18. Lex
Walking into PL Capital is an out-of-body experience. It’s my first time in the office of the VC firm my brother opened in direct challenge to my business. Though Nate could’ve taken the opportunity to design a space of his own, he’d mirrored the look and feel of our father’s firm (and PL’s parent company) down to the dark color scheme and abundance of leather furniture.
A young woman in a crisp white blouse sits at the palatial front desk, her brows raised as I enter the lobby.
“Ms. Livingston, welcome,” she says, slowly rising to her feet. “Do you, um…do you have an appointment?”
I smile. “My brother’s expecting me.”
Her eyes widen. “Mr. Livingston, right. Let me ring his office.”
“No need.” I raise my phone and tip it back and forth. “I texted him from the parking garage. And, let me guess…his office is in the back left corner?”
“Yes, that’s right. I–”
“Thank you.” Stepping around her, I head toward the office that had always held pride of place in our family.
I don’t acknowledge the eyes that follow me as I walk through the space. Being recognized was normal, particularly at other VC firms, but there’s an undercurrent of tension that comes with being in my family’s domain. The media named our relationship a rivalry, and, from what I’d learned from the few former employees in my circle, PL loved to play into that narrative.
The assistant I’d known would be there looks up in surprise as I walk to Nate’s closed door.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Livingston isn’t–”
“He’s expecting me,” I interrupt, opening the glass door and stepping through.
My eyes meet Nate’s as I let his door swing shut. He sits at his desk, phone to his ear. The picture of the accomplished businessman, his white dress shirt is wrinkle free, jaw perfectly shaven, and brunette hair immaculately styled. His gaze narrows as I wander over to the windows along the opposite wall, peering out at the forested view.
“I have to go, Reginald. I’ll call you when I have an update.”
I hear the soft sound of the phone settling into the cradle and turn to him with a knowing smirk. “Reginald, hm? How is our old man?”
“Why are you here, Al–Lex?”
Using my preferred name without correction…huh. It’s a start.“It’s a shame I haven’t gotten a tour of your space yet, Nate. Though it does feel awfully familiar. Did you actually copy the layout of Dad’s floor at HQ, or…?”
Nate glares. “Spare me. Are you here for a reason?”
“My time is far too valuable to be here without one. You should know that.” I gesture to his office and the bustling activity beyond the door. “Looks like you’re doing well.”
“We manage,” he concedes, standing from his leather office chair.
I turn my gaze back out the window. “I’m sure you do.”
Nate sighs heavily behind me. I hear him move closer, then glance up as he draws shoulder-to-shoulder with me. He doesn’t look my way, just shoves his hands in his pockets and looks straight ahead as I am.
“What did Reginald have to say?”
“If you’re wondering if he knew I hung up with him because you were here, he didn’t. I”ve had enough of a headache today.”
“I’m surprised you missed the opportunity to put me back on his radar,” I muse.
Nate scoffs. “You’re always on his radar. He has news alerts set up and everything…”
His voice trails off, as though he didn’t mean to share that nugget of information. I look over to find his brows drawn, gaze on the floor.
“I have news alerts for you, too.” His gray eyes fly to mine. I shrug. “It’s nice to know about your accomplishments.”
“You’re not just trying to get an edge on us?” he teases, but there’s bite to it.
I snort. “I don’t need a news alert to keep my edge on you, Nate. Athena’s just fine, and you know it.”
He huffs. “Dad knows it, too. Drives him nuts.”
Grinning, I catch his eye. “Can’t say I hate that.”
“You shouldn’t. I’d be damn proud of it if it were me.”
Our eyes meet, amusement twinkling in his. Every once in a while, I caught sight of the little brother I used to know. There was a brief time, as kids, when we’d been inseparable. Before I shared my dreams with my father, before he pulled Nate away to learn the family business, before we were pitted as rivals.
Nate clears his throat, then turns to face me. “So, what can I do for you?”
My lips curl. “Well, that’d be a first. You doing something for me willingly? Whatever would Reginald say?”
He rolls his eyes. “What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.”
Gasping in false indignation, I put a hand to my chest. “Nathaniel! How uncouth!”
His shoulders relax as he laughs at my exaggerated impression of our mother. “Fuck, how do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Just…drain the tension. There’s so much between us, but most of the time it’s like it doesn’t even phase you.” He studies me, expression open. “Why is that?”
I rock on my feet, hands still in my pockets. “We’re family, Nate. Always will be. And I don’t have our father in my ear every day, reminding me of all the manufactured reasons I should distrust you. Contrary to what he might think, we’re not enemies. Hell, we’re not even rivals.”
“Oh, come on, there’s rivalry here.” He gestures between us.
“There’d have to be a threat for there to be a rivalry.”
He shakes his head, his expression pinched as though he’s warring with whether to laugh or scowl. “You’re something else.”
“You’re not the first to say so.”
Nate moves over to lean back against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “Alright, then. You’re here for a reason. Let’s hear it.”
I purse my lips briefly as I look down. “I need you to keep an open mind, Nate. And remember what I said–I don’t see PL as a threat. Never have.”
His brow lowers. “Okay…”
“We’re working with a startup in the green building sector, Solum Technologies. The founders have history with someone in Greenstar Labs’ portfolio.”
Nate’s expression shutters as I explain about Procerus, then Solum. I’m vague on the details, not fully trusting what he will do with them, though I make the connection between the two businesses clear. When I mention Anne-Marie and her ties to the Solum founders, he straightens and uncrosses his arms.
“I saw the news about you and Greenstar, and–”
“Why are you telling me this?” he interrupts, holding up a hand. “Get to the point.”
“I am.” I cock a brow at him. “There’s a lot you–and I have to assume Greenstar–don’t know about Anne-Marie’s tech.”
“Of course. I don’t need to understand the minutiae to recognize a worthy investment when I see one.”
“Sure, I feel the same way. But I have reason to suspect you should dig deeper. Take nothing at face value.”
His eyes narrow. “What aren’t you saying?”
“I can’t go into the details, you know that.” I sigh, leaning a shoulder against his window. “You might not believe me, but I don’t wish you or PL any ill will. I’m just saying you need to go through things with a fine-toothed comb. Consider bringing in an objective third party for testing.”
“You haven’t given me anything to go on here. It’s just vague speculation.”
I give him a hard look. “It’s not. I’m telling you–you’re missing something. Greenstar is missing something. You need to look closer, and I suggest you do it before the Green Innovation Summit.”
His expression darkens. “What do you know about our plans for the Summit?”
Blinking, I straighten. “Your plans? Nothing.”
“How did you know I’d be there?”
I gape at him. “Are you serious? I didn’t know you were going to be there, Nate. This has nothing to do with you or some covert spy operation. I saw the article about you joining the Greenstar board and wanted to do the right thing.”
“What, by making vague threats?”
Holding my hands up to placate him, I scoff a laugh. “You’re shitting me. I haven’t threatened you once. I’m here because I know something you don’t, and I don’t want you getting caught in a shit situation if I can help it.”
“So, what, I have to leave the Greenstar board or you’re going to do something?”
Dumbfounded, I shake my head. “Wow. You’re just like our father, aren’t you?”
He glowers, storming back around behind his desk. “That’s not a compliment.”
“I didn’t mean it as one.”
“We’re done here.”
“Sure. Whatever you say.”
“Why are you wasting my time? Was this some kind of diversion?”
For fuck’s sake.“I get Reginald has trained you to assume the worst of everyone, especially me, but you need to look past the indoctrination for a minute.”
He scrubs a hand down his face. “Unbelievable.”
“You can say that again.”
“I’d offer to see you out, but I think you know the way,” he snaps, throwing a hand toward the door.
Shaking my head, I cross his office and pause at the door, turning back to meet his fiery gaze.
“I’m not your enemy,” I say softly. “I never have been.”
Something flickers in his gaze before he drops it, hands on his hips as he stands seething behind his desk. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Right,” I exhale sharply, centering myself. “Get a third party to vet Anne-Marie’s tech. Don’t go into the Summit blind.”
“I haven’t needed your advice before, Lex, and I don’t need it now.” He spits my name out like a curse.
“There’s a difference between need and want, Nate. You and our father would do well to learn it.”
“Get out!” He slams his palms against the wooden desk.
He looks so like our father, skin flushed red and eyes wild. Reginald Livingston had never attempted to control his temper, at the office or at home. He ruled both with an iron fist, and Nate was his prodigy.
“It’s a pity.”
Nate’s eyes blaze. He can’t let me have the last word; his training won’t let him.
“What is?” he bites out.
“Even with the distance and freedom to do what you want, be the leader you want to be, create a business you can be proud of…,” I gesture around the room, nearly a carbon copy of our father’s. “All that opportunity, and you chose to be just like him.”
Nate snatches a mug from his desk and hurls it in my direction. I don’t flinch, standing stock still as it flies inches from my shoulder to shatter on the floor behind me.
I tsk. “I stand corrected. Dad would never miss.”
My brother roars in frustration as I open his office door and stride out. His assistant looks wildly from me to the door, then hurries to pull it closed as I saunter away. Even as heaviness and disappointment settle in my gut, I don’t let it show.
I’d long since accepted that any relationship with my brother would be strained, at best. He had no interest in removing the blinders our father put on him, no desire to accept the responsibility of thinking for himself. It was a shame because the boy I remembered, the brother who had been my friend and playmate, was full of so much potential.
The Summit is six weeks away. Whether Greenstar realizes the risk Anne-Marie poses or not is up to Nate.