Due to the time difference, Simon arrived in New York at 4 PM East Coast time.
However, his schedule was packed not just for the weekend. As soon as he landed, Simon had a series of meetings lined up, and in the evening, he was set to attend a gathering hosted by James Reboreld's family.
The main purpose was to strengthen ties with Westeros Corporation's various partners.
Simon didn't enjoy attending such business events, yet he couldn't avoid them.
Many of the super-rich who seem low-profile are only that way in public. In reality, if they were low-key in all social circles, they would never achieve great success.
Simon rarely appeared in the media these days, but his social network was continually expanding.
At his Fifth Avenue apartment, Simon spent an hour discussing the construction progress of the Westeros Tower with the project manager. By the time the meeting ended, it was already 7 PM.
A-Girl picked out a suit from the closet and brought it to the living room on the first floor of the apartment to show Simon. Once he gave his approval, she and B-Girl took the suit out of the garment bag and assisted Simon in getting dressed right there in the living room.
While tying his tie, A-Girl looked down and asked softly, "Sir, would you like something to eat before you go?"
"No need," Simon replied, then added, "And call Jerry Hall to see if she has time to come over tonight."
"Alright," A-Girl nodded gently and, after a moment of hesitation, asked, "And if Ms. Hall isn't available?"
"Victoria's Secret is holding auditions lately, right? Find a couple of models for me."
The first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was held in Los Angeles to make it easier for Simon to oversee it personally.
This year's second show was confirmed to be in New York, as the fashion scene on the East Coast is stronger than in Los Angeles, and it's more convenient for expanding influence across the Atlantic.
A-Girl acknowledged again.
After seeing Simon off, B-Girl sighed with a bit of self-pity, "Do we have no attraction at all?"
A-Girl simply gave B-Girl a look, tidied up Simon's discarded clothes in the living room, and then went to the small office on the first floor dedicated to the girls. She opened her laptop, looked through her contact list, and made a call.
The call connected, and she had a polite yet formal conversation with the person on the other end, arranged a time, and then hung up.
B-Girl, now dressed in a black evening gown, walked in and asked, "A, don't you want to change into something else?"
A-Girl shook her head, "No need."
Since it was just dinner, Alison didn't want to go to the trouble.
The two women left the apartment together, where a car was already waiting downstairs, driven by one of Simon's personal drivers.
As the closest maids to Simon and Janet, the girls enjoyed not just high salaries but also astonishingly good perks. Apart from having a personal driver, they also had access to all of Westeros' private jets, except the Boeing 767.
Initially, the Indian girl, Alia Mukherjee, who came to the Westeros household as Janet's yoga instructor, felt superior to Alison and the others. But after realizing the princess-like treatment the girls received, she voluntarily asked Janet to join the maid team and stayed on permanently.
The driver took them from the Fifth Avenue apartment, circled south of 59th Street, and arrived at Jean-Georges, located at the southwest corner of Central Park.
Jean-Georges is a renowned restaurant frequented by many celebrities and high-profile individuals in Manhattan. Typically, reservations are needed days in advance to secure a table. Showing up without a reservation often means waiting for hours without guaranteed seating. However, the two girls merely made a call before arriving.
Another perk of being close to the Westeros family.
Inside Jean-Georges, the girls were led by the host through the bustling main dining area, past a crowd of eager patrons, and directly to a prime window seat overlooking Central Park.
Seeing where the two girls were seated, some of the diners who initially brightened up at the sight of these attractive women in their 80s-grade beauty scale couldn't help but tone down their reactions.
Manhattan is small, but the hierarchy here is very pronounced.
In this neighborhood, the seating arrangements at famous restaurants are among the most telling indicators of one's social status.
People at the very top of the pyramid can secure the best seats in any restaurant with just a phone call.
Following them are those with a combination of wealth, fame, and connections who can usually get reservations easily, though securing the best seats might depend on luck and isn't always guaranteed. When demand is high or time is short, even they might face disappointments.
Everyone else must follow the rules.
In such a society, even well-to-do professionals are considered at the bottom of the pyramid.
So, two women occupying the best window seats at Jean-Georges during peak dining hours naturally drew speculation about their identities.
In this crowded part of Manhattan, especially around Central Park, the ratio of men to women is 1:2, and within this small few-square-kilometer area, some of the world's top socialites are constantly looking for opportunities to move up.
Even to the most seasoned socialites, the two women at the prime window table in Jean-Georges appeared more likely to be daughters from old-money families of the Upper East Side rather than mere attendants to some wealthy individual.
The many beautifully dressed women sitting cautiously beside their male companions couldn't hide their envy and even jealousy when looking at the two girls.
It's not that people around misjudged.
To maintain the aesthetic appeal of her "vases," Janet spends $200,000 annually on wardrobe and upkeep for each girl. This is an expense that even many pampered wives in the Upper East Side can't afford.
After ordering and once the unusually respectful waiter left, B-Girl glanced around the room and naturally received a few friendly smiles.
She sighed and said to Alison, "Sometimes I think this lifestyle wouldn't be so bad if it could last forever."
Alison took a sip of her wine and replied, "It can. Mrs. Westeros doesn't mind if we stay beyond the initial five years."
"But I also want to be like C," B-Girl said, referring to another maid who had successfully transitioned to a wealthy lifestyle. "I heard the latest iCam is even more popular. Her net worth is now over $200 million. I want lots of money too, and, you know, the rest."
Alison remained silent.
In this world, nothing comes without a price.
While the girls enjoyed extraordinary perks, they also had to give up a lot.
Even though they had personal time and vacations, they essentially had no private life. Things like dating or starting a family were out of the question. If certain boundaries were crossed, they would have to leave.
Last year, one of the girls from the butler's team had a one-night stand with a man she met at a bar. She was fired the next day while still in the hotel room, and no one ever saw her again.
This wasn't the first time.
Another girl was caught trying to sell private information about the Westeros family after being bribed by someone with ulterior motives. She disappeared soon after the deal was discovered.
Gradually, the more observant girls realized there must be "eyes" watching them.
The Westeros couple never treated their close associates harshly, but the girls understood that Simon was not a kind or trusting man, and Janet was not someone to be trifled with.
So there were many red lines around them.
Within these boundaries, life was like a fairy tale in a princess's castle.
However, crossing these lines meant immediate removal with no second chances.
The Westeros family had amassed billions of dollars in a few short years. Without being vigilant towards those around them, they would have been devoured by countless predators long ago.
But for the girls, this fairy-tale castle surrounded by dragons was something they couldn't resist.
Staying in the castle, they lost much but gained even more.
This lifestyle was the ultimate dream for many aspiring women in Manhattan.
Leaving the castle would mean losing everything they had, with no guarantee of gaining more.
While the housekeeper and C-Girl had successfully transitioned to greater heights after crossing the threshold, the other girls were aware that both were personally supported by Simon. They had the opportunity but not necessarily the means to replicate their success.
Unless that man was willing to help them as he did the housekeeper and C-Girl.
Could that happen?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Who knows?
Taking that gamble could be very risky.
The man they could only ever look up to was like an ancient king: powerful and capricious.
With the lifestyle they led, even a $10 million nest egg seemed insignificant. After all, maintaining their current lifestyle was beyond the reach of most ordinary millionaires.
After a while, the waiter brought their dinner, and the two women changed the subject as they picked up their utensils.
"A, what do you think about that proposal I showed you last time?"
Despite their internal conflict about leaving, the girls hadn't stopped exploring business ventures using the vase funds Simon provided.
B-Girl was working on a plan to leverage the rapidly growing Internet to create a high-end financial information and trading platform similar to Bloomberg.
B-Girl had studied finance in college, and during her time with Simon, she had earned a master's degree in economics from Stanford through part-time studies.
When Alison heard B-Girl mention it, she shook her head and said, "Starting from scratch, it's impossible."
B-Girl argued, "Michael Bloomberg started from scratch, and coincidentally, his startup fund was also $10 million."
Alison replied, "But before founding Bloomberg, he had
extensive experience on Wall Street. He knew exactly what clients wanted and had a vast network. What do you have?"
Betsy Hope, who had personally drafted her business plan, knew Alison's points were valid but still protested, "We have the boss."
A-Girl smiled, "The boss isn't that familiar with Wall Street. Mrs. Westeros could help you."
B-Girl's face fell, "Then it's a no-go."
Alison smiled and took a sip of wine, then resumed eating. "Your idea is great, but you lack the necessary industry experience and network. Bloomberg has a huge advantage in financial information, and it requires strong credibility. Given the choice, most people would still prefer Bloomberg."
Betsy nodded but added, "But there's still one person who might choose us."
"Yes," Alison shrugged. "Opportunities exist, but acquiring such a client would be costly. If it were easy to enter this field, established companies like Reuters or Dow Jones would have already done it."
"I think Bloomberg seized an opportunity with technological change, replacing outdated stock market terminals with computer networks. The rapid spread of the Internet is another technological shift, giving us a chance."
"Perhaps for you, but not for me," Alison said. "Don't involve me."
"So you're planning to stay with the boss forever?" B-Girl teased.
A-Girl didn't hide her intentions and nodded honestly.
B-Girl laughed, "Then it's just us. You can give me your $10 million vase fund share, and I'll give you some equity."
Alison said, "You need to rethink your plan. Copying Bloomberg's model won't work."
B-Girl leaned in, "Give me some of your ideas."
Alison thought for a moment. "Unlike Bloomberg, which focuses on high-end clients, the web's greatest strength is its broad public reach. If you want to create a financial information platform, you must consider your potential customer base."
"Targeting the public turns it into just another financial news website. There are many such sites on the Internet, and finding a profitable model is difficult."
"You could integrate a trading system," A-Girl suggested. "If I'm right, the federal stock market will see a long-term bull run in the coming years, sparking a nationwide stock trading frenzy. That's your opportunity."
B-Girl whispered, "How can you be so sure?"
Alison shot her a glance but didn't answer.
Spending time around Simon, if she couldn't pick up on this trend, it would reflect poorly on her intelligence.
Alison believed Betsy saw it too, which sparked her idea of creating a financial information and trading platform to compete with Bloomberg.
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