After his meeting with Joseph Schlarpp, it was already 5 p.m. The winter sun began to dip below the horizon.
Seeing Schlarpp off, Simon was considering returning to Manhattan to spend the night with one of his women there when Girl A came over with a phone. It was Elizabeth, Jerry Hall's daughter, calling. The shameless girl, who referred to Simon as "Dad" due to his relationship with Hall, sweet-talked and whined for a while. Simon eventually agreed to let her bring some friends over for dinner.
According to her insistent reasoning:
After all, he was her de facto stepfather.
She had already made promises to her friends, and failing to deliver would be a major embarrassment, leaving her unable to face anyone.
Blah, blah, blah.
About half an hour later, the customized Westeros Black Hawk helicopter landed on the estate's helipad in the northern suburbs. Dressed in a black coat, Simon walked up as the helicopter came to a stop. When the cabin door opened, the first to peek out was Elizabeth Jagger, dressed in a fluffy mink jacket but still showing off her long bare legs. Giggling with her friends, she stretched out her arms to be picked up.
Then, like a koala, she jumped onto Simon.
As for the rest of the girls, it was clear this wasn't just a small group of friends—this was a whole crowd. Among them were familiar faces like Paris Hilton and her sister Nicky, and even Kim Kardashian trailing along, with over a dozen other girls in tow.
Suddenly, Simon felt like his estate had turned into a duck farm.
Had Daniel and Gemma not gone back to Europe for Christmas with Sophia during their school break, Simon had considered introducing them. But given the situation, he immediately dismissed the idea.
Clearly not the right group.
At this rate, the girls in front of him would surely grow into the next generation of Manhattan's "It Girls" in a few years. Sophia definitely wouldn't want her well-behaved daughter hanging around with these girls. On the other hand, a certain Ukrainian up-and-coming starlet with a fondness for fur might get along just fine with them.
Simon didn't particularly care either way.
His philosophy on raising his children was to take responsibility as much as possible and teach them what they should and shouldn't do. If things didn't turn out ideally, he was also fine with letting nature take its course.
As all the girls disembarked from the helicopter, many of them were clutching their long, skinny legs in the cold wind—classic cases of prioritizing fashion over warmth. Without much fanfare, Simon waved them inside the villa, not wanting them to freeze.
Elizabeth finally relented after clinging to Simon for a while and let go, though she still hung on to his arm, calling him "Dad" in front of the others, earning herself both envious looks and eye rolls from the group.
Paris Hilton, who clearly didn't get along with Elizabeth, quickly grabbed Simon's other arm. At first, she hesitantly hooked her hand through his arm, but when Simon didn't object, she held on tighter. Hearing Elizabeth call Simon "Dad" again, Paris couldn't help but tease, "Liz, if I become Simon's girlfriend, shouldn't you be calling me 'Mom'?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes immediately, retorting, "Dad has thousands of girlfriends. Even if you cut the line, you'd be queuing from here to the Hudson River. Besides, you're not even his type, little eel. Right, Dad?"
Simon kept his hands in his coat pockets, one girl on each arm, and didn't bother answering such trivial questions. Instead, he climbed the steps into the villa, gesturing to the housekeeper, saying, "The kitchen has already started preparing. If there's anything specific you want, let Anger know now so they can still have it delivered."
Elizabeth, already quite familiar with Anger Davis due to her frequent use of Simon's private planes, issued her instructions without hesitation. She even made sure to account for her friends' allergies and preferences.
It was easy to tell that most of the girls were from Manhattan's elite circles—either wealthy or well-connected. They were accustomed to giving orders and making demands with ease.
After some chatter, the girls entered the villa and began peeling off their heavy coats, revealing their already well-developed figures.
Well, most of them, anyway.
One particular sidekick was the exception.
With dinner still a little ways off, and after everyone had settled down, Elizabeth asked what there was to do for fun. A few of the girls had been here for last year's New Year's Eve party, but this was Elizabeth's first time.
Simon suggested, quite seriously, that they could go read in the library, as there were plenty of books in his collection.
This earned him an eye roll from the group, who instead flooded toward the villa's entertainment room. The space featured a small bar, pool tables, arcade machines, and a dance floor—clearly more suited to their tastes. The girls moved around confidently, already familiar with the setup. Surprisingly, most of their interest was focused on the bar and the dance floor. Some headed straight to the bar to mix drinks, while others started DJing. Soon, music filled the room.
Seeing that most of the girls were under 14, Simon intervened, limiting them to one drink each.
Otherwise...
Not much else he could do.
They'd all be sent home after dinner anyway, so Simon wasn't too concerned.
In the U.S., strict alcohol laws apply mainly to public venues. Privately, plenty of kids this age have already had their share of drinks, and most parents don't make a big deal of it.
At first, the girls were somewhat reserved around Simon. Despite their privileged backgrounds, they were still no match for Simon Westeros, whom they saw as an imposing figure equivalent to the most intimidating elders in their families. But when they realized Simon was in a good mood, even joining them in the entertainment room to play guitar while they danced, they gradually loosened up.
Moreover, as they admired Simon's handsome figure and his seemingly endless list of achievements, the precocious girls couldn't help but entertain all sorts of ideas.
If only...
If only they could become Elizabeth's "mom," as Paris had teased—it would certainly be both thrilling and satisfying. Because of her relationship with Simon, Elizabeth was now the leader of the group. Even Paris, who didn't get along with her, had eagerly tagged along for a chance to visit the Westeros estate.
Manhattan's social scene was like a food chain, where the weak are preyed upon by the strong.
These girls, having grown up in wealthy families, had internalized these unspoken rules from a young age.
First, you had to be rich.
This was usually a non-issue for the next generation, but still, if someone couldn't afford Chanel, Gucci, or Louis Vuitton—even if they didn't wear them regularly—they wouldn't be allowed into the circle. If you couldn't afford these luxuries, you simply weren't qualified to play.
Next came family background and connections.
Family heritage was often something you were born into.
The Hiltons were a prime example of old money. Even though the family no longer ranked among the top 400 wealthiest in America, they still belonged to the country's aristocracy. The name alone carried weight, making new-money families automatically inferior.
New money was synonymous with celebrity status.
Elizabeth belonged to the celebrity class. Her father was Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones, and her mother was a supermodel and a prominent television producer. This gave her the credentials to mingle with both old and new money, much like how singers, actors, and artists always found a place among the adult circles of the elite.
Then there were connections.
Building a network was a mutual process of giving and receiving favors.
Many Western biographies and interviews often include mentions of family estates hosting this or that noble, senator, tycoon, or celebrity—this is a form of networking. It's not about leveraging these connections for professional gain but about adding prestige and distinction to one's family or personal reputation.
All of these elements, when accumulated sufficiently, create an aura. When you step out, people immediately think, "Oh, that's so-and-so."
They then mentally scroll through a list of associated titles, connections, and achievements: the heir of such-and-such company, godchild of so-and-so, once dated someone famous, someone famous attended their birthday party, they have an artwork by a renowned artist hanging in their home, and they seem to know even more influential people.
Instant prestige.
Guy de Maupassant's My Uncle Jules tells the story of a family who, upon receiving a letter suggesting that Uncle Jules had made it big abroad, began to rise in social status, gaining influence simply by association. This is a very straightforward depiction of how Western social networks are formed.
Like now.
Being able to visit Simon Westeros' estate and dine with him tonight would immediately become a badge of honor for these girls, something to boast about for a long time. This is why Paris, despite not getting along with Elizabeth, tagged along, and why some were willing to play sidekick just for the opportunity.
In short...
Watching all this unfold, Simon found it quite amusing.
After playing guitar to accompany the dancing girls for a while and then being coaxed by Elizabeth into singing a song, Simon finally broke away and went to rest on a couch in the corner of the room.
Elizabeth soon followed, holding a glass of blue liquid that she'd personally mixed. She snuggled up to him, handing him the drink, and said, "Dad, I want to go to the premiere of Batman v Superman in L.A. tomorrow. Can you arrange it for me?"
Simon sipped the drink
she offered, shook his head, and said, "You'll need your mom's approval for that."
"My mom already agreed."
"How about I call her right now? If she doesn't know, then you're not going."
Caught red-handed, Elizabeth started to pout, clinging to Simon's arm and shaking it. "Please, Dad, I heard the premiere is at IMAX, and I really want to see it. Please, Dad~~~?"
"Get your mom to approve it first."
"She'll definitely agree if you do. She knows you'll take care of me."
"It's too much trouble. I really don't want to take care of you at all. I'd rather lose you halfway."
"Hehe, so you agree then. No take-backs."
"Have Anger arrange it. I'm not getting involved."
Elizabeth immediately pushed her luck further: "Dad, this time I want to fly on your Boeing 767, okay? Last time, you promised the 767, but we ended up flying a Gulfstream V to Florida for surfing. It was so embarrassing. Oh, and after the premiere, I want to stay in L.A. for a few days. You wouldn't want me sleeping on the streets, would you?"
"I'd quite like to see that."
"Bad Daddy."
The girl pouted, then took a sip of Simon's drink. Liking the taste, she bit the rim of the glass and drank the whole thing, her cheeks flushing red.
When she finished, Simon said, "Tell Anger how many tickets you need, and make sure everything's ready."
The girl happily agreed.
Simon added, "And I'm leaving tomorrow at 9 a.m. sharp. If you oversleep, I'm not waiting."
"I'll just sleep here tonight."
"No."
"Why not?" She blinked innocently, then pulled a face as if disgusted, adding, "Dad, you're so evil. I'm your daughter, after all."
"..."
Paris Hilton, pulling her sister Nicky along with their ever-present sidekick, Kim Kardashian, happened to walk by at that moment.
Without any hesitation, Paris sat down on Simon's other side and asked, "What are you two talking about?"
Elizabeth immediately switched gears, showing off, "I'm going to L.A. tomorrow for the Batman v Superman premiere," she said smugly, even humming a little tune. "Not taking you though. I'll bring Nicky, not you."
Clearly, she got along well with Nicky Hilton.
Not to be outdone, Paris shot back, "So what? My family went to the Jurassic Park 2 premiere this summer, and I didn't see you there."
"Can you go this time?"
"..." Paris glanced at Simon, seeing him watching the exchange with amusement, and then, thinking about her sister, she said, "My parents aren't going to let you take Nicky off gallivanting."
"It's not gallivanting; I'm going to the premiere. And yeah, after that, I'll stay in L.A. for a few days, but if your parents don't let Nicky go, then whatever," Elizabeth said, pulling Simon's arm and smugly raising an eyebrow at Paris. "Dad's footing the bill for everything."
Simon tapped her lightly on the forehead.
Elizabeth didn't even pretend to be hurt this time, still proudly flaunting her status to Paris.
Nicky, who had been sitting quietly next to her sister, finally spoke up, "Liz, I want to go."
Paris was not happy with her sister's betrayal: "You can't go. You're my sister."
"Why do you get to decide?" Elizabeth jumped in to defend Nicky, pulling her over to her side. "Don't listen to her. From now on, you're with me."
Paris, frustrated and with no outlet for her anger, turned around to find Kim Kardashian inching toward the seat Nicky had vacated. Immediately, she nudged her aside, "Move, you're annoying."
Kim Kardashian looked hurt and confused.
What did she do to deserve this?
Although Kris Jenner had been thriving in the Manhattan social scene in recent years, the Kardashian family's background was still too shallow. Even with her mother's skillful social maneuvering, Kris couldn't fully shield her daughters. And with Kim's less-than-stellar looks, she had little standing in Manhattan's girl circles.
After Kris Jenner's collaboration with Kathy Hilton on The Real Housewives of New York, Kim had managed to attach herself to Paris as her sidekick.
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