The afternoons flew by as the boys pyed tirelessly, diving into Mortal Kombat battles and PES 2003 matches, each of them fighting to win a few pounds. It was a stant struggle to py. Oliver was the best at Mortal Kombat, while Billy usually ES, though he occasionally lost to James. The two seemed almost synced as they pyed.

  They both preferred using Engnd, while Billy often chose Real Madrid or Brazil. Robert, oher hand, typically picked Maer United but occasionally switched to Arsenal or Bayern Munich, depending on his mood.

  -Robert was a total heartbreaker, with a stunning model whose eyes mirrored the Caribbean Sea and hair as golden as sunlight. She couldn’t help but fess how much she loved him. Holy, I’d introduce him to my sister—if I had one. - Billy remarked.

  -Damn, he said it was just for fun! - James excimed.

  Robert tried to ugh it off but couldn’t hide his blush. The boy was a little shy. For now, Billy just shrugged as he watched Robert deny the buddihrob reputation that was already f. All he needed was to let his hair grow out a bit longer.

  -The truth is, Billy’s the ohe papers barely scratch the surface. He’s the oh all the luck. One look from him, and wome like sugar in water. - Robert said, g Billy on the back, which drew a soft groan from him.

  The boys teased him, pyfully jabbing his back. They always messed around like this—nothing out of the ordinary.

  -My back hurts a little. I got a tattoo. - Billy said as they kept patting his back. - Have some mer this poor soul. -

  -Let’s see this epic tattoo. - Oliver said, his curious eyes lighting up. He’d always dreamed of getting a tattoo like a rebellious youth but never mustered the ce. Billy, oher hand, had no such reservations. He said he wao show everyone how far above them he stood so that when they saw his back, they’d see his roar.

  He revealed a bd-white tiger r fiercely, cws tearing through the skin. The boys raised their eyebrows at the sheer size of it. The tattoo spanned his entire back, embodying the wild, rebellious energy he was known for—fast, untamed, and brimming with raw desire.

  -Does it hurt? - they asked.

  -A lot. Imagihousands of needles pierg your skin. After a while, it bees unbearable; your back goes numb, and you just want to pop a painkiller. But it’s manageable—at least for me. - Billy expined.

  -It’s crazy how you always do the wildest things my parents would call stupid and forbid me to do. Holy, I’m too nervous to get my whole baked, let alone something so bold. - James said, a little envious of how cool the tattoo looked. Due to his tract, he wasn’t supposed to alter his appearahough he could get something in a less visible spot.

  -I’m a rocker. My life isn’t normal. I do the things everyone dreams of but nobody dares to do. My agents show the public that I’m living the dream. People want to be stars, but they want to be me. - Billy said nontly as if discussing the weather. But his rebellious toruck a chord with the twins, who couldn’t help but widen their eyes at the sheer fidence he exuded.

  It was as if he were telling them, Get lost. If you want to be me, too bad—you never will.

  -Nobody wants to be you. Go to hell. - Robert quipped, handing him the troller for the match, loser versus loser.

  Jerry lounged in a foam-filled bath, phone in hand and a cup of herbal tea nearby, unwinding after a long day of work in the way he felt he deserved. As he soaked, he managed business calls and finalized Billy’s medical checkups—a rule they both followed: if Billy got tested, so did he.

  -Everything’s set. cel the entire Grammy marketing campaign and focus on selling more records. - Jerry instructed Graham Anderson, one of Warner Music’s directors.

  -I like how fast you work. What did the kid say? - Graham asked.

  -He wants part of the money and to be sidered for ag roles and produ ideas. He’s got a movie in mind that he’s fident will make a fortune. All he needs is approval and a team to help him bring it to life. - Jerry expined.

  -That’s easy. We’re already looking at strong positions with Sony Musid Universal. Plus, the Billy era has just begun, and it’s making waves like never before.

  -He also wants the ba over. He’s got two new singles he’d like to record—one in Puese for the Brazilian market and another in Spanish for Latin America, both in time for the December tour. - Jerry added.

  -We’ll arra. Are they good? - Graham asked.

  -They’re masterpieces. He’s also willing to sign a-year tract with Warner Music if the terms are slightly improved. - Jerry said, the old fox in him keenly aware of how to leverage Billy’s value.

  -That’s simple enough. We’ll offer a 10-year deal. No album quotas, just years. - Graham tered, thinking quickly.

  -If it’s 10 years, you o treat him like he’s your son—one you’re proud of. Let’s make it 12, rolling over into the current tract, and keep it strictly by years. - Jerry proposed.

  This goldmine wouldn’t slip away easily.

  -Fine, I’ll head over week to finalize the deal. - Graham said, already dreaming of the bonus he’d receive for seg Billy’s tract.

  Billy’s current deal was fht years ht albums—a cuse that nobody expected him to meet, especially not with diamoified albums. But he did, turning what seemed like a safe bet into a liability for Warner. Jerry had pulled all the strings, even calling in lifelong favors. He still had o in reserve, but it didn’t matter. The tract was what ted.

  -See you week, Jerry. - Graham said, mentally calg his bonus like a kid ting dy.

  Jerry hung up and turned his attention to the small TV perched in the er of the tub.

  ...