"Let's go. Time to eat," Harvey Amberlock said casually as Tony Stark seemed to understand something.
"Sure."
Tony nodded in response, and the two headed directly to the dining area on the second floor.
Since it was almost New Year's, Tony had already planned to prepare a feast. But because he was expecting Harvey Amberlock, he had made even more preparations than usual.
Upon seeing Harvey, Tony added two whole courses of beef to the menu. The sheer quantity of food was overwhelming, almost like a lavish buffet.
"Mr. Amberlock, the beef feast will take another half an hour. For now, help yourself to the dishes here. Plates are over there," Pepper said with a smile as she greeted them.
Though initially taken aback by Harvey's presence, Pepper wasn't too surprised anymore after witnessing him polish off meals meant for a hundred people. When Tony decided to prepare even more food for him this time, she found it entirely reasonable.
"Thank you, Miss Potts," Harvey smiled and nodded.
"Let's dig in. We've got another guest arriving later," Tony mentioned casually while grabbing a plate and selecting his food. He then moved over to a nearby table and sat down.
"Another guest? Who's coming? Man or woman?" Pepper asked curiously as she too began selecting her favorite dishes.
Harvey filled two plates to the brim and joined them at the table.
"It's Coulson. He's stopping by later to drop off something for me," Tony replied nonchalantly.
"What were you two talking about downstairs? How did this end up involving Coulson? Isn't he with S.H.I.E.L.D., dealing with weird cases? Did you discuss something strange? Can you tell me?" Pepper's curiosity was piqued as she tried to piece together their conversation.
Pepper and Tony were both naturally talkative, so it didn't take long for the conversation to get lively again.
"Aren't there plenty of things you wanted to ask Mr. Amberlock?" Tony redirected the conversation smoothly.
"Mr. Amberlock, you're in stocks and real estate, right?" Pepper asked politely, switching gears.
"Primarily stocks. Real estate is just a side business. Since I don't have many direct connections with the government, I can't easily secure development permits, so I buy properties and wait for them to appreciate," Harvey explained after swallowing a bite.
"..."
Pepper was momentarily speechless at his casual mention of just "buying some properties."
"His values and logic are hard to grasp, even for me. So don't stress too much about it, Pepper," Tony chimed in, glancing at Harvey.
Tony knew that Harvey had over a hundred properties worth millions, spread across the United States, with a particularly high concentration in New York—fifty-seven mansions, to be exact. It baffled Tony a bit, but he chalked it up to Harvey's eccentricity.
Tony could understand buying properties in various states for convenience, but New York was another story. While Harvey's stock market acumen would yield far higher returns than real estate, it seemed Harvey simply enjoyed owning a lot of properties. This led most people to believe that Harvey was just a real estate mogul.
"By the way, Mr. Amberlock, quite a few people have asked me to find out—what would it take for you to attend their events?" Pepper inquired with a smile.
"I've been getting tons of invites lately, and it's becoming a bit annoying. Please tell them I'm quite busy with my own matters and would prefer not to receive meaningless invitations," Harvey responded seriously.
"I'll pass along your message in a polite way," Pepper replied with a slightly surprised but understanding nod.
The rumors of Harvey being a playboy weren't entirely accurate, she thought. At least he had no interest in mingling with the wealthy socialites of New York.
"Thanks, Miss Potts," Harvey nodded politely before grabbing another plate to refill his food.
As Harvey stood to grab more food, Pepper leaned in close to Tony, her voice barely a whisper, "Tony, does Mr. Amberlock dislike me?"
Tony's enhanced hearing caught her words easily. He chuckled and shook his head, "Not at all. If he didn't like you, he wouldn't be so polite. Trust me, if Harvey didn't care for you, you'd know it by now."
Pepper glanced over at Harvey, who was gathering more food, and felt reassured by Tony's words.
"Miss Potts, how's it been managing Stark Industries?" Harvey asked as he sat back down.
"Mr. Amberlock, I know you're a shareholder in Stark Industries, but it's the first day of the new year. Can we not talk about work today? I'd like to take a break," Pepper replied, rubbing her temples in exasperation.
With Stark Industries transitioning away from weapons manufacturing, Tony was busy with his research, while Pepper had been left managing the business day to day. It wasn't as glamorous as she had initially imagined.
"I don't have any authority over the direction of Stark Industries, and I wasn't planning to pry. I was just making conversation. If you don't want to discuss it, don't worry about it," Harvey reassured her with a slight smile.
Throughout her life, Pepper had been fiercely loyal to Tony, managing his affairs with diligence and care, even when Tony was being difficult or unpredictable. Despite the occasional complaints, she always chose to support him.
Their relationship had grown deep and solid over the years, which Tony had come to depend on. It was part of why Tony eventually decided to settle down with her.
Tony, caught between maintaining his identity as Iron Man and managing the company, was clearly concerned about Pepper's opinion, especially as he pondered his own future. Harvey, of course, could see this all too well.
For Harvey, the more people he could bring into the fold, the better. The more individuals believed in and joined the Void, the stronger he would become.
"Pepper, don't worry too much. We're transitioning into new industries, so things will take time," Tony said, trying to offer comfort. "I'm working on a new, unreplicable Arc Reactor. I've got some ideas, but I need more time."
Pepper sighed. She knew Tony was right but still felt the pressure from other shareholders, especially without a new energy source to show for it.
"I must apologize for earlier, Mr. Amberlock," Pepper said, turning to Harvey. "I didn't mean to come across as rude. I just wanted to enjoy the holiday without talking business."
"I understand. Managing Stark Industries is no easy task," Harvey said, waving off her apology.
And with that, the evening continued, Harvey's ever-mysterious presence adding just the right amount of tension and curiosity to the air.