"I think it would sink like lead, honestly." Max replied. "Anyone capable of making anything new or meaningful for the aerospace market has been let go. The layoffs will help his bottom line for a little while, but I give him six months to a year unless he can pull off a miracle. If he can't, then his only choice would be to sell the company." It was true, Hubert honestly didn't have long with the company. It was a damn shame to see it all fall apart like this, but it was completely out of his hands now.

Octavia was a skilled dancer, much better than Max. Still, talking about airships helped put his mind off of the fact that she was dancing circles around him. 

"What about you? If your father's company dissolves, then what comes next? Are you planning to start your own company?" Max was very interested in Octavia's stake in all of this. She didn't own the company, but it was still her father's legacy. Maybe she was planning to continue where her father left off and she was looking to hire. If she had asked him, he probably would have said yes on the spot, regardless of money.