interactions.

The morning after was a deep blow to Billy's values; infidelity was something he couldn't tolerate, and he had erred on both sides by foolishly succumbing to the temptation of a blonde with princess complexes.

-He was a fool, - thought the lad as he walked to the shower; only a cold water bath would shake off the alcohol he had consumed just a few hours ago. The place was warm; last night, in a moment of lucidity, he had turned on the heating, and the place maintained a comfortable temperature. He closed his eyes as the cold water turned warm.

He went out for a jog, not questioning what he should do in the coming months or what to say to Alice. Now he was a fool, and it was a problem he had to rectify. For a long time, he understood that women always disrupted his life, as if he were cornering himself to lose control. Unacceptable! Since the business world entered his life, he had set a general rule for what he expected in his life, and how he should govern it, without allowing others to govern him.

He jogged through the streets until he reached a park he often frequented. For a month now, he had been wandering the streets of Vienna, not forgetting that many of these streets were drawn by him, refining the details and imagining the streets without defects, occupied by natural contaminations like herbs, plants, vines, and available cracks. Spaces of life. These streets had many interesting features, which had to be stored in his memory for a future animated series. The use of space and architectural candidness would make the place remarkable for its appropriations and technical developments.

It was 10 in the morning in Vienna and almost 3 in California. The phone was separate. He would even hesitate to call Raimon, known for his habit of playing video games without proper rest or watching movies, without paying attention to the work process.

He jogged a bit more and did common activities like squats, push-ups, and some other muscle resistance exercises—nothing impressive. He wasn't much into exercise, and just staying fit was enough for him. He had to ensure that hiring a personal trainer would be one of his priorities in the coming months.

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

For Gwyneth, the day was different. She woke up with a radiant smile, lazily stretching in bed, putting on one of Billy's shirts with complicity. She looked at herself in the mirror; her tousled hair and fresh skin gave her a fantastic appearance, feeling complete.

She ordered room service while having breakfast. She heard Billy's entrance, returning to his taciturn state after the drinks, without gesturing words for a long time. It was perhaps one of the things that intrigued her the most about the boy; he could spend hours lost in his thoughts without saying a word as if he didn't care, or perhaps he was just very lonely.

Julie said you had to pull questions out of him or work with him to get him to gesture a long conversation or share his thoughts. However, she disagreed since she came to understand that it was Jessi who responded sometimes. Billy's acting method was to embody the character, and occasionally she noticed nuances outstanding in his performance. She decided to take the lead in the conversation.

-Is everything okay with you? - Gwyneth understood that it would be complicated to fumble through a conversation when he only nodded, so she took a seat in front of him and extended a newspaper to read; he was sweaty.

Billy was trying to steer everything in the right direction. Two problems: Gwyneth was Steven Spielberg's spoiled little girl. He didn't want to offend the industry; another enemy meant nothing good for Billy, who knew that a wounded woman could cause greater disaster.

He continued his breakfast carefully, not bothering to say anything. But after almost an hour of silence, he couldn't help but bite his lip and head to the shower for a bath. Billy didn't put down the newspaper; he only took out a large notebook and began drawing calmly, tracing outlines of the church that was in his mind, a warm-up while preparing to continue his comics.

Chapters 81 and 82 of Shaman King and Samurai X were starting to take shape. With delicate strokes, he began to form the designs quickly; constant practice helped him achieve the desired shape for his series. The latter was easier for him to draw; in less than thirty minutes, he had a quick pencil sketch that, with practice, could improve.

Gwyneth emerged from the bathroom wearing his shirt again. Billy looked her up and down; her youthful appearance was charming.

-What are you going to do all day? - Gwyneth asked.

-I'll be in the room, sorting out some pending matters—meetings, commitments, and some deals. I'll be on the phone all day until the recording. I think Julie would be freer. Maybe have coffee and lunch in the room. Tell her to take you shopping, -- Billy said, pulling out his wallet and handing her a black card. Before the petite blonde could take it, he added, -- Be careful; they block it after $100,000 if they find suspicious purchases. -

-Okay. I might come back later. Perhaps we can have dinner before your rehearsal, - Gwyneth said, approaching Billy and daringly sitting on his lap.

-Okay, - Billy replied.

Without waiting for Gwyneth's kiss, she lunged and demanded a deep kiss that Billy reciprocated. The smile the blonde gave him afterward was enough to continue with his work. Only three days and Gwyneth would be away from Billy.

He continued working and ordered a small lunch while focusing on his work. Around two in the afternoon, he decided to call Raimon, who would be getting ready for work. Unfortunately, the international signal only caused more problems than benefits, and the modern times of online conferences were lost for future years. Now, it only remains to propose the right ideas to start highlighting convenient applications. For the coming years, he could create companies here and there.

-Raimon, - he said on the phone.

-Yes, Billy. I can't believe you called me. I was thinking about you just now. I just talked to Jim Gini about launching the television channel, and now we have a presence in almost all English-speaking countries, - Raimon said, curiously from the first-floor game room of the company.

-That sounds fantastic, - Billy said.

-Oh, it is! By the way, it's not just the television issue. Recently, a producer, a man who says he has a contract with Lux Animation, something about the movie 'The English Patient,' and since we agreed to sponsor it, apparently you were aware along with Steve Parks, - Raimon commented.

-I do, and we'll make an advance payment so he can start signing producers. You can talk to Jim to extend relationships with people he considers talented; he can be a producer as long as he doesn't interrupt Saul Zaents' creative process. I think it would be good for our new international distribution company, - Billy responded.

-You don't say! It was horrible; we have a connection with half of Europe—well, I would say Western Europe, some Baltic countries, and others nearby like India in the mix, - Raimon said.

-Good job. I'll send the volumes I've drawn in these weeks by mail; there are fourteen chapters. Make sure the team is ready, - Billy said.

Since Jim Lee's departure to create his own comic company, Billy had guided some artists to his drawing roster to facilitate his delivery and drawing time. Terry worked as a freelancer and came from time to time to do the express work with the basic comic team, along with inker Jimmy Branks, and letterer Saul Moon, and sometimes they were joined by Todd to complement the team of four.

-Of course, - Raimon said.

-You can read them, just make sure not to comment on them with people until their release, - Billy said.

-I would never do anything contrary! - Raimon replied, delighted, as he adjusted his phone; he was playing Pac-Man.

-I have to go. Tell Anne to call me in the afternoon, - Billy said, ending the conversation.

...