"There's also an email from Ms. Pascal—Arnold Schwarzenegger met with Joe Roth last night and once again proposed a Terminator reboot. After being turned down, Arnold asked if Fox would consider selling the rights, hoping to connect with other studios to collaborate on the project."
Simon, who was skimming through a copy of The Washington Post, considered this for a moment. "Let them discuss it, but try to set a high price."
Though Schwarzenegger had declined Jumanji last year, Simon bore him no ill will.
Like with Mike Myers, having more A-list stars in Hollywood meant greater bargaining power and flexibility for Daniele Entertainment. Of course, this didn't apply to certain filmmakers with whom irreconcilable conflicts had occurred; Simon hardly thought of those who'd faded from Hollywood's spotlight and had no intention of lifting any bans.
Allison paused, then looked at her boss, who was still focused on the paper. "If Terminator reboots, it will surely be a major blockbuster, potentially competing with some of our projects."
Simon glanced at Allison and shook his head slightly. "Even if I stop this, other high-budget films will emerge. It's better to support a project we can predict. The box office for a Terminator reboot will likely be solid, but the production costs will be enormous. Make sure Amy knows this: if Arnold wants Cameron involved, don't interfere. Encourage it, even, so that the third movie's budget will likely hit $150 million. This will tie up a large amount of our competitors' resources."
It was unlikely that James Cameron would direct the Terminator series again, but even as a producer, Cameron's penchant for lavish budgets would drive up the production costs of Terminator 3.
Allison quickly grasped the strategic thinking, nodding as she noted it down and added, "Sir, Terminator has significant overall value, not just in movies but also in TV and gaming. Our gaming division released two successful Terminator-based games in recent years. So, instead of selling the rights outright, we could grant single-use production rights for just one film."
"Good idea."
They continued discussing various work matters until Arya, the assistant from India, reminded them it was time for breakfast. Simon stood from the sofa by the glass wall.
It was Saturday.
After breakfast, Simon stayed home rather than heading to work.
Yet he wasn't entirely at leisure.
Following breakfast, Simon spent some time with the children, then left the shell villa with Janet, heading to a different villa beside an artificial lake on the northwest side of Dume Cape Estate.
The artificial lake, roughly two hectares in an irregular oval shape, was recently completed.
The lake was primarily created as a habitat for his young son's two pet ducks.
In larger Los Angeles mansions, swimming pools are typical, but artificial lakes are rare—they're out of place in Western estate designs, plus the city's water scarcity makes lake maintenance much more complex than maintaining a pool.
For Dume Cape Estate's lake, experts from the University of California designed a mini-ecosystem to prevent it from stagnating, with six 24-hour filtration systems installed. The surrounding environment was carefully landscaped to harmonize with the estate.
The lakeside villa was a minimalist, two-story glass-and-steel structure, resembling an office building.
Indeed, it was for work.
On the terrace with views of the lake and the shell villa in the distance, they were soon brought a stack of documents.
These contained updates from the Westeros family's private intelligence team.
Since marrying Simon, Janet had been seen as a seemingly detached housewife, though she truly became one only after Seattle was born. In reality, Janet retained control over two of the Westeros family's most crucial areas.
One was finance.
Though Simon directed Cersei Capital based on his understanding of economic trends, Janet handled much of the detailed management, controlling the essential hedge fund team. This is why Apollo Management and BlackRock had prominent figures like Leon Black and Larry Fink, but Cersei Capital Management seemed devoid of noteworthy managers—Janet was the key manager.
Beyond finance, Janet managed the family's private intelligence team.
Simon hadn't relaxed his vigilance over the family's private intelligence network. This intelligence network now covered the globe, resolving countless potential threats. When dealing with trillions in assets, even one in a thousand threats add up to constant problems.
As this network evolved, it efficiently neutralized various threats over the past two years, preventing incidents like the attempted attack near family members a few years back.
To accomplish this, merely relying on operatives in gray areas wouldn't suffice. The Westeros family's intelligence team now included not just covert operatives but also its own security team, personal maid-servant bodyguards, security departments in family-owned companies, the family's private armed force, global criminal networks allied through the Ukrainian mafia, private investigation firms with no apparent ties to the family, and even certain staff within companies and governments worldwide.
Interconnected and complex.
As the Westeros empire expanded, Simon could no longer manage such a vast intelligence web alone, and entrusting it to outsiders was out of the question, so Janet took charge. Understanding its importance, Janet treated this more seriously than Cersei Capital, handling it skillfully, as if moving pieces on a chessboard.
On the lakeside villa terrace, Janet was no longer in her usual cheerful manner while she and Simon reviewed intelligence reports, sitting across from each other and discussing points as needed.
"I remember we helped Clinton handle certain loose ends in the Whitewater scandal before the 1992 election. How did it resurface now, at such a critical time?"
"You're right—we handled certain aspects, but the Republicans found someone we hadn't secured. All we can do now is distance ourselves," Janet said, glancing at Simon. "In fact, the cleanest approach would be for them to disappear entirely."
"We're definitely one family."
"Mm-hmm."
Simon shook his head, smiling. "Still, we should avoid such measures unless absolutely necessary. It's for our own sake, too; if we lower our limits, others will lower theirs when coming after us."
Janet nodded but added, "I didn't plan on it anyway. But take a look at this; I think some people may not be able to resist."
Simon took the file Janet handed him. First, he noticed a covertly taken photo, followed by notes. In the picture, a man and a woman were meeting secretly. The man was an aide to a Republican FBI officer, and the woman was the wife of White House counsel Vincent Foster.
Simon recognized Vincent Foster's name as the White House official who had "committed suicide" during the Whitewater investigation.
Unlike the Paula Jones case, which mainly concerned personal conduct, the Whitewater case, involving possible land fraud, could lead to impeachment if substantiated—far more serious than a scandal.
After skimming through it, Simon closed the file and said, "Let's sit this one out. I doubt either party would want to involve us."
Janet nodded. There was little chance of implicating them, as tracking the original arrangements back to the Westeros family would be challenging.
Moving on, Janet said, "Remember when the Clintons requested FBI files on various Republican congressmen?"
Simon was reading a report on Ukraine when he asked, "Is it happening again?"
"Yes," Janet replied. "We missed a chance last time, but this time we can make copies for ourselves."
"Be careful with it."
"Of course," Janet nodded. "How's it going in Ukraine?"
Simon gestured to the lawn. "Like this lawn—if you don't trim it regularly, it'll become overgrown. It's inevitable."
With distance, eventually, someone would overstep.
Janet didn't press for details. "I saw last week that Lazarenko was confirmed as the new prime minister, taking office at the end of the month. Ukraine's political scene is bound to become even more chaotic."
"A little disorder is preferable."
"I'm still most intrigued by that woman," Janet said, looking at Simon. "Didn't she express interest in you? With your possessive nature, I'm surprised you weren't tempted."
Simon knew Janet was referring to a certain Ukrainian "iron lady." He smiled. "I worry that if she shows interest in me, she'd do the same with another man soon after. You know I'm possessive—I can't handle that."
"Well, maybe if you accepted her interest, she'd only have eyes for you."
"Fine. I'll try next time."
"You rascal," Janet, using a rarely-heard pet name, swiftly shifted topics. "That Victor Merezis in Africa has proven capable. Not only did he secure vast land in Angola for us, but he's also negotiated a truce with Savimbi."
"I have high hopes for him. If he sticks to our plans, he could handle most of the African operations in a few years."
"What would count as sticking to the plans?"
"Well, his entire family was killed in the Angolan war, so he harbors a deep hatred. Even if he appears calm, such people can sometimes act irrationally."
Janet blinked, staring at Simon. "Then…what about you?"
Simon looked at her, puzzled. "What about me?"
"Do you…still harbor any resentment?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"I don't believe you," Janet continued, eyeing him closely. "You must still harbor some anger toward your aunt."
"No, I don't."
"Even if you did, it wouldn't be surprising. But some things really, truly aren't worth it."
After glancing at her, Simon asserted, "No, really, I don't."
"I don't believe you."
"…"
"You could…"
Simon, setting down his file, cut
her off. "Regarding that time, have you ever talked to Ray or her about it?"
Janet shook her head.
Despite her curiosity, she knew such matters weren't worth probing, and even if they did, she might not get any answers.
"So, there are things you don't know," Simon said, hesitating briefly. "At first, there was resentment, but…well, the one I resented is dead."
Janet blinked rapidly, then, almost involuntarily, asked, "…Your father?"
Simon sighed, recalling a conversation he had with Raymond Johnston in the shell villa years ago, then shrugged it off. But noticing Janet's curious gaze, he shifted to an exaggerated stern look. "Better not ask things you shouldn't. Want to experience domestic discipline?"
Janet's face brightened with excitement. "Yes!"
"No, work first."
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