The weekend entering late March was abuzz with activity.
First, on Friday, March 21, the Easter holiday season officially kicked off with the simultaneous release of two major films: Jim Carrey's The Cable Guy, produced by Daenerys Entertainment, and MGM's Species 2.
But that wasn't all.
Thanks to Bridget Jones's Diary, which surpassed $100 million at the box office during its opening week from March 7 to March 13, becoming Daenerys Entertainment's first $100 million hit of 1997, and the impressive market performances of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Following, Daenerys Entertainment decided to host a celebration party on Friday, March 21.
The party wasn't scheduled for Saturday or Sunday because Saturday would feature Tinkerbell's Spring Product Launch, while Sunday was reserved for the pre-party leading up to the 69th Academy Awards the following Monday.
The venue for the celebration was once again the luxurious hillside mansion in Palisades, which had almost become Daenerys Entertainment's go-to location for such events.
With the Oscars approaching, this was one of the busiest times in Los Angeles for celebrities. Add to that the possibility of a certain high-profile boss making an appearance, and many people showed up just to catch a glimpse or join the excitement.
However, when the ultimate VIP, Simon Westeros, arrived arm-in-arm with Janet Westeros, many women at the party were either visibly disappointed or became nervous. While the media often speculated about Simon's estranged relationship with his wife, no one dared to openly challenge the legitimacy of Janet's presence when she showed up alongside him.
After accompanying Simon for some light socializing, Janet retreated upstairs with Amy Pascal and a few other close acquaintances. Despite the house often being used for events, parts of the upper floors remained private and off-limits to guests.
On the balcony of the second floor, which overlooked the party scene in the backyard, the women gathered. Amy couldn't resist teasing Janet: "Did you two have a fight?"
Janet, well aware of the subtext in Amy's question, rolled her eyes slightly. "Of course not."
"Then why did you come with him?" Amy continued, smirking. "You know these events are prime hunting grounds for men."
Janet sipped her wine thoughtfully before replying, "He insisted I come."
This response surprised not only Amy but everyone else present.
Nancy Breyer tilted her head slightly, pondering, and tentatively suggested, "Maybe... he's been overindulging lately and brought you along as a shield."
"You're the one overindulging," Janet retorted.
"Actually, I've also noticed something different about Simon lately," Amy chimed in. After a moment of reflection, a lightbulb seemed to go off in her head. She grabbed Janet's hand and exclaimed, "Janet, I get it now. Congratulations!"
"Congratulations for what?"
Amy, with a hint of fondness as if watching her boss finally mature, said, "I think Simon's done playing around. He's ready to settle down and focus on family life."
Janet blinked, then imagined Simon as a stereotypical family man—living a nine-to-five life, doting on her, and raising children. The thought sent a chill down her spine. She shook off Amy's hand and replied, "I'd rather not have Simon 'settle down.' If the lion king of the savannah turns into a caged zoo animal, life would be far too dull."
Nancy half-joked, half-admired, "See, only Janet and Simon are truly made for each other. The rest of us could never keep up."
Janet waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, stop speculating. Simon's just been under a lot of pressure lately. You all know why."
Nancy, Amy, Linda Vargas, MGM head Shirley Lansing, and a recent addition to their circle, Leighton Mayotta, the headmistress of the Malibu Solvay Academy, immediately understood and nodded knowingly.
Rumors had it that several women close to Simon were pregnant at the same time. Even if they didn't know the full details, the situation must have been quite a tangled mess.
Of course, such matters were far too sensitive for them to pry further. Wisely, they shifted the conversation to lighter topics.
Nancy, curious about the Solvay Academy that Leighton Mayotta oversaw, asked, "Leighton, how smart are the brightest kids at your school? Are any of them as brilliant as Cyril? You've met him, right? The boy from Seattle."
Leighton, feeling a bit reserved among this group of powerful Los Angeles women, glanced at Janet before replying, "Janet had Cyril take some tests, and his results were astonishing. But it's hard to compare. The kids we select all have exceptionally high IQs, but each has their own unique strengths—some excel in analytical thinking, others in memory or reaction speed, and so on."
Janet smiled and quipped to Nancy, "They're all definitely smarter than you."
"I actually think…" Linda Vargas, who rarely spoke much, chimed in, "that intelligence isn't the decisive factor. Hard work matters more. No matter how smart someone is, if they don't fully tap into their potential, they won't achieve much."
The others nodded in agreement.
Leighton Mayotta smiled without commenting.
Janet, still smiling, shook her head. "That's only within the realm of normal people's understanding of intelligence and effort. If you ever meet someone who can master all math courses from elementary to college within a week, you'd think differently. The gap between ordinary smart people and true geniuses is insurmountable."
Shirley Lansing remarked, "But most of the world is made up of ordinary people."
"Yet it's always the rare geniuses who truly change the world," Janet replied. "The purpose of Simon founding the Solvay Academy is to harness the potential of these extraordinary individuals who can push the limits of human achievement and drive the world forward. That's something ordinary but hardworking people can rarely accomplish."
Linda added, "Janet, you're only talking about science."
"Of course. For humanity to genuinely advance, scientific progress is fundamental. Advancements in philosophy or governance, as Simon says, only lead to cycles of repetition."
Janet's words left the women deep in thought.
After a moment, Amy broke the silence with a laugh. "I think we should get back to talking about the new collections from the recent fashion season. Let the men handle the future of humanity."
The group burst into laughter.
Downstairs at the party, a quick count would reveal a notable number of women with close ties to Simon Westeros. For instance, Natasha Henstridge, the lead actress of Species 2, which had just premiered that day; Rachel Weisz, who starred in last year's hit The Mummy; Kate Beckinsale from Charlie's Angels; Kirsten Dunst from Jumanji; and a slew of supermodels returning from the Spring Fashion Week to bask in the Oscars buzz.
And these were just the ones known to the circle.
How many women at the party had actually been with Simon Westeros? That was anyone's guess.
Due to Janet's presence and Simon's apparent lack of enthusiasm that evening, most women behaved with restraint. Even those who tried to approach him held back when they sensed his indifference.
Of course, there were always exceptions.
For example, Scarlett Johansson and her sister Vanessa, who had just auditioned for Deep Impact that afternoon and were invited to the party, along with another auditionee, Leelee Sobieski. Despite being only 14, Leelee, already over 5'7" with striking Slavic features, exuded a surprising sophistication for her age.
Unaware of Janet's presence and emboldened by prior hints that Simon was interested in them, the girls sought him out. Scarlett and Vanessa, already rivals for the same role, quickly escalated their competition into a subtle contest for Simon's attention.
"Simon, did you see Nessa's audition tape? She's been working so hard for this role these past few months," Scarlett chirped, kneeling on the carpet beside Simon's chair with her hands on the armrest.
Simon, seated in a corner of the mansion's living room, was in the middle of discussing Deep Impact with Daenerys Studios President Tom Pollock. Leelee Sobieski sat on his other side.
Simon reached out and patted Scarlett's head, smiling. "I haven't seen it yet, Scarlett, but I'm sure Nessa has worked very hard."
Satisfied by his attention, Scarlett playfully rubbed her cheek against his hand, glancing challengingly at Leelee before turning to Tom Pollock for support.
Pollock, a seasoned Hollywood executive who had attended the auditions earlier in the day, diplomatically commented, "Both ladies gave excellent performances."
Privately, Pollock thought Leelee Sobieski had the stronger performance. As for Vanessa Johansson, compared to her younger sister Scarlett's luminous presence during The Horse Whisperer auditions, the difference was stark. Scarlett had an undeniable spark, while Vanessa seemed wooden in comparison.
However, the role in question was a minor one with less than five minutes of screen time. It hardly mattered who got it.
Noting Scarlett's hopeful gaze, Simon eventually relented, ruffling her hair. "Alright, fine. The role will go to your sister. But Nessa needs to keep up her acting lessons. If she doesn't perform well on set, I'll have to replace her."
"Thank you, Simon. You're the best," Scarlett gushed, her expression both sweet and triumphant as she cast a smug glance at a disappointed Leelee Sobieski.
Simon tapped her lightly on the head and asked, "By the way, where are you living now?"
"Santa Monica, near Ocean Park," Scarlett replied, suddenly looking sheepish.
"Well, I'll have someone arrange a place for you in Brentwood," Simon said, teasingly adding, "But how are you going to explain it to your mom?"
Scarlett's eyes lit up at the prospect of a nicer home. After a moment's thought, she hugged Simon's arm and said with a mischievous grin, "I'll just tell her you're Nessa's boyfriend."
"Smart girl."
Vanessa, sitting nearby, flushed at the implication. Though she'd been overshadowed by her younger sister recently, Simon's comment stirred a mix of embarrassment and a flicker of hope.
Sibling rivalry is inevitable, and Vanessa, though outwardly yielding, couldn't help but harbor her own ambitions.
Simon, however, had no time to delve into the sisters' thoughts. He dismissed them gently and turned to Leelee Sobieski. "This time it didn't work out, Leelee, but you're very talented. I'll make sure they find a better role for you."
Leelee, sensing that further persistence wouldn't help, gave a perfectly measured pout of disappointment before nodding. "That's okay, Simon."
Watching the scene, Tom Pollock couldn't help but marvel.
"They're all little enchantresses."
Once the young ladies left, the conversation returned to Deep Impact and final preparations before filming.
For the reboot of Deep Impact, the most significant change was the director.
Simon had been dissatisfied with Mimi Leder, the original film's director, feeling her work leaned too heavily into political messaging. This time, Roland Emmerich was brought on board.
Emmerich, fresh off the production of Independence Day, was initially reluctant to take on another disaster film. However, with Daenerys Entertainment's persuasion, he eventually agreed.
It was a calculated move for Emmerich, who wanted to shed his reputation as just a sci-fi director. With Independence Day not yet released, he hedged his bets by securing this project—common practice in Hollywood, where filmmakers often lined up their next job before the fate of their current one was decided.
Emmerich's director fee was undoubtedly higher than Mimi Leder's, but Simon believed it was worth every penny.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/INNIT
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.