Since it was a gathering at James Raybould's residence, Simon stayed until the very end. After seeing off the other guests, he spent some time discussing Westeros Company matters with Raybould before finally leaving a little past 11 p.m.
His car departed from the Upper East Side, circled around Central Park, and arrived at a townhouse on West 78th Street in the Upper West Side. By then, it was almost midnight.
This was the residence of Alexandra Martinez.
Angry Davis opened the door personally to welcome Simon inside. As soon as he stepped into the living room, he heard faint laughter from women upstairs. He turned to the housekeeper who had arrived earlier and asked, "Is Elle entertaining guests tonight?"
Before the housekeeper could answer, a cheerful voice called out from the second-floor balcony overlooking the living room. Alexandra, her face slightly flushed, quickly descended the stairs. Wearing a pale pink, form-fitting slip dress, she rushed into Simon's arms, saying, "It's so late, Simon. Why are you just now getting here?"
Simon held the alluring woman in his arms, feeling her warmth and catching a faint whiff of alcohol. He smiled and said, "I had to finish socializing before coming over."
As they spoke, a group of women appeared at the second-floor railing. They were clearly not Alexandra's usual maids or attendants but seemed to be her friends.
Although Simon had a strong sense of possessiveness over the women around him, he rarely restricted their personal lives. As long as they didn't overstep boundaries behind his back, he didn't mind if they had male or female friends. Seeing Alexandra hosting guests this late didn't bother him, and he even nodded politely toward the women upstairs.
Glancing at them, he realized he recognized a few of them.
With Alexandra in his arms, Simon walked through the living room and ascended the stairs to the open second-floor lounge. About six or seven women greeted them, their expressions varying from surprise to excitement, nervousness, and even a hint of flirtation.
Alexandra, her face still flushed, quickly explained, "Simon, Sarah and I had planned this Friday gathering a few days ago. I didn't expect you to come by tonight. Oh, let me introduce—wait, you probably don't need introductions, do you?"
"No, I don't."
Simon glanced at the group and confirmed there were seven women in total.
He immediately recognized Brooke Shields, as well as two of the stars from Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall. Another familiar face was Mary-Louise Parker, known for Weeds. Coincidentally, both Parkers had names Simon used to mix up.
The other three women were unfamiliar to him.
It was evident that they were friends Alexandra had made in New York over the past few months. Judging by their appearances and mannerisms, they seemed to belong to a similar social circle—mostly television, theater, or perhaps even a touch of the fashion world.
The Golden Rose Princess was clearly adept at socializing.
After a brief look at the women, Simon smiled and said, "Everyone, have a seat. It's late, and you're still here. What have you been chatting about?"
With that, he led Alexandra to the sofa in the lounge.
The women followed his lead, sitting down as well. However, their earlier carefree banter was replaced by a palpable tension.
After all, this was Simon Westeros.
The living legend.
The recent media frenzy surrounding Verizon's IPO had made headlines everywhere. Even for those who weren't particularly interested in financial news, it was impossible to avoid hearing about it in Manhattan.
Moreover, many of the women present worked in industries directly influenced by Simon—film, television, or fashion.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall, for instance, were both from Sex and the City. Sitting beside them was Candace Bushnell, the author of the book the series was based on. Mary-Louise Parker was transitioning from Broadway to Hollywood. Brooke Shields had recently partnered with ABC on a new show premiering in September, Suddenly Susan, after her movie career had stalled.
Even the two remaining women—a freelance writer for fashion magazines and a well-known New York makeup artist—had indirect ties to Simon's empire.
While these women were all mature and independent, their decision to stay out late at Alexandra's gathering hinted at some curiosity or ulterior motives regarding Simon.
After some polite conversation, during which the women introduced themselves, the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed. Simon's approachable demeanor, devoid of any condescension, helped ease the tension.
Brooke Shields, holding a glass of red wine, was the first to bring up a topic. "It's amazing that Egret is worth $500 billion, Simon. We were just talking about whether we should invest in tech stocks. Do you have any advice for us?"
Simon, seated on a single armchair with Alexandra snugly in his lap, also held a glass of red wine. Smiling, he sidestepped the question, saying, "It's so late to be talking about money. Let's discuss something else."
The women laughed softly, understanding his polite refusal.
Still, the sight of Simon and Alexandra's intimate posture on the armchair—his arm around her in a manner that was anything but proper—added an unspoken tension to the room.
This was Simon Westeros.
The thought repeated in the women's minds, amplified by his strikingly handsome face and the well-known stories about his charisma and physical prowess. Combined with the alcohol coursing through their veins, their imaginations began to run wild.
Candace Bushnell, the elegant creator of Sex and the City, smiled and joined the conversation. "So, Simon, what should we talk about?"
Instead of answering, Simon downed the rest of his wine, then stood up with Alexandra in his arms. "It's late. Everyone should get some rest. There are enough guest rooms here, and if you'd rather head home, let Angry arrange a car for you."
As he spoke, he gave the group a knowing look before carrying Alexandra toward the stairs.
It was a clear signal, though one that conveyed he wasn't interested in anything more tonight.
While he enjoyed being surrounded by beautiful women, Simon was tired after a long day. All he wanted now was a shower and a good night's sleep with a warm, fragrant companion.
The remaining women exchanged glances, realizing it was indeed late—almost midnight. At this hour, most people would either be asleep or otherwise occupied, certainly not chatting idly.
After Simon left, Angry Davis appeared and politely asked, "Ladies, is there anything you need?"
For a moment, no one answered.
Finally, Candace Bushnell broke the silence. "Angry, how many guest rooms are there?"
"Three, Ms. Bushnell. If everyone plans to stay, it might be a bit crowded, but the beds are large."
Following Bushnell's lead, the other women decided to stay for the night.
However, nothing noteworthy happened that evening.
When the women woke up late the next morning—Saturday, August 17—they discovered that Simon had already left.
---
Although it was the weekend, Simon had packed his schedule in preparation for his upcoming trip to Australia on Sunday. The day became even busier after he received urgent news from Washington.
The White House was planning to launch an antitrust investigation against Egret.
For someone as entrenched in federal affairs as Simon, keeping tabs on such developments was second nature. The information had reached him through three separate channels: the White House, the Department of Justice, and the Treasury.
Jennifer's brother, Philip Raybould, had recently joined the Treasury Department, while current Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, a former Goldman Sachs chairman, maintained close ties with the Westeros system.
Simon wasn't surprised by the Clintons' sudden decision to turn against him.
He had never held high expectations for them.
This kind of behavior wasn't unprecedented. Simon recalled how Hillary Clinton, during the 2008 U.S. presidential election, had alienated Wall Street by making populist promises to crack down on her financial backers in a bid to gain voter support. The result was disastrous: Wall Street withdrew its backing, leading to Barack Obama becoming America's first Black president.
Now, Simon understood the Clintons' motivations.
With Verizon's IPO, Egret's market capitalization had surpassed $500 billion. The upcoming Forbes 400 list at the end of the month, combined with the final sprint of the presidential race, would ensure that Simon's ballooning wealth became a hot topic.
For Republicans, tying the explosive growth of Simon's wealth to Clinton's internet policies was an obvious strategy. To preempt this, the White House sought to "strike first," much like Hillary's infamous campaign maneuver years later.
Anticipating the attack, Simon was already prepared.
While the eventual breakup of Egret was inevitable, Simon would not allow the narrative to suggest he welcomed or sought it. Instead, he would present a fierce resistance.
This was essential.
In the world of power and influence, any sign of weakness could invite further aggression.
For Simon, showing weakness over Egret's breakup might embolden adversaries to target other parts of the Westeros system, expecting similar concessions.
A single retreat could snowball into disaster.
At the same time, Simon had to consider the broader impact of this investigation on the Nasdaq market.
The Nasdaq Composite had already reached an unprecedented 5,000 points, reminiscent of the market peak in 2000. The timeline,
however, was much earlier than Simon's original expectations.
Still, unlike the early 2000s, when the internet industry was riddled with speculative bubbles, Egret's business model and financial performance were solid. Its 167x P/E ratio, while high, was far more sustainable than the 700x or 1,000x seen in past tech giants.
Simon wouldn't rule out Egret's valuation doubling to $1 trillion.
Such a rise alone could propel the Nasdaq another 1,000 points, making a 6,000-point milestone entirely plausible.
Even higher levels, such as 7,000 points, were not out of reach, especially given the strong fundamentals of other major players like Tinker Bell, which also contributed to the index's strength.
Regardless, the bubble would eventually burst.
Simon's focus was on preparing for that inevitability—securing "winter funds" and ensuring the internet industry's long-term health once the crash occurred.
_________________________
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