[Chapter 666: Out of Line]
The news that Heidi Klum had been fired on the spot by Eric due to a violation quickly spread. The Victoria's Secret Angels, who had been riding high on media hype during that time, calmed their increasingly restless minds upon hearing the details.
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show already attracted massive media attention. With the beloved models suddenly crashing down from their cloud, such explosive news could not remain hidden. The Victoria's Secret team had no intentions of keeping it under wraps. On the same day Eric made his decision, Heidi Klum's personal homepage on Yahoo was removed. Events that required her participation were promptly adjusted. Edward Razek, one of the heads of the Victoria's Secret Show, issued an official announcement at the Plaza Hotel where the Angels were staying.
Despite this, the media's insatiable thirst for any news related to the Victoria's Secret Show was far from satisfied. Countless inquiries bombarded the show's project team and Heidi Klum's agency, Metropolitan Models, as reporters desperately sought to unearth more details. Almost all media outlets refused to believe that she was fired solely due to an interview with Fashion New York. Most thought the interview was a calculated publicity stunt; after all, just like movie promotions that released various pieces of information to maintain buzz, the article in Fashion New York resembled typical promotional tactics.
Some more dubious publications even speculated on the potential for scandals, leading to an intensified frenzy of "digging." Yet regardless of how many calls were made or how many sources were contacted, every piece of information the media obtained matched the official line. Not only was this the truth, but the Victoria's Secret Angels had zipped their lips following the incident. Those familiar with the events were equally tight-lipped. If the Angels made a mistake, at most they just lost this opportunity. Given the strictly enforced non-disclosure agreements they'd signed, if they said anything wrong, they would not only lose their jobs, but also face huge claims.
Without any groundbreaking stories to latch onto, the media soon realized a critical fact: besides the Victoria's Secret team and Metropolitan Models, the individual who knew most about the entire situation was clearly Heidi Klum herself. However, when numerous reporters began to reach out to Heidi Klum, they uncovered a shocking truth -- this recently fired Angel had apparently vanished!
All contact details for Heidi and her agent became obsolete. Even some resourceful reporters who linked up with her relatives in Germany failed to track her down. Consequently, the media grew even more agitated, with various speculations swirling. Although reputable large outlets hesitated to report without evidence, countless gossip tabloids had no such concerns. Within just a few days, bizarre "insider" articles proliferated, with the most popular theory suggesting that a departing model from the show had gotten pregnant by some media mogul, necessitating a retreat from public life to avoid lawsuits. Unsurprisingly, these tabloids cleverly refrained from using real names, knowing that any intelligent reader would see through the insinuation. Meanwhile, insider rumors about Eric's fury regarding Heidi Klum's breach and subsequent exile only earned derision as "fake news" from both the media and the public alike.
In the days following the uproar, many who knew the truth found themselves beleaguering Eric with a sense of schadenfreude.
Of course, most were cautious not to display these feelings in front of Eric. Still, his close friends and family had fewer reservations. Virginia even playfully asked him during a weekend in East Hampton if Kevin and Hawaii were about to welcome a younger brother or sister.
Eric's wealth, amassed by his early thirties, made him much too conspicuous compared to typical billionaires who were often middle-aged or older. Coupled with his profession and unmarried status, the swirling rumors about him never ceased. Consequently, in light of the media circus surrounding him, Eric quickly adopted a nonchalant attitude. After all, he believed that more gossip just meant more circling.
...
As they went on with the Victoria's Secret Show preparations, filling Heidi Klum's empty slot became a priority for Eric.
Several top models who had initially declined the invitation to participate started actively expressing interest, influenced by the Angels' soaring popularity and the immense boost to their careers. Even ordinary first and second-tier models showed great eagerness, flooding the project team with an avalanche of applications.
In a temporary office at the workshop, Emily approached Eric, who was engrossed in a detailed layout of the fashion show, and said, "Naomi Campbell's agent just called. Naomi really wants to join the show. She even offered to perform for free, but she's hoping for at least the opening walk and, of course, the iconic Victoria's Secret wings."
Eric shook his head. "We can think about the wings, but there will be no opening walk. Not only that, but even the closing is already assigned. All entry sequences have been arranged; she can only fill Heidi Klum's spot. Relay that message to them. As for doing this for free, we won't do that. We have to pay her what she's worth."
Emily nodded and immediately picked up her phone.
If it were another routine fashion show, Emily would surely persuade Eric into accommodating a request like this; Naomi Campbell's runway strut was among the best in the industry. Invite her to walk the show, and then they could all go their separate ways. But this time was different. Emily understood just how problematic Naomi's reputation had become; her notorious diva antics, frequent tantrums, and habitual tardiness could no longer be overlooked. The Victoria's Secret Show required meticulous planning, and there was no room for even a hint of drama. Naomi Campbell, without a doubt, was the type most likely to stir up trouble.
After hanging up, Emily was about to put her phone away when it rang again. Answering, she responded with some casual comments before her expression turned strange as she hung up.
Noticing Emily's unusual reaction, Eric raised an eyebrow. He knew it was another call trying to leverage a connection through Emily but wondered about her response. "What was that about?"
Emily shrugged. "Another suitable candidate. I think we should give this one a shot."
With less than a month left before the show, time was tight for newcomers to train. Thus, Eric decided to dismiss the applications of the ordinary first and second-tier models he'd previously considered, opting instead to pick from a select few top models. In recent days, he had already evaluated many suitable candidates. Curiosity piqued, he asked, "Is there still a top model we haven't considered?"
Emily confirmed with a nod. "Stephanie Seymour. What do you think?"
Eric was taken aback; here was certainly one of the era's premier supermodels. The bold supermodel had infamously led her former girlfriends to sue Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose for "loss of youth," a fact well etched in Eric's memory.
Of course, Eric had thought about Stephanie Seymour but had dismissed the idea early on. She had recently gotten involved with a billionaire, Peter Brandt, and their relationship was heading towards marriage. Although Peter was over twenty years her senior, Eric admired Stephanie's shrewdness. Most models just dreamed of marrying into wealth, yet few actually succeeded.
"If I'm not mistaken, isn't Stephanie Seymour about to marry Peter Brandt? Would he really be okay with his fiancee continuing to pursue business endeavors?"
Emily seemed more informed. "Stephanie has been with Peter for several years now. She's been eager to marry, but Peter hesitated until he finally agreed. They've had disagreements over a prenuptial agreement; after all, Peter is already a father to five children, and I suspect Stephanie might want to ensure she inherits more or secure herself financially should they split. Since we received this call, I think this matter may soon be resolved."
Eric couldn't help shaking his head. "This is starting to sound more like a business negotiation than a marriage."
Emily, used to these perspectives, shot him a look. "If you were to get married one day, would you be willing to proceed with a wedding without a prenup?"
Eric was at a loss for words and awkwardly replied, "That... seems a bit like comparing apples and oranges?"
"Not at all. They're directly related," Emily retorted. "It's not fair that men can safeguard their assets, but women shouldn't strive for some benefit too, right?"
Eric often found it tricky to keep up with Emily's sharp tongue. He threw his hands up in defeat. "Okay, fine! Let's drop this topic and focus on Stephanie Seymour. Is it true she and Peter Brandt are on good terms?"
"Of course. I just heard from Stephanie's agent that they've signed a prenuptial agreement. However, it seems Stephanie wasn't fully satisfied with Peter's terms, so she included a clause allowing her to continue her career."
"That's quite the situation..." Eric found it hard to respond. Then he said, "Make a call to have her come in and try out. If it works out, it's her."
...
As one of the top supermodels of the era, Stephanie Seymour easily secured the vacant spot.
When the news broke, it triggered a small ripple in the media, with many speculating if Stephanie Seymour and billionaire Peter Brandt had separated, akin to Eric's initial thoughts. But shortly thereafter, Stephanie and Peter publicly announced their wedding date. When asked if he supported his fiancee continuing her career, Peter, as a publishing mogul, graciously nodded and committed to attending the Victoria's Secret Show.
...
With Stephanie filling the void left by Heidi Klum, preparations for the show entered their final phase. The artists selected by Firefly Records gradually joined rehearsals, and the fashion show was set to take place right after Halloween in early November, with the television broadcast scheduled for early December.
It also took advantage of the last episode of the first season of Survivor as a lead-in. Since Survivor's seasons only ran for thirteen episodes, with the first two aired back-to-back, its final episode was slated just before the December winter break.
After launching with impressive ratings, ABC's Survivor maintained high viewership, continuously breaking through the 30 million mark. Yet Eric knew this was nowhere near Survivor's full potential. He recalled that CBS's inaugural season of Survivor concluded with staggering ratings reaching 50 million. With this program providing a lead-in, Eric was confident the Victoria's Secret Show's most conservative ratings wouldn't fall below 20 million. After all, Friends didn't achieve its highest viewership of 52 million during its series finale, but rather during a Super Bowl lead-in episode. The Super Bowl consistently drew an audience of over 100 million, and Friends' ratings soared to 54 million during one such episode.
Amid all the buzz about the Victoria's Secret Show, ordinary viewers could only silently anticipate December's arrival to catch a glimpse of this extravagant event that had been hyped in the media for months. Yet for certain others, they would have the opportunity to see it live in November.
As the date of the Victoria's Secret Show approached, rumors about invitation requests surged once more. In the original timeline, the highest-priced Victoria's Secret invitations soared to EUR10,000 each, with subsequent parties reaching astronomical prices. However, Eric had no intention of publicly selling the invitations for this show.
*****
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