The fourth Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has become a globally anticipated event, driven by the success of the past three years.
On the morning of November 11th, the streets around the Armory on Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan began to fill with crowds: media from around the world, fashion bloggers from emerging internet platforms, fans of the Victoria's Secret Angels, ticket scalpers, and more.
This time, unlike in previous years when the show aired on TV after a delay, media platforms had been closely following the event since its early preparation stages. Every new Victoria's Secret model, every piece of news related to the show, every street style photo of the Angels, and every rumor about a pop star creating a theme song for the event attracted significant attention.
The increased sales of newspapers and magazines, the rise in television viewership, and the spike in online streaming numbers in turn fueled even greater media coverage, with some exclusive scoops being sold to outlets for hefty sums.
This fashion show has quietly transformed into a nationwide social phenomenon.
Such high attention always hides immense economic potential.
This is the essence of commercial advertising.
Beyond the skyrocketing sales of Victoria's Secret-branded products in recent years, the merchandising surrounding the show alone has brought in huge profits for LTD Group, Victoria's Secret's parent company.
Though the winter days are short in New York, by the time it was past 6 p.m., the city was already enveloped in twilight. Meanwhile, backstage at the Armory, the atmosphere was electrifying.
Grace Spruett had been getting by on only about four hours of sleep per night in recent days. Each morning, as soon as she opened her eyes, aside from handling the heavy affairs of Elite Modeling Agency, she was focused on making sure that the girls participating in this year's Victoria's Secret show were fully prepared.
In fact, if she wanted to, Grace could easily run Elite, the modeling agency giant, with much less effort.
During the era of John Casablancas, after Elite defeated Ford Models, the once-dominant American agency, the entire Elite organization became complacent, including Casablancas himself. As a result, while Elite appeared to be thriving on the surface, it was actually riddled with problems. In history, Elite collapsed spectacularly in the late '90s due to a scandal, not because the scandal was that devastating, but because the company had long been plagued by internal issues.
Grace was determined to change this and to push Elite, which was already an industry leader, even further.
Since taking the helm, she had seized control from top executives, streamlined the client roster, restructured contracts, formed new planning and business teams, and established a more scientific system for nurturing and marketing models. Each of these reforms required immense effort.
Reform is never easy, and she faced plenty of resistance along the way, nearly sparking a media crisis at one point.
Fortunately, after months of hard work, everything was back on track, and Elite had been revitalized.
Many of the measures Grace implemented focused on expanding business opportunities for Elite's clients, rather than squeezing every cent from them, such as charging for rent and transportation, or taking unfair commissions. As a result, despite the initial upheaval, the agency emerged with stronger cohesion, and would no longer crumble at the first sign of trouble, as it had in the past.
Backstage at the Armory.
Grace personally oversaw the final checks on the outfits, shoes, and accessories of Elite's Angels, ensuring there were no issues. She coordinated with the Victoria's Secret show team to address some last-minute requests from the models and calmed down Karen Mudd, who was nervously preparing for her first appearance. She also scolded Kris Gough for sneaking chocolate, then introduced Fernanda Lima to Anna Coleman, president of Fashion TV, to discuss a feature on Lima. By the time the atmosphere backstage reached a fever pitch, Grace finally found a moment to relax.
It was nearing 8 p.m.
The show was about to start.
With her responsibilities temporarily behind her, Grace didn't head to the front to watch the show like Anna Coleman but instead retreated to the staff lounge. She found a cozy spot on a corner sofa. One of her assistants brought her a cup of coffee, and Grace, holding the warm drink, let out a deep breath, feeling the buzzing energy around her and the music from the stage.
Suddenly, she found herself missing a certain little man.
She had contacted him a few days ago, and he had said he wouldn't be attending the show this time.
Well, nothing could be done about that.
She consoled herself, thinking about how vast the Westeros system was, how many women surrounded him, and how she should be grateful for the small space she was allowed in his life.
Still…
She couldn't help but indulge in a little fantasy.
What would she do if, in this moment of longing, he suddenly appeared beside her?
She might be willing to die for him.
Actually, she might even be willing to do so without him showing up.
Always thinking about dying…
Maybe that unhealthy obsession had taken root since their first meeting at the Greenwich estate last year.
She missed that lawn, too.
After all, so many women had once killed themselves over Marlon Brando, and this man was far more outstanding. Surely, it wouldn't be strange for a woman or two to want to die for him?
And then—
Perhaps due to sleep deprivation, she thought she saw him walking toward her and sitting down.
She stared in disbelief, wishing this hallucination would last a little longer.
She wanted to lean in and rest her head on his chest.
But with so many people around, she didn't want to be seen as some crazy person staring into thin air.
The man spoke, and Grace realized it wasn't a dream. Her body instinctively leaned toward him, but she caught herself, cautiously shifting slightly away as if to maintain decorum. Still, she kept her eyes locked on him. "I thought you said you weren't coming?"
Simon casually explained, "Plans changed."
He had actually arrived on the East Coast around 4 p.m., but after landing, he headed to a shooting range in Greenwich, where he spent some time blasting small drones with a Barrett rifle. After regaining his composure, he had dinner at the Greenwich estate before heading to Manhattan.
Sensing there was something off, Grace wisely refrained from probing further. "Would you like some coffee?"
Simon shook his head. "No."
"We have plenty of snacks here, meant to keep the girls energized. Want some?"
"No."
Seeing the little man seemingly in a bad mood, Grace didn't get upset. In fact, her tone grew more indulgent. "Well, what do you want to do? The girls are all busy right now; they won't have time to entertain you."
"Just resting here for a bit. If you have things to do, go ahead."
"I'm not busy," Grace replied, glancing at the bustling backstage area. She lowered her voice slightly, "Why don't we leave now? I haven't had dinner yet. How about we grab something together?"
"No."
"Alright, alright. How about eating me instead? Anything goes."
Simon stood up and walked away.
Grace blinked, realizing what was happening. She quickly followed him, not bothering to alert her assistant as they quietly slipped out of the backstage area.
Upper East Side, Manhattan.
In the penthouse apartment off Fifth Avenue, Grace woke up the next afternoon.
It was her first night away from home, excluding work trips.
She suddenly didn't feel like worrying so much anymore.
Even though she was awake, the man was gone. She still didn't want to get out of bed. In fact, she thought about staying until the evening, so she wouldn't have to leave again.
That was until the bedroom door opened.
Grace looked over. It was one of his housekeepers, Angray Davis, someone she had met several times before. She greeted her warmly.
The housekeeper responded politely and said, "It's already past two in the afternoon, Ms. Spruett. Mr. Westeros called earlier and asked me to check if you were awake."
Grace still didn't feel like getting up. She gestured toward the window. "Angray, could you open the curtains for me? I think it's a nice day outside."
Angray Davis smiled and pulled the curtains open. Pale but clear afternoon sunlight filled the master bedroom. After completing the task, the housekeeper noticed Grace still hadn't moved and didn't press her. Instead, she gently offered, "Shall I bring some food up for you? The kitchen is ready."
Now she felt hungry.
Though she was tempted to have breakfast in bed, she decided against it. "You can go ahead. I'll get up now."
The housekeeper acknowledged her request and pointed to the clothes hanging on the wardrobe. "These were sent over this morning by Mr. Westeros. They're similar to what you wore last night. Oh, and shall I prepare your bath?"
"Yes, thank you."
After taking her time to get ready, Grace finally made her way downstairs to the dining room more than an hour later.
She wore a deep blue business suit, with a Gucci scarf around her neck to hide the marks. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to show her face.
The marks weren't just on her neck.
But as long as he liked it, she liked it too.
Sitting at the dining table, she resumed her role as the head of Elite, responding to various calls and messages that had accumulated since last night. Occasionally, she inquired about Simon, only to be told that he had left for work earlier that morning.
It was Sunday, after all.
But then again, people like them didn't really have weekdays or weekends. They could rest whenever they wanted, and the work never truly
stopped. Whether it was the merger with Metropolis ABC or the construction of Rome's Universal Studios, every move was a calculated risk aimed at growth.
The show last night had been a huge success.
An unprecedented spectacle.
During her meal, Grace caught up on the prepared press releases about Elite's clients that had been sent out, including Kris Gough, who had flown to Australia to begin filming Jumanji. Though Kris's acting contract wasn't with Elite, her modeling career still took priority, making this a major event for the agency.
Grace had originally planned to see her off, but missing it wasn't a big deal.
Everything could be discussed over the phone later.
She also thought about the newcomers who had walked the runway for the first time last night, including Fernanda Lima, who had secured one of the six Victoria's Secret spokesperson contracts this year, and Karen Mudd, who had caught Simon's eye and been placed in the Victoria's Secret lineup by Grace. Both women needed further careful planning.
Grace jotted down all these thoughts in her notepad while she ate.
She also remembered to check in with her family.
She called her husband, explaining that it had been too late to return home after last night's work.
The couple was in a strange state of harmony. Even when Grace was busy, she had never stayed out overnight until now. Bill Spruett probably didn't believe her explanation, likely guessing the truth, but he didn't pry. Both of them had other people in their lives now, yet they still lived under the same roof.
They said it was for the kids, but that wasn't entirely true. It was more complicated than that, and neither wanted to break the illusion.
After finishing her meal, Grace left the Fifth Avenue apartment. It was already past 4 p.m. on Sunday.
While others were winding down for the day, Grace had already outlined a work plan that would keep her busy into the early hours of the morning. At the same time, she reminded herself that she could only keep up this pace for another week or so.
Her health was the most important thing.
Not for herself, but to maintain his interest in her for as long as possible.
With that in mind, she scheduled another spa treatment before getting back to work.
In just 24 hours, Simon had completely shaken off the negative emotions from the previous day. He spent his Sunday focused on Danelys Entertainment's television division, which had begun integrating with Metropolis ABC.
As the merger progressed, two major projects personally approved by Simon had also been launched.
One of these was ESPN's plan to secure the exclusive broadcasting rights to the American Football League.
While basketball might be more globally recognized, football is the true national sport of the USA, with the Super Bowl serving as a yearly celebration.
Under Danelys Entertainment, ESPN had grown rapidly in recent years, but it had yet to reach its peak. Simon knew that historically, ESPN's turning point came after it was acquired by Disney, which then poured huge amounts of money into securing broadcasting rights for various sports events.
This strategy eventually led to the so-called "ESPN tax."
At one point, a $15 cable package might see half of its cost go to ESPN, with other basic cable channels getting just a few cents or dimes, while ESPN raked in over $7.
Now, Simon was launching the same plan.
Buying out the broadcasting rights to the American Football League was a risky venture, with the original deal in the '90s being an eight-year contract for $9 billion.
Before the merger, ESPN's president, Steve Bernstein, had approached Tom Murphy and Warren Buffett multiple times, hoping to get approval for this deal, but the conservative old men wouldn't budge. Last year, when the Westeros system gained a 20% stake in ESPN during a dispute with the Hearst family, Bernstein had also reached out to Simon, hoping he could help lobby for the deal. Simon had advised him to wait patiently.
Now, there was no need to wait any longer.
A $9 billion deal might seem like a huge gamble, but even if Simon couldn't foresee the future, Danelys Entertainment was in a strong enough position to take the risk. After all, it wasn't as if the $9 billion had to be paid all at once, and ESPN had already built up considerable strength.
Moreover, with Danelys Entertainment's current size, only bold ventures could break through the bottlenecks and push the company further.
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