Simon had never been an overly emotional father, but he had always taken his responsibilities seriously.
Sensing Sophia's joy over carrying twins, Simon patiently chatted with her on the phone for a full half-hour, eventually promising to head to London the next morning.
After hanging up, he turned his attention to the girl sitting across from him.
Lyudmila Bessonovskaya, with her slender frame and exquisite features, was even more aligned with Simon's aesthetic preferences than Eve. She wore a fluffy fur hat and a similarly fluffy white fur coat, while her long, slender legs were wrapped in tight black jeans. To Simon, her appearance was almost insanely perfect.
Elegant and tall, she exuded an elfin quality.
Paired with rugged black leather boots, she also had an added touch of wildness.
From the scene at the gate earlier, it was clear that she was a typical wildcat.
Or perhaps, a little fox.
Facing Simon's scrutiny, the girl didn't shy away. Instead, she straightened her back slightly, her bright, light-colored eyes meeting his gaze directly as she greeted him in a quirky English, "Hello, Mr. Westeros."
Simon smiled and responded in Russian, "I understand Ukrainian."
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian government intentionally introduced differences in written language to distinguish Ukrainian from Russian. However, in practice, the pronunciation differences between the two were about as distinct as those between Standard Mandarin and the Beijing dialect, which is to say, not much at all.
Hearing Simon speak Russian and mention that he understood Ukrainian, Lyudmila immediately switched to Russian, greeting him again, "Hello, Mr. Westeros."
Simon picked up the coffee in front of him and leaned back comfortably on the sofa. "Why did you come here? And about earlier, blocking the car—don't ever do that again."
Lyudmila nodded, looking very obedient and well-behaved, before adding, "I came to find my sister. She said she'd come home for the weekend, but she hasn't shown up these past two days."
Eve had a cellphone, and with her income, installing a phone at home was easy. If she needed to change her plans, she could have called home, or at the very least, asked someone to pass along a message.
This little fox was clearly lying.
Simon didn't bother to expose her lie, simply responding with a nod as he sipped his coffee.
Seeing this, Lyudmila picked up the coffee that Yekaterina had just brought, took a sip, then another, and peered at the tray on the coffee table, seemingly wanting to add something but too hesitant to move.
Finding this amusing, Simon said with a smile, "If you want to add sugar, go ahead."
"Oh, thank you."
Lyudmila was a little surprised but not at all shy. She picked up the cup, stood up slightly, and moved closer to the tray to add a sugar cube to her coffee, stirring it with a silver spoon. Then she suddenly remembered something, looking at Simon and asking, "Mr. Westeros, would you like some?"
Simon placed his cup back on the coffee table and said, "Just a refill, please."
Lyudmila picked up the coffee pot and poured a refill for Simon's cup. Instead of returning to the single sofa across from him, she sat on the edge of the long sofa right next to Simon, bringing her own coffee cup along.
As she moved closer, a faint fragrance wafted over.
The girl's overall look was stylish enough to be considered trendy even in New York. Simon was a bit surprised to recognize the familiar scent of Dior perfume, the same one Eve used. Casually, he asked, "Did you borrow your sister's perfume?"
"No way! I actually helped her buy it," Lyudmila instinctively refuted. She had pestered her sister for a long time to get the money for that perfume, carefully buying two bottles so her father wouldn't scold her for wasting money. But after saying this, she quickly blinked her eyes and asked Simon, "Mr. Westeros, how do you know my sister uses this perfume?"
Simon hadn't expected Lyudmila to be so sharp. He replied nonchalantly, "Because your sister is my bodyguard."
Lyudmila's eyes flickered a few times, and her expression grew a bit peculiar, her posture noticeably relaxing.
As her sister's employer, the richest man in the world, Simon Westeros was someone Lyudmila had researched thoroughly. She was even studying at a school he had established, and his influence was everywhere in the city.
Considering her sister's character and the preferential treatment she received compared to her colleagues, the situation was becoming quite clear.
Ha, so this guy is practically my brother-in-law, right? And if he's my brother-in-law, there's no need for me to be shy around him.
With this thought, Lyudmila instinctively shifted her slender body closer to the man beside her, almost changing how she addressed him before holding back. However, her tone became noticeably more ingratiating. "Mr. Westeros, I've watched Suicide Squad so many times recently."
Simon, observing the little fox eagerly planning some mischief, remained composed and asked, "What did you think of it?"
Lyudmila replied, "The dubbing was awful, but the movie itself was amazing. Compared to that, every other movie I've seen before could just be thrown in the trash."
Due to the good relationship with the Kyiv authorities, the Westeros system had directly invested in building several cinemas in Ukraine, allowing Daenerys Entertainment films to be released simultaneously.
Hearing Lyudmila's complaint about the poor dubbing quality, Simon made a mental note of it.
This was direct feedback from a frontline audience member.
Ukraine, after all, was a large market with over 50 million people. Even if it couldn't compete with major film-consuming countries like the UK, France, Germany, or Italy, if developed seriously, the market size would far surpass that of smaller European nations.
When Simon didn't immediately respond to her compliment, Lyudmila didn't mind. Unable to hold back any longer, she finally revealed her true intentions. "Mr. Westeros, I want to go to Hollywood and become an actress, like Nicole Kidman. Can you help me?"
Simon brought his thoughts back to the present, smiling slightly as he asked, "Why should I help you?"
You're my brother-in-law, of course!
Lyudmila nearly blurted this out but held back. Instead, she leaned closer, holding onto Simon's arm and giving it a little shake, offering a deal. "I'll act in your movies for free in the future."
Simon teased, "There are girls willing to act for free all the way from Ukraine to the USA. What makes you think you have an advantage?"
"I…" Lyudmila blinked her long lashes a few times. "I'm definitely prettier than all of them, right?"
"That's debatable," Simon shook his head. "The girl who served us coffee just now, Nana, isn't any less attractive than you. If I wanted to, I'd make her a star, not you."
Lyudmila held onto Simon's arm. "But I'm taller than she is! I'm 182 cm tall!"
Simon shook his head again. "That's actually a disadvantage, not an advantage. In Hollywood, female stars are best at around 170 cm because most male stars aren't that tall. You're too tall."
Lyudmila, clearly unfamiliar with these details, was taken aback. "Then how did Nicole Kidman become a big star?"
Simon smirked. "Because Nicole Kidman had my full support."
Lyudmila's mind raced, realizing he was playing with her. She pouted and shook his arm again, this time using a different tone. "Simon, can you please help me?"
Simon circled back to his original point. "Why should I help you?"
"I…" Lyudmila's expression shifted several times as she quickly made a decision. She added a touch of coquettishness to her demeanor. "If you help me become a big star, I'll do anything. And… and my sister too."
Clearly convinced of her position, Lyudmila didn't hesitate to raise the stakes in her offer.
She had the makings of someone destined for big things.
Simon couldn't help but marvel at this.
However, having already experienced mother-daughter and sister pairings, Simon found such scenarios less appealing. He now valued the experience of being with a woman more. He enjoyed his time with Eve, who was clearly not someone who would accept sharing with her sister. Therefore, Simon had no intention of pursuing this.
For Lyudmila, Simon indeed felt more like a brother-in-law. He viewed her as a younger sister.
So, he gently pulled his arm out of Lyudmila's grasp. Noticing the mixture of anticipation, confusion, and surprise in her expression, Simon reached over, threading his fingers through her hair, passing the edge of her fur hat until he found a delicate little ear.
Then, he twisted.
"Ouch… it hurts, it hurts!"
In the adjacent room, where Yekaterina and the other two girls were watching TV while awaiting potential summons from Simon, the sudden outcry caught their attention. They exchanged glances, and Evegenia, another girl with the nickname Eve, muttered, "What an exaggeration. You can tell she's faking it."
The other two girls nodded in agreement, sharing a sense of camaraderie.
Not very dignified at all.
Coincidentally, Eve, who had just returned after hearing that her sister had
come looking for her, felt a sudden pang of worry when she heard the cry. She quickly hurried toward the source of the noise.
Another female bodyguard who had been following Eve also rushed after her, mainly out of concern that Eve might act impulsively and need restraining.
Eve burst into the room, only to find that the situation wasn't what she had imagined. She breathed a sigh of relief.
However, seeing Simon tugging at her sister's ear while Lyudmila whimpered tearfully, Eve's heart ached. She rushed over, intending to rescue her sister, but stopped short as she neared Simon. Her earlier determination evaporated, leaving her with no courage to forcibly intervene. She could only plead, "Boss, I'm sorry, Boss. Please let go of Mila. If she did something wrong, I'll apologize."
Simon hadn't been using much force, but hearing the girl's pitiful cries and seeing Eve rush in, he did increase the pressure slightly to teach Lyudmila a lesson. Now, hearing Eve's plea, he finally let go.
As soon as her ear was freed, Lyudmila jumped up from the sofa and threw herself into her sister's arms, sobbing with exaggerated grievance.
Eve hugged her sister, glanced at Simon, and was about to leave the room when Simon's voice stopped her. "Come here, sit down."
With no other choice, Eve hesitated for a moment before leading her sister to sit on the sofa. She made sure to place Lyudmila on the far side, away from Simon.
The bodyguard who had followed them inside, seeing that the situation wasn't serious, quietly closed the door and left.
Simon picked up his coffee from the table and nodded toward Lyudmila. "Tell your sister what you were just trying to do."
Lyudmila glanced at her sister with a guilty expression, but she didn't say anything, her face growing more pitiful.
Eve realized that her sister must have done something to upset their boss and apologized again. "I'm really sorry, Boss. Mila's just a little mischievous."
Simon had acted out of instinct, knowing that a girl who could so easily offer herself and her sister might cause trouble in the future. Of course, such trouble wouldn't be a big deal for Simon, but it could bring misfortune to Eve and her family.
Just like the families of the other three girls who had been cleared out of the villa.
Simon didn't particularly enjoy taking such actions, but rules were rules, and he wouldn't hesitate when necessary.
After noticing Lyudmila's attire, Simon asked Eve, "Has she been asking you for money recently?"
"No, she hasn't," Eve instinctively defended her sister. "Mila is very well-behaved and doesn't spend money recklessly."
Simon sighed internally.
Is this a case of the overindulgent sister spoiling the younger one?
Perhaps emboldened by her sister's support, Lyudmila grew bolder. She shot Simon a cheeky grin behind Eve's back but quickly switched to a more pleasing smile when she remembered who Simon was.
Simon asked Eve, "How old is she?"
"Sixteen," Eve replied.
Lyudmila chimed in, "Almost seventeen!"
"Okay," Simon raised an eyebrow. "Since you want to be an actress, forget that. You should be a model instead. I'll help you with that."
Westerners generally don't have the same prejudices against modeling as other cultures might. Lyudmila had nearly run away from home to pursue modeling before being caught, her parents easily recognizing the dubious nature of the opportunity. Hearing Simon's offer, Lyudmila's eyes lit up, and even Eve didn't object. She simply said, "But, Boss, Mila is still in school."
Simon raised an eyebrow. "It wouldn't happen to be the school I just opened, would it?"
Eve nodded.
Simon shook his head. "Don't let her cause trouble there. Here's what we'll do: she can learn alongside Nana and the others. Their curriculum is perfect for aspiring models." Then, turning to Lyudmila, who was peering curiously over her sister's shoulder, Simon added, "You have one year. If you're not ready to walk the runway at next spring's fashion week, I'll have to deal with you."
Lyudmila, who had been eagerly anticipating the offer, suddenly shrank back, her ear still tingling from earlier.
Simon turned back to Eve. "From now on, don't give her any money. If I find out you did, I'll punish both of you. If she wants to spend money, she'll have to earn it herself. Also, any expenses for her training over the next year will be billed to her, and she'll have to repay it once she starts making money."
Eve wasn't stupid and could sense that Simon's arrangements were meant for her sister's benefit. However, she still said, "Simon, I need to discuss this with our parents first."
Simon nodded. "I'll take care of that."
He planned to find a reliable agent to contact the Bessonovskaya family. As long as everything was handled properly, there would be no issues. He had recently discussed expanding Elite's operations into Ukraine with Grace, and Lyudmila would be a perfect candidate to sign with Elite.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]