Miami, North Palm Beach.
Janet's purchase of six hectares of prime oceanfront land had, after over three years of development, become the most luxurious estate in the area. The presence of the Westeros family had driven property prices up by more than 50% in recent years, turning the vicinity into a hotspot for celebrities.
By the time Simon and the two Jennys arrived at their Miami oceanfront estate, it was already past 8 p.m. on the East Coast. The sky had long turned dark, but unlike the cold north, Miami's subtropical February weather was still pleasantly warm in the evening.
As the black Bentley carrying the trio entered the estate, Janet immediately noticed something unusual. When the car stopped, she stepped out, arm in arm with Simon, and was instantly enveloped by the fragrant scent of flowers. Under the night lights, the entire estate was transformed into a sea of roses, as if a perfect fairy tale had come to life.
It was a Valentine's Day surprise Simon had arranged in advance—a million roses flown in from around the world, completely covering the estate.
Excited, Janet kissed Simon passionately for a moment, then rushed off into the flower-filled wonderland. Watching her run off, Simon turned to Jenny and softly said, "This is for you, too."
Though Jenny was more reserved than Janet, she smiled beautifully at Simon, her eyes glimmering. She couldn't resist wandering into the sea of roses herself.
Once the two women were lost in the maze of flowers, Angré Davis, who had been waiting by the villa with several maids, approached Simon, standing slightly behind him. With a tone of admiration, she softly remarked, "Mrs. Westeros is very lucky."
Simon, watching the two women frolic in the roses, turned to glance at the elegant woman in her black business suit and said, "You did a great job."
After reassigning the Gloralf family, Angré Davis had found new employment with Simon. Her meticulous professionalism quickly proved invaluable, and Simon entrusted her with increasingly important tasks. For this Valentine's trip to Miami, Angré Davis was in charge of all the arrangements for Simon and the two Jennys, including the impressive rose display in the estate, which Simon had secretly inspected before their arrival and was very pleased with.
Realizing this would likely be her last job, Angré Davis, who had once managed a wealthy businessman so well that he nearly proposed to her, simply lowered her eyes and replied, "Thank you, sir. It's my job."
Simon nodded and gestured toward the group of attendants getting out of the other vehicles. "Make arrangements for dinner. No need to rush."
Angré agreed and watched as Simon strolled along the rose-covered path. Only then did she turn to Zoey and Isabel, two of Simon's closest assistants, to discuss the preparations for the group's accommodations.
This trip wasn't exactly a secret, and by the next morning, Simon had received a flood of invitations. However, being Valentine's Day, they shut the doors to guests, opting instead to enjoy the privacy of the estate.
Simon also fulfilled his promise from the plane ride, personally selecting a song for Janet. He chose a song he had heard countless times in his past life: Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey.
After composing the melody and guiding Janet through a brief rehearsal, both Jennys immediately fell in love with it. The assistant even joked that the song seemed tailor-made for Janet, especially the line, "Dear Lord, when I get to heaven, please let me bring my man." It felt oddly fitting.
Janet wholeheartedly agreed and teasingly said she would bring Jenny along with her when the time came.
While the song would need to be recorded in a professional studio once they returned to Los Angeles, they could start filming the music video right away.
Janet naturally took on the role of the lead actress, with Simon as the cameraman.
The main setting was, of course, the rose-covered estate by the sea.
All day on Valentine's, Janet kept changing outfits—sometimes classical, sometimes modern, sometimes elegant, sometimes refined. She flitted around the estate like a fairy, while Simon followed closely behind with the camera, burning through an untold amount of film.
Though Jenny was envious, she kept a low profile that day, opting not to share the bed with them that night. Over the years, she had taken plenty from Janet and understood she shouldn't be too greedy. Before bed, Simon came to her, kissed her for a while, and whispered "Happy Valentine's Day" before her last bit of melancholy melted away.
The filming continued the next day.
For Simon, the key to the Young and Beautiful music video was to make it as aesthetically beautiful as possible—so beautiful that it felt unreal, almost ephemeral.
After spending half the day capturing more shots in the rose garden, the scene shifted to the private beach on the other side of the estate.
Finally, a guest arrived at the seaside estate, which had been closed off to visitors.
Hearing that Simon had arrived in Florida, Bryce Levison, who had been staying in New York after a week of wild partying in Park City, quietly returned from the north. Her husband, still busy dealing with the aftermath of their family business upheaval, paid her no mind, and she, in turn, had no interest in him. He probably had other women by his side and had either forgotten about Valentine's Day or given the gift to someone else.
Middle-aged couples don't really celebrate Valentine's anymore.
Her son had recently asked her for extra pocket money, presumably to buy a gift for his little girlfriend, even though Bryce wasn't fond of the girl's mother. Normally strict with her son, Bryce had uncharacteristically been generous this time.
And then, she couldn't help but think of a certain memorable young man.
Not in the obsessive way Grace Spert had—Bryce was a very rational woman. But no matter what, being around him felt incredibly easy, and reflecting on her time in Park City, she had thoroughly enjoyed how every door opened to her under his powerful aura, and how everyone treated her with utmost respect.
Even at the pinnacle of society, there's a hierarchy of disdain.
In the past, Bryce and her Southern family—who weren't Anglo-Saxon, and who hailed from the "backwater" South—often found themselves treated worse in New York's high society than even some Midwestern landowners. Although people were outwardly polite, subtle jabs and jokes were not uncommon.
By contrast, this young man, while lacking the long-standing pedigree of old-money aristocrats, had reached a level where no one in the country could look down on him.
Bryce even thought, if this country had a king, it would be Simon Westeros.
Historically, and in many legends, European kings often had hordes of lovers, many of whom were the wives of their subordinates. Thinking about it that way, this scoundrel wasn't too far off the mark.
Driving her red BMW into the estate, Bryce was immediately captivated by the sea of roses. Realizing this must be Simon's Valentine's gift to his wife—or maybe his other lovers—she felt a pang of resentment. Thinking of her own cold and forgotten situation, she briefly fantasized about driving right through the flower garden.
It was infuriating.
After parking in front of the main villa, Bryce stepped out, breathing in the fragrant scent of the roses. She felt slightly dizzy—a strange sensation, since she had never been allergic to anything.
Maybe she had finally developed an allergy?
As she pondered this, a poised woman in a black business suit approached, greeting her. "Good morning, Mrs. Levison."
Bryce nodded in response and was about to enter the villa when she paused, her suspicions rising as she scrutinized the woman. Suddenly, she smirked, a hint of hostility in her voice. "I remember you now. Ha, you're the Brool family's housekeeper." She glanced at the villa and then back at the woman, circling her before adding with a mocking tone, "This one's a bit more challenging, isn't it? Be careful—Janet Westeros isn't a fool like Nora Brool. They say she's quite ruthless. Compete with her for a man, and you might end up dead."
Angré Davis showed no reaction to Bryce's teasing. In a soft voice, she defended herself, "Mrs. Levison, I'm not competing with Mrs. Westeros."
Bryce nodded, unable to resist gently cupping Angré's well-maintained face before quickly withdrawing her hand with a touch of disdain. "You may not intend to, but it's just in your nature, isn't it? Still… seems like it could get dangerous."
Angré seemed not to hear Bryce's words, merely offering a respectful gesture for her to enter.
Faced with Angré's calm demeanor, Bryce felt a bit like a cat trying to scratch a hedgehog—there was no way to get a grip. She wouldn't admit it, but the interaction left her feeling slightly defeated. With a proud tilt of her head, she ascended the villa steps, asking, "Where's Simon?"
Angré replied, "Mr. Westeros and Mrs. Westeros are on the beach."
Bryce stopped in her tracks, glaring at Angré. "Then why did you let me enter the villa?"
With that, she turned and headed for the beach.
Angré didn't follow, her gaze lingering on Bryce as she walked toward Simon before she turned back toward the villa.
As Bryce descended the wooden steps that wound down the cliff, she spotted a group of people on the white sandy beach below.
Simon sat at a piano, playing. She wondered how they had even gotten the piano onto the beach. Then again, after the rose garden, nothing seemed
impossible.
As she approached, Bryce began to hear a song accompanied by the piano.
…
Seen the world, done it all.
Tired of it all.
Lost in the grandeur, drowning in indulgence.
All fleeting, a passing illusion.
On that midsummer night, in the endless July.
We were young and fearless, undaunted by the years ahead.
We lived in the moment, until the lights came on.
When youth fades and beauty withers, will you still love me as the years go by?
When the noise dies down and we are left scarred, will you love me as you did at the beginning, until the end of time?
…
The voice, slightly raspy and low, wasn't sorrowful but carried a strange innocence mixed with a sense of melancholy. It stirred up emotions of self-destruction, as if one could walk straight into the gently lapping waves ahead and let the ocean swallow them whole.
If this song had existed before, Bryce thought, she surely would have heard it by now.
It must be one of his originals.
And likely a recent one, perhaps even a Valentine's gift.
With that in mind, Bryce found herself overwhelmed with a sudden surge of jealousy as she stood there, listening. She was envious of the woman on the beach—wearing a sunhat, a white tank top, and loose pants—running barefoot in the sand, screaming and laughing like a child.
Seeing Bryce pause, Angré, who had also been entranced by the song, gently reminded her, "Mrs. Levison, I think Mr. and Mrs. Westeros would prefer not to be disturbed right now, wouldn't you agree?"
Bryce, who had been considering leaving, now felt a surge of defiance.
Besides, it wasn't as though Simon and Janet were alone on the beach. What harm would her presence do?
With that, she continued walking down the steps.
Angré remained still, watching Bryce head toward Simon before turning back toward the villa.
As Bryce drew near, the song ended.
Simon looked up from the piano, smiled at her, and greeted, "Good morning."
Feeling oddly flustered, she nodded in return, her eyes drifting around until they landed on the young girl standing near the piano, the one who had just been singing. She was surprised to see that the hauntingly beautiful voice belonged to a small, youthful girl, who appeared to be no more than 4'11".
Could it be that Simon had suddenly changed his taste in women?
Noticing Bryce's curious gaze, Simon chuckled. "This is Christina Aguilera. Don't let her size fool you—her singing skills are exceptional."
After Disney was acquired by Vivendi, the company underwent significant restructuring.
Though Disney Channel had received an exemption from the federal government, allowing it to continue airing (it was, after all, a childhood staple for many), Vivendi had nonetheless made significant cuts to its programming.
As a result, The Mickey Mouse Club, which had struggled with low ratings for several years, was inevitably canceled.
While The Mickey Mouse Club might not be well-known to everyone, many famous late-90s pop stars and actors—Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling, to name a few—had started their careers on the show.
Simon had been aware of these children for a while, and after MMC disbanded, Daenerys Entertainment signed most of the young stars, with plans to groom them into Teen-Pop sensations.
Compared to Britney's girl-next-door image, Simon had always preferred the fiery, cat-like persona of Christina Aguilera—particularly the "Genie in a Bottle" version of Christina. Of course, after her later weight gain, she was less appealing to him.
But among all the MMC alumni, Christina had the most impressive vocal talent, with an uncanny ability to mimic other singers. Her voice happened to resemble that of Lana Del Rey.
Simon had flown the 15-year-old from Los Angeles to Miami, intending for her to imitate Lana's style in recording Young and Beautiful. They had already done a few takes that morning, and the results were nearly indistinguishable from the original. In fact, if you compared vocal skills, Christina, who rarely had issues during live performances, would easily outshine Lana.
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