"Mr. Morris asked if we should halt the development of The Blair Witch Project to avoid the upcoming wave of mockumentary films in Hollywood."
"Continue. Mockumentaries are inherently niche. We need to seize as much market share as possible while the market is still open."
"In that case, should we speed up the sequel to Paranormal Activity?"
"This series already has a solid foundation. It's better to take it slow. The sequel should be released in two to three years." Simon paused for a moment, as if distracted, then continued, "Also, regarding the main creators of Paranormal Activity, especially Lin, Amy, and Jessica, have Danny talk to them. Their next projects should avoid mockumentaries to prevent typecasting. I have high expectations for them."
"Understood."
In the study on the second floor of the seaside villa in Sands Point.
It was already Saturday afternoon on the East Coast. News had been pouring in all day, forcing Simon to take a break from his relaxation to address the sudden super success of Paranormal Activity. A, standing across from Simon, jotted down his instructions in her notebook. Occasionally, she heard faint noises coming from under the large desk. She glanced up, giving her boss a look.
Simon chuckled, "It doesn't feel that great, but since we've started, we might as well finish the process."
A rolled her eyes again.
Simon decided to shoo her away, "That's all for now. Also, send Lyudmila to Manhattan. She needs to prepare for the CK show tonight. Tell her if she doesn't work hard, I'll send her back to Ukraine and never let her leave the country again."
A nodded and left the study.
Once the door closed, Simon looked down, grabbing a handful of long hair and lifting two obedient, beautiful faces. He frowned slightly at Melania and Ines, "Put your hands behind your backs."
Meanwhile, A left the room and called two maids. Together, they went to a bedroom at the other end of the second-floor corridor.
Entering the room, they approached the large bed.
It was already past 3 p.m., and Lyudmila Bessonovskaya was still sound asleep, sprawled out in an ungraceful position.
A patted the girl, "Hey, time to get up."
Feeling someone touch her, Lyudmila stirred slightly, then suddenly sprang to life, flailing her arms, "Don't touch me, don't touch me!"
After a moment of flailing, she woke up.
Seeing A standing by the bed, with two maids trying to stifle their laughter behind her, Lyudmila pulled the blanket over her head, "Leave me alone! I need more sleep. Ugh, I'm so hungry. Bring me some food. I want to eat in bed."
A waited for the girl to finish her rant, then said, "The boss wants you to go to Manhattan to prepare for the CK show. He also said if you don't work hard, he'll send you back to Ukraine and never let you out again."
Hearing this, Lyudmila paused, then kicked off the blanket, rolling around on the bed and kicking her legs for a while before finally calming down.
Last night had been rough.
Seeing that Lyudmila had stopped making a scene, A instructed the maids and left the room.
After some more grumbling, Lyudmila finally got up, got dressed, and went downstairs to eat. After her meal, she searched for Simon to say goodbye.
A maid led her back to the study upstairs.
Knocking and entering, she saw the two sisters who had arrived with her yesterday sitting across from Simon at his desk.
They seemed to be discussing business, but judging by their loose robes and the lingering flush on their faces, Lyudmila guessed what had just happened. She pouted, about to approach, but Simon pointed to the sofa in the sitting area. Remembering last night's lesson, she obediently went over and sat down to wait.
"Just in New York alone, countless fashion brands are born and disappear every year. Starting with fashion, especially women's fashion, is the hardest. Since you want to do something, I'll give you an idea: try making jewelry. Specifically, personalized jewelry marketed and sold through online platforms. Design pieces based on trending topics or holidays, targeting young consumers who value individuality. For example, with Paranormal Activity, if you can come up with a jewelry design and market it well, it'll sell. Once you establish yourselves in this niche, expanding into fashion and cosmetics will be easier. Many luxury brands started this way. Take Gucci, for example—they began with horse gear."
After Simon finished, the sisters exchanged glances. Melania spoke first, "Simon, to make Paranormal Activity merchandise, we'd need licensing, right?"
"That's part of the support I can offer. Not just licensing, but also brand placements in future films."
Ines worried, "But Paranormal Activity is expected to make $150 million. The licensing fees must be high?"
"Licensing fees vary by category. Jewelry is a niche market for film merchandise, so the fees would be low. Of course, with the license, you can only make jewelry."
Ines added, "Even if the licensing is cheap, jewelry production costs seem high. And if we can get placements, wouldn't it be better to place a fashion brand?"
"I want you to focus on affordable jewelry—pieces that emphasize individuality over value, priced between tens to hundreds of dollars, maybe up to a thousand. Anything more expensive, your target audience won't be able to afford. As for fashion, I have Gucci, CK, Versace, and so many other brands to choose from. Why would I pick yours?"
When Simon said "why," Ines instinctively glanced under the desk.
Melania quickly interjected, "Simon, we'll go with jewelry then."
"Good," Simon nodded approvingly. "I'll give you the Paranormal Activity license. Now, brainstorm a creative idea for me."
Ines couldn't help but question, "Simon, Paranormal Activity is a horror movie. Would people really buy jewelry based on that theme?"
"That's where your creativity comes in."
Melania subtly tugged at her sister, signaling her to stop contradicting Simon. After a moment of thought, she said, "Simon, Halloween is just a month away, and Paranormal Activity will still be in theaters. I think we can combine the two, designing a set of themed rings—preferably wide bands—perfect for Halloween. They could also be collectibles, so they should be made of sterling silver, priced around $100. We could even make them limited edition. Maybe the film's main cast could promote them on social media."
"That's the right approach," Simon praised Melania. "Next, you'll need to create a brand, set up an Amazon store, and manage your official social media accounts. But the core focus should be on product design. You have one month to produce 10,000 limited-edition Paranormal Activity Halloween rings."
As the discussion wrapped up, Ines brought up another concern, "Simon, what about funding?"
"Work out the other details with A. That's all for now. You can go."
The two women stood up and left.
Once the Cofanes sisters were gone, Lyudmila hopped over to Simon, "Simon, I think I can try starting a brand too."
"I think I can send you back to Ukraine."
"Wah..."
Simon swatted the girl's backside as she pretended to cry on his shoulder, "You have one minute. If you're still here after that, I'll call them back to deal with you."
Lyudmila, still traumatized from last night, immediately stopped her fake crying. Pouting, she clung to Simon's arm, shaking it. When that didn't work and the seconds ticked by, she finally gave up, quickly jumping up and fleeing the study.
After Lyudmila left, Simon stood and stretched, walking over to the window.
Down by the pool, the usual scene of lively women continued.
After a moment of watching, he turned to head downstairs for some sun when his private phone on the desk rang.
Answering, it was Grace.
She chatted with Simon for a while, teasing him about his current situation, before mentioning that Jane Xin and Tao Yueli had asked her to check if Simon had time. She also brought up that this year's Elite Model Contest had selected a few Chinese girls, and since she thought this might be Simon's new interest, she had kept them for him.
Simon hadn't forgotten about Tao Yueli and the others, or Zhu Momo, who should also be in New York for fashion week.
He just thought these girls might not mix well with the crowd downstairs, so he hadn't invited them over. Unexpectedly, Jane Xin and the others had caught wind of things and asked Grace to probe.
After a moment's thought, Simon said, "Tomorrow. I'll have someone pick them up."
Aside from sending Lyudmila off to work—mainly to keep her from bothering him—the other women at the estate were free to stay even after he left. So, Tao Yueli and the others would need a different location. Fortunately, this wasn't an issue for Simon.
Even in Sands Point, Simon owned more than one property.
After chatting with Grace a bit more and asking about her son, Simon hung up. He walked around the desk, checking himself before leaving. The sisters had been thorough, leaving no traces. Satisfied, he headed out.
As for Melania, Simon had initially kept her around out of a private, world-exclusive fascination.
Now that she wanted to do more than be a trophy, Simon didn't mind. The Westeros family's trophy fund was always active. Giving them some resources was fine. Whether they succeeded or failed didn't matter much.
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