Billy was in his apartment, which still had the feel of a bachelor pad—except for the subtle touch of a woman that transformed its atmosphere into somethiirely different. The only unged spaces were his side of the closet and his drawing studio, sparsely furnished with a single cactus that needed watering every two months. Billy’s curiosity often fixated on how personal touches could alter spaces so subtly yet signifitly.

  –Happy birthday. – Monica’s cheerful voice broke the silence, her smile widening as she succeeded in surprising Billy. Following her instincts, she had gathered Thomas Carson, Helen Carson, and Richard Carson—now in a wheelchair after moving to California to receive care from Billy’s family. His social circle was small, but the room was filled with warmth.

  The guests held luggage in hand, while the room was adorned with simple bd-white posters, helium balloons, a cake, and a meal—a thoughtful gesture that drew a rare, genuine smile from Billy, reserved for special occasions.

  Richard was no lohe lively, ei he once was. Illness had slowed his speech to short, mumbled words, and now, still, in pajamas, he muttered unintelligibly about being tired. His once-vibrant youth had been drained by the passage of time, leaving oo wonder if he still remembered his golden days as a dashing young man. The years, ruthless as they are, erode everything they touch.

  Monica smiled as she set the table, her golden earrings—a ret gift from Billy—catg the light. Her hair was tied back, exposing her graceful neck. She looked stunning, moving delicately yet fidently as she arranged everything.

  –Your st movie was amazing. – Thomas Carson remarked, referring to The English Patient, though he also mentiohe Musi, an animated film that had wos with its unfettable ses.

  –It was great, indeed. – Billy replied. –How’s the food franchise doing? –

  –Noeople know you own it, there’s been a surge of i—it’s free publicity. Your friend always orders some pizzas… and I think the Italiaaurant is about to open in New York. You’ve bought quite a few buildings there over the years. – Thomas added.

  –I always fet about the food business. – Billy murmured. –I hope it tio do well. Maybe it’s time to buy a dessert shop, oh a solid reputation. Food franchises have been very profitable tely. – He spoke in a low voice, recalling the 56% profit growth he had read about two months earlier. Expanding into food courts, where people could linger, had proven to be a winning strategy.

  Monica’s rge, deer-like eyes met his, silently urging him to set aside business matters for once. But the gap between father and son remained a chasm that made meaningful versations difficult for both.

  –Thanks for the gifts from your siblings. – Thomas said, his tone hinting at the weight of supp a family.

  –It’s no trouble. Special occasions call for thoughtful gestures, even if they seem impersonal. I think Livy has put the moo good use. – Billy replied.

  –She has. We moved to that area we always admired during road trips when you were little—a rge house, half a million dolrs, 400 square meters, with a pool and space for the whole family, which keeps growing. – Thomas expined.

  –It must be wonderful to live there. – Billy ented. He had motivated Livy with the help of Raimon, striking good deals on two rental properties that now covered the me payments—a manageable and worthwhile effort.

  Monica’s cheeks flushed as she took a seat beside him, her movements shy. Helen, ever the strong and wise matriarch, had the posure of an a oak—steadfast yet capable of delivering sharp, ho words when necessary. She waited for a moment of privacy before speaking with heartfelt siy.

  –Grandson, you’re a grown man now, but still a boy in some ways. You’ve learned much, but life still has lessons to teach you. You should visit the family your father has built more often. They never meant to push you away, but your proud nature—it’s something men carry, regardless of name e. They hold so mu their hearts that it’s no wonder failure often leads them to pces they should never go. –

  …

  Later, as the afternoon sun bathed them in warmth, Billy and Monica sat together, embraced. She ran her fihrough her long hair, left uncut for the recs.

  –Do you think it was beautiful? – Billy asked Monica, who smiled knowingly before pressing her body against his for a kiss. She knew how to be the perfect wife, always eager to make him happy.

  –It was very thoughtful of you. Now, I just want to stay in this er, letting the world spin while I avoid itments I don’t wish to make. – Billy fessed, kissing Monica with tender sweetness.

  –It’s no trouble. – Monica replied, keepihoughts to herself. Anne, a poor liar, was someone she chose to overlook. How idyllic it was to feel threatened by the games of love.

  I five years, the world has entered an era of unpreted teological ge. Iment, research, and development in maes, the i, processors, and user-friendly designs have brought everything to a new level.

  –It’s impressive what the power of persuasion achieve. – Steve Jobs ented, marveling at the results of ret efforts. Billy’s puter designs and research had brought a vision of the future within reach.

  –Well, we’ve certainly learned from the mistakes of the first Matosh prototypes. – Frank J. Carter, a softrogrammer, replied. Together with ID Software, Autodesk, Microsoft, and Ihey had developed 32-bit microprocessors (which, iy, were dual 48-bit devices with a sedary 16-bit chip for background tasks). Both Microsoft and Apple now had cutting-edge teology at their disposal.

  –No, the real breakthrough is the introdu of USB ports. Acquiring the patents and enabling the use of 500MB memory devices—that’s what users will love the most. – Walter Scott chimed in.

  –Long live teology. – Jobs said, still in disbelief. Apple was flourishing like a cherry blossom, buoyed by staff cuts, mergers, and strategic alliances. With his role as CTO and advisor, coupled with Lux Animation’s support and a solid 25% stake in the pany, Jobs felt he ying on a naturally advantageous field. Yet even his stake was dwarfed by Billy’s 62%, bolstered by shares in other ventures.

  –We just o improve every po, starting with RAM and mae memory. – Frank suggested, though he remained uain about the ambitious expansion pns.

  –We’re already proposing iments and colborating with uies to double memory capacity in the hree years. – Jobs expined, fog on making everything sleeker and more user-friendly—thinner, more innovative for its time.

  EDO (Extended Data Out) and SDRAM (Synous DRAM) teologies were under intense scrutiny. Apple, having learned from the failure of Gil Amelio, was avoiding ing strategies that had previously weakes position. By calling in favors and making calcuted moves, they steadily enhaheir teological s. All eyes were now on Mi Teology, Lexar Media, AMD, and Digital Equipment Corporation—key pyers in developing powerful processors.

  Apple had bee almost fanatical about finding new ways to improve existing teology, driven by the goal of creating puters with twice the performance.

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