Accompanying Ivanka as they walked around the banquet hall, Duke greeted New York's wealthy heirs under her introductions, exchanging simple pleasantries. This was the most frequent activity he engaged in at the party. Although some attendees bore jealousy, no one acted out of place in such a public setting.
Perhaps many of them were indeed scoundrels in private, but they knew there was a time and place for everything.
After making a round through the banquet hall, Ivanka took Duke's arm and returned to Donald Trump.
"Duke, let me introduce you to someone."
Seeing Duke return, Donald Trump immediately introduced the three people standing opposite him. "This is Richard Hilton from the Hilton Group. These two lovely ladies are his daughters, Paris and Nicky..."
Duke politely greeted the father and daughters.
"May I call you Duke? Thank you..."
When shaking hands with Paris Hilton, Duke felt her pinky finger casually brush against his wrist. She seemed very familiar with Ivanka, pulling her hand affectionately and exclaiming with surprise, "So you're officially dating Duke? Congratulations, dear..."
Letting go of Ivanka, Paris Hilton winked at Duke when no one else was looking. However, Duke had no interest in her and pretended not to notice.
Compared to him, Donald Trump, and Richard Hilton, the Hilton daughters clearly did not have the qualifications to participate in the conversation.
In a way, Ivanka Trump wasn't fully qualified either.
However, Ivanka was clever enough to remain by Duke's side silently, refraining from speaking unless necessary.
"Congratulations, Duke," said Richard Hilton, raising his glass to Duke. "If I'm not mistaken, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone just brought in $59.6 million over the past weekend, crossing $200 million at the North American box office in just ten days."
Duke sipped his wine and responded modestly, "Just good luck, I suppose."
"Good luck?" Richard Hilton shook his head. "Has your luck been this good for the past decade? Even as an outsider, I can tell that this year's box office leaders will undoubtedly be The Fellowship of the Ring and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone."
He sighed. "The profits your films generate are astonishing. Sometimes, I can't help but consider investing in Hollywood."
Recognizing the probing nature of the comment, Duke replied tactfully, "Hollywood surely has many companies eager for Hilton Group's investment."
Since The Fellowship of the Ring became a massive hit, rumors had circulated about Duke wanting to increase investment in The Two Towers and The Return of the King. This attracted numerous potential investors, all of whom Duke rejected.
Neither he nor Warner Bros. lacked funds now.
Even Richard Hilton wasn't spared—Duke turned down many offers from Wall Street investors.
Still not giving up, Richard Hilton asked, "Duke, can you share how The Fellowship of the Ring and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone merchandise sales are doing?"
"Not bad."
Hilton was clearly fishing for specific data, but Duke only offered a vague response. Unexpectedly, Donald Trump interjected, "I happen to know: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone raked in around $135 million in North American merchandise sales last week."
Duke frowned slightly. This was a figure he casually mentioned to Trump during their afternoon chat. While not confidential, revealing it when he had chosen not to share was inconsiderate.
"Oh?" Richard Hilton raised an eyebrow. "That's an astonishing number."
Though merchandise sales require revenue-sharing with retailers, the profit margin far surpasses box office earnings.
He turned to Donald Trump. "I remember you had a role in The Fellowship of the Ring. Don't you want to continue collaborating with Duke?"
"Of course," Donald Trump declared grandly. "Duke and I are the best of partners."
Duke nodded lightly, playing along. "Donald is an outstanding actor."
"Actually, I have an even better idea for our collaboration," Trump added, as though he'd been planning this. "I've been thinking of writing a book, documenting the behind-the-scenes stories of the Angel and Elf Super Show, my experiences on The Lord of the Rings set... Duke, and even some of your interesting anecdotes. It would surely hit the bestseller list."
Hearing this, Duke turned to look at Trump, confirming he wasn't joking.
"What do you think of the idea, Duke?" Trump asked enthusiastically.
His loud voice caught the attention of several people nearby, including Richard Hilton and his daughters, as well as a few others who gathered around.
Tilting his head slightly, Duke was about to respond when Ivanka stepped forward. Sensing Duke's change in mood, she gently tugged on Trump's arm.
"Dad, you've had a bit much to drink," she whispered.
Trump wasn't a fool. He quickly switched topics and started discussing the stock market with Richard Hilton.
Ivanka returned to Duke's side and, noticing the lingering gazes, found an excuse. "My shoes are a little uncomfortable. Could you accompany me upstairs to change them?"
"Sure." Duke understood her intent.
They left the banquet hall and found a quiet, secluded area. Ivanka took his arm.
"I'm really sorry, Duke," she apologized with a hint of guilt on her face. "Dad always speaks without considering others' feelings."
Exhaling lightly, Duke looked at the snow falling outside through the glass window. Turning back, he smiled understandingly at Ivanka. "It's okay; these are minor issues."
"Would you like to see my room upstairs?" Ivanka invited.
"Of course."
Duke agreed, temporarily setting aside his annoyance with Trump.
As one of the hosts, Ivanka couldn't be away for long. She quickly changed her shoes in the cloakroom with Duke's company and returned to the banquet hall.
"I'll go accompany Dad to entertain guests," she said.
Ivanka smartly left Duke alone to avoid another direct encounter with Trump. "I noticed Irene and the others earlier. Why don't you go say hello?"
"I saw them too."
Not listening to Trump's bombast was undoubtedly the best way to avoid conflict. Duke shifted his gaze, spotted Irene Lauder, and walked toward her.
Relieved, Ivanka returned to Trump. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was approaching, she said, "Dad, I don't think writing that book is a good idea."
Trump turned to Ivanka, puzzled by her comment.
"Hollywood has unwritten rules," Ivanka explained. Having spent considerable time on The Lord of the Rings set, she had gained some understanding of the industry. "No matter how sharp the conflicts within a production are or how much public attention they attract, people don't casually disclose such things."
"You and Duke have a special relationship," Trump replied, clearly unwilling to change his mind. "I don't think he'd mind. He frequently engages in publicity stunts himself."
He wouldn't mind?
Ivanka felt an urge to facepalm. "Haven't you noticed? Duke only uses film-related content for publicity. He despises others exploiting his private life for attention."
Understanding her father well, Ivanka could easily imagine the book including plenty of gossip about her and Duke if it were published.
Seeing Ivanka's expression, Trump thought for a moment and said, "Ivanka, I'll carefully consider this."
Hearing his response, Ivanka felt somewhat reassured. She scanned the banquet hall, quickly spotting Duke chatting with Irene Lauder in a resting area.
She knew Irene was one of Duke's closest female friends but felt no concern. They had known each other for nearly a decade, and if anything were to happen, it would have already.
Ivanka was well aware that while Duke's past love life had been a bit chaotic, he wasn't someone without boundaries.
"I didn't expect you'd have an official girlfriend so soon," Irene teased Duke while sipping water. "I thought you'd wait until at least forty before settling down."
Duke shot her a glance. "I can't stay single forever, can I?"
"Ivanka is a good choice," Irene said, glancing toward the host's area. She caught Ivanka's gaze and nodded slightly at her. "She's very different from the likes of the Hilton sisters, who only know how to party. She's ambitious."
Pointing to herself, Irene laughed. "I know you admire ambitious and hardworking women."
"Should I take that as a compliment to yourself?" Duke joked back.
Irene laughed even more brightly. "Isn't it?"
Duke shifted the topic. "How's your cosmetics brand doing?"
"Having Estée Lauder as a backer makes many things easier," Irene said confidently about her business. "My goal is to surpass $1 billion in sales by 2005."
She sighed. "But it's nothing compared to you. One film of yours can make over $1 billion worldwide in just a few months."
...
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