The scent of old money and freshly brewed ego lingered in the boardroom. The sunlight bounced through the blinds casting striped shadows across the oak table where the JTV board members sat, half curious and half predatory. Harry stood at the front with arms crossed, calm yet alert.
"Let me be clear, " Harry said, cutting through the murmuring, "I will not be renewing my contract with JTV after October. I will be leaving."
Silence. For three seconds.
Then—
"What?" Mr. Keating, one of the more conservative members, barked. "You're doing this now?"
"Is this because you started a little... film project?" a bespectacled man two seats down sneered. "You're leaving the network for Hollywood dreams?"
Harry maintained a neutral face. He was testing them. Every reaction here was indicative of exactly what kind of future JTV would have in his absence.
"I'm not leaving anything," Harry said smoothly. "I've given JTV its highest quarterly ratings in six years. I built it back from scratch. However, I don't want to be a permanent employee of an institution that sees me as a placeholder."
Mason, now seated off to the side, gave his head a tiny tilt—the signal for They're biting.
Keating narrowed his eyes. "And what happens to all the shows you've greenlit? The productions should be alive and running?"
"They'll be finished," said Harry. "And I will personally make sure that there will be a smooth transition."
"We trusted you," murmured another director. "You were supposed to be loyal."
Harry smiled.-dryly. "Loyalty is something that one has to earn. It is not demanded."
He could see it all happening—the scramble. They did not want to lose him. But not because of liking him. Because of needing him. Because without him, JTV should perhaps just crumble once again.
"Let's table this discussion for next month's meeting, when more of us will be there." Mason stealthily cut in before the fingers could start pointing. "Mr. Jackson has brought it upon us a little early for a reason."
_____
Lisa perched on the edge of his desk, one hand holding a file while the other fiddled with her blouse. She looked a bit more... put together than usual. A hint of perfume lingered in the air, and her eyeliner was just right. There was something different about her.
Harry tossed his coat onto the rack and let out a long sigh as he sank into his chair.
"Tough day with the board?" Lisa asked, her tone casual.
"Like trying to herd a pack of starving wolves," Harry grumbled.
"I poked the hornet's nest to see how mad they'd get if I left. Turns out they'd rather sting than have a conversation." Lisa smirked, her gaze avoiding his. She seemed distracted by something.
Harry raised an eyebrow, eyeing her. "You're radiating some kind of glow."
"It's Thursday," she replied.
"That doesn't really mean anything."
With a playful glint in her eye, Lisa shot back, "It does when your husband has the day off and you're sporting new underwear."
Harry blinked in surprise. "Alright then. I'll make this quick."
Lisa chuckled. "You better."
Harry leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "I've been thinking of starting my own channel."
That made her pause. "Like a full-blown network?"
"Exactly," he said. "Maybe next year. Cable or satellite. No reliance on old-money boards or conservative suits. I want full creative freedom. Movies, animation, edgy shows, maybe even late-night talk. A channel for the future."
Lisa whistled low. "That's not a small project."
"I know. But I need a safety net. If someone takes over JTV and tears everything down, I'll lose it all. I need something of my own. Independent. Unshakable."
Lisa's smirk returned. "Ambitious. Suits you."
Harry rubbed his face. "I just don't know who to trust anymore. You think I'm making a mistake?"
She stood, stretched—not too subtly adjusting her blouse again—and said, "I think you've made crazier ideas work. So go for it."
Harry smiled. "Thanks."
Lisa leaned over the desk. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a husband to seduce."
Harry raised his hands. "Message received. Go. Live your best life."