Stepping out of Pepper's office, Adam paused at his own desk and stared at the sleek office phone. He immediately discarded the idea of using it. Tony Stark ignored his calls on a good day; a simple call wouldn't convince the billionaire of anything. He had to do this in person.
Without missing a beat, he turned back around and pushed Pepper's door open again. She looked up from her paperwork, raising an eyebrow.
"If I am going to do this, I need two things," Adam stated calmly. "I need the company jet ready for a flight to Malibu, and I need your personal security clearance so JARVIS actually lets me through the front door."
Pepper stared at him for a second, then a small, approving smile touched her face. She picked up her own phone. "Get to the airfield. I'll make sure JARVIS knows you're coming."
"Thank you, Miss Potts." With a curt nod, Adam walked outside the office and prepared himself for 5 hours of flight.
Adam went down in the elevator. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Dan, pull the car around to the front. We need to get to the private airfield, fast." Without waiting for a response, Adam disconnected the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket just as the elevator began its descent.
Moments later, Adam strode out of the Stark Industries lobby and into the crisp morning air. A sleek black town car was already waiting at the curb. Standing beside it was Dan, an executive chauffeur in his late twenties with a slight stubble of dark hair, holding the back door open.
"Car's ready, Mr. Sokolov. Traffic is light, so we should be at the airfield in twenty minutes."
"Thank you, Dan." Saying that, Adam sat in the backseat.
"You're welcome, Mr. Sokolov," Dan replied and started the car, driving towards the private airfield.
The drive took barely twenty minutes. When Dan pulled onto the tarmac of the private airfield, a sleek Stark Industries jet was already fueled and waiting, the boarding stairs deployed. Adam got out, dismissed the driver with a polite nod, and walked toward the aircraft. As he climbed the steps and stepped into the luxurious cabin, his mind completely shifted focus.
The first thing Adam saw was the interior of the jet; it was less of an airplane and more of a high-altitude boardroom. The walls were paneled in brushed steel and dark, polished mahogany, illuminated by cool blue LED strips running along the floorboards. Instead of cramped rows, the cabin featured oversized, dark leather captain's chairs that looked like they belonged on a spaceship. The air smelled faintly of expensive leather. As the heavy cabin door sealed shut, the roar of the jet engines vanished, leaving only a quiet, perfectly insulated hum. It was an isolation chamber built for a billionaire.
Adam sank into the plush leather of the captain's chair, letting out a slow breath. 'Ah, these seats are really comfortable, even though it's not my first time, it always feels like I am flying in a private jet for the first time.'
'Now that I am in the air, it's time to plan on how to convince him to attend his own award ceremony. ' Adam frowned in thought. 'My arrival will be announced, no doubt about that. Tony will be prepared for me; he has to know about those three Board meetings.' Adam continued pondering on how to get Tony to attend.
'Wait, I can just play his fear of boredom. He generally does not dislike these kinds of things; he's bored, so I can just prepare his entertainment, and my only task is that Tony Stark has to be in the vicinity of the award ceremony, and my job is done.'
With the trap set in his mind, Adam spent the rest of the flight relaxing. By the time the jet's landing gear touched down on the California runway, he was fully prepared.
He traded the quiet cabin for a waiting company car, and after a scenic forty-five-minute drive along the coast, the driver finally pulled up to the massive glass doors of Tony Stark's Malibu estate.
Adam got out of the car and went to the front door. "Hello Jarvis, I am here on Miss Potts' orders, and I would like to talk to Mr. Stark," Adam stated while looking at the security camera.
"Welcome back, Mr. Sokolov. I have received authorization from Miss Potts. Her executive security clearance has been temporarily extended to you. Mr. Stark is currently occupied, but you are cleared for the underground workshop. Please proceed to the elevator," replied a smooth digital voice with a heavy British accent.
"Thank you, Jarvis." With that, the door opened for him, and he walked inside. Adam curiously looked around. Although he had been here before, he did not have the time to take in the beauty of the mansion. While looking around, Adam walked towards an elevator that took him down to Tony's workshop.
The elevator's doors opened, and he walked out to the sight of Tony Stark, who was kneeling in front of a vintage car in a grease-stained undershirt, blasting an AC/DC track so loud the floor vibrated.
As Adam stepped into the room, JARVIS mercifully cut the music, and Tony stood up from where he was kneeling in front of the car, wiping his grease-covered hands with a rag.
Turning towards him, Tony had an annoyed look on his face, as if Adam had interrupted a deal going on between him and the military.
"Jarvis, how did he get in?" Tony asked loudly to his AI.
"He has temporary access to Miss Potts' security codes," the AI butler replied smoothly.
Tony made an 'Ah' face, a sarcastic smirk spreading across his face. "So, why are you here, kid? Did Pepper already fire you and you're here to beg for a job?"
Adam didn't take the bait. His expression remained completely calm. "The private jet is fueled, and there is a high-stakes craps table at Caesars Palace holding a spot for you."
Tony blinked, genuinely caught off guard. That was not the corporate lecture he was expecting.
"Miss Potts wants you at the Apogee Award ceremony tonight," Adam continued smoothly, not beating around the bush. "I have made the arrangements in Vegas. My only task is to ensure you are physically in the vicinity of Caesars Palace when the award is announced. After that, what you do with your night is entirely up to you. My job will be done."
***
Author's Note: I will be taking a break every Sunday, so the schedule is Monday to Saturday. 1 chapter per day. So there will be no chapter tomorrow.
P.S: Don't forget to leave a review and power stones. Peace out.