At 11 a.m., for the fifth time, Rachel Weisz walked out of the cinema after watching the same film. She felt a bit foolish, especially for going to see a movie at such an odd time of the day.
But ever since she received an invitation last week, she couldn't help but want to learn more about a man at the top of Hollywood's pyramid—Simon Westeros. The Man from Earth was his latest work, and it wasn't a commercial film like his DC Universe productions.
Wildly imaginative.
If she understood Chinese, Rachel's first impression of The Man from Earth would probably be something along those lines.
She had seen Simon Westeros's earlier work, Run Lola Run, and had found it incredible that an 18-year-old had directed the film. As someone with a passion for drama, she had even felt a sense of admiration.
Later, Simon Westeros quickly rose to prominence in Hollywood, becoming the richest person in the world in what felt like the blink of an eye. Even though Rachel had been acting since she was 15, she thought she'd never have any connection with such a legendary figure.
Yet life is full of surprises.
Last week, her agent had called her, his voice full of excitement, telling her to get to CAA's headquarters in Century City as soon as possible.
Last year, Rachel had ventured into Hollywood after building a solid reputation in the British acting scene. With a degree from Cambridge, which was highly regarded in the supposedly "uncultured" Hollywood, she had easily signed with CAA.
When she arrived at her agent's office, she was told that Simon Westeros wanted to "meet" her.
Rachel understood what "meet" meant in this context, having heard plenty of rumors about Westeros during her time in the industry.
Independent and somewhat rebellious by nature, Rachel wasn't someone who could be easily swayed. However, she knew well enough what an invitation from Simon Westeros implied.
The entertainment world was full of rumors, and Rachel was aware that many of the actresses who had risen to stardom in recent years—Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Courteney Cox, Famke Janssen, Julia Roberts, Valeria Golino, Meg Ryan, and many others—had various connections to Simon Westeros.
Agreeing to meet him could mean she'd become the next "Westeros girl."
Conveniently, Daenerys Entertainment was preparing several blockbuster projects, including Charlie's Angels, The Mummy, and Jumanji, all of which had roles that might be perfect for her. Her agent had already submitted her resume, though neither of them had been too hopeful.
Now, this was an opportunity—a golden chance to leap into the spotlight.
But deep down, Rachel was still proud. If they could meet at a party, and if he could take the time to get to know her, she thought she wouldn't be too resistant.
But what was this?
An escort service?
That thought had almost made her refuse immediately. But seeing the feverish look on her agent's face, she thought better of it and said she needed time to consider.
Her agent didn't seem to need a definite answer. He simply smiled and told her to take her time. However, over the next few days, he started preparing as if her answer was a foregone conclusion.
Even Michael Ovitz, the president of CAA, took time to have lunch with her.
It was hard to keep secrets in this business, and some vague rumors began to spread. Faced with a mixture of flattery and jealousy, Rachel Weisz stopped attending any social events, not even going back to CAA's headquarters.
Even the actor who had been pursuing her suddenly disappeared from her life.
Rachel had a pretty good idea why, but she didn't ask questions. Either he'd been warned or paid off. CAA wouldn't resort to more drastic measures, surely.
She knew that by not refusing, she had already tacitly agreed.
In the span of a few days, another opportunity arose.
She learned that she had landed a role in Bernardo Bertolucci's new film, Stealing Beauty, after auditioning for it recently. Her agent's tone when he shared the news, though, was dismissive. Initially, they'd worked hard to secure even a minor role in the film, but now, it seemed beneath her.
Still, it was a Bertolucci film—a chance to build her résumé.
Her agent also gossiped about how Stealing Beauty's lead role had originally been given to Liv Tyler, daughter of Aerosmith's lead singer Steven Tyler, but was then switched to Mia Kirshner. Kirshner, a 20-year-old actress, had recently been nominated for an Oscar for her role in Little Women.
Despite being almost guaranteed not to win, being nominated for Best Actress at such a young age was something many actresses would never achieve in their lifetime.
And how had Mia Kirshner, a girl from a Russian immigrant family in Canada with no connections, managed to pull this off?
The key lay in Simon Westeros.
Although Stealing Beauty wasn't a Daenerys Entertainment project—it was backed by Fox—one phone call from Simon had caused Fox to drop Liv Tyler in favor of Mia Kirshner.
At the end of his gossip, her agent had teased that if she could just get close to Simon, she might one day have the power to take whatever role she wanted.
Caught up in the moment, Rachel had sarcastically asked, "What if I want Mia Kirshner's role?" Her agent's reply, "That depends on how good you are," made her realize she had set herself up. Still, the thought had stuck with her for days.
But after that initial excitement, things seemed to slow down.
She received the invitation on March 2, but now it was already March 10. To make matters worse, she had been dragged to a private hospital in Malibu for a medical checkup, and still, there was no word from Westeros.
Had the meeting been canceled?
Whenever she thought of that, she couldn't decide whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
Approaching noon, Rachel stood outside a cinema in West Hollywood, briefly reflecting on the film she had just seen. She then walked to a nearby parking lot and got into her Buick. Looking around through the windows, she considered where to go for lunch when her phone rang.
As soon as she answered, her agent's excited voice came through, and Rachel's heart began to race.
At 2 p.m., at Santa Monica Airport.
Dressed in a Versace outfit that had been delivered to her by Westeros's team, Rachel Weisz arrived at the airport with her agent, Todd Winterbottom. A Gulfstream V was already waiting on the runway.
After some last-minute advice from her agent, Rachel confirmed her identity with two uniformed women standing by the plane and, carrying a Gucci handbag (also provided by Westeros), boarded the aircraft.
Rachel froze in the aisle as soon as she entered the luxurious cabin.
Another woman, also dressed elegantly, was already seated inside, looking at her with equal confusion.
The flight attendant, Nikki Dennis, introduced them without noticing the awkwardness. "Ms. Weisz, this is Kate Beckinsale. Ms. Beckinsale, this is Rachel Weisz."
Not wanting to seem rude, Rachel stepped forward and extended her hand to the woman named Kate Beckinsale. As they shook hands, Rachel vaguely recognized her. When Kate spoke, her strong British accent jogged Rachel's memory—she had seen one of Kate's horror films a few years ago.
She realized they were both from England.
As they exchanged pleasantries, Kate also picked up on Rachel's British roots, but neither said much more for the moment.
An odd, unspoken tension hung in the air.
After their greeting, Rachel intended to sit on the opposite side of the cabin, but Nikki, perhaps deliberately, gestured for her to sit across from Kate. Not wanting to be impolite on her first private jet experience, Rachel complied.
And then there was silence.
Nikki briefly explained some safety precautions and confirmed that neither woman had any questions before leaving.
Soon, the Gulfstream V began to taxi down the runway at Santa Monica Airport.
As the plane reached cruising altitude, with clear blue skies above the clouds, Kate unfastened her seatbelt, prompting Rachel to quickly do the same.
A moment later, they found themselves looking at each other again.
Finally, Kate Beckinsale broke the silence with a smile, whispering, "What an absolute jerk."
Rachel knew exactly who she was referring to and why.
It was obvious.
That guy—he clearly had... intentions.
Smiling back, Rachel whispered, "Indeed, a real jerk."
With that brief exchange, the tension between them eased significantly. Both glanced toward the aisle, slightly worried that Nikki might overhear their quiet complaints. Nikki, however, seemed more like one of those rumored bodyguards from the Westeros family, judging by her demeanor and movements. Rachel guessed she was more of a bodyguard than a flight attendant.
Nikki soon returned, smiling politely and asking if they would like something to drink.
Rachel had been about to request a coffee, but Kate took the lead, inquiring about their options and ultimately deciding on a bottle of red wine for them both.
Nikki left briefly and returned with another woman, each carrying a tray—one with the wine, the other with some nuts and snacks.
After pouring the wine and checking if they needed anything else, Nikki and her colleague left again. Rachel finally remembered to ask something important, calling out, "Where are we going?"
Nikki stopped and replied, "Seattle."
Kate, who had been inspecting the Château Latour wine, looked up in surprise. "Seattle? Why are we going to Seattle?"
Nikki
patiently explained, "Today is the launch of Windows 95 at Microsoft's headquarters. Our boss was invited to attend."
Understanding dawned.
Both women had spent the past two years transitioning from the UK to North America, mostly staying in Los Angeles, so neither had been to Seattle. Their only impression of the city came from the 1993 hit movie Sleepless in Seattle, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
With no more questions, Kate started talking about Sleepless in Seattle.
It turned out both women had seen the movie.
Rachel loved it, but Kate thought the story was too idealistic.
As they continued chatting, they discovered more about each other. To their surprise, Rachel was a Cambridge graduate, while Kate had studied at Oxford. The difference was that Rachel had earned her degree, while Kate had dropped out in her third year to focus on acting.
Still, both were among the elite.
They sipped wine and talked for over half an hour, confirming that Nikki and her colleague wouldn't disturb them. Then, Kate suddenly asked, "What do you think we'll get out of this tonight?"
Rachel, pretending not to understand, responded with, "Huh?"
Kate smiled knowingly. "I'm sure you've heard that Simon Westeros is very generous. He often gives luxury homes to the women around him, like Jasmine Gaudy and Nadja Auermann."
Both women came from relatively comfortable backgrounds but were far from wealthy. Renting homes in Los Angeles, they were still a long way from owning mansions, yachts, or private jets.
Rachel briefly fantasized about owning a mansion in Beverly Hills and found herself looking forward to it. She asked, "But if he gave you something, would you really accept it?"
Without hesitation, Kate nodded. "Why not?"
Rachel paused. "But you know, nothing in life is free. If you take something from Simon Westeros, you'll likely have to stay with him for a long time."
Kate seemed well aware of that and leaned in slightly, whispering, "I've done some research. Simon Westeros is actually a pretty good guy. If we were to get a mansion, we'd only have to stay with him for a year or two before leaving. He wouldn't stop us."
Rachel studied Kate's face and asked, "But don't you think that's... improper?"
Kate shrugged. "I just think that even if we do well after tonight, it would take us four or five years to afford a mansion in Beverly Hills. If we're unlucky, we might never be able to afford one. And remember, this is Simon Westeros. Everyone knows about him and those other girls—no one's laughing at them. In fact, most people are jealous. And it's not just the house. Have you heard of Instagram? Westeros gave those two girls some shares in it. I recently read in a magazine—guess how much they're worth now?"
Rachel shook her head.
Kate held up her hand. "Fifty million dollars. If I had that kind of money, I wouldn't have to do anything else. I could just enjoy life."
Rachel found herself lost in thought after hearing Kate's words.
Kate sighed dreamily, took another sip of wine, then leaned back in her seat. Eyeing Rachel, she smiled and said, "At the very least, Simon Westeros is a great lover. Handsome, talented, and I'm sure... physically fit."
Rachel's cheeks flushed at Kate's final comment. "But you know he's married, right?"
Kate smiled confidently. "So what? Maybe I'll steal him away."
Half-joking, Kate leaned closer and said, "Let's both try to steal him, just like Jasmine and Nadja. I'll be the waist goddess, and you... hmm... you'll be the leg goddess."
Rachel, though initially planning to shut down the conversation, found herself annoyed by Kate claiming both titles. "What do you mean you get to be both the waist and leg goddess?"
Kate scrutinized Rachel for a moment. "You're very pretty, Rachel, but don't hate me for being honest—you might want to keep an eye on your figure."
Most women can't stand it when men criticize their figure.
But it's even harder to take when another woman does it.
Rachel rolled her eyes and decided to stop engaging in such absurd conversations with Kate.
Kate didn't mind, continuing to sip her wine in silence for a while. She seemed to be waiting for the right moment to break the ice again.
As they kept chatting, the two-hour flight passed quickly.
When the Gulfstream V landed at a city airport south of Lake Washington in Seattle, Rachel gazed out the window at the rainy skies, thinking how much it resembled Sleepless in Seattle.
Subconsciously, she realized that all these scattered thoughts were just her way of masking her growing nervousness.
After leaving the airport, they took a boat across Lake Washington to Mercer Island, where they were welcomed into a luxurious estate nestled in the island's greenery and mist.
Still, there was no sign of Simon Westeros.
As the day wore on without meeting him, the two women felt a mix of relief and disappointment, along with a subtle, unacknowledged sense of anticipation that lingered until late at night, when the man finally returned.
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