In Manhattan, on 66th Street in the Upper West Side, stood the former headquarters of the ABC Group, now the center for Daenerys Entertainment's television division.
The date was Friday, January 26th.
Inside a conference room in the building, a production meeting for the relaunch of American Idol on February 6th had just concluded. As the others left one by one, Simon remained seated at the large table, quietly discussing some final details with Robert Iger. After a while, they stood up, and Cher, who had been lingering, smiled as she approached. "Simon, do you have time for lunch? I've reserved a table at St. George."
With just half a season of American Idol, Cher's career, which had been in a slump for the past few years, was back at its peak.
Having been in Hollywood for many years, the multi-talented actress, singer, and television star knew well why she had regained her former glory. Her invitation to Simon was genuine gratitude. Of course, if the younger man showed interest in something more, Cher wouldn't mind. After all, who could complain about catching the eye of a man every woman envied?
Simon glanced at Cher, the veteran star still striking in her casual outfit, and smiled. "St. George might be a bit inconvenient for me. I'd rather not risk being surrounded by onlookers. But if you don't mind the cafeteria here, I'm free."
Cher quickly replied, "Oh, of course not."
She turned to Robert Iger.
Before she could say more, Iger immediately said, "I've already made plans with my family for lunch."
Back when he worked at ABC, Iger had lived nearby on the Upper West Side for convenience. After switching to Daenerys Entertainment, his status in the industry and his income had skyrocketed, but he had stayed in the area, upgrading to a better house once Daenerys went public.
Since Iger had family plans, no one could object.
As they all joked and made their way out, they ran into Jennifer Lopez, another American Idol judge, who had left earlier but came back, nearly bumping into Simon. "Sorry, Mr. Westeros, I left my bag in here," she said apologetically, gesturing towards the conference room.
Robert Iger, seeing the situation, just smiled and nodded, leaving in a hurry.
Before Simon could step aside to let Jennifer retrieve her bag, Cher spoke up, "Jenny, was it the red Chanel? I saw you left it here and had my assistant take it to the parking lot. You must have missed her. Go check there."
Jennifer froze for a moment but quickly realized what had happened. With a hint of reluctance, she turned and said, "Thank you, Cher."
Watching the Latin star disappear towards the elevator, Simon gave Cher a thumbs up. "Impressive."
Seeing that Simon had caught on, Cher didn't hide it and exaggeratedly rolled her eyes, playing it up. "Come on, she's just a rookie." Then she looked at Simon and asked, "Not your type, is she? Why did you choose her?"
Simon replied, "For the show's effect, of course. And I have to say, she's doing a great job, don't you think?"
Regardless, successful people always have certain traits that set them apart. Jennifer Lopez's rise to fame and her ability to stay relevant over the years had been nothing short of uncanny. Much like a certain star on the other side of the Atlantic, she had no standout works yet consistently made it onto Hollywood's highest-paid actresses list, raking in tens of millions of dollars annually.
That's talent.
You had to respect it.
Simon had chosen her for exactly this reason. Though she was more of a supporting character among the four judges, her popularity on American Idol had grown to rival that of Cher and David Kruger, the two main stars. All she needed now was a bit more substance.
Cher had to agree. "You're right, she's doing well. But honestly, Simon, you're the real genius here, picking people so accurately."
Simon, noticing Cher's flirtatious glance, chuckled. "Stop flattering me, or my head will get too big."
"Haha."
Laughing, they made their way to the high-level executive dining room. This dining room had been set up after Daenerys acquired ABC; the two miserly old men who had previously run the company wouldn't have splurged on such a facility. For the regular employees, Simon preferred open spaces to encourage communication between management and staff.
But when it came to the dining room and other perks, Simon didn't believe in equality.
Your level within the Westeros system determined your perks—healthcare, dining, housing, travel, and so on.
It was a form of merit-based distribution.
Regular employees ate in the cafeteria. Executives flew on the company's private jets. That's how you motivate people to strive for more. If someone thought it was unfair, they could either work their way up or leave and find a company they thought was fairer.
At first, Cher had hesitated about eating in an in-house cafeteria, but when she saw the elegant decor and the menu presented by the servers, her doubts vanished.
There were French, Italian, and Chinese dishes to choose from. The limited options, far from being a drawback, pleasantly surprised Cher. Only top-tier restaurants had rotating menus with limited items, ensuring the absolute freshness of the ingredients.
Having spent years being pampered on set, with people attending to her every need, Cher had rarely eaten in a company cafeteria.
After placing her order, Cher couldn't help but comment, "I think I'll come here more often."
Simon responded courteously, "We'd be honored."
There was no need for further explanation, but Cher would likely get a different menu next time she came.
Given her status, she would probably enjoy perks similar to those of a vice president at Daenerys, though the wine list, in particular, would differ.
Earlier, Cher had ordered a 1975 Château Latour, a rare vintage that only Simon or a select few like Iger could request when hosting special guests. The wine was kept off-site, but it could be brought over from the Upper East Side in about ten minutes.
Simon didn't elaborate, and Cher, sensing some of the unspoken rules, didn't press further. She crossed her legs, adjusting her posture into a more alluring one. "I read the papers this morning. That Batman v Superman film has already grossed $470 million domestically in its latest week. It's incredible. But when I've been at industry parties lately, everyone's feeling the pressure."
In the past week's box office, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in its fifth week of release, had dropped by just 31%, bringing in another $38.01 million. Its cumulative gross had reached $472.61 million, surpassing the $436 million domestic record Simon had set with Batman Begins, and setting a new non-adjusted all-time domestic box office record.
Moreover, as the film expanded into overseas markets, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was breaking records abroad too. By last week, it had surpassed $400 million overseas, reaching $429 million, nearly matching the $434 million domestic total. The overseas tally was expected to surpass the domestic gross by the weekend.
With Batman v Superman dominating the box office, not only were international filmmakers warning of the Hollywood invasion, but even many in the North American film industry were beginning to feel the pressure.
Could anyone survive at this rate?
Simon shook his head at Cher's concern. "It's just a one-off. There's no need for everyone to worry."
"But it's not just Batman v Superman. Over the past few years, the DC Universe films, Jurassic Park, Pixar's 3D animations..." Cher counted on her fingers, "It's making it impossible to compete in Hollywood."
Cher's concerns were genuine.
After winning the Oscar for Best Actress with Moonstruck, her career had seemingly fallen into the Oscar curse. She hadn't starred in a major hit since and had nearly faded into obscurity. American Idol had given her a second chance, reviving her music career as well. Now, she planned to focus on that and stay out of the brutal Hollywood competition.
Simon understood the sentiment in Hollywood, but he simply said, "It's just a perception. Hollywood's still making the same types of movies as always. Think about it: how many films have hit $400 million domestically? Without counting re-releases, let's see... Batman Begins, $436 million, The Dark Knight Rises, $416 million, Jurassic Park 2, $413 million, and now Batman v Superman. That's only four films. Hollywood puts out more than 400 movies a year."
Cher thought for a moment and asked, "What about The Lion King? I remember that grossed over $900 million worldwide."
"The Lion King only made $327 million domestically. Most of its success was overseas."
Surprised that Simon could recall these numbers so clearly, Cher pressed further. "And Superman?"
"Superman grossed $363 million domestically."
"And Wonder Woman?"
"$371 million."
"Jurassic Park, the first one?"
"$356 million."
Cher's eyes lit up, her voice filled with admiration. "No wonder you've achieved so much. You can remember so many box office figures so clearly. That's incredible."
Simon smiled. "Hearing you praise me, I almost don't want to admit that I looked up these numbers just this morning."
"Haha, still impressive! I could never remember so much."
Cher returned to the previous topic, "But still, with so many $300 million blockbusters, it's tough for anyone else to compete. Maybe only if George reboots the Star Wars series can they measure up."
Simon said, "Everyone will find their place. What I just mentioned are more like commercial products. Personally, I still prefer true films, like Moonstruck, the one that won you the Oscar. I've watched that one many times."
Cher seemed surprised. "Really, Simon? That's not just flattery? I remember a lot of people didn't like that movie, saying my Oscar win was a bit of a stretch."
"Not at all," Simon said. "It's a film that really touches the heart. Not in a cheesy, overly sentimental way, but in a way that creates a sense of restless excitement. After watching it, you just want to fall in love with someone immediately, like it's something you can't miss out on."
"Oh, Simon, you really know how to talk."
At some point, Cher had leaned forward, resting her arms on the table.
As they continued their conversation, the servers brought out their meals, and the lunch went by pleasantly.
Afterward, Cher's fingers had somehow found their way across the table, lightly hooking onto Simon's hand. This young, attractive man with all his power and charm could easily draw in women without saying a word. And after their meal, with his wit, intelligence, and humor on full display, Cher found it hard to resist.
She thought to herself that if she didn't make a move, she'd regret it. "Simon, do you have plans tonight? Maybe we could have dinner again. It was such a pleasant meal, wasn't it?"
Simon shook his head. "Sorry, I already have plans tonight."
Cher pushed, "What about the weekend?"
"That won't work either," Simon said, gently pulling his hand away. "Since lunch was so enjoyable, let's leave it at that. Some things are better left without overdoing it."
Seeing that Simon wasn't interested, Cher felt a pang of regret but didn't insist. "What a shame. But if you're ever free, give me a call."
As they spoke, Cher's assistant arrived with her coat. Simon, ever the gentleman, helped Cher put it on and walked her to the elevator before returning to his work.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with meetings in the same building.
By early evening, Simon took a helicopter to his estate in northern Greenwich.
The reason he had turned down Cher's advances earlier, aside from his current period of abstinence, was because Sophia Vesey had flown in from Europe that day.
When Simon arrived at the estate at dusk, Sophia was already preparing dinner. Daniel and Gemma, who had already returned to school, were also there. Over time, and especially since the birth of the two younger children, this estate had started to feel like Simon's second home.
While there was still some awkwardness between Simon and Daniel, everything else was fine. Gemma, with her straightforward and simple personality, would sometimes jokingly call Simon "Stepdad," using a very formal tone but with a hint of playfulness. It was her way of acknowledging him.
The dinner was warm and pleasant.
Sophia talked about work, the kids discussed their studies and daily life, and Simon shared bits about his recent activities. Sophia's parents, who also joined, did their best to maintain the warm atmosphere. Over the years, they had accepted their daughter's relationship with Simon, especially as his status had risen and their lives had improved. They no longer had any other expectations.
After dinner, Sophia's parents and the two children, knowing when to give the couple some privacy, tactfully left for their house next door.
But Simon and Sophia didn't immediately rush into intimacy. Instead, they began discussing some serious matters.
Inspired by recent events, Simon was working on two new plans, which he had codenamed "Troy" and "Soviel."
Among the three women closest to him, Jennifer was more focused on family, and Janet was already managing many business affairs. Considering the nature of these two plans, Sophia was the best person to discuss them with. Simon wanted her input, and she would also be in charge of implementing certain aspects.
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