At seven o'clock, Sophia Fache woke up right on time to the beeping of her alarm.
She went next door first to check on her son. They had flown from Europe to New York yesterday, and maybe because of the long trip, the little boy had said he felt unwell last night. She had called a private doctor to the house in the middle of the night. There had been nothing wrong, and only then had she felt at ease.
She gently touched his forehead, stood by the bed and looked at him with quiet satisfaction for a moment, then went to the next room to check on her daughter.
Her two children were everything to her.
But she did not spoil them without limits.
Back in Europe, the children had not been allowed to sleep in after the age of six. They had to get up at seven every day. Since they had just arrived in North America and needed time to adjust to the time difference, she planned to let them sleep until eight.
Her parents were already up. The elderly always slept little.
She prepared breakfast with her mother, and they discussed buying her father a boat.
Of course, it would not be for fishing anymore. But after a lifetime as a fisherman, her father became restless if he stayed away from boats too long. In Geneva he would take a small boat out on Lake Geneva every few days and drift around all day. Before coming to America, he had even asked whether there were lakes near Greenwich. When he heard it was by the sea, he had been delighted.
What had happened back then had left a gap between her and her parents for years. But after so many years, she no longer felt any resentment. Or rather, she had never truly held much resentment to begin with. It was simply a difference in beliefs between two generations. Her parents loved her, and they had always carried guilt toward her as well. She knew that. She cared about them too.
It was just hard to be as close as they once were.
After breakfast, she personally conducted two interviews that morning. The house still needed to hire a full-time maid and a private tutor.
When it came to hiring, especially for people who would be around her family, she was extremely cautious.
Back when that young man had chosen her, she had heard she was investigated thoroughly. She had been unhappy about it. Later, when she helped him manage properties, every maid and servant hired still had to go through a professional background check by a detective agency.
Once she and Janet grew familiar, she had occasionally asked whether it was really necessary. Janet told her it was because of something Simon had once said.
A couple had hired a maid. They treated her very well, even lent her large sums of money, hoping she would repay their kindness and take good care of their family and children. But the maid had a history of gambling and theft and had even been to prison. Later, she stole from the household to repay gambling debts. Trying to cover it up, she set a fire. The mistress and two small children burned to death.
After hearing that story, Sophia immediately investigated the maid who was caring for her parents and children from top to bottom. Still not reassured, she ran the check a second time.
Thankfully, there were no problems.
This time was the same.
Before coming to the United States, she had asked Angela Ahrendts, Gucci's American chief, to help her find candidates. After careful selection, she settled on two. Both were white women, and neither they nor their families had any negative record. They also had solid reputations with previous employers.
Because the tutor would need to be close to the children, Sophia insisted the tutor take a psychological assessment.
Naturally, both women's salaries were not low.
But Sophia had no financial worries anymore. The young man often sounded like a harsh boss in words, but when it came to compensation, he had never treated her unfairly.
Yesterday she had invited Simon and Janet to lunch at her home. Near noon, she began preparing again.
Because it was Sunday, Simon and Janet had no work. They arrived exactly at twelve at the Fache family home. Since it was a formal visit, they brought gifts. For the children, the boy received a set of LEGO bricks, and the girl received a lovely white teddy bear plush.
Sophia had taught the children well. Without needing their mother's reminder, they thanked them politely after receiving the gifts.
Janet clearly adored the little ones. When she handed the teddy bear to Gemma, she could not resist pulling the girl into her arms and kissing her a few times, looking like an overexcited aunt.
After a bit of greeting, everyone went straight to the dining room.
A long table. Simon and Janet sat on one side, Sophia's family on the other.
Sophia personally served everyone their lunch, then sat down in the seat directly across from Simon and added, "There's also a mushroom soup, it'll be a little while."
Janet noticed that Daniel across from her looked listless. "Danny looks like he doesn't feel well. Is he alright?"
Sophia reached out and touched her son's forehead again. "It's probably the time difference. He'll be fine in a few days."
"Did you have a doctor check him?"
Sophia nodded. "Last night."
As she spoke, she saw her son still looking drained. She turned slightly, leaned in, and helped him tuck his napkin properly, then kissed his cheek before sitting back down. She did not fuss over Gemma beside him. The girl did not need help and put on her own napkin.
Watching the scene, Janet could not help feeling a flicker of envy. Unfortunately, there was still no news from her own belly.
She glanced sideways at Simon, only to find him looking a little dazed.
As if he was envious too.
So under the table, she reached over and poked his waist lightly.
Simon snapped back and shot her a look that clearly said, Why are you poking me? Then, as if nothing had happened, he picked up his utensils. Noticing Sophia's parents beside the little girl, he looked over and found a topic.
Daniel and Gemma had no issue with English, but the elderly couple only spoke French.
So Simon switched to French.
After a few lines, Sophia's father started talking about buying a boat, and he seemed to warm to this young man, who was said to be extremely important, yet was willing to talk to him so naturally.
Simon was not particularly fond of boats or yachts. He disliked the uneasy feeling of drifting at sea.
Still, he spoke smoothly on the subject, and before he knew it, he was talking about his trip to Antarctica at the end of last year, back when he had been in Australia.
When Simon described the glaciers, penguins, and the endless polar day, Gemma looked utterly captivated. The moment there was a pause, she turned her bright eyes to her mother. "Mom, can I go to Antarctica and see it?"
"That won't do. You're still too little."
"Then can I go next year?"
"Next year won't work either. At least… you'll have to wait until you're eighteen."
The girl frowned, thought for a moment, then asked, "Can I just have my eighteenth birthday next year?"
Sophia smiled and shook her head. "No. You can only have birthdays one at a time."
Seeing the girl's disappointment, Janet said, "If little Gemma behaves and listens to her mom, I can have someone film some videos in Antarctica and bring them back. Then you can see penguins and glaciers on TV. Maybe even the aurora. Let's make that your birthday gift for next year."
Gemma glanced at her mother. Seeing no objection, she nodded, then immediately asked, "What's an aurora?"
"An aurora is… it's a very beautiful light that floats across the night sky."
"Can we see an aurora at night here?"
"Probably… I think only Antarctica and the Arctic have them."
Janet was not entirely sure, and she looked at Simon.
Simon nodded. "That's right. Only Antarctica and the Arctic."
Gemma's curious eyes turned to him again, persistent. "Why do only Antarctica and the Arctic have auroras?"
Simon had no idea how to explain solar particles interacting with Earth's polar magnetic fields in a way a small girl could understand. He tipped his chin toward Sophia across the table and dumped it on her. "That one you can ask your mom."
The girl immediately redirected. "Mom, Mom?"
"Sweetie, Mommy doesn't know either. How about Mommy finds out and tells you later?"
Gemma nodded seriously, then turned back to Janet and reminded her, "Aunt Jenny, Gemma's birthday is May 19. Next year too."
Janet could not help smiling. "I'll remember."
Hearing his sister already settle next year's birthday gift with the aunt across the table, Daniel lifted his head and looked at Janet, then looked to his mother again.
Sophia gently caught the napkin at her son's chest and wiped the corner of his mouth. She only smiled and did not help him speak up.
Janet did not wait for the shy boy to open his mouth. She asked with a grin, "What gift does Danny want?"
The boy looked at Sophia again. After receiving an encouraging look, he finally said, "A train. A train with tracks."
Janet understood at once. "Sure. Next year we'll get Danny a train set, the kind where the tracks can cover the whole room. So, what day is Danny's birthday?"
"July 23."
As Daniel answered, his eyes lit up with excitement, then he glanced at his mother again with a touch of guilt, as if she had rejected this request before.
Sophia smiled and patted his head, not objecting.
A creamy scent drifted through the air, and Sophia remembered again. "Right, the mushroom soup. You keep eating."
She stood and went into the kitchen.
A moment later, Sophia brought the mushroom soup back, placed it on the table, and ladled it into small bowls herself.
But as she handed the first bowl toward Simon, perhaps because it was too hot, she released it too early when Simon reached to take it. The hot soup tipped and spilled in front of him, most of it splashing onto his suit jacket and trousers.
His upper body was protected by two layers of clothing, so it was not too bad. But even though autumn had arrived, Simon was still wearing only a single pair of trousers. The scalding liquid soaked through the fabric into his thigh, and he sucked in a sharp breath.
The room erupted into flustered commotion.
After the two women fussed over him and wiped him down carefully, Sophia saw that he still looked a mess. Full of apology, and remembering the heat of the soup, she said, "Should you rinse it with cold water first?"
Simon had not spoken yet when Janet nodded. "Do that. I'll call someone to bring a change of clothes."
Since the two women had decided, Simon said nothing more and followed Sophia upstairs.
Because her mind was in a mess, Sophia hurriedly pushed open a door, then remembered too late that it was her own bedroom. It was too awkward to change course now, so she led Simon inside, brought him to the bathroom, and said, "In there. Change in there."
The decor, and the distinct feminine scent in the air, confirmed for Simon that this was Sophia's bedroom.
A fierce, sudden impulse rose in him.
The moment he stepped inside, Simon caught her wrist and pulled her in with him.
Sophia stumbled into the bathroom, stunned, and watched as he locked the door. When he turned back, there was something blazing and dangerous in his eyes. Her heart tightened. She raised a hand reflexively. "Simon, no. Not here. Not now. You can't."
She backed up as she spoke until her back hit the wall.
Seeing the woman's panic, Simon's thoughts cleared again. He shook his head hard, drew a deep breath, turned around, unlocked the door, and opened it again. Softly, he said, "Go out."
Sophia froze again. Seeing the clarity return to the young man's eyes, she relaxed. She walked carefully forward, passed him, then stopped and said in a low voice, "I… I'll be going into Manhattan these next few days. You know, for the Gucci brand event tied to fashion week."
Milan Fashion Week was already over, and Gucci's runway show had been in Italy.
But for brand promotion, even though Gucci would not be doing a runway show at New York Fashion Week, they would still hold a marketing event, similar to the previous Gucci Night.
Hearing her words, Simon paused and gave a quiet response. His voice softened even more. "Go out first. And… I'm sorry about what happened just now. I scared you."
"I, it's alright."
As Sophia spoke, an inexplicable, strange tenderness rose in her chest. She looked up at the young man beside her and lifted her hand to touch his face. Feeling his body stiffen instantly, she instinctively sensed it was wrong, and she hurriedly withdrew her hand. Without saying anything else, she turned and left the bathroom.
Simon changed out of his clothes, rinsed with cold water, and soon someone from the estate delivered a fresh set of clothing.
The small incident was noticed by no one besides Simon and Sophia.
After that, lunch proceeded without any further mishaps. Since Simon had rinsed promptly, and his physique was excellent, he recovered quickly without needing any additional treatment.
After the weekend, time moved into October of 1990.
This trip to New York involved a lot of work.
The main focus was still the two acquisitions, especially the preparations for acquiring Bell Atlantic, which were moving at full speed.
If Matsushita's acquisition of MCA remained deadlocked, Simon planned to make his move in early November. He would first launch a tender offer for MCA, and after signing a letter of intent, he would simultaneously submit an offer for Bell Atlantic.
To acquire a company with a market value of several billion dollars, especially a firm like Bell Atlantic that was subject to federal telecommunications regulation, the early preparation work was complex and heavy.
Even the preliminary phase required a dedicated law firm to investigate potential legal barriers and draft countermeasures. The acquisition team also needed to examine and evaluate Bell Atlantic's assets and liabilities to produce an accurate offer. After completing that due diligence, they would still need to draft a targeted acquisition plan and contingency plans for unexpected situations, such as competing bidders.
In addition, raising several billion dollars required careful handling as well.
And throughout the entire preparation, secrecy had to be maintained. So giving the team just over a month to prepare was actually extremely tight. Cersei Capital, the Rebould law firm, and another hired accounting firm had been running nonstop these days for Simon's two-front acquisition plan.
Of course, if the acquisitions succeeded, the tens of millions of dollars in consulting fees from the two deals combined would more than justify every bit of effort the teams put in.