A cozy dinner followed by casual conversation, where he spoke of mysterious things, mixing truth and lies, the vastness of the sky and sea, boundless and infinite.
Then, intimacy and sleep.
Already on cloud nine, naturally, there were no dreams. Upon waking, feeling the presence of the small man behind her, Grace quietly pressed herself closer, placing her small hand over his large hand that was wrapped around her waist. She suddenly felt that this date alone would be enough for her to savor for a long time.
One shouldn't be too greedy.
Grace moved lightly, but Simon still woke up. He kissed her gently on the rounded shoulder and whispered, "Do you want to get up?"
She turned her face to brush against his, feeling the faint stubble on his chin, and said reluctantly, "It's still early."
Simon glanced at the light peeking through the curtains, "Alright, let's sleep a bit more then."
"I can't fall back asleep..." Her tone inadvertently carried a hint of a playful whine, and then she felt her cheeks warm up, realizing that she wasn't the type to act coy. She pressed down on his hand, which was starting to misbehave again, "Keep me company and talk."
"How about another ghost story, like last night?"
"According to your theory, I'm not scared anymore. I even hope ghosts exist in this world, so that it would prove death isn't the end, and there might be an afterlife."
"If there really is an afterlife, what would you want to do?"
"As long as I don't meet you again."
"Oh, I see, that's a reverse psychology statement."
"It's not! You are my calamity. Because of you, both my fate and my family's have changed."
"Don't you welcome this change?"
"My daughter is starting at Dalton School in the fall. She met a nice boy..." Grace paused before continuing, "My daughter is very beautiful, you know."
Simon turned his hand under the blanket to cover hers, confidently saying, "Of course she is, just look at her mother."
Grace, unwilling to change their current position, once again turned her face to nuzzle against his chin and continued, "Then, during Halloween, we received an invitation from the boy's family for a party. After meeting them, I realized they were trying to use us to get closer to you."
"What did you do?"
"Honestly, I told them that I'm not very familiar with Simon Westeros, that we just have some business cooperation."
"And then?"
Grace hesitated for a moment before saying, "Rita really likes that boy. But I think the boy is just fulfilling his parents' wishes. We talked a few times; although he's the captain of the school's football team, deep down, he's actually quite indecisive. After I mentioned that I'm not close to you, their attitude towards us cooled down significantly. However, the boy probably has some feelings for Rita, as they haven't broken up and he occasionally still visits our house. He's very well-mannered."
Simon smiled, "So, are you satisfied or not?"
Grace shook her head slightly, "I don't like the boy's family; they're too opportunistic."
"Then just ignore them. Let it be a matter between the kids. You don't really think our girl is going to stay with that boy forever, getting married and having kids, do you?"
Grace turned her head to give Simon a sidelong glance, "What do you mean 'our girl'?"
Simon shamelessly said, "As a responsible man, your daughter is of course my daughter."
Grace teased, "What about my husband then?"
"Uh, let's change the topic."
Grace pulled Simon's hand out from under the blanket, pretending to be angry as she gently bit it, leaving a slight mark before softly saying, "Actually, the main thing is that the family is very wealthy and powerful. I'm worried Rita might get hurt."
"How do they compare to Simon Westeros?"
"A small fry."
"Then what are you worried about?"
"You're you, I'm me."
"As I just said, I'm a very responsible man, fiercely protective. How about this, next time you're in New York, I'll invite you all to my place. You can bring that family along."
"I don't want to get too close to you."
"Aren't we close already?"
Grace turned her head slightly, giving him a playful look.
Simon didn't mind and asked, "By the way, what does that boy's family do? I'll have someone check."
"Florida, the Levison Group, mainly in real estate."
"Sounds familiar."
"They're a well-known wealthy family in Florida. It's not surprising you've heard of them."
Simon thought for a moment and said, "I think I might have met them. I have a property in North Palm Beach, Miami. Two years ago, I went there on vacation with Janet. I think I met the head of the Levison Group at a local party. His name was, uh, Francis Levison."
Grace nodded, "Yes, that's him. He's the boy's... Mike's father. I didn't realize your memory was so good."
Simon replied, "Actually, I mostly remember his wife being quite attractive."
Grace immediately grabbed Simon's right hand and bit down on it again.
Simon let her bite him, laughing, "Two years ago, the real estate market in Florida was at its lowest point. I bought my property in Miami at a bargain price. The real estate market in the US is currently in a pre-dawn phase, but many real estate companies won't survive this crisis. The Levison Group is likely in trouble too."
The American real estate market had a period of prosperity in the 1980s, but after the 1987 stock market crash, the bubble began to burst, hitting rock bottom in 1991. The market began to slowly recover after the end of the Gulf War and with Clinton's presidency. It's expected to rise significantly with the economic recovery in the US, peaking after the turn of the millennium, before the subprime mortgage crisis hits.
This is currently the best time to buy into the real estate market.
Of course, many people see this opportunity, but whether they have the strength and courage to enter the market is another matter.
The Westeros system is one of those with the strength to enter.
Simon's acquisition of a certain blonde real estate developer's company was not only a strategic move but also because he sees the future potential of the American real estate market. The Apollo Management and BlackRock Asset Management, under Cersei Capital, have also acquired a large number of real estate-related assets through various investment portfolios in recent years. Moreover, Simon's properties around the world are fundamentally a form of investment as well.
The global economy will experience rapid growth in the next decade, with the rise of new technology sectors creating a lot of new wealth. As demand increases, the prices of luxury homes around the world will outpace the real estate market itself. Even when the bubble eventually bursts, the value of top-tier luxury homes won't depreciate too much.
Simon's current spree of buying luxury homes worldwide not only satisfies his habit of staying in his own properties wherever he goes, but the appreciation of these properties rivals many other investments.
The fixed assets, stocks, bonds, and other investment portfolios of the Westeros system in the real estate sector may seem like a small part of Simon's business empire, but that's only relative. The combined investments, worth billions, are sure to attract many struggling real estate companies seeking help from the Westeros system.
On the other hand, the Levison family's attempt to connect with Simon by having their son date Grace's daughter seems a bit of a desperate move, perhaps born out of necessity.
Simon has never been one to enjoy socializing. Despite the fact that the cast and crew of "The Man from Earth" attended the buffet two nights ago, it was only because the project was associated with Simon. For people who are unrelated, Simon has no interest or time to engage with them casually.
From Grace's tone earlier, the Levison Group seems to be quite famous in Florida. The family's assets might be enough to enter the Forbes 400 list, and it could be one of those well-established old money families with a history of over a hundred years. But in today's America, trying to compare assets with Simon is a joke. Even in terms of power, the comprehensive strength of the Westeros system in both political and business circles is enough to crush most old financial groups, let alone a single family.
The only thing these old families can boast of is the so-called heritage accumulated over generations at the top of the pyramid. But this kind of superiority only works against new money of the same level. To Simon, it's a joke. The Hearst family, which quickly fell apart after being suppressed by the Westeros system, is the most typical example.
To put it in a more fitting way, the rise of the Westeros system is akin to a "dynastic change" for American traditional capital. The rise happened so quickly that traditional American capital didn't have time to react and unite against the Westeros system's threat. Before they knew it, the country's capital landscape had already been completely altered.
And it's a change that's hard to reverse.
America's history is too short. Using China, with which Simon is most familiar, as a reference, no dynasty has ever been restored after being overthrown.
Now, to destroy the influence of the Westeros system in America, the only way would be to use unconventional and extreme measures. Simon certainly won't allow this to happen, which is why he has carried out several drastic and aggressive warning actions over the past year, while also offering various concessions, integrations, and alliances.
Grace
, sensing Simon's serious tone, released her bite and asked, "Are you planning to help them?"
"Do you think I'm an angel?"
Grace, knowing about the certain blonde real estate developer's company changing hands from the media, held Simon's large hand and said with a double meaning, "You're a devil."
Simon laughed, "You see through me."
Grace hesitated for a moment and then said, "I think we should skip visiting your place."
"It's really no big deal," Simon said. "Think of it as you introducing me to a business deal. I've been increasing my investments in Florida recently, and I'm optimistic about the real estate industry. Supporting a representative down there would be just perfect."
"How about I just introduce you, and you go meet them yourself?"
"I said let's go together. Bring our daughter too; I want to meet her."
"You scoundrel, it feels like you're taking advantage of me."
Simon laughed, "Is there any part of you that I haven't already taken advantage of?"
Grace suddenly thought of something and turned to face Simon, saying, "You can only treat Rita as your daughter, nothing else."
Simon immediately understood what she was worried about. He leaned in and kissed her lips, saying, "I promise. Actually, those three are special cases, just playthings, understand?"
Grace's eyes flickered, "And what about me?"
"You? You're a lover."
Grace pretended to be dissatisfied, "That sounds so reluctant."
"I have many women, but very few lovers, only enough to count on one hand."
"Oh," Grace's eyes brightened slightly, but she still didn't let him off easily, "How many women have you had?"
"I honestly haven't counted."
"Then," Grace hesitated slightly before asking a somewhat sensitive question, "How is your relationship with your wife?"
"Very good."
She felt uneasy after asking this question, but hearing Simon's calm tone, Grace felt slightly relieved and became even more curious, "With all your affairs, doesn't she get jealous?"
Simon said, "Let's put it this way, I'm something of a feminist, and my wife is a masculinist."
Grace blinked, not quite understanding.
"Are you thinking that it's the other way around?" Simon laughed, adding, "Okay, maybe my feminism is a bit of a sham, but Jenny is definitely a masculinist. She believes that it's natural for a man to have many women."
Grace blinked again.
Simon smiled and reached out to brush her eyelashes, feeling them flutter like a small brush against his fingertips. He continued, "Of course, if there's another woman, like you, who tries to take her place as my wife, that's a different story. She might kill you. And that's no joke; even I would be in danger."
"That's so strange."
Simon said, "It's a pyramid-shaped world. Because the base of the pyramid is too crowded, most people at the bottom can only accept or be forced to accept various societal norms. Over time, they start to think this is normal. Then, the higher up you go, the more freedom there is. The elites at the top of the pyramid can more easily achieve the desires that those at the bottom can only dream of, so it becomes commonplace. For those at the bottom, who can't achieve these things, they often question them, but that's all they can do. Even deep down, most people think it's normal and strive to climb higher."
Listening to Simon's seemingly reasonable nonsense, Grace suddenly laughed and teased, "It feels like you're making excuses."
Simon immediately put on a "you got me" expression, "Alright, I'm just a womanizing bad guy."
Grace chuckled and leaned closer to him, softly saying, "You don't need to be insecure; I'm a bad woman too."
"Sounds like a good match."
"Mm-hmm."
The two continued to chat and laugh softly, staying close for a while longer before finally getting up when it was time.
Grace had to return to New York in the morning, and after finishing his work here, Simon also needed to fly back to Los Angeles in the afternoon. It was just a short break for both of them.
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