By the time Harry finally made his decision, the entire media world was already buzzing.
Harry Jackson, heir to Jackson Multimedia, had officially bought the controlling interest in Fox Television Studios.
The same Harry that single-handedly brought JTV back from the brink.
The same Harry that was now standing at the gates of a rival giant—with only a smirk, cash, and a dream.
Mason was the loudest.
"You've betrayed your own!" Mason screamed into the phone when he heard the news.
But Harry didn't respond. Because this time, Harry wasn't just going to make a case for anything.
The media erupted.
Headlines ran wild:
"Heir Abandons His Legacy!"
"Harry Jackson Buys into Fox — A Cold War Begins?"
"The Prodigal Son Walks Alone."
And then, the real bomb dropped.
JTV, with all its power and legacy, suddenly found itself without its own most successful shows.
Power Rangers: Genesis — Gone.
Dead Walkers — Gone.
And he got full ownership of the shows he had developed or registered under his name at JTV.
_____
Lawrence growled, "Do you understand what this means?" The board of directors stared in stunned silence.
Douglas muttered, "We lost our entire fall lineup. They all were under his name."
Keating was pale, "He took the heart out of the company."
Mason said nothing, the only one not shocked - just angry. His fists were tightly clenched. He stared straight ahead; "He warned you," he said. After a long pause, he continued and said, "He told you he would walk away."
-----
Fox Television Studios HQ - Executive Floor, Los Angeles
Harry stood in a stated suit, directly across from Sandy Grushow, the then-Chairman of the Fox Television Entertainment Group. Harry had his lawyer with him, Ruben Hathaway, seasoned negotiator who had worked on some of Universal's big contracts in the 90s.
Sandy leaned forward.
"We've had people from the competition approach us before. But never like this."
Harry said, "I'm not interested in being a producer-for-hire. I am interested in helping to shape the future of television. JTV taught me that. And now I want to do that here - at Fox."
Sandy nodded slowly, impressed.
"You've got results. Ratings, syndication returns, streaming buzz. You made JTV matter again." He paused. "We want you to do that here."
Ruben jumped in to wrap up the numbers.
$52 million for a 51% interest in Fox Television Studios' original content department allowed Harry to both have majority control and participate on the board.
In return, Harry would deliver the next two seasons of his hits using the FunTime Fox label, including merchandise and streaming rights, plus at least three new scripted series over the next eighteen months.
____
The whole time, Rachel hadn't said anything, with a glass of white wine sitting idle on the side table.
"You really went and did it," she said then. "You really left your father's company."
Harry looked up. "He left me behind first."
She turned, her tone crisp. "You can't twist it. Whatever the circumstance surrounding that plane crash. He built all this. You owe him a lot more than anyone."
Harry's voice lowered. "I owe myself too. I don't want to be a legacy. I want to build one."
Rachel watched him for a moment, nodded.
"I can be angry. But I'm still your mother. I will support you."
Then she added, dryly, "Just don't go bankrupt. I don't want to move into a condo in Florida."
In the whirlwind of the transition, Lisa found herself between a rock and a hard place.
Harry walked up to her and said, "I want you to head Fox TV. I'll run the studio. You'll run the network."
Lisa stared at Harry like he had two heads.
"I don't want to be a TV executive," she said. "I enjoy working with you. Not having to deal with boardrooms and ad meetings."
"But you are good at it."
Lisa laughed, "I'm better at being your secretary. Trust me, you are going to need one."
Eventually, Fox assigned their own man, Terry Schaeffer, to run the network division. Lisa stayed with Harry -- unofficial COO, chaos manager, and now in every creative meeting.