Avery's Game Of Revenge
Chapter 80: No Backups.

Chapter 80: No Backups.

Just then, the page loaded completely and her eyes ran over the headline of the post, her eyes widening in shock.

PATENT PANDEMONIUM: A² CORPORATION’S REVOLUTIONARY INVENTION’S FUTURE IN JEOPARDY AFTER APPLICATION’S DESTROY!

The words written in large capital letters only seemed to highlight the gravity of the situation the article was trying to announce, and that, was definitely working on Avery.

Even though she never followed news that centered on the first tier families in the country, this one was about an invention all the citizens of the country, both young and old, were eagerly waiting for. A² Corp. was handling it, and everything had been going so well so what? What exactly had happened?!

Avery snapped her gaze up, staring at Archie for the first time ever without resentment in her eyes.

"What happened to it?"

"The documents were torn," he deadpanned. He took off his glasses and placed it on the table, his eyes flickering with indecipherable emotions as he continued, "The blueprint documents were torn and we haven’t gotten anywhere on the revised ones. We might as well scrap the idea all together."

"What the hell are you saying?!" Avery’s voice was tinged in disbelief, "A document as important as that was torn and you are still so calm. Oh my god, I think I’ll need a minute, how did that happen?"

"You don’t want me telling you that," Archie stated. His brows rose suggestively at her, his eyes clouding as if he was trying to pass a message across to her. And slowly but surely..., she did get the message, her right palm clamping over her mouth to stifle her loud gasp, when she finally did.

Avery’s heart was beating fast, so fast that she was scared it would stop working there and then.

She had done that; torn the documents he had been looking over that day at his office without bothering to check what they were. Fury had clouded her sense of judgement on that day, causing her to destroy something as important as that without second thoughts.

"I’m so sorry," the words escaped her lips before she could hold herself back.

Beside her, Emma let out a small chuckle, "See that? Even you can’t help but want to comfort him. I’m sure A² must have lost billions in the 24 hours since those news has been released. And that’s why we came here to comfort him."

Avery nodded, completely unable to give any other reaction than that. Her eyes were still glued to the screen of her phone, reading and rereading the article where A² Corporation was being chewed out in almost all of the comments sections.

She scanned through countless other incriminating versions of the article, some stating that it was possible the Corporation had given fake heads-up from the beginning and hadn’t been in the process of creating any new revolutionary invention at all.

That in itself, Avery thought, was a huge slap to the corporation which had always been held in high esteem and was always ranking top in the eye of the public. Guilt marred her forehead as she read on and on for a few more minutes until the phone was snatched from her hands.

It was Arthur.

"Now what are you doing, Vee? Your eyes...you aren’t feeling guilty that you got into a fight with Arch earlier when you were supposed to be comforting him, right?" he questioned, his brows arched in total seriousness.

"What are you saying?" Avery stuttered, smoothening her shirt as anxiety tugged at her nerves. "I was just...Wait!" She snapped her gaze to Archie, "You own such a huge corporation; surely you had the documents backed up... right?"

Maybe if that was done, there would be a way to reduce the guilt that was gripping her heart in strong hold at this moment.

Filling his glass to the brim, Archie made sure to take his time before replying, "There was no back up."

"That’s..." Avery trailed off. She wanted to say stupid, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it. And in the subsequent few seconds when she heard Arthur’s next words, she was more than elated she had stopped herself from saying it.

"...unfortunate," he continued, "A² doesn’t back-up information. Isn’t that one of the reasons they have a good relationship with neighboring countries and why the government can’t look down on them?"

"Because they don’t back-up their relevant documents?" Avery asked, confusion evident in her eyes. Why would carelessness be regarded as a reason for respect?

As if he could hear the questions in her mind, Archie replied, "That... shouldn’t be discussed in the presence of potential rivals, whether you are just an heiress-in-training of a third tier family or not."

Biting back the snarky reply that rose up her throat, Avery reminded herself all these were her fault. She let out another loud sigh, "I’m truly sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Emma chimed in, "There’s too much remorse in your voice that I’m starting to think you cursed Arch in private and that’s why this happened."

Archie let out a low laugh as he rose from the couch, while picking up his glasses and resting it on his nose.

"It’s a pity then. I don’t forgive anyone just because they apologize," he said.

"Tell us something we don’t know," Arthur drawled. In the last minute, he had somehow closed the small distance between himself and Avery, his head now resting comfortably on her shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"You are neither my mother nor my wife, so I don’t think I’m obligated to answer that," Archie deadpanned, and walked out the door without breaking a stride.

The door closed behind him, and silence reigned for a few seconds between the siblings before Arthur broke it,

"Look at him, I would never have guessed he just lost some company’s fair market value in 24 hours. And bragging about a wife? Who has a wife at home and yet seeks out friends to comfort him?" he murmured, letting out a loud sigh.

"You two speak in parables. I guess you really do fit each other as best friends," Emma laughed. She picked up the menu list on the table and flipped through it, her eyes brightening as they skimmed down the line. "Vee, get the phone and summon a waiter."

"No," Avery shook her head, pushing Arthur’s head off her shoulder as she stood up. "I am heading to the restroom so I can send a waiter in here on my way. I’ll get whatever Arthur eats so DO NOT order any strange meal for me." She had a mock, warning glint in her eyes as she stared down at Emma, the food expert in their group, before walking out the door.

"Got it! Just don’t get in a fight with Arch out there!" Emma called after her.