The restaurant was dimly lit, the kind of place tucked away on the Lower East Side where industry types met to talk quietly over expensive wine and undercooked steak.
Benny had picked it—he always knew the spots where people liked to pretend they weren't being watched.
Lex sat at the small corner table, one hand resting on his glass of bourbon, the other casually draped over the back of his chair. Across from him, Benny was nursing a beer, leaning back like he belonged there.
To Benny's right sat Jason Wilde, an independent producer with a few cult hits under his belt. On his left, Carter Reyes, an up-and-coming director whose last film had made noise at Sundance.
Lex had made sure to pick them carefully—hungry, but just successful enough to be interesting.
Benny grinned, gesturing between them. "Boys, meet Lex Latham. The guy funding my current masterpiece."
Jason arched a brow, swirling the wine in his glass lazily.
Carter glanced at Benny with mild suspicion. "So, what exactly are we talking about here?"
Lex's gaze shifted between them, calm and calculating. He could feel the hesitation—the unspoken questions. They'd seen trust fund kids buy their way into the industry before, only to disappear the second things didn't go their way.
"I want to buy," Lex said smoothly. "Another project. Bigger this time."
Jason's eyes narrowed. "Bigger how?"
Lex sipped his drink, letting the silence settle before answering.
"Big name actors. Musicians for the soundtrack. Epic scale. I'm talking festival headliner." He paused, meeting their eyes directly. "I'm sitting on five million. I want it spent the right way."
Carter let out a low whistle, leaning forward with interest.
"That's ambitious," Jason said, tapping his ring against the stem of his glass. "You're talking about going head-to-head with studio-backed indies."
Lex smiled. "Exactly."
Benny chuckled, glancing between them. "Told you he wasn't playing around."
Jason exchanged a look with Carter, who finally shrugged. "Alright," Carter said, folding his arms. "You want something big? I've got a script—a historical drama. No one's biting because of the budget."
Lex raised a brow. "Let me guess. Too risky, not enough commercial appeal."
"Bingo," Carter replied. "Studios want safe bets. This one isn't. But with the right actors—"
"It won't be a bet," Lex finished for him.
Jason leaned forward slightly. "You're serious about this?"
Lex's eyes didn't waver. "Dead serious."
Jason exchanged a glance with Benny, who nodded knowingly.
"Alright," Jason said, reaching into his bag and sliding a script across the table. "Take a look. It's yours if you want it."
Lex placed a hand on the script but didn't pull it back just yet.
"I want something else," Lex added, locking eyes with Jason.
Jason arched a brow. "And what's that?"
"I want the leads tied down—contracts that lock them in for at least one sequel. Same with the composer, if we use a big-name musician."
Carter laughed under his breath. "You really don't think small, do you?"
Lex smirked. "I don't make placeholders."
Jason watched him carefully, then nodded. "I'll see what I can do. But it won't be cheap."
"I don't expect it to be," Lex replied smoothly.
Benny grinned, raising his beer. "To Latham Ventures, then. The kid's making moves."
Lex lifted his glass, but his mind was already three steps ahead.
Five million was just the beginning.
By the time Barnie noticed, Lex planned to have an entire corner of the entertainment industry under his name.