Although William initially refused, under the pressure of Ambrosio's "exercise techniques," he surrendered in less than an hour. After some time together, William decided he would go shopping, but Ambrosio, despite winning, was exhausted and had to order takeout. They both slept until 2 PM.
After a satisfying afternoon and a nap, William had no more excuses. He changed his clothes and headed out with his girlfriend. Shortly after arriving at Fifth Avenue, paparazzi, smelling a story, started following them.
Seeing his girlfriend's smile, William thought to himself, I knew this girl dragged me out just for this moment. He could only maintain a cold expression, feeling a bit annoyed as Ambrosio clung to his arm and posed for the paparazzi.
After shopping all afternoon, they had dinner and William took Ambrosio back home. Over the next two days, despite Ambrosio's best efforts, William only agreed to accompany her to Victoria's Secret headquarters once. The paparazzi noticed that while William entered in a good mood, he came out looking displeased, while Ambrosio clung to his arm with an eager and happy expression.
Being experts at sniffing out gossip, the paparazzi and media were dying to know what had made William upset after leaving Victoria's Secret. The public was even more curious, which made the paparazzi and media go into a frenzy. Even though William hired 12 temporary bodyguards, it didn't help. Whenever William appeared, the paparazzi would swarm around him, and at night, several cars would be parked outside his home waiting for him.
The paparazzi were relentless. Although they didn't find out why William was upset, the next night, a report about the Ambrosio yacht aired on television. Once this news broke, it wasn't just New York that was interested—media across Europe also started covering this ultra-rich behavior, with major headlines reporting on William's extravagant actions.
When it was revealed by Riva Yachts that the cost of the Riva 50-meter yacht exceeded $18 million, the discussion reached its peak. Numerous TV shows began debating how much wealth William actually had, since he could casually gift such a yacht to a girlfriend of just six months. This skyrocketed Ambrosio's fame. The world now knew of a model under 20 who had become the first woman to own a superyacht.
Additionally, reports surfaced from crew members of the Riva 50-meter yacht, revealing that William and Ambrosio had spent four full days at sea off the coast of New York after its maiden voyage. Public sentiment began to shift, with many New Yorkers expressing their discontent in random interviews. They were upset at William's lavish and showy lifestyle, especially during an economic downturn, and the media quickly fanned the flames of this resentment.
William didn't care about the criticism, but Ambrosio, as a model, couldn't handle the media and public backlash. She had to publicly explain that she wasn't the owner of the yacht, and that she only had the naming rights because she was William's girlfriend. However, this explanation only excited the media more. Now, the paparazzi bombarded her with all sorts of bizarre questions whenever they had the chance, driving Ambrosio to frustration and making William even more annoyed.
Sensing William's growing irritation, Ambrosio quickly stopped drawing attention to herself and obediently stayed home with him. But the drama wasn't over. Perhaps out of jealousy, or maybe as a marketing stunt by Victoria's Secret, someone from the company leaked that William had already purchased this year's multimillion-dollar Fantasy Bra. The designer was reportedly altering it to fit Ambrosio, and there was a strong possibility it wouldn't even appear on the runway—it would go straight into a private collection.
The yacht wasn't a gift, but the Fantasy Bra wasn't meant for William, either. The media ran with the story, joking, William surely won't wear it himself! That night, the news was all over the place, with one outlet offering $100,000 just to get a picture of the $15 million Fantasy Bra.
The flood of media coverage left Ambrosio both thrilled and afraid to show her face in public. William, however, made a phone call, and the next day, a team of five lawyers appeared at Victoria's Secret headquarters.
Victoria's Secret, having anticipated this, quickly issued an apology through the media, offering to buy back the $15 million Fantasy Bra for $17 million if William wished. As compensation, they also promised that Ambrosio would receive Angel Wings for her debut at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
But William wasn't someone who cared about money. You really think I'm just some bumpkin from England? he thought.
Seeing Ambrosio's anxious expression, William chuckled with irritation and pulled out his phone. "Sunday," he said, "you're in charge of providing real-time updates and operational guidance. I want every action I take to be one second faster than the market. Also, start collecting negative news about L Brand. If we don't get results within three days, release what you've gathered."
"Understood, sir," Sunday responded.
Just as Ambrosio was about to say something, William cut her off with a stern "Shut up," which made her burst into tears. "Dear, I just wanted to tell you that no matter what you decide, I'll support you. Even if I don't model for Victoria's Secret, I can still work for other companies. You're the one I care about the most."
Surprised by her sincerity, William stared into Ambrosio's eyes, making sure she wasn't putting on a show. After confirming her words, he nodded and sat beside her, hugging her tightly. "Don't worry," he said with a grin. "I guarantee that after this, not only will Victoria's Secret invite you to walk in their show, they'll treat you like a queen from now on."
"Mm-hmm," Ambrosio murmured softly, hugging William back without saying another word.
The next day, when the media had eagerly awaited a statement from William but received none, they became even more excited. When the stock market opened, L Brand's stock fluctuated wildly, and by the end of the day, the company's stock price had fallen by $1.10.
The following day, although L Brand tried to fight back, the market soon realized that William had access to funds that were possibly twice the value of L Brand itself. With L Brand's current market cap, William had more than $5 billion in cash at his disposal. By the end of the second day, L Brand had not only failed to stabilize its stock price but also lost nearly $70 million, causing its stock to drop another $2.70. Investors were already preparing to short L Brand as soon as the market opened the next day.
Realizing they were in trouble, L Brand's chairman and CEO personally visited William's home on the Upper East Side that night. The group stayed at William's place for over three hours, and by 10 PM, William was seen smiling broadly as he walked a similarly cheerful Ambrosio to the door, personally sending the somewhat embarrassed L Brand executives off.
The media and the public were dying to know what had been discussed between William and L Brand's leaders, but with more than 30 bodyguards in black suits and earpieces guarding the private elevator, no one could get within 20 meters of the place, let alone attempt an interview.
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