+Old Names, New Plays

The glow from Lex's laptop cast long shadows over his father's old desk as he typed quietly into the search bar.

Winterson Games.

The name felt faintly familiar, tucked in the back of his mind like something he'd overheard once but never paid attention to.

The search results blinked onto the screen—grainy 80s logos, arcade cabinets, and old promotional flyers.

Lex leaned in, scanning the faded images.

Winterson wasn't just some niche arcade developer.

In the late 80s, they had three major hits that fueled the arcade boom:

"Neon wolfs" – A werewolf-themed brawler 

"Iron Loop" – A futuristic racing game with cult status.

"Phantom Verge" – Side-scroller that launched on consoles later.

Lex clicked deeper, digging into financial reports from that era. At their peak, Winterson Games had flooded arcades across the U.S.

Then, like most companies chasing the arcade wave, they folded in the early 90s.

But something stood out—Winterson's IP remained untouched.

His father's journal noted a 15% stake in the company that had been left to the Latham trust.

Lex's eyes narrowed.

Arcade nostalgia was resurging. Retro-themed bars, re-released consoles, streaming shows centered on the 80s—Winterson's catalog wasn't worthless.

Lex opened a second tab, typing faster now.

Vaughn Real Estate.

This one wasn't as flashy. A series of motel chains spread across rust belt towns and forgotten highways.

Lex remembered the name because his father always referred to it as a 'legacy investment.'

The kind of thing that looked boring—until you realized motels sat on land that could triple in value during redevelopment.

Lex scanned through Vaughn's holdings.

The company owned fifteen properties. Small, cheap motels that hadn't been renovated since the early 2000s. Most were barely operating.

But the locations?

Close to interstate expansions, airport projects, and a few near up-and-coming neighborhoods.

Lex exhaled slowly, rubbing his jaw if money was the goal he's just short VIX options. However the plan was the build the board make Lexington a name you had to listen. So his plays would be diverse. He also need to be careful didn't want the SCC breathing down his neck over plays that look like insider trading. 

"Jesus."

Lex turned slightly to see Rose leaning in the doorway, holding a plate with a sandwich balanced neatly on top. Her brow arched as she stepped forward, glancing at the screens.

"I'm pretty sure whatever you just did could cause an economic incident."

Lex smirked. "Not yet. I might just speeding things up."

Rose slid the plate onto the desk, nudging his mouse away from the edge. "Well, try not to short-circuit your brain while you're at it."

Lex glanced down at the sandwich—simple, ham and cheese, no frills. But warm.

"You're starting to sound like my mother."

Rose crossed her arms, leaning against the desk with a faint grin. "Your mom asked me to look after you while she's on holiday. And from what I can tell, left to your own devices, you'll live off caffeine and arrogance."

Lex chuckled softly, lifting the sandwich. "I'm doing just fine."

Rose gave him a long look. "Lex, I found an energy drink in your personal fridge from two years ago. I don't think 'fine' applies here. Dinner should be at seven. Not nine."

Lex took a bite, not bothering to argue.

The warm sandwich hit harder than he expected.

Rose glanced at the screens again, watching as lines dipped and numbers shifted.

"Is this all about your uncle?" she asked quietly.

Lex chewed thoughtfully for a moment, swallowing before answering.

"Barnie thinks this is his city." His gaze flicked back to the screen, dark and focused. "I'm just reminding him it isn't."

Rose leaned closer, arms brushing lightly against his chair. "And you're sure that's the only reason?"

Lex's smirk faded slightly.

No.

But he didn't say that.

Instead, he set the sandwich down, fingers grazing the trackpad again. "It's the only reason that matters right now."

Rose watched him carefully for a second longer before sighing.

"Fine. But you owe me dinner after this whole hostile takeover mood you're in."

Lex's smirk returned. "Deal. But you're picking the place."

Rose grinned, already heading for the door. "Don't worry. I'll find somewhere expensive."

Lex leaned back, taking another bite of the sandwich as he watched the market shift in real-time.

By the time Barnie sat down for his next board meeting, the losses would already be rolling in especially if he played his game.