Chapter 243

Zane watched Annalise. The extra income was just 31 thousand dollars, yet, it had made her so happy. But to him, it still felt far from enough. After
thinking it over, he left his office to find Eric.
Eric looked up, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “Mr. Huxham?”
Zane walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. “I’ve been considering our plans for developing her comic series. I realize we’re not doing nearly enough.”
Eric could tell that Zane had more ideas. “Oh?”
Zane laid out his thoughts calmly, saying, “We could translate her comic into other languages and launch it worldwide. With a larger reader base, merchandise sales would soar.” Eric quickly grabbed his notebook to jot it down.
Zane continued, “We also need to speed up domestic licensing. Ideally, we should bring in a team to adapt the comic into an animated series. That way, more kids can enjoy it.
“At the same time, we should work with publishers to print the comic and distribute it in major bookstores. Once the hype builds, merchandise sales will skyrocket.”
He paused before adding, “We need to ensure there’s a solid inventory of merchandise.”
“Got it!” Eric had been planning to take things slow but hadn’t considered getting so far ahead in their preparations. He could now see the vast difference in their perspectives. Going forward, he resolved to think further ahead and be prepared for challenges in advance. After taking notes, Eric glanced up. “Mr. Huxham, Annalise won’t feel the impact of everything you’re doing. She’ll only think of you as an incredibly supportive boss. I’m not exactly an expert on romance, but I don’t think she’ll understand your intentions.”
This was Zane’s dilemma, and he knew it well. “You’re right, which is why I need to tread carefully. If I come on too strong, she might grow distant, and I’d lose my chance altogether.”
Zane was cautious with his feelings. If he couldn’t find a way to make Annalise see him differently, he would keep things steady for now. As long as she was by his side, he still had a chance.
He suddenly looked at Eric with mild curiosity. “Why did you bring this up? Do you know what women like?”
Eric shook his head honestly. “I don’t even have a girlfriend.”
…
At the end of the school day, Zane and I arrived promptly at the kindergarten entrance. After a busy afternoon at the office, the sketches I had stored up were gradually running out.
It would only take about ten more days to finish all the coloring. Once I reached that point, my daily workload would ease, giving me more time to consider how best to use this substantial new income. When Willow finished school, she reluctantly looked back at Penelope as she walked out the gate.
Penelope laughed and waved at her. “You don’t need to wait for me. My mom will be here to pick me up soon!”
No sooner had she finished speaking when Suzy jogged up to the school gate.
Penelope ran into Suzy’s arms. “Mommy, I missed you so much!”
Suzy, the corporate powerhouse at work, melted under Penelope’s affection. She gently ran her fingers through Penelope’s hair. “Good girl.”
Willow stood rooted in place, watching them intently.
I couldn’t help but smile. “Since you want to play with her so much, why not invite them over to our house?”