Chasing Stars in Hollywood

The preliminary agreement had already been reached.

Melisandre would acquire 50% of Versace for $400 million in cash and deeply involve itself in the management of the company. On the other hand, the Mafia demanded a $200 million repayment from Versace. Once this sum was paid, Versace would have no further ties with them.

The valuation of 50% of the shares at $400 million wasn't an act of exploitation by Melisandre; it was a fair price. However, the $200 million demanded by the Mafia was more like cutting off a limb. Without Simon's intervention, Versace might have had to pay double that amount to break free. Rumors in the industry suggested that Versace owed the Mafia a substantial debt—much more than the millions typically imagined.

The Mafia's offer also indicated their willingness to retreat, which was exactly the outcome Simon wanted to see.

Thus, tonight's meeting was simply Gianni Versace's way of securing reassurance directly from Simon.

Simon didn't hold back, telling Gianni Versace, "The Stefano family is no longer in the picture. The money laundering network run by the three southern Reggio families, which relied on the Stefano family, will undoubtedly be reorganized. This is your chance to completely distance yourself. If nothing unexpected happens, the Mafia won't trouble you again, and I don't want you to have any further dealings with them."

Sophia Feisty's assurances had always been somewhat unsettling, but hearing Simon say this himself finally put Gianni Versace at ease. He quickly nodded in agreement.

Born in a rural village outside Reggio Calabria and starting his business with nothing, Gianni Versace never imagined he would reach such heights. His early ties with the Mafia were a result of his desperate circumstances at the time. Over the years, he had dreamed of escaping this relationship.

Now that he could finally break free, Gianni Versace would be insane to willingly associate with the Mafia again.

Having settled his nerves, Gianni Versace brought up another matter. "Simon, Mrs. Feisty requested that my brother and sister leave the company. I don't think that's necessary. We've worked together very well over the years, and I've heard that the Bulgari brothers are still in charge of their company."

Simon shook his head firmly. "Gianni, you're not fully informed. Paolo and Nicola Bulgari only hold the titles of Chairman and Vice Chairman at Bulgari. You know what those positions really mean. We're currently searching for a new CEO for Bulgari. To be frank, Melisandre won't acquire or invest in a company unless we're confident it's on a development path that aligns with our interests or we can establish some level of control. The same goes for Versace."

Gianni Versace, who currently served as Versace's Creative Director, was the absolute controller of the company due to his role as founder and major shareholder. His brother Santo and sister Donatella were in charge of operations and finances, respectively. Even without his memories of the future, Sophia's collected information included clear signs of the deep-seated conflicts between the Versace siblings.

Now that he had acquired the company, Simon wasn't going to allow such a destabilizing factor to persist.

Simon's explanation was patient, but his tone was resolute.

Realizing there was no room for negotiation, Gianni Versace hesitated briefly before relenting. He had given his brother and sister some shares over the years, so even if they couldn't stay, they would live comfortably as long as the company continued to do well.

With the business discussion concluded, the conversation turned more casual.

Simon listened to Versace talk about his latest fashion design ideas. At one point, something came to mind, and he whispered to Sophia.

Sophia raised an eyebrow slightly but then got up and left.

A moment later, Grace Spooler arrived with her three protégés in tow.

Everyone present knew Simon was in the area, but with bodyguards blocking the outer perimeter, no one dared approach. Moreover, the booth's location concealed Gianni Versace's presence at the CK after-party from prying eyes.

Grace had thought Simon called her over for something important but was surprised to see Gianni Versace there. She quickly understood his intentions.

After greeting him, Grace introduced her three clients to the fashion icon.

For years, Versace's shows had been headlined by supermodels like Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, and Claudia Schiffer. The media often dubbed these supermodels as Versace's muses, a mutually beneficial marketing strategy.

In the fashion industry, muses do exist, but few truly inspire designers. Most are just marketing ploys.

The most typical example is Karl Lagerfeld.

The fashion genius's design talents were beyond question, but his long tenure at Chanel was also closely tied to his marketing acumen. During the supermodel era of the '90s, Cindy and Linda were Lagerfeld's muses. When the IT Girl trend took off, Cara Delevingne became his muse. Later, as influencers dominated the scene, even the Kardashian-Jenner sisters found themselves in the role. Chanel's enduring success can be attributed to its ability to stay on trend.

As for whether letting influencers who can't even walk a proper runway on Chanel's stage might hurt its prestige—who cares? 

Luxury brands that cling to elitism and disconnect from the masses rarely survive.

Having grown Versace into its current size in less than 20 years, Gianni Versace certainly understood these nuances. Since Simon had introduced the models, he didn't hesitate to lavish them with praise and even extended an invitation for them to participate in Versace's annual show in Milan next month.

A famous line from the fashion reality show *Project Runway* goes, "In fashion, one day you're in, the next day you're out."

It's no exaggeration.

Without Simon's intervention, the last few years would have remained dominated by the supermodels who rose in the '80s, like Cindy, Linda, Naomi, and Claudia. But with Simon's early introduction of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which brought mainstream attention to the previously niche fashion world, a new wave of models rapidly emerged. This new competition gradually edged out older models like Paulina Porizkova and Elle Macpherson, and even Cindy Crawford was seeking to transition.

Taking their place were rising stars like Helena Christensen, Tyra Banks, Nadja Auermann, Yasmeen Ghauri, and the three newcomers under Grace's management.

In the fashion world, there's no reasoning behind the scramble for resources. 

No matter how much of a goddess they appear on the outside, every supermodel has a fierce competitive streak. The meek get devoured.

Take the upcoming third Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, for example. If Simon hadn't personally stepped in, this year's model selection process would have been cutthroat. To avoid any shocking scandals, Simon had issued strict orders: anyone on the Victoria's Secret team, whether management or photographers, who stepped out of line during the selection process would be permanently blacklisted from the fashion industry.

Grace's three models helped keep the conversation lively for a while. Several CK executives also stopped by to greet Versace. By around 10 PM, Gianni Versace stood up to leave. After seeing him off, Simon decided it was time to go as well.

With Sophia no longer by his side, Grace took the opportunity to leave with Simon.

They walked together to the hotel parking garage and got into the car. As the car started, Grace turned to Simon with a teasing tone. "So, you've already lost interest in Chrissy and the others? They were quite excited just now. No wonder those girls say Simon Westeros is fickle." She added pointedly, "I'll keep an eye on them, but if you're no longer interested, I won't bother."

As she playfully complained, she felt Simon's hand reach out to grasp her slender neck, applying a gentle pressure. Already feeling weak, Grace obediently leaned forward.

The luxury car cruised aimlessly through the quiet streets of Manhattan for over twenty minutes. The driver, separated from the backseat by a partition, heard a soft female voice give him an address in Greenwich Village over the intercom. With no further instructions from his boss, the driver turned the car at the next intersection.

Seven or eight minutes later, the car stopped at a corner in Greenwich Village.

Grace opened the door, lingering to whisper a few more sweet nothings to Simon before getting out. Though she would have gladly spent the night with him, she didn't want her husband to suspect anything.

The car remained parked quietly on the corner.

It wasn't until Grace had walked up to an apartment building, waved briefly in the car's direction, and disappeared inside that Simon instructed the driver to continue.

Remembering Grace's parting words, he directed the driver to an address on East 92nd Street in the Upper East Side.

Many Manhattan neighborhoods are laid out in a grid, with some rare, valuable spaces in the center of rectangular blocks used for parking or as courtyards for certain luxury homes, providing a high degree of privacy. Upon arriving at the destination, the driver made contact, and a gate between two buildings on the street opened. The car turned in and drove into the block's interior.

Once the car stopped, the bodyguard got out first and rang a doorbell. The housekeeper, Angray Davis, cautiously confirmed their identities before opening the door.

As the young man stepped out of the car and walked over, a certain sparkle appeared in the housekeeper's eyes.

After Simon entered, the housekeeper ignored the bodyguards and driver outside, knowing they wouldn't come in. She quickly closed the door, then eagerly took Simon's coat without saying a word, following him quietly while making sure her appearance was presentable.

Simon casually glanced around and asked, "Where is everyone?"

The tall,

 elegant housekeeper replied softly, "Mrs. Geller is at a party and hasn't returned yet. The eldest is upstairs watching TV, and the youngest is already asleep."

As she spoke, noticing Simon heading toward the stairs, Angray quickly moved to lead the way. She relaxed a little, knowing that the other maids were downstairs and wouldn't have a chance to encounter the man tonight.

On the third floor, in a sitting room.

After a full day's work arranged by Grace due to the fashion season, Cathy Geller, a night owl by nature, wasn't feeling sleepy at all.

In the past, she would have gone to a party at this hour, but after her family's recent upheaval, she had severed all her old ties and didn't have the patience or skill to rebuild them like her mother. Moreover, she wasn't interested in the new models she had met recently, so she spent most of her time watching TV at home.

Having lived in a basement, slept on the streets, and almost ended up as a prostitute, Cathy Geller, once carefree, was now content with her current life.

Well, almost content.

The only thing that bothered her was losing the battle over a credit card to her mother. Her mother still controlled the household finances.

Cathy had even tried stealing the credit card but failed.

She occasionally thought about the man who had given them all this.

Word travels fast in the fashion industry.

Recently, rumors about an Italian Mafia family being wiped out overnight had made her view the man she had yet to meet with a mixture of awe and fear.

Of course, another question also crossed her mind.

Was it her, her sister, or her mother that had caught his eye?

Or perhaps...

Hearing footsteps, Cathy, who had been comfortably lounging on the sofa, was mildly annoyed. She had specifically told them not to disturb her.

Thinking it might be her mother returning, she didn't bother moving.

She didn't care that the TV was showing a sensitive scene from an R-rated movie.

Then she heard a man's voice. "This isn't something you should be watching."

Huh?

"Ah…"

Cathy jumped up, startled, and saw the man she had seen countless times in the media. Instantly, her defiance vanished, replaced by a sense of helplessness. "You... Mr. Westeros?"

Simon casually sat on the sofa, ignoring the scene still playing on the TV, and glanced at the girl standing nervously before him in a cropped T-shirt and tiny shorts. "I heard you had a fight with your mother in front of everyone when you first moved in?"

Cathy, who had been harboring some rebellious thoughts when she noticed him checking her out, immediately became anxious. She stammered, "It—it was Mom who started it."

Simon seemed indifferent. He ordered Angray to bring him some coffee and wake up the other daughter, then pointed to a corner of the room without a carpet. "Over there, kneel."

Cathy widened her eyes, unsure if she had understood correctly.

But after only five seconds of eye contact, she couldn't resist the natural authority emanating from the man. With a pout, she walked to the corner and obediently knelt down.

Laura Geller returned to the house at eleven.

She had wanted to stay out longer but, without anyone reminding her, she still didn't dare push her limits.

Back home, Laura immediately sensed something was off.

First, the housekeeper, who usually treated her with some respect, suddenly acted as if she had a new master, going through the motions of escorting her upstairs with a slightly commanding tone.

When she reached the sitting room on the third floor and saw her eldest daughter kneeling on the floor in the corner, Laura first felt a sense of satisfaction. She couldn't control this daughter, so it was good that someone else could. Then she noticed the man sitting on the sofa, holding her younger daughter.

Recognizing the young man's identity, Laura Geller, who had mentally prepared herself for this moment, immediately put on a flattering smile and was about to step forward when Simon pointed to a spot next to her daughter. "Since you're back, kneel there too."

Laura froze, trying to explain. "Simon, I—"

Simon cut her off. "An hour."

Laura had no idea what was happening. She thought she might have upset him by returning late from the party and tried to explain, "I was just—"

Simon interrupted again. "An hour and a half."

Laura was on the verge of tears, pointing at her daughter. "It's all Cathy's fault…"

Simon held up two fingers. "Two hours."

Not understanding why she was being punished on their first meeting, Laura immediately fell silent when Simon increased the time to two hours. She slowly walked over to her daughter, casting a pleading look at the man. Seeing no response, she reluctantly knelt down.

Watching all this, Angray Davis, the housekeeper, couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

The mother and daughter kneeling on the floor had been difficult to serve lately.

But the capricious young man sitting before them also filled her with a sense of cautious respect.

Just as Angray was about to quietly leave the room, she heard the girl curled up in Simon's lap say, "Simon, Cathy is cheating. She's secretly propping herself up with her hands."

Simon's tone was almost amused. "Oh, what should we do about that?"

The girl replied, "Cheating deserves punishment. I think adding an hour would be fair."

Cathy, whose knees were already aching, was infuriated by her sister's betrayal. Forgetting Simon's presence, she threatened, "Vicky, I'm going to strangle you!"

Startled, the younger girl shrank further into Simon's arms and added, "Simon, Cathy said she's going to strangle me. Why not add two more hours?"

Simon smiled and pinched the girl's sharp, petite face, which bore a strong resemblance to her sister's. "Two more hours it is."

Encouraged by his response, the girl turned to glare at her sister, who looked like she wanted to kill her with a look. After a moment's thought, she added, "Also, to prevent them—both Mom and Cathy—from cheating, we could balance a bowl of water on their heads. That way, they can't bend over."

Simon nodded again, praising her. "Great idea, Vicky. You're very smart."

He then turned to the housekeeper and instructed, "Bring two bowls of water."

Angray agreed and left the room, feeling a slight chill down her spine.

Since taking this job, she had considered Victoria Geller the most harmless and easiest of the three to serve. The girl was always well-behaved, quiet, and never competed with her strong-willed mother and sister.

But now, she was witnessing a stark contrast.

She had no idea how much resentment the girl had been harboring. Now that she had someone to back her up, she was taking full advantage of the situation to exact her revenge, showing no mercy at all. In fact, she was a bit cold-blooded.

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