After a chaotic night, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt, two petite girls, were woken up while they lay entwined in a large bed. It was already past 10 a.m. the next day.
The villa's manager had changed from Simon's personal assistant to another maid, a doll-faced woman named Zoe.
After a brief conversation, they learned that Simon had already left Park City. However, if they wished, they could continue staying at the villa until the Sundance Film Festival concluded.
After explaining this, Zoe took care of a few more matters.
First, she had them sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Zoe meticulously explained the details of the agreement to the two girls, who were still sitting on the bed. It was a permanent contract, covering any future interactions they might have with Simon Westeros. The agreement strictly forbade them from revealing any details of their time with him to any media or individuals, with a series of punitive clauses attached.
After obediently signing the agreement, the doll-faced maid transformed into a nurse, collecting samples from their bodies.
Not just blood samples.
Finally, Zoe personally watched as the two girls took some birth control pills before she left the room, taking the signed agreements and samples with her.
Once Zoe was gone, Sarah and Jennifer both let out small sighs of relief. They had thoroughly enjoyed the weekend at the villa, and the recent procedures didn't seem odd or intrusive to them—it was Simon Westeros, after all, and such precautions felt entirely normal.
Moreover, Zoe had left behind a gift for each of them, saying it was from Mr. Westeros. Once Zoe was gone, the two girls excitedly opened the gifts and exchanged gleaming looks with each other. They quickly agreed that since they could stay at the villa until the end of Sundance, they certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity.
Jennifer was only 16, and Sarah had just turned 18, but as child stars who had grown up in Hollywood, they understood the industry's rules better than many middle-aged actors still scraping by.
Staying at Simon Westeros's villa for a while, even if the news didn't leak publicly, it would certainly spread in certain circles. Though Simon didn't seem interested in keeping them as long-term companions, others wouldn't know that. The mere association with him would smooth their careers significantly, offering protection from most unwanted advances.
In today's Hollywood, no one in their right mind would dare approach a woman associated with Simon Westeros.
After getting dressed and freshening up, the two girls went downstairs, where the four commanding supermodels from the previous night had already left. The girls naturally felt a bit intimidated in front of the towering models. Michelle Pfeiffer was also gone; her involvement the previous night had surprised the two young women.
But soon, they understood: in Simon Westeros's presence, neither they nor anyone else really mattered.
Jennifer Connelly and Heather Graham were still at the villa, and it was clear they had the same plan as Sarah and Jennifer—to stay until the festival ended.
Despite the shared experience of the previous night, the four girls remained divided into two groups, with subtle sparks flying between them. However, they all understood where they were, so outwardly, they maintained a cordial atmosphere.
It was January 22nd.
Monday.
The Sundance Film Festival still had a week to go, wrapping up on January 28th.
Simon had already finished his business in Park City and had left by 9 a.m., taking Cindy Crawford and the other three women with him to New York.
By the time they arrived on the East Coast, it was already after 4 p.m.
Before Simon had left in the morning, at 9 a.m. Eastern time, Westeros Company announced another stock reduction, this time involving Cisco.
The second wave.
When Cisco went public in 1991, the company had a total of 311 million shares.
Due to the company's skyrocketing stock price and to increase liquidity, Cisco had undergone three stock splits in recent years, along with several mergers and equity incentives. As of now, the company had 3.927 billion shares. At last Friday's close, Cisco's total market value was $260.1 billion, with a per-share price of $66.50.
Westeros Company held 46.3% of Cisco, amounting to 1.817 billion shares. This time, they planned to sell 30 million shares, which, based on the opening price, would net approximately $1.995 billion, roughly the same amount as the sale of Danelys Entertainment shares a little over a month ago.
Unlike the market shock caused by the Danelys Entertainment share sale on December 11th, the impact of Westeros Company's reduction in Cisco shares was much more subdued.
Between December 11th and last Friday, January 19th, the NASDAQ index initially dropped after the Danelys Entertainment stock reduction but soon began to rebound. Over the course of a little more than a month, the NASDAQ had risen by 1.6%, from 2,796 points before the December 11th opening to 2,839 points at the close of the day.
This steady rise over the last six weeks, though slower than Simon had anticipated, was very much in line with his expectations.
In 1995, the NASDAQ had surged from 1,886 points on the first trading day of the year to 2,807 points at the end of the year—a rise of 921 points, with an average monthly increase of nearly 77 points.
Now, the market's growth rate was only about half of that. Clearly, the tech sector was cooling off, just as Simon had planned.
It's important to note that in 1995, the NASDAQ gained 50.4%, an impressive growth rate.
But some of the leading companies in the new technology sector, such as Egret Corporation—the most dazzling star of the moment—had revenue growth far outpacing the NASDAQ's increase. While Egret's full-year 1995 financial report wouldn't be released until the end of January, quarterly reports published throughout the year indicated that the company's annual revenue growth could reach 70%.
This far exceeded the NASDAQ's 50% increase.
Other tech giants like Cisco, AOL, Microsoft, Intel, and SUN Microsystems, though already massive in size, had also seen their revenues grow by over 30% in 1995. Thanks to the global explosion of the PC market, both Microsoft and Intel had experienced revenue growth that surpassed the NASDAQ's 50% rise.
Meanwhile, countless smaller startups in the new tech sector were seeing revenue growth of over 100%, popping up like mushrooms after the rain.
In such a booming tech market, a 50.4% increase in the NASDAQ didn't seem unreasonable, did it?
Of course not.
Coincidentally, this week's edition of BusinessWeek, a prominent publication on Wall Street, expressed a similar view. With some deliberate promotion, the article quickly spread across print, television, and the internet. As a result, Westeros Company's second wave of stock reductions, involving Cisco, only led to a 0.7% drop in the NASDAQ by the end of the trading day.
It was just a minor, ordinary market reaction.
This was all part of Simon's plan.
Simon wanted to slow the tech market's race toward a frenzy but couldn't suppress it entirely. Releasing some positive news at the right time was necessary. If market sentiment turned too negative due to repeated blows, that would lead to disaster.
So, the approach had to be balanced.
Of course, this type of manipulation wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface. Many factors had to be carefully weighed.
As the old saying goes, "Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish."
Despite arriving in New York close to the end of the workday, Simon still met with James Rebold in Midtown Manhattan. They discussed the day's market dynamics and Westeros Company's upcoming investments. James then invited Simon to join him for dinner at his home.
Not wanting to decline, Simon agreed and accompanied him back to the Rebold family villa on the Upper East Side.
During dinner, James's younger brother, Philip Rebold, was also present, along with his girlfriend, whom Simon had met once before.
Philip, now 25, was about to complete his law doctorate at Yale later this year and was already thinking about his future. As the Rebold family heir, his parents had big plans for him. James and his wife hoped Philip would gain experience working at the Treasury Department for a few years after graduation.
According to James, Philip was smart and capable but lacked social skills. Working at the Treasury would help him build relationships and networks, vital for his future.
Simon also knew that while studying at Yale, Philip had attracted considerable attention as the Rebold family's position within the Westeros system grew more prominent. He had successfully joined Yale's prestigious Skull and Bones society. Secretive organizations like Skull and Bones or the Freemasons were less mysterious than many believed; they were mostly about connections.
By joining Skull and Bones, Philip gained access to a vast network. After gaining political experience, he would be well-prepared to lead the Rebold family in the future.
In private conversations, James had mentioned that he didn't plan for his son to manage Simon's assets in the future. Even though the Rebold family would remain loyal to the Westeros system, they hoped to develop their own independent influence, which Simon fully supported.
It was beneficial for both sides.
After all, Simon didn't want Westeros Company's leadership to become a hereditary position.
The dinner didn't touch on any sensitive topics, as Philip's girlfriend was present. It was more of a casual, relationship-building conversation. After the meal, Simon politely excused himself.
He returned to his Fifth Avenue apartment shortly after 8 p
.m.
Someone was already waiting.
In the small living room adjacent to the main one, Simon found Bryce Levisson lounging lazily on a large sofa, like a contented cat. She was wearing nothing but a revealing light blue silk slip, her fair skin showing enticingly. A maid knelt at her feet, carefully painting her nails.
In contrast, Grace Spolet, sitting on a nearby armchair, looked much more demure in a coffee-colored sweater and white pants, appearing very at home.
When Simon entered, Grace immediately stood up with a smile and embraced him.
Bryce, however, remained motionless, reminding the slightly distracted maid to be careful not to mess up her nails.
After hugging Grace, Simon sat down where she had been and patted his lap. Grace hesitated for a moment, her face slightly flushed, but eventually sat on his lap.
Bryce noticed the situation and pouted, deliberately turning her head away.
Looking at the haughty woman, who somehow matched her attitude with her natural aura, Simon chuckled and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Bryce immediately glared at him. "Why shouldn't I be here?"
Well.
Simon didn't have much of a response.
Grace, with her arms around Simon's neck, leaned in to explain, "Bryce came back with me from Florida this afternoon."
Simon nodded.
Grace's return had been planned in advance. She had been on a business trip to Florida, and when she learned that Simon would be in New York today, she had arranged to return as well. Simon knew she had her own little plans—she likely hadn't informed her family of her return, intending to spend the night with him at the apartment.
She probably hadn't expected to bring along a "third wheel."
One who now acted like a queen.
In the beginning, Bryce Levisson had been quite reserved in her interactions with Simon. But over time, her true nature, shaped by a life of privilege, emerged. Both her background and appearance gave her plenty of reason to be demanding, and even after becoming a wife and mother, this hadn't changed. In fact, within her own family, she held more authority than both her husband and her son.
At that moment, the housekeeper, Andrea Davis, entered the room, quietly greeted Simon, and poured him a cup of coffee, which she then brought to him personally.
This made Bryce frown. She pointed at the housekeeper and said, "Why is she still here? Simon, I've warned you—this woman is no simple character. You should be careful."
Simon smiled, took the coffee from the housekeeper, and looked at Bryce. "I think you're the one who should be careful. If you keep being so demanding, Andrea might spit in your coffee."
"She wouldn't dare!"
Though her voice raised indignantly, it seemed Bryce realized she had been trapped. She grabbed a nearby pillow and tossed it at Andrea, who caught it gently.
Before Andrea could react, Simon scolded, "Don't do that again, or you can leave."
Bryce paused, noticing the seriousness in his eyes. She didn't dare talk back, instead grabbing another pillow and pouting like a child, pressing it against her face.
Grace, still in Simon's arms, watched as Andrea picked up the pillow and quietly placed it back on the sofa before leaving. She had no intention of defending Bryce's behavior.
After all, the two women weren't that close.
If not for a desire to please the man beside her, Grace wouldn't have brought Bryce along at all. Now, she simply enjoyed leaning into Simon's embrace, talking softly in his ear about the little things happening in her life recently.
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