June 26.

  The offices of Lux Animation were impressive enough to make it clear that Billy’s dominance was no joke. His wealth seemed to float in the air, resting on heavy, stable clouds as solid as the earth itself. Without a hint of doubt, Monica looked down, surveying everything he had built. Aered the office, and the two women locked eyes. Anne had always been shy about personal matters, but when she was in work mode, she exuded a strength that was almost unreizable.

  -You're here, Anne, dear. How lovely to see you. - Monica crossed the room and pnted a kiss on her lips, making Anne blush. She always felt more desired when she could move someone so deeply.

  -It’s o see you too… Where’s Billy? We’ve got a meeting with Apple’s board of directors, and I thought he was aware of it. -

  -He’s on the sed floor, talking with some animators. Everyone’s very excited, Anne. I didn’t realize they were pnning to release the sed part of Toy Story 2. There’s such a magical atmosphere everywhere—it just makes me think about the media, the fans, the enthusiasts who will watch the movie. It’s fantastic what they create here. -

  -Yes, but I feel like strangling him right now—always doing whatever he pleases when I need his support the most. - Aried to mask her nervousness with anger.

  -Sweet are the tastes of your lips… - Monica murmured as she sat down, her skirt riding up almost to her thighs. -I think they wait a little. This is Billy Carson we’re talking about. He likes to be everywhere at once, breathing life into things with his ideas. If they came here, it’s because they need something from him, and he deliver. -

  -Well, they came under my ditions… - Anne wao curse, rolling her eyes as she grabbed Billy’s chair. She picked up the phone and called her secretary to inform her that the meeting would be deyed by five minutes and to send a cart of cookies to the board members. She’d join them shortly.

  -I have to go for now. Let Billy know I’m heading to the board meeting. - Anne instructed before leaving, making sure security would send someoo fetch him.

  ...

  Moments earlier, Billy was with the animators at Lux Nation—also known as Lux Toons—s through all the overpping projects piling up. The first team had Mun scheduled for November, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame sted for June 1997, though some maps had already been designed, suggesting the dar might be pushed to May. Everything depended on the few months with Mun.

  The sed team, meanwhile, was w on Spirit, pnned for February 1997, with additional animators borrowed from DreamWorks to meet deadlihey aimed to release The Road to El Dorado by December 1997.

  The third team was juggling Treasure P for December and The Magi’s Nephew from the Narnia series, tentatively pnned for 1997. Uhe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, this project didn’t have Billy’s direvolvemehe anticipated release for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was set for 1998, with additional input from Pixar for the musid effects.

  The fourth team was gearing up to release Osmosis Jones in April 1997, though the schedule might shift to aodate another inal movie, The Puzzle, set to debut in 1998. This family-friendly horror film, ceived by Jared Bowosky, followed a detective caught in a seemingly haunted case. Aimed at a +7 audieing, the film was inteo fill the Halloween and Christmas slots. Despite being the smallest team, they had the full bag of a well-oiled system of writers, designers, animators, and coordinators.

  -I think it’s a fantastic story. - Billy ented, captivated by the caustiarrative. It reminded him of Treasure P but stood apart with its themes of ielr travel and lost civilizations, embodying everything associated with space opera while staying fio the sor system. It carried traces of Arthur C. Crke, whose attention to detail always moved him, especially in mapping a jouro Jupiter’s moons filled with philosophical musings.

  -It’s called Unworthy. It’s the story of a man traveling through the sor system. As we narrate, we explore not just the fear of uaking such a journey but also profouential questions. It’s an adult movie, but I believe as long as it’s good, it will resonate. - said Gsco Frinech, a German animator who had been with Lux Animation for three months. His cepts were etric but endearing.

  -We’ll do it. sider it greenlit. - Billy replied, knowing the story would likely find its perfect audien the ing months. His vision was clear: draw the stardom with more vivid strokes, ihe graphid pns with the delicacy of a brush painting stunning colors.

  -Brilliant. I’ve drafted some powerful youts on how to execute the ses and map out the color palette. Mixing whites and bcks with reds, blues, and yellows to create indest marvels. - Gsco was utterly immersed in his own vision.

  Billy finished reviewing the scripts when he was informed the Apple executives had arrived.

  ...

  -I think it’ll be a pleasure to see everything e together, one small step at a time. - Billy said, listening to Jobs.

  -There’s just oep left. We o i another 50 million. - Jobs remarked calmly.

  -How much will you i? - Billy asked.

  -Well… -

  -I’ll do it, but you know the ditions. I ihat sum, but I’ll require a stake iurn. - Billy stated firmly. -With 50 million, I triple the return in a year, but I need assurances from you. -

  It was a tough stance, but Billy knew Jobs was more rebellious, stronger, and more demanding than he appeared.

  Anne was there, taking notes and the nuances of the versation. Not long ago, she had mentiohe pany had limited funds, minimal expenses, and ambiguous financial challehat Billy often overlooked. To her, the way he mao gee money was a mystery.

  -We do this and that. - Billy remarked, aware that The English Patient was nearing 150 million at the box office. With Toy Story, all debts would be settled. At least he k was araordinary movie.

  ...