As they chatted, Simon quickly picked up on the real reason the Hilton couple attended the party that night.
Kathy Hilton was interested in joining *The Real Housewives of New York*.
Approaching Simon directly was undoubtedly the most straightforward way to get involved in this hit reality show on USA Network, a subsidiary of Daenerys Entertainment.
Speaking of the Hilton family, due to the enormous fame of the Hilton Hotels, people often instinctively placed them in the same league as famous old-money families like the Hearsts or the Newhouses.
While they might still be considered old money, the reality was far different in terms of wealth.
Before their conflict with the Westeros System, the core members of the Hearst family were immensely wealthy, even though their wealth was divided among many descendants. Meanwhile, Barron Hilton, the second-generation leader of the Hilton family and the only one still holding significant Hilton Hotel shares, had a personal net worth of around $200 million—insufficient even to make the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans.
Barron Hilton also had many children—eight in total. However, being a business-minded hotel magnate who didn't indulge his children, he made them work for their success. As Barron Hilton's sixth son, Richard Hilton could only rely on a stipend from the family trust and the prestige of his last name. If he wanted to enjoy a high-society lifestyle, he had to earn it himself.
In history, Kris Jenner was often called the "Godmother" of the Kardashian family. In reality, many of her tactics were modeled after Kathy Hilton, who was the first to use scandal, including the release of a certain videotape, to generate publicity.
Paris Hilton's tape scandal, however, was accidental.
Nevertheless, Kathy Hilton capitalized on the opportunity to transform her daughter into a phenomenon—the "It Girl" of her time. Paris Hilton leveraged this fame to create fashion brands, publish books, and participate in television shows, amassing a fortune worth billions from scratch.
Even after the Kardashians became successful, people would joke that Paris Hilton had been overshadowed by her former protégé. But the truth was that Paris Hilton continued to thrive through her various brands, with a net worth still higher than most members of the Kardashian family. Even without inheriting her grandfather's multibillion-dollar fortune, she could easily maintain her luxurious lifestyle.
All this was largely thanks to Kathy Hilton.
As for Kathy Hilton herself, originally surnamed Richards, she and her two sisters, Kim and Kyle Richards, were child stars before becoming Manhattan socialites. All three sisters successfully married into wealthy families, at least for a time, showing their shrewdness.
After marrying Richard Hilton, Kathy didn't settle into the role of a housewife. Instead, she used the Hilton name to open her own design firm, primarily focusing on interior design.
Now, the ongoing success of *The Real Housewives of New York* had clearly piqued her interest.
The women who participated in *The Real Housewives of New York* over the past few years had seen both fame and fortune. Manhattan media had even reported that the most popular couple on the show, the Jenners, were earning up to $300,000 just for attending promotional events, with additional income from brand endorsements, books, and business ventures. Their annual income easily surpassed millions.
This kind of fame and financial gain had many Manhattan housewives, who previously held themselves above such shows, eager to join. *The Real Housewives of New York* couldn't just replace cast members at will, leading to the creation of other similar reality shows, though none matched its popularity.
Having aired since 1991, *The Real Housewives of New York* was now in its fourth season and indeed needed some fresh blood.
And the Hilton name was undeniably a huge draw.
Noticing the couple's intentions, Simon took the initiative. "Kathy, are you interested in joining a reality TV show?"
Kathy Hilton's eyes lit up at his words, while the Jenner couple exchanged a quick glance. They had already sensed the Hiltons' intentions from the earlier conversation, and Kris Jenner now understood why Kathy Hilton had suddenly appeared in her social circle recently.
In the current lineup of *The Real Housewives of New York*, Kris Jenner was undoubtedly the most successful housewife.
However, if Kathy Hilton were to join the show, it could spell trouble. The Hilton name was so powerful, with a natural ability to draw viewers' attention. Even though the show had a stable audience by its fourth season, people always craved something new. It was hard to say whether Kris's prominence would be overshadowed by Kathy Hilton.
If possible, Kris Jenner would do anything to keep Kathy Hilton out of *The Real Housewives of New York*.
But with Simon Westeros personally inviting her, that would be difficult.
Recalling her few brief encounters with Simon, Kris knew him to be a man who was strong-willed to his core.
Kathy Hilton, of course, knew how rare this opportunity was. After only a brief moment of hesitation, she quickly replied, "Simon, are you talking about *The Real Housewives of New York*?"
Simon nodded. "Yes."
"Of course, I'd love to give it a try, but I'm not sure I'd be any good."
"You've been an actress before; this is much easier," Simon said, making the decision on the spot. "Here's what we'll do. In the spring, you can guest star in a few episodes, and then we'll decide whether you want to join the cast full-time for the fifth season."
The TV winter hiatus was just around the corner.
The first half of *The Real Housewives of New York*'s fourth season had recently finished airing, with the second half set to start in February.
Unlike the early days, when entire seasons were produced in one go, most of Daenerys Entertainment's reality shows now followed a more traditional approach, producing episodes as they aired. This allowed for adjustments based on audience feedback and shortened the capital turnaround time.
Adding a new guest character temporarily was a simple task.
With Simon's offer on the table, Kathy Hilton didn't hesitate to accept.
Simon then called over his shadow, instructing A-Girl to inform Robert Iger of the decision. After a few more words with the Hiltons, Simon moved on to other guests.
As the young tycoon left, the previously cordial atmosphere between the Hilton and Jenner couples cooled noticeably. Although they continued to exchange polite smiles, the warmth from earlier was gone.
By around 10 PM, Simon left the party with Yasmin and Nadja, returning to his Fifth Avenue apartment.
When he left the Gramercy Hotel the previous night, the temperature had already dropped significantly, with a cold wind picking up.
When he woke up, the world outside was blanketed in white.
New York City had experienced its first snow of the year overnight, and it had come with a vengeance. The snow showed no sign of stopping during the day, and all of Manhattan was buried under it.
Simon had originally planned to return to Los Angeles in the morning.
Seeing the weather, he had to change his plans.
The two Jennys had flown to Australia after the children's birthdays a few days ago, with the old man missing his grandchildren.
Simon himself would love to spend some time in Australia.
Unfortunately, the current situation didn't allow for that.
Even though yesterday's meeting at the White House had settled some concerns, Simon still wasn't ready to leave the United States anytime soon, just in case. Despite modern communication methods bridging geographic gaps, Simon's physical presence in the U.S. still made a difference.
After breakfast, Yasmin and Nadja headed to work.
There were still many things to do in the days following last night's big show.
Simon stayed in his Fifth Avenue apartment, working from home.
The most pressing matter was the recent media trends.
Thanks to the efforts of the Westeros System's media relations team, the news dominating North America today was, of course, last night's third annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. To keep the buzz going, they even stirred up some controversies, provoking conservative critics to attack the show, creating a back-and-forth.
The news of Simon's meeting with the President and Congressional leaders the previous afternoon also made it into many major newspapers.
The media's narrative was consistent: the meeting was to discuss matters related to new technological industries.
It was as if the midterm elections had quickly faded into the past.
Egret Portals also took this opportunity to drop a bombshell: its upcoming IPO.
There were also hints that the Westeros System was close to reaching a settlement with the Justice Department on the antitrust investigation.
With this string of good news, the Nasdaq tech sector surged at the opening bell, breaking through the 1,800-point mark.
Simon's net worth had increased by several billion dollars in just a few hours.
After a busy morning, Simon spent the afternoon in a two-hour video conference with several top executives from Egret. Around 4 PM, he left Manhattan for Greenwich, intending to discuss a few things with Joseph Schloop before dinner.
The snow was still falling heavily, making helicopter travel impossible, so he had to drive.
During the ride, he called Australia.
With a 15-hour time difference, it was already the morning of November 14th in Australia. Unlike New York, where snow was falling, it was summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
On the phone, Janet was out playing with the kids on their Tasmanian estate. She even let Simon listen to the old man teaching Melbourne how to ride a horse, which made Simon a bit worried. A 76-year-old man and a toddler who wasn't even three yet, riding horses—why couldn't they just play golf in a cart?
Concerned, he quickly warned them that riding was fine as long as they were careful, but under no circumstances were they to go hunting.
Janet just
laughed over the phone, teasing him with her thanks for the reminder.
The snowy roads made for slow driving, so the trip from Manhattan to Greenwich took over an hour, during which Simon stayed on the phone. Everyone had a chance to chat, even little Nick, who was fascinated by the snow in New York, though Janet wasn't too excited about it.
She hated the cold.
Finally, she mentioned they planned to return to North America two days before Thanksgiving, joking that Simon could enjoy his time without worrying about her keeping tabs on him.
Both the old man and Jennifer also asked about the midterm elections.
Simon knew Janet was only joking, but as the matriarch of the Westeros family, she did her share of behind-the-scenes work.
When Simon arrived at the Greenwich estate on the northern outskirts, it was already 5:15 PM.
In the Northern Hemisphere, this time of year meant it was already evening, but the heavy snow made the world outside still bright white.
Sofia, who had arrived in North America the day before to spend the weekend with the kids, had already prepared the estate for Simon's arrival and was getting dinner ready.
Joseph Schloop arrived around the same time.
Simon and Schloop talked in the study for over an hour. By the time they finished and Schloop had left, dinner was ready. The Fassett family, who had moved next door after the incident earlier in the year, joined them for dinner, creating a slightly awkward but mostly warm atmosphere. At the table, Simon asked Gemma about her studies, which made the girl pout, joking that she was lucky Simon was just her stepfather. This made Sofia blush and playfully tap her daughter on the forehead with a spoon.
After dinner, Sofia's parents took the kids back to their place, leaving Sofia behind.
Like a homemaker, she tidied up the house herself before joining Simon in a cozy living room with a fireplace. She turned off the main lights, leaving only a soft yellow lamp and the glow from the fire, snuggling up with Simon on the couch in the warm, intimate atmosphere.
Simon put down the book he had been reading, wrapped his arm around Sofia's waist, and listened as she talked about the progress in integrating Versace, Bulgari, and Vacheron Constantin, as well as the recent activities of the Honor Society.
Simon didn't shy away from sharing his thoughts on the midterm elections and his cautious outlook.
Before they knew it, it was already late at night.
Simon gently stroked Sofia's belly and asked, "Still no signs?"
Caught up in the moment a while back, Sofia had expressed her desire to have another child—a child with Simon. She had even discussed it with Janet, who had tacitly agreed. However, despite their many attempts over the past few months, she still hadn't conceived.
Stopping Simon's wandering hand, Sofia said, "It might be my age, but I'm okay with it. I already have Danny and Gemma, so I shouldn't be too greedy."
Simon kissed her on the lips and smiled. "Why don't we try again? Tonight seems perfect. By the way, if it works, I already have a name picked out."
After returning Simon's kiss, Sofia rested her cheek against his and asked softly, "What's the name?"
"Greenwich."
"That's strange. And what if it's a girl?"
"Cecilia is a girl's name, isn't it?"
"Seattle as a girl's name sounds nice, but Greenwich definitely sounds like a boy's name."
"So what would you call it?"
Sofia thought for a moment before replying, "It's snowing now. If it's a girl, we could call her Snow. How about Snow Westeros?"
Simon smiled, "I like it."
Sofia shifted slightly, accidentally bumping into a book on the couch. She picked it up, noticing that it was the book Simon had been reading after dinner. Curiosity piqued, she asked, "What's this?"
"The Book of Lord Shang."
"What's it about?"
"It's not something I can tell you."
"Why not?"
"It's a book for emperors. Well, for rulers in ancient times."
"That sounds fitting for you, but what's the harm in me reading it? I'm just a woman."
"Women learning such things can be even more dangerous," Simon laughed. "Reading this book, I've realized just how naive many of my past ideas were. I plan to make some changes."
A few days ago, Simon had a whim and asked A-Girl to find this book for him.
It only had 26 chapters.
Simon had already gone through it several times.
As for his thoughts.
Simon found the book conveyed a rather cold-blooded philosophy of governance: *A sage ruler is not benevolent, treating the people as mere tools.*
Simon had been refining his strategies for building the Westeros System over the years.
In the very beginning, Simon had entertained the idea of creating a very "harmonious" group, where everyone received the best treatment, believing that this would foster loyalty and cohesion.
Now, he saw just how naive that was.
Especially after reading this book.
Being a ruler who only knew how to bestow favors was incredibly foolish.
However, Simon wasn't the type to blindly follow any one book.
The Qin state used the teachings of Shang Yang to become the most powerful nation in the world, only to collapse after the unification of China under the First Emperor. This was largely due to the harshness of their policies.
*Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish.*
This book had given Simon much food for thought. However, ensuring that the Westeros System remained strong for as long as possible would likely require Simon's continuous efforts for the rest of his life.
Sofia's curiosity had only been momentary.
Since Simon said the book wasn't suitable for her, she dropped the idea of investigating further and didn't even consider sneaking a look later.
She had entertained such notions in the past.
But after all these years of being by his side, Sofia had come to realize that sometimes, *not competing* was the best way to win.
Her life was already very good. Simon didn't like greedy women, and he had already given those around him so much. Being greedy now would be foolish.
It would only lead to losing more.
Not pressing further, Sofia casually set the book aside and leaned closer to Simon.
_________________________
[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]