Boston.
In the wealthy Westwood neighborhood, at the estate of Uliana Melyetskova.
It was January 27, the beginning of a new week.
In the softly lit bedroom of the early morning, Uliana lay on her side, watching as her two attendants, Katya and Irina, who had accompanied her from Ukraine, helped the man dress. Both wore light, sheer robes. Uliana spoke softly: "If you don't like Anna and Nick, I could send them back to Ukraine?"
"Would it be fine for you to stay here alone in Boston?" Simon asked as he glanced back at her.
"I…" Uliana hesitated, then softened her tone. "I can manage."
In truth, she disliked having her half-siblings around even more than Simon might. She had nearly blurted this out but caught herself just in time.
Simon cast a quick look at the woman on the bed, whose figure and charm had grown even more captivating despite being five months pregnant. As the two attendants brought over his shoes, Simon sat on the edge of the bed, reached out toward Uliana, and said in an even tone, "Let them stay. It'll be good for you to have some company."
Uliana shifted her position slightly so Simon could reach her more comfortably and nodded. "I'll do as you say."
Although she was in the mood for more attention, Simon, after slipping on his shoes, simply advised her to rest longer before leaving the room.
After he had gone, Uliana instructed her attendants: "Prepare some warm water for me. I want to take a bath."
The blonde, blue-eyed Katya Saponova, a quintessential Slavic beauty, asked softly, "Madam, wouldn't you like to sleep a little longer?"
"Once Simon has left, I can sleep all day," Uliana replied, raising her hand slightly. Irina Datchinskaya, acting as her maidservant, immediately stepped forward and carefully helped her up.
Since her pregnancy had become more evident, Uliana insisted that her two attendants from Ukraine share her master bedroom, sleeping on small beds nearby so they could assist her at night when needed. Last night, when Simon stayed over, Uliana hadn't shooed them away; instead, she had even gone so far as to invite the two strikingly beautiful young women onto the bed to please Simon.
It seemed to have worked.
However, to avoid any ideas her attendants might develop, Uliana made sure to banish them to the corner beds after their "duties" were done. This morning, she didn't hesitate to assign them tasks with a commanding air. As a woman with aristocratic roots, she knew that these seemingly minor displays of authority were incredibly effective. People unconsciously adapt to their designated roles over time.
Simon typically paid little attention to such small games played by the women around him. After his usual morning workout, he sat down in the dining room, where Lady A promptly brought him a fresh stack of documents.
After months of quiet preparation, the anti-tech forces led by Tiger Fund and the Mellon family were finally making their move today.
The first salvo was an article that Simon's team had intercepted late last year: "A Grand Conspiracy: The Internet Industry's Ponzi Scheme!" Over the months, the article had been expanded and refined, its logic tightened and its data bolstered. On the surface, it was a well-reasoned argument that seemed quite convincing.
Had Simon not prepared in advance, this article might have indeed caused significant turbulence in the tech market.
"Based on the latest feedback, 17 regional newspapers on the East and West coasts are publishing the article today," Lady A explained. "However, major papers like The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Los Angeles Times have declined to participate. The outlets publishing the piece are smaller publications, such as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which is controlled by Richard Mellon Scaife. Additionally, some news websites and notable bloggers are also sharing the article, though none of the major online portals are involved."
As Simon glanced over the list of newspapers set to publish the article, Lady A pointed to two names circled in red. "These two are part of the Hearst family's media holdings. While Scaife tried to convince the Hearsts to publish the article in The San Francisco Chronicle, they refused and only allowed it to appear in these smaller regional outlets."
Simon nodded slightly and continued flipping through the materials. "And our response?"
"It's further down. Egret has already pinned a rebuttal on its homepage, titled 'The Cart Driver Who Tried to Stop the Railroad.' The piece takes a broad swipe at conservative forces attempting to stifle the tech industry. Additionally, we've prepared more targeted counterarguments to dismantle the so-called Ponzi scheme claims in Scaife's article."
Simon listened while reviewing the prepared press releases, then asked, "Why not expose Scaife's involvement directly? That would be more effective."
Lady A hesitated, then answered, "Because if we do, it could push him to cut his losses and close out his positions."
"How much has Scaife lost so far?" Simon asked.
"Over $150 million," Lady A replied. "In addition to Scaife's $300 million stake, other branches of the Mellon family have wagered at least another $300 million on short positions. While this won't shake the Mellon family's foundation, it will weaken their control over companies like Alcoa. As for Scaife himself, he's the hardest hit. Given that he instigated this battle, it's likely he'll be marginalized within the family."
"Exactly," Simon said. "He's only lost half his money so far. If we expose his role now, he might decide to close out his positions. I don't want to give him that escape."
Lady A nodded in understanding, recognizing the strategy.
Simon continued, "Prepare a blacklist of all the newspapers publishing that article. For any outlets we can influence, pull all of our advertising."
Lady A quickly noted this in her planner.
"Also, this article is just the opening shot. We can't afford to stay reactive. Mobilize the Westeros PR team under Kinsley and coordinate with Egret and the other companies. Use this as an opportunity to push the Nasdaq even higher."
As Simon and Lady A were discussing their strategy, the sound of footsteps approached.
Looking up, Simon saw Uliana's two half-siblings, Anna and Nicholas Melyetskov, cautiously peeking into the dining room. When they noticed Simon's gaze, they hesitated but continued toward the table. Anna, the elder of the two, greeted him first: "Good morning, Mr. Westeros."
Nicholas, who had been curiously eyeing the documents in Simon's hands, quickly followed suit: "Good morning."
Simon, not one to fuss over such interruptions, merely frowned slightly and waved them off. "Go eat in the other dining room. I'm busy here."
Sensitive to his shift in tone, the siblings immediately complied. Anna made an apologetic face, tugged her brother's sleeve, and led him out of the room.
After they left, Simon finished reviewing the documents. He knew this was just the beginning, and the real battle would unfold in the days to come. Setting the papers aside, he shifted the conversation. "What about Sundance?"
The 13th Sundance Film Festival had concluded the day before, after an 11-day run.
"The Grand Jury Prize went to a film called Sunday, directed by Jonathan Nossiter. As for us, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels won an Audience Award."
The results were expected, so Simon wasn't surprised or dissatisfied. He simply said, "Pass on the concept note I wrote this weekend for Paranormal Activity to Justin Lin. Let him start preparing. And send a copy to C as well. Maybe she can sponsor a batch of her latest digital cameras for the project."
During Sundance, Simon had come up with the idea of launching a found-footage horror film. After some deliberation, he chose Paranormal Activity from his memories.
The earlier The Blair Witch Project, which had pioneered the genre, was shelved for now.
While The Blair Witch Project succeeded due to its viral internet marketing, much of its success hinged on the illusion it created—a misleading narrative that made audiences believe the witch story was real. While such tactics might work for small-time distributors, Danijelis Entertainment couldn't afford to risk class-action lawsuits over deceptive marketing.
By contrast, Paranormal Activity represented a more legitimate innovation in the genre.
Simon's choice was also informed by the commercial performance of the two series. While The Blair Witch Project grossed $250 million globally, its sequel, made with a $15 million budget, flopped. In contrast, Paranormal Activity went on to spawn a highly profitable franchise, with several sequels costing under $10 million each, making it a golden goose for Paramount.
For Simon, that was the kind of franchise worth investing in.
That said, the Blair Witch concept wasn't entirely discarded. Once Paranormal Activity had established the found-footage genre, a more polished and properly marketed version of Blair Witch could still attract a large audience.
Simon intended to use Paranormal Activity as an experiment, assigning it to Justin Lin, a director known for his versatility. Though primarily recognized for The Fast and the Furious series, Lin had the ability to handle a wide range of genres.
As for the project's budget, Simon wasn't limiting it to the $15,000 used for the original Paranormal Activity. To prepare a polished version suitable for theatrical release, Simon allocated $300,000
, most of which would go toward converting the low-resolution digital footage into 35mm film for cinemas. The real costs would come in distribution; if the film performed well, marketing expenses could easily climb into the millions.
But for Simon, the returns would be worth it.
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