The familiar hum of Kat's typing filled the office as Lex and Dante stepped into Elias Marr's law firm. She didn't even glance up, but as soon as Lex approached the door, she buzzed them through without missing a keystroke.
"Mr. Latham. Mr. Dante," she said in her usual flat, efficient tone.
"Kat," Lex greeted smoothly, giving her a quick smirk before pushing open the heavy oak door to Elias's office.
Inside, Elias was already waiting—glasses perched low on his nose, flipping through a case file under the glow of his brass desk lamp. He didn't look up immediately.
"That was fast," he murmured, still reading. "I take it you two didn't get arrested?"
Dante chuckled, dropping into a chair. "Not for lack of trying."
Lex smirked, settling in across from Elias. "Good news, bad news."
Elias finally looked up, exhaling as he removed his glasses. "Start with the bad. It's always more entertaining."
Lex leaned back. "They tried to bury it. Didn't work."
Dante nodded. "A decective threw us a lifeline—pointed us to the feds. FBI's interested. Feldman is taking the case upstairs."
Elias tapped his fingers against the desk, his sharp gaze calculating. "That's a step in the right direction."
Lex exhaled, measured. "It is. But if I had my way, we wouldn't need them at all."
Elias narrowed his eyes slightly. "Meaning?"
Lex chose his words carefully. "Let's just say I've got a few things I could use against Barnie and Roman if it comes to that. But I'd rather not go that route."
Elias studied him. "You sound like a man with options."
Dante snorted. "He spooked, is what he did."
Elias glanced between them. "Spooked?"
Lex smirked slightly. "It's just good to have leverage, Elias."
Elias didn't press—but Lex could tell he was curious.
Dante stood up with a dramatic groan, rubbing his face like he'd just finished a twelve-hour shift in hell.
"Alright, I'm out," he muttered, straightening his jacket. "I need a strong whiskey and at least two hours away from your handsome mug."
Lex smirked. "That's fair. The mirror probably gets jealous."
Dante rolled his eyes, giving Elias a mock salute. "Marr. Always a pleasure."
Elias barely looked up from his legal pad. "Try not to get arrested."
Dante snorted. "No promises."
And with that, he strode out, leaving Lex and Elias alone.
Elias exhaled, tapping his pen against his desk. "So. Eighty million, worldwide streaming, you keep the IP."
Lex nodded. "That's the offer."
Elias tilted his head. "Not bad. But let's break it down—Netflix isn't paying eighty million for content. They're paying eighty million to lock out the competition. That means they'll try to squeeze you on exclusivity clauses."
Lex leaned forward. "How bad are we talking?"
Elias adjusted his glasses. "Five-year full exclusivity. They'll want a first-look deal on any sequels, spin-offs, or adaptations of your IP. If you sign without modifications, they'll be able to dictate how and when your films get marketed—and more importantly, what you can't do with them afterward."
Lex exhaled. "So, how do we play it?"
Elias leaned back. "We stagger the rights. Five-year streaming, but after that, you retain secondary market control. That means if a studio wants to buy foreign distribution rights, you can sell them separately. You can also do limited theatrical re-releases without Netflix interference."
Lex smirked. "Which means I keep control while making them think they do."
Elias smiled thinly. "Exactly." He made a quick note. "I'll let their lawyers know we're adjusting terms."
Lex nodded. "And what about the tour for Rose?"
Elias didn't even look up. "Take it. Three million, full sponsorship, and album promotion? That's a gift."
Lex smirked. "I thought you didn't believe in gifts."
Elias glanced at him. "I don't. But I believe in leveraging fools who overpay."
Lex chuckled.
Elias set his pen down and gave Lex a pointed look.
"You've been buying a lot of intellectual property lately," he said smoothly.
Lex smirked. "Guilty."
Elias exhaled. "I assume you're aware that you've also inherited a considerable amount."
Lex narrowed his eyes slightly. "Go on."
Elias pulled out another file.
"Your father didn't just own shares in Maddox Holdings. He had four publishing and media companies."
Lex blinked. "Four?"
Elias nodded. "Let's start with the one you probably don't know about."
He opened the first document.
"Your father acquired Blue Bird Publishing in the early 90s," Elias explained. "At the time, it was a mid-sized book distributor, mainly focusing on historical fiction and academic works."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "Why would he buy that?"
Elias smirked. "Because your grandmother, Mei Maddox, was a published scholar."
Lex's expression shifted slightly. "He bought it for her?"
Elias nodded. "More than that—he expanded it into luxury print editions and archival reprints. That's why it still exists today. Universities, libraries, collectors—they still buy from it."
Lex exhaled. "I never even knew."
Elias handed him another document.
"Now, this one's interesting," Elias said, flipping the page. "Radio Jazz was a failing radio station in the late 80s. Your father bought it for pennies, rebranded it, and turned it into a licensing powerhouse for classic jazz recordings. The seller was a regular at SMORE."
Lex's smirk returned. "That actually makes sense."
Elias nodded. "It's still profitable—but underutilized. If you wanted, you could repackage the old recordings into streaming rights or collector's editions. The files are keep in the small corner of your basement lable Roger. Don't get confuse with Vivians boxes."
Lex made a mental note to look in the basement.
Elias flipped to the next file.
Lex arched an eyebrow. "Please tell me my father wasn't running a gossip magazine."
Elias chuckled. "Not quite. Ladies Publishing is a niche women's lifestyle and fashion imprint. Think Vogue meets Forbes."
Lex blinked. "He owned that?"
Elias nodded. "Bought it from a failing competitor. He never had direct control over it, but it's a goldmine for licensing. Half the beauty and fashion brands you've been working with? They advertise through it."
Lex smirked. "So, if I wanted to, I could influence the editorial direction?"
Elias nodded. "Absolutely."
Lex's mind spun with possibilities.
Then Elias pushed one last document forward.
Lex froze.
"Wait. The Tribune?"
Elias smirked. "Surprised?"
Lex leaned forward. "You're telling me my father owned a newspaper—and I'm just finding out now?"
Elias exhaled. "Not fully. He held a 30% stake. Enough to influence, but not enough to control. But…" He tapped the document. "His shares are tied to a first-buy clause. If you exercise it, you could become the primary shareholder."
Lex's mind raced.
Owning a publishing company was one thing.
Owning a news outlet in New York City?
That was power.
Elias adjusted his glasses. "Your father wasn't just running investments, Lex. He was building a media ecosystem. The question is—what are you going to do with it?"
Lex exhaled slowly, running his fingers over the top file.
His father had left him more than just money.
He had left him a throne.
And now?
Now, Lex had every intention of sitting on it.