world without you in it.”

The tension in the room is palpable as Archer's cold eyes bore into me, his disdain clear. I brace myself for whatever curveball he's about to throw my way.

That’s why his next words are such a shock.

"Buy Gellar Industries from me, then."

My jaw clenches. I’m thrown, trying to keep up with him. "What?"

"You were responsible for its recent stock surge, were you not?" Archer smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “You obviously know how to run a company. So make me an offer.”

I purse my lips. "I’ve had little to no control over the stock price. I have plans to cut labor and move the company’s offices to a better building. But none of that has been put into place yet.”

“So you’re saying the stock just rose on its own by twenty dollars?” Archer scoffs. “I don’t think so.”

“Actually, it was your daughter’s efforts that led to Gellar Industries' sudden burst of success. She did it completely on her own."

---