Bab 265: Chapter 265: The Aggressiveness of Westeros
Waking up in the morning, it was already past seven o'clock. Sabina Frilli, draped in a deep blue silk robe, approached the window and pushed open the bedroom window, leaning over the windowsill to look outside.
This bedroom, located on the second floor of the villa facing south, offered a panoramic view. Surveying the area, the Italian neoclassical-style villa stood atop a rolling hill in the southern suburbs of Florence. The villa, spanning three floors, with its light grey ancient exterior, harmonized perfectly with the rough stone walls surrounding it. In the expansive view lay many other estates, large and small.
From its position, one could probably overlook the entire ancient city of Florence from the north side of the villa.
Evidently, this place was likely once the residence of some noble family. Unfortunately, following World War II and the abolition of the monarchy, Italy's nobility had generally declined, replaced by many new rich capitalists rising with Italy's economic recovery.
Unlike other suburban cities dominated by vast farmlands, this estate retained its natural state with dense shrubbery, suggesting the surrounding land was also privately owned.
As Sabina Frilli curiously speculated about the price of this estate, someone knocked on her bedroom door.
Opening the door, Sabina saw the neatly dressed Sofia Fesi. Her well-tailored white shirt and beige trousers added an aura of a strong professional woman.
"Good morning, Miss Frilli. Breakfast is ready; would you like to join us?"
"Oh, yes, I'll just change," Sabina nodded, feeling self-conscious about her pajamas as she fiddled with her collar, adding, "And good morning to you too, Miss Fesi."
With a smile, Sofia watched Sabina return to the bed to change out of her pajamas, then said, "No rush. You can freshen up or take a shower first. Also, I've had your car sent for repairs; it should be fixed by noon. Though, it's going to be quite expensive."
Sabina, about to change into last night's dress, heard about the car and glanced guiltily at Sofia before responding, "Thank you, Miss Fesi."
Sofia's smile persisted, she gestured slightly and said, "Then, I'll be in the dining room downstairs."
Half an hour later, Sabina Frilli arrived at the dining room, where everyone was already seated.
However, Simon Westeros had already eaten breakfast and was now sitting at the table, browsing through a thick stack of local Italian newspapers, occasionally marking them with a pencil.
The ponytailed assistant named Jennifer was still eating her meal, giving Sabina a brief greeting before resuming her meal. With her hair tied up, the assistant's white, jade-like neck was exposed, catching Sabina's eye. The assistant was a typical black-haired Latina with a fiery figure, but her skin was wheat-colored, making Sabina envious of Jennifer's fair complexion.
After exchanging greetings, Sabina accepted the breakfast Sofia handed her and ate quietly, occasionally trying to strike up a conversation with Westeros.
But internally, she harbored no expectations.
Last night, everything seemed to be going smoothly, at least in her view. Unexpectedly, Simon Westeros had another woman by his side, and a jealous one at that. Until Sabina was escorted to the guest room by Sofia last night, the assistant remained close to Westeros, leaving no opportunity for Sabina.
Sabina had even fantasized about Westeros coming to her room late at night, but that never happened.
Moreover, Sofia Fesi's relationship with him seemed more than ordinary. Otherwise, she wouldn't be staying here.
It's said that he also has an official girlfriend.
Now, well, he seems to be quite a playboy.
With that thought, Sabina still believed there might be a chance, as long as the other two women were gone.
But that seemed increasingly difficult.
Lost in these thoughts and after finishing breakfast, Sofia began collecting everyone's dishes. Sabina offered to help but noticed the assistant still sitting there, which stirred a competitive spirit in her, so she remained seated as well.
The atmosphere in the dining room grew slightly tense.
Until Sofia reappeared, smiling at Jennifer, "Jenny, could you help me pack the luggage? I'm not sure if anything's been missed."
Noticing the subtle teasing in Sofia's tone, Jennifer's face reddened slightly as she got up and left.
With the two women gone, Sabina felt more relaxed and turned to the man still reading the newspaper, attempting to make conversation. "Simon, are you leaving Italy soon?"
Simon looked up at her, nodding, "Yes, I'm leaving this morning."
Sabina paused, replying, "That's a pity."
"It's nothing. I'm sure there will be many more opportunities to come here."
"Oh," Sabina fiddled with her fingers on the table, then boldly asked, "So, will I see you again?"
"Maybe."
Simon marked another article in the newspaper and glanced again at the beauty across the table.
In fact, he was not entirely unfamiliar with this actress.
He remembered Sabina Frilli from his favorite Italian film, "The Great Beauty," where she played a dancer performing nightly at her father's club. That was a 2013 movie, directed by the famous Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Many characters and the carefully selected soundtrack in the film left a deep impression on Simon.
Now, Sabina Frilli must be in her mid-twenties, at the peak of a Latina's beauty. However, Simon still preferred the seductive silhouette of 'Ramona' licking her hand in "The Great Beauty."
Seeing Simon's silence, Sabina brought up another topic, "Simon, is this house yours?"
Simon didn't answer her question but instead asked, "Can you dance?"
"I, well, a little."
"You should learn to dance," Simon marked another note in the newspaper, saying, "Next time, if there's a chance, dance for me."
Sabina's eyes brightened, asking, "Next time, when?"
Simon shrugged, "Not sure, maybe, there won't be a next time."
Sabina felt confused but still took his words seriously.
After sitting with Simon for over an hour in the dining room, he finished browsing the stack of local Italian newspapers. Sofia and Jennifer returned to inform him that the luggage was packed and ready to go.
Simon handed Sofia a page of notes he had written while reading the newspapers, "Help me collect information on these people or companies. Also, I've marked some news in these newspapers; make clippings when you have time. If there's any media coverage related to this list in the future, do the same."
Sofia agreed, and everyone left the dining room together.
The bodyguards were already waiting outside with the car. Sabina followed out, unsure whether to say goodbye. It seemed there was no one else in the villa, but she couldn't just walk back to the city center, could she?
Sofia noticed her awkward position and said before getting in the car, "Miss Frilli, you can stay here for now; I'll be back soon."
After the cars left the estate, Sabina returned inside the villa, curiously exploring its quiet surroundings. She tiptoed around the three-story villa, finding at least seven or eight rooms on each level. She even found the entrance to the basement, but most doors were locked.
The Florence airport wasn't far from the southern suburbs. In less than an hour, Sofia returned, not alone, but with some attendants—precisely, five young girls in their early twenties.
Seeing these girls, who were no less attractive or poised than herself, Sabina felt puzzled and even had some disharmonious conjectures. Sofia simply instructed the girls to clean the villa, while she brought some tools to the dining room.
Following her into the dining room, Sabina saw Sofia sit down and start cutting out newspaper articles marked by Simon, then pasting them into a large blank book.
After watching quietly for a while, Sabina offered, "Miss Fesi, do you need help?"
Sofia looked at her, nodding, "Sure, you can help me cut out the news marked by Simon."
Sabina took the scissors Sofia handed her, picking up a newspaper.
It was the "Evening Post," one of Italy's largest newspapers. Although named an evening paper, it was actually a morning publication.
The front-page news was undoubtedly about Giuseppe Tornatore's "Cinema Paradiso" winning the Palme d'Or.
Sabina initially thought Simon would mark this important news, but he hadn't. Carefully checking, she finally found a marked article about Maserati. Knowing this luxury sports car company, she read the article with interest, which was about Maserati's struggles and potential sale in the coming period.
Why mark such news?
Was Simon Westeros planning to acquire Maserati?
He certainly had the capacity.
Still.
Sabina pondered but couldn't make sense of it, carefully cutting out the article and handing it to Sofia.
Sofia took it, pasting it in the scrapbook, and read it thoroughly, comparing it with the list Simon left before his departure.
Seeing the long list on the memo, Sofia felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
Fiat Group.
Armani.
Ferrero.
Prada.
Maserati.
The Agnelli Family.
Silvio Berlusconi.
...
...
These names included longstanding prominent figures in Italy, newly wealthy, and some still relatively unknown.
Unlike Sabina's confusion, Sofia clearly sensed a strong aggressiveness from the list.
The aggressiveness of Simon Westeros.
Sofia was sure if there was a chance, Simon would definitely make a move on these names, just like Westeros Corporation previously buying up a large number of tech company shares. The continuous rebound of tech stocks leading the North American stock market in recent years had already proven Simon's foresight.
Now, Sofia felt that the young man was no longer satisfied with just rapid investment growth. What he pursued was endless, rapid expansion. In fact, perhaps, to conquer the world.
Such ambitions might be just fantasies for many, but he was genuinely making it happen.
Emerging in 1986, within just three short years, Westeros Corporation's industries had extended to media, technology, and fashion. The growth rate of a series of companies even surpassed the century-long accumulation of many old families. It was not hard to imagine that if this expansion continued, the young man would undoubtedly create an unprecedented wealth miracle.
Thinking of this, Sofia felt some regret.
Perhaps, last night, she should have been more proactive, seizing the young man rather than quietly waiting for him to take the initiative. He seemed rarely proactive, simply taking for granted everything he had.
"Miss Fesi?"
A voice broke Sofia's contemplation, bringing her back to reality. She saw Sabina looking at her curiously, with several clipped newspapers already on the table.
Regaining composure, Sofia began pasting the clippings methodically, casually asking, "Florence isn't the center of Italy's film industry. What brought you here?"
"I just finished filming a movie on the eastern outskirts and planned to stay in Florence for a few days. I got the invitation to last night's banquet from the crew," Sabina explained, spotting a girl outside the dining room and asked curiously, "Miss Fesi, are they all maids of this villa?"
"Sort of," Sofia nodded, "But it's a part-time job. They're all students from several universities in Florence."
"Oh," Sabina nodded, "A few years ago, I also tried to apply to the National Film Academy, but I failed and had to try directly in the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, it's so hard to develop in this circle in Italy, especially for actresses. Italy doesn't really offer many opportunities for female actors."
"So, you want to go to Hollywood?"
Sabina's eyes filled with hope as she asked, "Miss Fesi, can you help me?"
"I can't help you, Sabina. Look outside, any of them have qualifications not inferior to yours. But you're already ahead of them. At least you've met Simon. Although they serve this estate and might know its owner is Simon Westeros, it's hard for them to get a chance to meet him."
Sabina stopped clipping the newspapers and probed, "So, what should I do next?"
Sofia smiled and shook her head, "I don't know. Maybe, you should hope he won't forget you."
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