Hunting in Hollywood

Dumay Cape Manor.

As the sedan pulled to a stop, Janet, who had been waiting outside the villa, approached warmly.

Veronica Johnston stepped out of the car, clad in her usual stern black business suit and black high heels. Her gaze inadvertently fell on Janet's visibly pregnant belly, and her typically cold expression softened slightly, her lips curving into a noncommittal smile.

"Alright, Iceberg, if you can't smile, don't force it—it looks weird," Janet teased as she approached Veronica and embraced her cautiously, still joking, "And you've finally come to see me."

Veronica gave a gentle pat on Janet's back, her voice low as if offering an explanation, "I've been busy."

Janet teased no further, instead linking her arm with Veronica's and leading her towards the seashell villa, "Look, Simon's and my house, isn't it beautiful?"

Veronica looked up at the building, which she had seen in many magazines before. The villa's unique architectural style and location had sparked a similar design trend in recent years. Veronica knew that the Manhattan Westeros Tower, still under construction, would certainly be even more spectacular than the seashell villa they were approaching.

After admiring the villa with Janet for a moment, Veronica nodded, "It's beautiful."

Janet giggled, a hint of pride in her voice as she continued, "Let's go inside. I'll give you a tour. Also, I've prepared a room for you. You'll stay here for the next few days."

Veronica shook her head, "I've already booked a room at the Hilton, and my luggage is there."

"Just cancel it. Staying at a hotel instead of home while in Los Angeles will lead the media to speculate, and these days have been annoying enough as it is."

As Janet spoke, she signaled to Neil Bennett, who had driven Veronica, to fetch the luggage from the Hilton.

Veronica hesitated but, considering Simon was not in Los Angeles these days, she didn't insist.

If not for this… she wouldn't have come.

Today was Wednesday, September 25th.

Veronica had come to Los Angeles not only to visit Janet but also to handle some affairs for MGM.

The two toured the seashell villa briefly, chatting about various recent trivialities—mostly Janet speaking.

Eventually, they sat down on a sofa by the glass wall facing the sea; it was still before eleven in the morning.

Late September in Los Angeles offered perfect morning sunshine, with a view of the blue sky, white clouds, and ocean through the glass wall—an irresistibly beautiful sight.

Putting work aside for the moment, Janet said, "Lunch is being prepared. If you're tired, you can rest after eating. What time is it now in Australia?"

Veronica took the glass of water offered by the maid and thanked her, replying, "It should be just after five in the morning. I slept on the plane, so I don't need to rest."

"Our 767 is nice, isn't it? It's a pity Simon is coming back the day after tomorrow; the plane has to go to Europe to pick someone up. Otherwise, it could have taken you back."

Veronica had rushed to Los Angeles to handle affairs over the next two days, planning to return to Australia on the 27th, around the same time Simon was due back from Europe in Los Angeles.

Their schedules could have been adjusted slightly.

However, neither Veronica nor Janet mentioned this.

As they chatted casually, the housekeeper, Alice Ferguson, approached with a folder. After greeting Veronica, she handed the folder to Janet, "Mr. Norman has drafted the statement, ma'am. If there are no issues, it can be published in the Los Angeles Times tomorrow."

Janet opened the folder.

With the recent publication of the new Forbes 400 list of American billionaires, there had been renewed claims from people alleging to be Simon's parents. Simon and Janet's initially planned response strategy had encountered a minor mishap when a couple, bribed to turn the situation into a farce, unexpectedly confessed to the media that they had been paid, sparking a flurry of media speculation.

The media's imagination was always fertile.

The exposure of the paid couple made the entire situation seem even more farcical. However, some questioned whether there was a more scandalous undercurrent behind the incident.

Although no one had traced who had bribed the couple, Simon himself had become a suspect in some media narratives.

After several phone discussions, Simon and Janet decided to put an end to the matter decisively.

The essence of the statement was: Simon Westeros is aware of his origins and has settled the matter privately. Consequently, anyone attempting to claim kinship would merely be an impostor, and Simon Westeros will not respond to any related inquiries in the future.

For Simon, this statement was of course factual.

But Janet was certainly unaware of some things.

Because

 Janet was right beside her, Veronica also glanced at the statement in her hands, her expression revealing a trace of anxiety as she cautiously looked at Janet.

He had once asked her to keep this secret forever.

She had kept it, even when Janet misunderstood some things, she never explained.

Now.

Had he told Janet?

Janet read the statement twice carefully, then handed it back to the housekeeper, "It's fine, let George send it out."

After the housekeeper left, Janet turned back to her aunt, noticing the flicker in Veronica's eyes, and curiously asked, "What's wrong?"

Veronica tried to compose herself, casually asking, "Simon, he found his parents?"

Janet shook her head and then nodded, "Lately, well, you know, every time the Forbes list is published, many people claim to be Simon's parents, so we wanted to end such dramas with the statement. I think Simon probably knows who his parents are, but he won't tell me. And, he must have had a tough childhood; he has no intention of acknowledging them."

Veronica didn't want her family to know certain things either.

However, hearing that Simon hadn't told Janet, she suddenly felt concerned, "Janet, does he... treat you well?"

Janet, picking a fruit from the small plate brought by the maid, blinked and smiled, "Of course."

"Then," Veronica pointed at Janet's belly, "he's still going to Europe this time?"

"When he's in Los Angeles, he comes home by five to spend time with me, which he rarely did before six. Going to Europe this time was unavoidable, the 'Wonder Woman' project is very important for Daenerys Entertainment."

Janet explained, leaning into her aunt, "That rascal might have some wild ideas, but he really treats me well. Iceberg, you... um... just keep your distance from him, please, please, please don't let him succeed, otherwise it would be terrible."

Unaware of the reasons, Janet was convinced Simon harbored inappropriate thoughts towards her aunt.

Still accustomed to calling Veronica 'Iceberg' from childhood, it was not easy to change overnight. However, to warn that particular guy, she now deliberately referred to Veronica as 'aunt' in his presence.

But it seemed to have no effect.

Janet occasionally wondered, if that guy ever succeeded, what would she do? Have a big fight? She wasn't one to raise her voice.

Hit him? Too mild.

And considering her husband's build, even if he didn't fight back, hitting him probably wouldn't have much effect unless she used a weapon.

Kill him?

No, she couldn't bear that.

Divorce him?

She hadn't considered that.

Cold war?

Too ineffectual.

Sometimes, she even felt, if it really happened, maybe it wasn't so serious?

Seeing Janet starting to ramble again, Veronica, who had explained everything one night long ago, could only roll her eyes in resignation and chose to remain silent as if she hadn't heard anything.

At 11 o'clock, the maid came to announce that lunch was ready.

After lunch, despite claiming she had rested on the plane, Veronica was ushered by Janet to rest in the room prepared for her.

She slept for just over an hour, waking before two in the afternoon.

Coming downstairs, she found Janet in a living room on the east side of the villa, chatting on the phone with Simon, who was in Italy. It was past ten at night there, and the other side seemed very patient, so she relaxed.

The 'Wonder Woman' film crew had recently been stationed in Naples, Italy.

Naples, a city with a rich history, was near the ancient city of Pompeii and had many Greek and Roman architectural ruins, making it an ideal location for Paradise Island in the film.

Simon had stayed in Venice for one night before rushing to Naples.

He had been closely following the filming of 'Wonder Woman' for the past week.

To accommodate Simon's schedule, the crew had specifically arranged an important battle scene for that week—the encounter between the German army following Steve to Paradise Island and the Amazons.

After the continuous efforts of 'Batman: The Dark Knight' and other films, the team cultivated by Daenerys Entertainment showcased their skills excellently in this scene.

In the original timeline, the Marvel Cinematic Universe thrived without big-name directors due to its strong backend action and special effects team.

From the start, Simon had placed great importance on this aspect.

Moreover, Martin Campbell, chosen by Simon for 'Wonder Woman', was more skilled than the novice directors promoted in the MCU remembered by Simon.

Although Hollywood saw the directors Simon chose for 'Batman', 'Wonder Woman', and 'Superman' as newcomers or second-tier, only Simon knew their potential far exceeded those real newcomers.

Considering personal styles and other elements, these directors cherished their opportunities and none dared to act recklessly.

Thus, from 'The Dark Knight

' to 'Wonder Woman', and even the upcoming 'The Flash' from Warner scheduled for year-end, the success of 'The Dark Knight' had been proven, and the other films had reached Simon's expectations.

Coinciding with the publication of the new Forbes list, Simon also received numerous party invitations from local Italian influencers during the day.

Since he had decided to expand into Europe, Simon accepted the invitations from the Italian locals graciously.

Moreover, these individuals showed genuine hospitality by choosing to host events in Naples.

That evening, he was attending a party hosted by the prominent Agnelli family on a yacht off the coast of Naples.

As founders of the Fiat Group, the Agnelli family, known as Italy's 'royal family', had a century-long legacy and controlled Italy's largest industrial group, holding a higher status in Italy than the Ford family in the USA.

Of course, the Agnelli family's wealth, relative to Italy, was substantial, but their total fortune was still less than $5 billion.

However, the influence of the Agnelli family in Italy was something that a newcomer like Simon could not yet match.

While he had accepted the Agnelli family's invitation, Simon had no plans to venture into the traditional automotive industry.

It was well-known that after entering the new millennium, the traditional automotive industry would rapidly decline.

However, attending the Agnelli family gathering was not without purpose.

Besides forging a good relationship with Italy's most prominent local influencers, there were numerous potential areas for cooperation, such as car placement ads in films produced by Daenerys Entertainment.

Car placements were a significant revenue stream in Hollywood, most famously the Aston Martin in the James Bond series.

Moreover, establishing this connection would be greatly beneficial for the Westeros system's expansion in Italy, and the Agnelli family also had ambitions to break into North America, making for a mutually beneficial partnership.

Returning to his residence in downtown Naples at ten in the evening, Simon contemplated the details of the evening's gathering and called Janet in Los Angeles to discuss some issues regarding the statement. At the end of their conversation, Janet teasingly mentioned that her aunt was sitting beside her, asking if Simon wanted to return earlier.

Returning earlier was not possible.

Tomorrow marked the opening of Milan Fashion Week.

Gucci's major show was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, and Simon had to attend that show before he could return.

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