After personally announcing Elite's shareholding changes and expelling John Casablancas, Simon's task was essentially done once Casablancas was escorted out of the building by two security guards.
The rest was up to Grace.
With no other plans for the morning, Simon wasn't in a hurry to leave. Exiting the conference room, Grace followed him, maintaining a professional distance in public but with a soft tone in her voice: "Would you like to rest in my office for a while?"
Simon nodded. "Sure."
Like Hollywood's CAA, Elite wasn't short on funds. While it hadn't reached the point of building its own tower like CAA had in Century City, it did rent out three entire floors in a prime Fifth Avenue building. The conference room was located on the second floor, while Grace's office was upstairs.
The two went up together. When they reached her office door, Grace opened it for him and said, "Actually, John's office is a bit nicer."
John Casablancas hadn't yet had the chance to transfer the office to someone else, and Grace's assistant had tidied it up earlier. As Simon walked in, he noticed the subtle feminine fragrance typical of a woman's office. Uninterested in Casablancas' office, he shook his head and walked to the desk. Sitting back in the chair, he casually put his legs up on the desk, crossing them arrogantly, as if he owned the place.
Grace closed the door and walked over, giving him a brief eye roll. Yet, she moved closer, gently helping him remove his shoes and neatly placing them by the chair. "What would you like to drink?" she asked.
Simon didn't answer, instead pulling her closer by the waist. "I'm transferring Casablancas' 5% stake to you. Just pay me back once you make a profit. As for buying this company, I'm only using it to pick up girls. I'm not managing anything, that's your job."
Grace nodded softly. Hearing Simon say that he bought Elite just for picking up women didn't make her jealous. Instead, she gazed down at the man in the chair with indulgent eyes. "I'll find some pretty girls for you," she said.
Simon raised his hand, and Grace leaned down, pressing her cheek into his palm. Stroking her gently, he smiled. "Actually, I prefer seducing agents."
Grace tilted her head to lean more into his touch. "Well, I'm a president now," she teased.
"Mm, feels even more satisfying," Simon replied with a chuckle.
Grace laughed lightly, ignoring the fact that a crowd of people were waiting downstairs. "I'm thinking of streamlining Elite first," she said.
Though Simon had claimed he wouldn't get involved, he commented when she brought it up. "Good idea, very bold. You're better than me. Right now, I'm just the type of guy who grabs everything and refuses to let go."
As a giant in the industry, Elite had branches in the U.S., Canada, France, the U.K., Italy, Japan, and other countries. The agency had over 2,000 signed models. Even Simon, as an outsider, could see that Elite was bloated and struggling under its own weight.
Its vast roster of models at various levels was like a company trying to cater to the high-end, mid-range, and low-end markets all at once—an unwise approach.
Elite had failed to expand into other areas over the years, partly because Casablancas had lost his ambition, and partly because managing its large pool of models consumed most of the company's resources, leaving little room for anything else.
If Elite wanted to move forward, downsizing was inevitable.
As Grace listened to Simon downplay himself, she reached out and stroked his hair. "It's different for you. The Westeros system is still in its growth phase, so expansion is inevitable. I'm sure that when the time comes, you'll start letting go of things too."
Grace's gentle touch made Simon stiffen slightly. After a brief pause, he patted her waist. "Go on, there are a lot of people waiting for you."
Grace noticed Simon's reaction, withdrew her hand, and leaned down to kiss him lightly on the cheek. "I'll send a couple of girls up to keep you company. We can have lunch together."
When Simon agreed, Grace finally left the office.
Grace's assistant, Michelle Sonam, who had feared she might lose her job a few days earlier, was waiting at the door. Without prying, she handed a memo to Grace. "Cindy and Linda have arrived. Also, a lot of people from Europe and Asia have been calling."
With the upheaval at Elite, many were caught off guard.
As the news spread, Elite's executives and top models rushed over. Those who couldn't make it immediately were calling in.
Under normal circumstances, this would spell disaster for the agency.
In the original timeline, Elite was dealt a severe blow in 1999 when a BBC documentary exposed scandals involving its senior executives, including Casablancas. In the years that followed, the agency declined rapidly and even faced bankruptcy.
This time, however, the situation was entirely different.
Now that everyone knew Elite was backed by the towering Westeros system, with its vast resources, more models would want to sign with the agency. Rival agencies would soon find themselves fending off poaching attempts rather than trying to lure Elite's talent away.
As Grace headed for the stairs, she instructed, "Today's event is a bit rushed. Send unnecessary people home for now. I'll contact them as soon as I can."
Michelle followed closely behind, asking, "What about Cindy and the others?"
"Have them go home too," Grace replied. "Oh, and tell the girls who aren't in New York to return as soon as possible."
Before being abruptly fired by Casablancas last week, Grace had arranged for her models to take a temporary break.
Tricia Helfer and the others likely assumed Grace was leaving Elite to start her own agency. After following her for so long, the girls were both loyal and aware of her influence. Most of them chose to stop working and even took vacations like Grace did.
"Tricia is in L.A. doing that physical training program, so she can't leave, but she just called. Eva and Daniela have already booked their flights and should arrive in New York by this evening. Fernanda is already downstairs. Everyone else has contacted me," Michelle reported. She then mentioned something else. "Karen is downstairs too, crying."
Michelle was referring to Karen Mulder, a model whose career had stalled because her appearance didn't fit the mainstream preferences sparked by a certain young tycoon. Her career only revived after Casablancas forced her on Grace, who repackaged her and used her connections to help her recover.
However, following last week's events, while other girls rejected Casablancas' attempts to recruit them and chose to stick with Grace, Karen was swayed by his promises and rejoined his roster.
The real issue was that Grace had always kept her relationship with Simon discreet. Although rumors circulated, most people couldn't confirm them, so it was easy to make the wrong judgment. Many assumed that once Grace was kicked out of Elite, her resources and influence would diminish significantly.
What no one expected was how drastically the situation would change in just a week.
During the meeting earlier, Grace had sat right next to Simon Westeros, making it clear to everyone who was really behind her.
The recently ascendant female agent was, in fact, supported by none other than Westeros himself.
But… did it really matter? With the Westeros system as a backer, any price was worth it.
When Michelle mentioned Karen Mulder, Grace frowned slightly but quickly changed the subject. "If Lima is downstairs, send her up to entertain Simon. Who else is here?"
Michelle caught the implication, but instead of volunteering herself, she replied, "Angela?"
Angela Lindvall was another rising star Grace had groomed. At just 16, she had already walked for several major brands. In two years, she could be pushed toward supermodel status.
Grace wasn't particularly sensitive about age.
In this industry, girls as young as 11 or 12 were often pursued. At 16, Angela was practically "old." But Grace knew that given Simon's position, many eyes were on him. While any exposure wouldn't cause him too much trouble, it would still be an annoyance.
Being cautious was always better.
Grace had sent Fernanda Lima to him last time, partly because things had already been settled. Besides, Grace knew that Simon wouldn't be interested in all 60 or so girls under her management. If the man were that insatiable, she'd have been dead by now.
With that thought, Grace's lips curled into a slight smile. She shook her head and said, "Pick someone else, but make sure she's over 18."
Michelle nodded and agreed.
As the two headed downstairs, Grace made her way back to the conference room while Michelle relayed her instructions to the models in the crowded hallway. Soon, people began to disperse, and Michelle arrived at the lounge where Fernanda was, along with Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Tyra Banks, and other top models from the agency.
Karen Mulder was also there, sitting in a corner. When she saw Michelle enter, she immediately rushed over, practically throwing herself at her. "Michelle, please let me see Grace. Talk to her for me, I'm begging you."
Michelle pulled away from Karen's grip and addressed the other women. "Grace said you can all go home for now. She'll be in touch soon."
The others glanced sympathetically at Karen.
Many of the models here had been personally signed by John Casablancas. However, with Elite now under new management, none of them were
worried. The only one in trouble was Karen.
No one liked a traitor.
Especially when Grace had done so much to help Karen.
Cindy Crawford stood up, looking around at the other women before approaching Michelle. She casually draped her arm around Michelle's shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Is Simon here?"
Many had already heard the rumors.
As one of the longest-serving models at Elite, Cindy had a good information network.
Michelle smiled but didn't answer. She repeated Grace's message, and as the models began to leave, she called Fernanda Lima over, as if there was something to discuss.
Since Fernanda was one of Grace's closest protégés, no one found this strange.
Soon, the room was nearly empty, save for Karen, whose eyes were red from crying, and Cindy, who had deliberately lingered behind.
When the others were gone, Cindy moved closer, grabbing Michelle's hand and giving her a playful wink. "Michelle, just consider it a favor. What do you say?"
Michelle glanced at Karen, who seemed to understand what was happening. With a slight nod, she signaled for the two women to follow her.
Though many were still waiting downstairs, Michelle knew the man upstairs was more important. She led the two women to the upper floor, and as they reached the stairwell, she said, "Mr. Westeros is upstairs. Grace wants you to entertain him."
She gave Cindy a knowing look, reminding her of her earlier promise.
The last time Cindy had seen Simon was at the premiere of Jurassic Park 2. She had walked the red carpet and attended the afterparty. However, the event had been too crowded, and Simon had left after less than 10 minutes, so she hadn't had a chance to speak to him.
Ever since that incident where Linda Evangelista had accidentally revealed her fling with a certain basketball star, Cindy had sensed a subtle shift in Simon's attitude toward her.
It wasn't surprising.
However, Simon's preferences had a significant impact on Cindy.
Her contract with Victoria's Secret was set to expire this year, and she was keen to renew it, even if it meant accepting lower fees. Unfortunately, despite preparations for the fourth Victoria's Secret Fashion Show being underway, there had been no discussions about extending her contract.
The most effective way to resolve this was to speak directly with Simon.
But even though she was a supermodel coveted by many, getting a meeting with Simon Westeros wasn't easy.
This was a rare opportunity.
The three arrived outside Grace's office. Michelle knocked lightly, poked her head in to greet Simon, then stepped aside to let the two women in before closing the door behind them.
Simon was still lounging in the same position he had been when Grace left, though now he had a file in his hand, which he had pulled from a nearby cabinet. It was a proposal for an Elite beauty pageant, and he seemed thoroughly engrossed in it.
When the two women entered, Simon glanced up, greeted them casually, and turned back to the document.
Seeing the powerful man for the second time, in a different setting and with his immense influence looming over her, Fernanda Lima felt timid and unsure of how to act.
Cindy, on the other hand, moved confidently toward the coffee machine in the corner, greeting Simon as if they were old friends. When Fernanda instinctively went over to help, Cindy let her take over, then sauntered over to the desk, leaning casually against its edge. As they talked, her body occasionally brushed against Simon's legs, which were still propped up on the desk.
Just as they were chatting, the door suddenly opened again.
The three of them turned to look.
It was Karen Mulder.
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