trust.

Between two vital spaces of people, the days with the Carson family were connected to two entities: the first, the material union of both and the ties of blood, while Billy performed some martial tasks and Gwyneth prepared meals for the household.

-Your father never wanted to do tasks like this. He always argued with my father for forcing us to work so intensely after school - Jeffrey said.

Both were in what they would call a light afternoon, which consisted of patrolling the ranch on horseback, repairing fences, moving cattle to different fields, branding them, and organizing the next day. They carried molasses for the cows' feed to small troughs, as the cold had damaged the grass, and in case of frost, it was best to transport them to a large pen with some heaters to prevent them from freezing.

But the decisive factor was that, during this time, they selected the old cattle and prepared them for sale. The Carsons had contracts with three small butcher shops and a large meat producer.

-I'd like to use these elements for my burger stands. The meat would have a juicier flavor, - Billy said.

-How would you do that, boy? If there's intent, there's a way, - Jeffrey responded.

-It's complicated, but for such small businesses, it's better to start agreements with large meat companies and establish supply contracts with minimal profits. Wasting important points of meat sale is less or more complementary to the business, - Billy replied.

-Simple, simpler, - Jeffrey responded.

-Not everything has to be a contract. You can approach some ranches and simply ask for it out loud. You'll agree with them, and they'll agree with you, - Jeffrey said.

-That could bring me trouble, - Billy said.

-No. Jeffrey replied, "There will never be trouble if you fulfill your part of the deal. -There are other ways to do business, things not akin to youthful or city-dweller thoughts about negotiating, as many negotiations are better transferred to more essential states: you pay, I sell; I buy, you give. It's a law of life. -

Both continued with their work after the silence settled. Their grandfather was sleeping on the couch while the TV was blaring in the living room. Aaron ran back and forth while Cassidy tried to follow Gwyneth like a puppy, as she had given her a luxurious set of makeup from Victoria's Secret.

Both Carsons arrived sweaty and congested from their work, which, although done since dawn, already left their bodies exhausted to continue working. The farm had no days off.

-You can wash your hands; dinner will be ready in 20 minutes, - Savannah said, organizing everything necessary for the meal. Meanwhile, the flicker of the TV caused some discomfort until Jeffrey turned it off, waking Richard Carson.

-Son, what are you doing? Leave it on, - Richard said.

-Dinner is ready; get up and wash your mouth, - Jeffrey said, in his usual tough tone. Richard got up as quickly as an 85-year-old could, with his cane in hand, each step carefully taken without paying total attention to his grandson Billy's gaze. He went straight to the bathroom, and Richard's once steady gait now seemed dimmed, raising a protest in Billy's heart for the affection he had for Richard.

***********************************************************

-Working from dawn till dusk for five days in the cold, now I can truly call you a cowboy, - Gwyneth said from the room below, the small room provided by their grandparents. Both were changing to sleep and for a few days now, she had been sleeping with her arms around him, something that shone with the delicacy of her body. Every day, she would place a palm on Billy's chest while making a sound with her lips at bedtime. It was affectionate, and she tended to stain his shirt on some occasions, but the family atmosphere calmed his carnal desires. However, things remained the same, as women paid attention to different rhythms of life.

-I only establish relationships with the family. It was easier when I was young, but my cousins have changed, and well, Savannah remains the same as always. She's as present as she was years ago; her radiance has diminished, but her patience is admirable. I don't think I'll be back for a long time, and my grandfather likes me working on the farm, even if it's just to bombard my uncle with questions, - said Billy.

-I'd like to live in a wilderness like this, have a garden to grow my food, a place that belongs to me, even if only for certain days. It's almost as if quiet and remote places call to me, away from many things. I forgot how much I enjoyed myself in Spain and how similar rural life is to high school life, albeit with money, it's easier, - replied Gwyneth.

-You'll do it after succeeding in Hollywood, a spiritual retreat for your life, - Billy asked.

-Before that, I'll make a few movies and disappear for half a year into a garden, or perhaps a party in Italy. I don't know what will happen first. Have you been to Italy to party? It's the best place to have fun if you know that the people there tend to go wild, but it's all night long. I don't know of many places as lively as Italy... or Spain, - said the blonde, reminiscing.

-I'm not much of a party person; apparently, I pursue other ideals. Perhaps sometimes I'll have to attend parties, but it's not something that particularly interests me, - replied Billy.

-Let's go together; I'll look after you, and you'll look after me, - Gwyneth said.

******************************************************************

Raimon continued his conquest of bringing Dungeons & Dragons to the video game market. He was cheerful; the negotiations with Interplay had gone quickly, and in less than five days, he already had a general idea of what Interplay wanted as the owner of the rights, under his representation. The deal was delicate and subtle because Raimon had not lied; the entire purchase transition was in his hands.

-We're surprised to hear that someone is interested in our Dungeons & Dragons game, - responded Claus, sales advisor and part of the game development department.

-Well, I'm a fanatic. I heard rumors that you guys were considering giving up the franchise. Honestly, I can't wait to make the game. My recent days have been filled with dreams of a game that captures the essence of D&D, - replied Raimon.

-Yes, our game is wonderful. Unfortunately, the company decided to focus on other games with better prospects, - replied Claus.

-I can see why. Sometimes companies prioritize their interests over their desires, something logical that happens in any entity, whether private or public, - replied Raimon.

-How wonderful that you guys do what you love, - Claus responded.

The contract was ready to be signed, with the value of $200,000 for the rights to the Baldur's Gate game.

-Very well, I'll hand everything over immediately, - said Claus, skillfully pulling out a stack of white papers with a clip. Raimon took it, not realizing he had been duped. The Baldur's Gate proposal sold was just a small script that Interplay had registered. It was said to be a dungeon and dragons game, but it was only a random collection of ideas about dungeons and dragons, something Raimon discovered upon seeing it. He could almost see Claus's lips trembling at the scam he had pulled on the novice.

Raimon, who was clumsy, ingenious, and good-hearted, just smiled. - I hope you don't regret it, - he replied, completely angry at being duped.

It was a hard blow, as it was Billy who had put the idea in his head.

...