Apart from the near miss with the coffee that almost spilled on Chrissy Gough, everything went smoothly at this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
At 8:30 PM, the show officially concluded.
Most of the audience left the venue after the show, while a select few who had invitations to the after-party headed to the nearby Gramercy Hotel.
Rumor had it that Simon Westeros might make an appearance.
Earlier that afternoon, the news of Simon's meeting with the President at the White House had already spread across various media platforms. The official reason given was to discuss matters related to new technology industries, but the photo released of Westeros with several Washington bigwigs hinted at deeper implications for those attuned to current events.
The invitations to the after-party, apart from those reserved for the Victoria's Secret team, were ten times the price of the show tickets. Moreover, they weren't just available for purchase; one had to apply for them in advance. As a result, those who managed to secure an invitation were far from ordinary.
If someone could meet Simon Westeros at the after-party, they might be lucky enough to glean some insider information.
Simon arrived at the Gramercy Hotel around 9:30 PM.
After greeting Leslie Wexner and his wife, who had also come to join the festivities, Victoria's Secret CEO Grace Nichols informed Simon about the coffee incident before the show.
Simon wasn't particularly angry; it was nothing more than a minor catfight. Glancing at the bustling party hall, he told Grace, "Tell them to come forward and confess before the party ends. If they're caught afterward, they can forget about working in the fashion industry ever again."
Grace Nichols nodded, acknowledged Leslie Wexner with a nod, and then turned to head into the crowd.
Leslie Wexner watched Grace Nichols leave with a smile, observing as two well-known models with enviable waists and legs approached Simon, one on each side, and wrapped their arms around him. Despite his outward composure, Wexner felt a twinge of bitterness. This kind of power and glory should have belonged to him. Unfortunately, although the Wexner family still held some shares in LTD Group, he was now only responsible for the fast-fashion brand Express, while Victoria's Secret had completely fallen into Simon Westeros' hands.
Especially the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, with its broadcasting rights shared by Daenerys Entertainment, where he had no say at all.
The only consolation was that the restructured LTD Group's two major sub-brands, Victoria's Secret and Express, were developing rapidly. Even though he had sold off most of his shares, the appreciation of the funds he invested with Cersei Capital had caused Leslie Wexner's net worth to rise sharply in recent years.
However, compared to Simon Westeros' $300 billion fortune, it was still incomparable.
The young man before him had already made any thought of catching up seem futile.
With these thoughts, Leslie Wexner gathered his thoughts and said, "Simon, Donald and Jeffrey are also here. Shall we find a place to chat?"
Simon smiled and nodded, already seeing the real estate mogul with the distinctive hair and the notorious financier approaching with their respective companions. If he could have avoided it, Simon wouldn't have given these two men invitations to the Victoria's Secret after-party. However, since he had decided to lay the groundwork earlier, he couldn't afford to be too distant. Besides, Jeffrey Epstein was Leslie Wexner's personal investment advisor.
Simon had gradually taken complete control of the Victoria's Secret brand, specifically to keep people like them from getting involved.
He didn't deny it; the Victoria's Secret empire was his private territory.
As the men drew near, they exchanged warm greetings. Beside Jeffrey Epstein was the fallen British aristocrat Ghislaine Maxwell, while the real estate mogul was not accompanied by his second wife, Marla Maples. The two had already divorced, amid rumors that the former Miss Hawaii, who had supplanted the first wife, had been caught in bed with the mogul's chauffeur—a scandal that ended their marriage in a rather messy breakup.
Simon had nearly sent Laura Galarneau over to fill the gap this afternoon.
Eyeing the tall, stunning young model beside the real estate mogul, Simon smiled at her eager gaze and shook her hand, suddenly remembering another young model named Melania.
Perhaps she was worth looking into.
A nice addition to the collection.
After exchanging pleasantries, Simon and the others made their way through the party crowd to a corner of the hall where they sat down. Once the waiter had delivered their drinks and left, Leslie Wexner asked, "Simon, I heard you were at the White House this afternoon?"
"Yes, I had a chat with Bill and the others."
Jeffrey Epstein probed, "It seems like tech stocks are in for another big surge?"
Simon didn't deny it and even suggested, "If you have some extra cash, now would be a good time to invest. But remember to pull out at the peak, or you might lose a lot."
The real estate mogul asked, "Simon, how high do you think Nasdaq can go?"
Simon shook his head honestly, "I can't be sure. There are too many variables."
It was the truth.
From 300 points in 1990 to the recent 1,700 points, the Nasdaq had risen more than fivefold in just four years. That's why many people had been bearish on the tech stock market since the beginning of the year, believing the bubble was about to burst. They'd even invested heavily in short positions, allowing Cersei Capital to rake in enormous profits.
Only Simon, knowing what would come later, understood that the Nasdaq's past frenzy exceeded all imagination.
However, this wasn't the past.
It was a completely different timeline.
Simon's plan for Cersei Capital was to withdraw entirely after the Nasdaq broke through 3,000 points, ceasing all hedging operations. However, he couldn't predict how high it would ultimately climb this time or whether it would crash early.
There were too many variables.
Whether it was the market itself, government policy shifts, or the influence of the Westeros System as a massive butterfly, countless factors could affect the Nasdaq's trajectory.
With several decorative "vases" nearby discreetly listening in, the conversation couldn't delve too deeply. Of course, Simon wasn't giving out free advice; those with the wits to understand should know that now was still a great time to buy tech stocks. As for when to sell and when to step back, that was up to their own abilities.
After discussing some follow-up plans for their real estate companies and the possibility of Express launching on Amazon with the real estate mogul and Wexner, Simon, accompanied by Yasmin and Nadja, got up and said, "Feel free to enjoy yourselves. I'm going to greet a few more people."
Tonight, there were quite a few guests Simon needed to personally entertain, not just Wexner and his group. Having spent some time with them right after arriving, he had already given them enough attention.
Leslie Wexner and the others stood as well, watching Simon leave with the two stunning models before they sat back down.
The real estate mogul glanced longingly at the departing women, suddenly feeling disdain for the young model beside him, who wasn't bad by any means but lacked that aura of being the center of attention.
However, the real estate mogul knew his limits. He could only enjoy the company of these less prestigious models. As for the accomplished Victoria's Secret Angels at the party, getting close to them wasn't easy. Having teetered on the edge of bankruptcy for several years, even losing control of his own company to Simon Westeros, his resources were thin. Spending a bit of money on a lesser-known model was doable, but a Victoria's Secret Angel would cost at least a million dollars—money he couldn't afford to waste.
Jeffrey Epstein watched Simon Westeros, who had just entered the crowd and was immediately surrounded by a group of models, with envy.
This level of wealth and power was unmatched anywhere in the world.
Maybe.
Not entirely.
Simon Westeros' son would surely inherit all of this one day.
But unfortunately, the skill of being born into the right family was something they could only hope for in another life. Even if they were willing to be Westeros' sons, he wouldn't want them.
Surrounded by a group of models, Simon laughed and joked for a while before being dragged onto the dance floor.
As a result, all the men in the party hall could only watch the scene with envy.
Except for a few Angels who had male companions, the rest had all gathered in the corner of the hall that had been cordoned off as a dance floor. As for the men, only Simon Westeros was there. It wasn't that the other male guests didn't want to join; they simply knew they couldn't handle the consequences. Recklessly intruding would only bring bad luck.
After a ten-minute high-energy song, the enchanting models on the dance floor had turned into wild, frenzied dancers. When the song ended and Simon left the dance floor, most of his shirt buttons were gone, and even his belt had disappeared, stolen by one of the models. His face was covered in lipstick of various shades, making him look like a man who had indulged too much.
Retreating to another corner of the hall to rest, Simon had barely sat down before another group of models flocked to him.
Feigning exhaustion, Simon raised his hand, "Alright, I surrender. And who stole my belt? Return it, please. It's Gucci, very expensive."
Eva Herzigova, ignoring the disgruntled expressions of the other models, had managed to secure the spot next to Simon. She
wrapped one arm around his and pointed to her waist with the other. "Simon, it's right here. Can I keep it?"
Simon glanced at her.
The Czech model was wearing a light blue slip dress, with his black belt cinched around her waist, creating a surprisingly stylish look.
Women really did have an innate talent for fashion.
Simon was wearing casual trousers, so he didn't really need the belt. He pinched the girl's chin and said, "Alright, it's yours."
The other models immediately voiced their discontent, "Simon, we want gifts too."
"I'm afraid I'm all out."
Seeing the eager looks from the models or perhaps model-wolves, Simon quickly crossed his arms over his chest, pretending to be afraid. "Don't try anything funny."
The models seemed to take this as a command, and they all screamed and pounced on him at once.
After some playful scuffling, Simon finally managed to shoo away the eager models. Yasmin and Nadja, with jealous expressions, began wiping the lipstick off his face and neck, just as A-Girl quietly appeared, holding a brand-new shirt.
After freshening up, Simon was about to get up to continue mingling when Linda Evangelista hesitantly approached.
Simon stood up and, noting the look on her face, asked, "Were you the one who tried to spill coffee on Chrissy?"
"Simon, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."
Linda Evangelista couldn't meet Simon's gaze, her body trembling slightly as she spoke, tears beginning to well up.
It was a mix of fear, but more than that, of bitterness and frustration.
Having missed out on securing a Victoria's Secret Angel contract a few years ago, Linda had been filled with regret. If she had, with her status at the time, she could have easily been the second model to walk after Stephanie Seymour at tonight's show.
But now, she was just another contract Angel.
Her popularity had been steadily eroded by the new up-and-comers, and her career was clearly on the decline.
Unable to secure the top or even the second opening spot, Linda had tried to position herself as the second model to walk after Seymour, only to have the opportunity handed to an 18-year-old rookie by Westeros.
Linda was now 29, and after years of hard work to reach her current position, she watched as an 18-year-old effortlessly rose to the top and took her place. How could she not feel resentful?
Eventually, she couldn't resist and made a small, impulsive mistake.
When she heard Westeros had sent word that those who didn't come forward voluntarily would be permanently banned from the fashion industry if caught, Linda nearly fainted. The deeper one was in the industry, the more one understood that Simon Westeros could easily make good on such a threat.
How could she not be afraid?
Hesitating until now, Linda finally decided to come forward and confess.
Since returning from Washington, Simon had been in a good mood, with certain concerns in his mind now largely settled. If not, he wouldn't have let Laura off the hook earlier, and he hadn't intended to pursue the minor incidents at the party. Seeing Linda starting to cry, he sighed, "Alright, stop crying. I'll let it go this time, but I don't want to see it happen again. Understand?"
Linda Evangelista immediately stopped crying, making sure she hadn't misheard. She nodded eagerly, "Yes, Simon. I promise."
Simon didn't pay her any more attention, ready to turn and leave with the two models beside him, when Stephanie Seymour, accompanied by her fiancé Peter Brant, approached.
Seeing this, Linda Evangelista, who had hoped to get closer to Westeros, realized his attention was no longer on her and walked away dejectedly after noticing Stephanie Seymour's subtle warning glance.
As Linda left, Stephanie Seymour introduced her husband.
Peter Brant, who was involved in publishing and the art business, was half a media man and had once represented Andy Warhol's artwork. They chatted with interest for a while, and as they were about to part ways, Brant invited Simon to an upcoming pop art exhibition. Simon declined.
He had no interest in Western art. Simon didn't deny that there were many true artists in the West, but they were a minority. Most were commercialized artists who had been hyped up, with little real value.
Janet often bought art pieces for decoration, but Simon rarely got involved. When she asked his opinion, Simon's standard response was that any artwork less than a hundred years old wasn't worth buying, especially if the artist was still alive. Janet agreed with this and even set her standards higher.
Just as Simon finished chatting with Brant and Seymour, another two couples approached.
Simon recognized one of the pairs.
Former Olympic champion Bruce Jenner and Kris Jenner. The *Real Housewives of New York* series was still popular, and Kris Jenner, being a savvy businesswoman, had made the Jenner family into New York City's elite.
Interestingly, Kris Jenner used to promote herself under the Kardashian name, mainly because of the Simpson trial in the original timeline, where her ex-husband, Robert Kardashian, gained unexpected fame as a defense lawyer. However, this time, that infamous wife-murder case didn't happen, but *The Real Housewives* series had made Kris Jenner famous instead.
After exchanging greetings, Kris Jenner introduced Simon to the other couple, Richard and Kathy Hilton.
The name "Hilton" alone said it all about their status.
And Simon happened to know more.
This couple had a very famous daughter named Paris Hilton.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]