Hunting in Hollywood

Around nine o'clock, after a final chat with a senior executive from Prada, Simon glanced at his watch and said to the two women who had been by his side throughout the evening, "I need to head back now. Do you want to stay on?"

Naga Orman and Jasmine Gary felt that the past couple of hours had probably been the most glamorous segment of their lives, from the initial flash photography to mingling with the guests at the cocktail party.

Now, even if Simon Westeros offered them no further help, both women were confident they could make significant strides in the fashion world on their own.

Hearing Simon's words, the two women exchanged glances, feeling the night was still young and they'd rather stay until the very end if possible.

But such thoughts were only for their hearts.

Without any hesitation, they nodded, realizing that they might be spending the night together with this billionaire.

However, neither of them felt any resistance to this idea.

In their circle, more outrageous things had happened, and accompanying Simon Westeros was hardly extraordinary.

As Simon, along with Naga Orman and Jasmine Gary, exited the hall, whispers inevitably rose from the cocktail party behind them.

The buzz was mostly about the two lucky women who had caught Simon Westeros' attention.

Everyone sensed that it wouldn't be long before two new supermodels were born.

For others, this was merely juicy gossip, but for established supermodels, it was a clear signal of mounting pressure.

In recent years, the trend of the film industry encroaching into the fashion realm had become quite apparent, initiated by a highly successful Gucci show two years prior. Fashion brands, traditionally reliant on supermodels as their faces, were increasingly turning their eyes towards Hollywood.

The fashion industry itself can only accommodate a few supermodels.

In recent years, the limelight had been largely occupied by a few media-recognized supermodels like Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Claudia Schiffer, dominating most of the major shows.

For instance, tomorrow's Gucci show was notable for featuring Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, and Claudia Schiffer—supermodels who had been unable to attend other brands' shows due to their commitments.

Tonight's cocktail party had drawn almost all these supermodels.

However, the focus of the event had shifted entirely towards the two ornaments at Simon Westeros' side.

Watching Simon leave with the two women, Naomi Campbell, referred to as the 'Black Pearl' of the industry, remarked to Linda Evangelista beside her, "Linda, why didn't Gerard come tonight?"

Linda Evangelista's husband, Gerard Myer, was the president of Elite's European branch, and it was largely thanks to his influence that Linda had risen so quickly in recent years.

Understanding Naomi's implication, Linda shook her head, "He's in Paris for urgent business and might arrive tomorrow morning."

She spoke nonchalantly but knew all too well her husband was likely indulging in dalliances in Paris. Originally, she had married him to leverage his resources for her career. After several objections to his infidelities were ignored, she stopped caring.

Now firmly established in the industry, she could think about divorcing him at an opportune moment.

She envied the idea of connecting with Simon Westeros, a truly towering figure who could significantly elevate her career.

Naomi Campbell continued, "That Naga Orman, also with Elite, has a similar style to yours. Aren't you worried she might displace you?"

"What can I do?" Linda looked at Naomi, "Should Gerard break her contract immediately? Do you think he would do that? Even if Elite foolishly did so, plenty of agencies would scramble to sign her."

"Of course, you can't break the contract, but you could sideline her," suggested Naomi.

Linda laughed sardonically. She knew her limits well; if Naga Orman hadn't latched onto Simon Westeros, Linda might have been able to use her influence to keep her sidelined.

It was a simple tactic: just hint to fashion brands that they should avoid offending her, and they'd naturally distance themselves from her rival.

Naomi Campbell, to maintain her unique 'Black Pearl' status, hadn't shied away from such maneuvers.

The fashion pool was small and fiercely competitive, with low barriers to entry. Anyone slightly cunning would spare no effort to suppress potential threats to their standing.

However, these tactics were unlikely to affect Simon Westeros.

This young billionaire wasn't just a figure with a massive fortune; the Westeros empire was a behemoth in media and fashion.

The rapidly rising Gucci, trivial in comparison to some other industry giants but second only to Dior in revenue among luxury brands, had surpassed old guards like LV, Prada, and Chanel in just two years.

And Alexandra of Gucci, after acquiring Van Cleef & Arpels, was showing signs of following LVMH in forming

 a conglomerate of luxury brands.

Despite her ties with Dior and Chanel, Linda had refused to join tomorrow's Gucci show. However, thinking of the two women who had accompanied Simon tonight stirred her ambitions.

After declining Gucci for two consecutive years, she felt she had done enough. Joining Gucci's runway next year wouldn't provoke Dior and Chanel—they couldn't afford to alienate several supermodels at once.

Decided, Linda glanced at Naomi Campbell, who was quietly heading to make a phone call. She hesitated but chose not to share her plans, well aware that Naomi was wary of the Asian model accompanying Simon.

In a fashion industry dominated by white models, minorities often played secondary roles, included by brands to demonstrate a lack of racial bias.

There was even a saying within the industry that "fashion only needs one black model."

If that Asian model rose to prominence, she would threaten the precarious position of other minority models.

Linda thought it unwise for Naomi to engage in underhanded tactics now. Known as the 'Black Pearl', Naomi had a spotted reputation in recent years, and even John Casablanca, the founder of Elite, was reportedly close to losing patience with her.

Meanwhile, as Simon left the hall with the two women, Ken Dickson, who had come to Europe with him, approached and whispered something.

Simon merely smiled and entered the elevator, telling the women, "I won't be able to escort you back personally. The car is waiting below, and the driver will take you to your accommodations."

The women were surprised by Simon's statement, but he offered no explanation for Ken Dickson's words. Paparazzi were already lurking in the parking lot, suggesting that news from the hall had leaked.

Without photographic evidence, the media wouldn't dare fabricate stories about Simon, but photos could change that.

Simon certainly didn't want any such incidents.

After a brief pause, Naga Orman, feeling a twinge of loss, remembered the luxurious outfit she wore and casually asked Simon, "So, these clothes I'm wearing, um, how should I return them?"

Simon chuckled, "Gifts once given are not taken back."

Naga was momentarily stunned.

Jasmine Gary, equally incredulous, touched her pearl necklace and whispered, "Simon, you mean, these are gifts for us?"

"Of course."

Seeing the man nod in confirmation, Naga quickly calculated the value of her outfit, feeling her legs weaken under the weight.

My God! My God!

The elevator soon reached the ground floor. Simon, paying no heed to the still-dazed women, instructed, "Go on, the car is in the underground parking lot."

With that, Simon left the elevator with Ken Dickson and another bodyguard and headed towards the hotel lobby.

Only after the elevator doors closed did Jasmine quickly press the button for the basement level, then glanced at Naga, who was clutching her ruby necklace, jealousy evident in her eyes. She knew well that the necklace was far more valuable than her own pearls.

Seeing Jasmine's gaze, Naga clutched her necklace even tighter, "This is mine."

Jasmine, fighting the urge to roll her eyes, teased, "These were gifts for both of us. I think we should split them."

Naga stepped back, her eyes filled with increased wariness, "Don't even think about it."

Jasmine feigned a step forward, and seeing Naga quickly remove the necklace and stuff it into her limited edition Gucci bag, couldn't help but jest, "Now it's even easier to take."

Realizing Jasmine was teasing her, Naga relaxed a bit.

Still, thinking of the necklace in her bag, valuable enough to buy a luxury apartment in Paris, Naga remained on guard.

The elevator doors opened, and Jasmine stepped out first, quipping, "Be careful, there might be robbers around here."

Naga saw the Rolls Royce they had arrived in and the burly driver standing by, and her confidence soared.

As the women got into the car and drove off, a paparazzo hiding in another vehicle in the corner of the parking lot hadn't yet realized what had happened.

Two big ornaments had made their exit.

But where was the main attraction?

Without Simon Westeros, the photos he had taken were pointless.

The Rolls Royce navigated through Milan's streets, dropping off the women at their respective hotels. Yet the night was far from over.

Executives from Elite were already waiting at the hotel for Naga Orman, and senior officials from Jasmine Gary's agency, DNA, were also waiting for her. Even Jasmine's North American agency called to discuss leveraging the situation to promote the two as supermodels.

Simon returned to his luxurious villa halfway up the hillsides by Lake Como, where Sophia was waiting for him. She had also attended the opening cocktail party of Fashion Week but had left early.

Having had her romantic fantasies brutally squashed the first time they slept together, Sophia had adjusted

 her expectations of this man she could never fully have.

Of course, a bit of teasing was inevitable.

Simon didn't mind her slightly sour teasing and playfully pulled her into the shower with him.

Exiting the bathroom past eleven at night, Sophia changed into a flattering light blue silk nightgown, her cheeks flushed attractively as she dried her hair and climbed into the large bed. Simon, still full of energy, was checking his emails on a laptop.

The Igret company had already licensed World Wide Web technology to telecommunication operators in major European countries. While the service was still in internal testing in Italy, the apartment in Milan was connected via dedicated fiber optics, with the villa's surveillance directly linked to Malibu across the ocean.

Of course, it was expensive.

Snuggling up to Simon like a cat, Sophia pulled at the network cable beside her, half-wishing it wasn't there.

In this era, there was no WiFi. To access the internet, one had to be physically connected by a cable.

Simon smiled, knowing that wireless internet was already planned by Igret, but it wouldn't be a short-term priority.

Sophia's comment was casual as she turned to look at the computer screen.

Simon was reading a novel.

Patiently, she read along with him. Judging from the translated title, it was originally a Japanese novel, perhaps, "Ring"?

Then, as she finished the novel with Simon, Sophia felt a creeping horror.

She would be wary of videotapes for a long time.

Simon playfully asked, "What do you think about turning it into a movie?"

Her cheek rubbing gently against his shoulder, Sophia replied, "It would definitely be scary."

"That's exactly the effect we want."

With that, Simon opened his email to write to his contacts in Los Angeles.

"Scream 3" was due for release next month, and with the completion of this popular teen horror series, New World Cinema needed a new plan.

Youth horror films had become somewhat saturated in recent years, making it challenging to replicate such a successful franchise. After careful consideration, Simon decided to focus on Japanese horror films as a new direction for New World Entertainment.

Fittingly, the memory of "Ring," a phenomenal horror novel published that year, was fresh in his mind.

Under Simon's directive, Daenerys Entertainment easily secured the rights to this blockbuster horror novel.v

___________________

(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)

If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters

Read Ahead

Patreon.com/INNIT