Pieces in Motion

It was eight in the Morning, Elias Marr had done a house call with documents spread out across Lex's desk. While Lex flipping through the pages after pages of the Vaughn Real Estate portfolio.

"I got in touch with Vaughn's primary owner just after you called." Elias's tone was calm, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "They're very open to selling."

Lex arched a brow, folding his hands under his chin. "That fast?"

Elias smirked faintly. "I might've let it slip that I knew someone interested. Figured it'd save time."

Lex chuckled softly. "I take it they named their price."

Elias nodded, sliding a piece of paper toward him. "This is the number they floated."

Lex glanced down.

$3.2 million.

He leaned back, tapping his fingers lightly against the desk. Higher than expected. But Vaughn's holdings—**the motels and the Winterson shares—**wouldn't stay hidden forever.

Barnie was already circling assets like a shark. If Lex hesitated, Vaughn would end up on his plate next.

Lex exhaled through his nose, eyes narrowing slightly. "Do they know about the arcade stake?"

Elias's gaze held steady. "No. Far as I can tell, they see the motels as dead weight. The locations are bleeding cash, and no one wants to renovate."

Lex's smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Perfect.

He glanced at Elias. "Counter at $2.9 million. Asking for 10% cash discount. Let's close the deal."

Elias nodded, sliding the paper back into his briefcase. "I'll send the paperwork over by the end of the day."

As Elias locked the case, he hesitated for a moment, meeting Lex's gaze with quiet curiosity.

"Lex, I've known you long enough to see a pattern. You don't just buy things for the sake of it. What's the angle here?"

Lex's smirk deepened as he swirled the untouched glass of whiskey on the desk.

"Barnie's chasing concrete." Lex's eyes flicked toward the window overlooking the city skyline. "I'm chasing nostalgia."

Elias arched a brow.

Lex set the glass down with a soft clink.

"People will always want to escape. Motels and arcades? Those are just portals."

Elias laughed under his breath. "You make it sound poetic."

"It is." Lex's gaze hardened. "And Barnie doesn't see it."

Elias's smirk softened as he rose from the chair, tucking the briefcase under his arm.

"I'll make the call. Expect papers by tonight."

Lex watched him disappear down the hall, the faint creak of the brownstone's wooden floors following his exit.

It wasn't moments before his phone buzzed sharply, vibrating against the wood.

Benny C.

Lex answered with a flick of his thumb. "Tell me something good."

Benny's voice came through, almost breathless. "Lex, you better sit down."

Lex smirked. "I'm already sitting. Try harder."

Benny laughed, the excitement barely contained. "Fine. Black Wall just made a hell of a splash at the private screening. Critics haven't shut up about it for the last hour."

Lex's eyes narrowed slightly, though his smirk lingered. "That was the point, Benny. I told you Monroe was going to kill it."

"Yeah, but this isn't just good reviews." Benny's tone shifted, weight threading beneath his words. "The buzz is big. It's looking like we're in the running for serious nominations. Word is—Oscars."

Lex's smirk faded slightly as he processed it.

"Oscar nominations?"

"At least three categories." Benny's voice sharpened, listing them off. "Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and they're already hinting at Best Picture."

Lex leaned forward. Black Wall had been a calculated passion project, but he hadn't expected it to catch fire this fast.

"Who's backing the push?" Lex asked.

"Netflix. They're already angling for exclusive streaming rights. Remember how they lowballed us before?" Benny chuckled darkly. "Yeah, they're coming back with a lot more zeros this time."

Lex's gaze flicked to the market screen on his laptop, but for once, he wasn't watching stocks.

"How much are they offering?"

Benny hesitated. "Initial figure's at thirty million for distribution. But if the Oscar buzz sticks, they're ready to climb closer to fifty."

Lex let out a slow breath, leaning back in his chair.

Fifty million.

That wasn't just distribution money. That was startup-building money.

"I'll think about it," Lex said quietly.

Benny scoffed. "You're seriously going to pass up fifty million? Lex, come on."

Lex's smirk returned faintly. "I didn't say no. I said I'll think about it. Netflix wants to own Black Wall. I want to make sure they understand the cost."

Benny laughed, almost disbelieving. "Fine. Play hard to get. Just know this—by the time the nominations drop, every studio's going to be knocking."

Lex glanced at the old film posters his father had left behind in the study.

"Let them knock."

Benny's voice softened slightly. "Your dad would've liked this one, Lex. It feels like the kind of project he'd have fought for. I'll tell Netflix doing this for personal reasons."

After the call ended Lex lean back into his chair, the weight of the thought sinking quietly in his chest. His dad would have love every move he was making that itself counted as a small win.