In Malibu, about ten kilometers west of Point Dume, a unique school has begun its operations. This institution is named Solvay Academy.
Simon and his wife Janet arrived early Saturday morning. Despite being the weekend, the boarding school was bustling, with 239 students engaging in weekend activities organized by the teaching staff.
The school's principal, Lydon Mayota, personally accompanied Simon and Janet, though Janet was handling most of the conversations.
"The initial group from China was supposed to be 176 students," Janet said, affectionately holding Simon's arm as they stood behind a classroom where mostly Asian children were conducting a chemistry experiment under their teacher's guidance. "Some were retained by Chinese officials, others had parents making demands we couldn't accept, and a few didn't pass all our tests. In the end, only 87 children made it to Los Angeles." Janet added with a smile, "But they're incredibly smart. In less than a month, nearly all of them have become fluent in English."
Listening, Simon quietly observed the class for a moment before the principal led them to another area. He turned to Janet and Mayota, saying, "I've been thinking about the students here. Rather than forcing them into specific fields, I want to focus on cultivating their interests. To change the world, a single generation only needs a handful of top talents in any given discipline. With our approach, we're bound to nurture enough brilliant minds without dictating paths. Even if some prefer literature over physics, we'll support them in becoming masters in their field. We don't need them all to be scientists."
Lydon Mayota nodded in agreement, but Janet disagreed. "That won't work," she said. "Children need guidance to grow in certain directions. Left unattended, they'd become wild or scattered. We should still emphasize certain fields."
Simon smiled. "We're talking about two different things. You're focused on shaping their habits. I'm referring to guiding their life paths."
"I don't see much of a difference."
"There's a big difference."
"Not really."
"Don't talk back. What I say goes."
"Oh, fine."
Lydon Mayota was surprised to see the famous couple bickering like teenagers. When Simon showed his assertiveness, Janet—usually so sharp—ended up yielding. Amused, Mayota held back a laugh, quietly trailing behind them. Observing the couple, she noted how Janet clung to Simon like a girl in love.
It wasn't what she'd expected.
The man walking ahead was known for his romantic escapades. She'd seen a gossip column that morning featuring two Hollywood actresses, Kate Beckinsale and Natasha Henstridge, shopping together. Working in Hollywood meant always being close to rumors, and she knew that both women were reportedly Simon's lovers—otherwise, no one would find their outing newsworthy.
Normally, a man with such a reputation wouldn't have a strong marriage.
Rumors of an impending high-stakes divorce often circulated, but despite all the gossip, nothing had happened over the years.
As Mayota led them into the gym, where some students were playing basketball, she caught herself glancing at the couple again.
A part of her understood.
Simon Westeros was a man so powerful he could make a woman overlook many things. Though she was in her forties, Mayota found herself fantasizing about him. Given his rumored tastes, if she were in Janet's place, she might tolerate his behavior, maybe even go as far as finding other women to keep him satisfied.
After all, he was Simon Westeros.
The couple only stayed for half an hour before leaving.
As Mayota watched their car drive away, she realized that her mind had wandered through most of the visit. She felt a pang of worry, wondering if Simon had noticed her distracted demeanor.
Lydon Mayota was a Dartmouth graduate with PhDs in both education and psychology. She had spent her career in education, most recently as the vice principal of a gifted school on the East Coast, when she was recruited for Solvay Academy.
Her initial interview had been with Jennifer Raybould.
But, she thought, perhaps it should be Jennifer Westeros.
Simon Westeros's arrangement of living with two wives in the Malibu estate was no secret. Jennifer's first question to her was whether she knew the meaning of "Solvay Academy." When she answered by referencing the 1927 Solvay Conference, featuring luminaries like Einstein, Curie, Lorentz, Planck, and Bohr, she felt that this response helped her land the position.
For the average person, it might be hard to grasp how much those figures shaped the world. Yet for those in elite circles, their influence was unmatched. Naming a school for gifted children after "Solvay" revealed the Westeroses' ambition, and Mayota was thrilled at the thought of ushering in a new Solvay era of scientific advancement.
Still, as the Westeroses' car vanished from view, a thought occurred to her: maybe her looks and demeanor had also played a part in her hiring. She'd caught Simon casting a few extra glances her way.
Women tend to be particularly attuned to the nuances of a man's gaze, and his had felt rather bold, almost as if he was contemplating some intimate conquest. To her surprise, she found herself not entirely opposed to the idea.
Only when her assistant repeatedly called her name did Mayota snap out of her thoughts, feeling her face flush.
She'd lost focus for the entire visit, and now, even after they had left, her mind was still wandering.
And she—a married woman—was daydreaming about a married man. Ridiculous.
Elsewhere, in the car, Janet leaned close to Simon as they rode back. When they traveled together, Janet always made sure they used cars without a dividing armrest. After discussing the tour, Janet suddenly asked, "Simon, what do you think of Lydon?"
"Hm?"
"She's very much your type, right?"
Simon pinched her nose, saying, "We're discussing the future of humanity here. Don't get sidetracked."
Janet chuckled, shrugging off his hand, and whispered playfully, "You could always come back to check on her more often—for humanity's sake, of course."
Back at the Dume Point estate, instead of returning to their usual house, they went to a smaller residence near the artificial lake. There, they reviewed various reports from the Westeros family's private intelligence network.
It was June 29, nearing the end of the first half of 1996.
Domestically, although the Westeros group appeared restrained during this election year, their activity behind the scenes was substantial.
One such initiative, alongside the Solvay Project, was the Troy Project, which Simon had overseen for some time. A second round of "seeds" had recently been placed within various levels of government.
There was also an initiative to integrate retired high-ranking politicians into the Westeros sphere, starting with Donald Rumsfeld, chairman of Gilead and former Secretary of Defense under Ford. Over the past six months, over sixty former U.S. political leaders had joined the boards or management teams of Westeros-affiliated companies.
Similarly, since the last midterms, Joseph Schlap and Paul Spites, Simon's political operatives, had been quietly executing a plan to infiltrate American politics from the ground up. Instead of competing in prominent states like Florida, they focused on strongholds such as California and New York, as well as swing states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. This grassroots approach allowed them to influence political trajectories at the municipal level and groom loyal candidates who could one day rise to higher offices in Washington—or even the White House.
However, the upcoming presidential election commanded Simon's primary focus.
While the Westeros group had faced various obstacles in the U.S., Washington remained its strongest ally. In Africa's Angola and Rwanda, or Europe's Russia and Ukraine, the Westeros network was able to make significant inroads, largely because of its alliance with the U.S.
Take, for example, the recent expansion in Rivne, Ukraine.
Without backing from the U.S., such an endeavor would have provoked retaliation from Kyiv's authorities. Even Westeros's UFMS private military forces might have been evicted if the government had resolved to take a stand.
But with the clout of both economic power and U.S. backing, no one dared make a move.
Otherwise, U.S. sanctions would be an inevitable consequence.
Countries in Eastern Europe, especially former Soviet states, were all too familiar with the impact of American sanctions, and few dared risk them given their precarious economies.
Inside the lakeside villa, Simon and Janet discussed recent developments in Angola before turning to Ukraine.
Holding a report on a recent wiretap of Yulia Tymoshenko during her stay in Rivne, Janet laughed. "This woman is ambitious. She wants Lazarenko to limit our acquisition of the Odessa fertilizer plant to make us back down."
Simon responded, "Lazarenko didn't agree, though. Men are usually more reliable in these matters."
Janet gave him a look before adding, "Actually, since they're both part of the Dnipropetrovsk clan and are now in conflict with the president, this is an opportunity. If we help them reconcile and offer additional benefits, we could strengthen our hold on Ukraine."
Simon, reviewing intelligence on Russia's upcoming election, shook his head. "I prefer Ukraine to remain in a state of turmoil. If they unite, it would only lead to stability, which doesn't suit us."
Janet blinked, smiling, "You're not confident enough."
If Ukraine were united and stable, economic growth would follow, and people's lives would improve. In time, a stable government would begin to view any external influence as a threat. Even friendly forces, if strong enough,
would draw scrutiny. No one tolerates a powerful outsider.
Simon shook his head. "It's not about confidence. There's no benefit in stabilizing Ukraine."
If Ukraine remained turbulent, Simon would effectively hold free reign in Rivne. Should he wish to, he could even consider declaring Rivne an independent state. But if Ukraine found stability, a cohesive government would eventually shift its attention to internal matters, increasing the risks for the Westeros network's presence in the region.
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