Simon had long devised a strategy for reclaiming his investments in Ukraine. Every dollar spent on this city, and even the country, had to be recovered in a cyclical fashion, with real estate being the most crucial channel. However, since the city's residents, both old and new, hadn't yet developed the purchasing power for real estate, Simon began by focusing on the essential needs of the Ukrainian people: food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
And so, this commercial street was born.
The 1.5-kilometer-long street had many storefronts directly owned by Westeros System enterprises, including cinemas, arcades, dance halls, and shopping centers, all requiring significant investment. The other half of the street was indirectly controlled by the Westeros System, with most stores operating thanks to loans specially provided to support businesses along this street. Many of these shops also sourced their goods wholesale from Westeros's large supply chains.
Before the project even started, a real estate company under the Westeros System had quietly acquired most of the property along this street. Apart from spaces used for their own ventures, like cinemas, most of the properties were rented out, making Simon the secret landlord of the entire street.
Rivne, now home to a high-income population that included Simon's private military force, had seen its permanent population surge from 220,000 to 510,000 within just over a year. These residents, reliant on various industries revitalized by the Westeros System, had developed significant purchasing power.
Simon's goal was to control the basic necessities of life in the city, ensuring that as much of the money he invested was cycled back to the Westeros System.
This strategy kept the populace busy, preoccupied with making ends meet, and thus easier to control, as people focused on daily survival wouldn't have the time or energy to seek greater political or personal freedoms.
Thanks to the late hour, Simon and Charlotte Brenita, along with the bodyguards trailing behind them, strolled down the street without attracting too much attention.
Passing a hat shop, Simon noticed Charlotte shivering slightly in the chilly night air. With a small gesture, he led her into the store.
The shop was small, about ten square meters in size. The slim and tall shopkeeper, who had been attending to another customer, turned around at the sound of the door opening. The smile on her face froze the moment she saw Simon, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. Her eyes quickly welled up with tears, and she whispered softly, "Simon."
The young female customer, noticing the shopkeeper's reaction, also turned around and, upon recognizing Simon, widened her eyes in disbelief. Realizing that two bodyguards had entered the store and were standing by the door, she understood that the man in front of her was the powerful figure she had seen on the news recently.
Feeling overwhelmed, she didn't even dare greet him. She quickly put down the hat she had been eyeing and hurried out of the shop, head bowed. Once outside, she let out a deep breath.
Simon Westeros!
That was terrifying.
But... what had just happened?
It seemed like...
Glancing back into the shop, the girl pieced things together. The powerful man had probably taken a liking to the beautiful shopkeeper.
Yeah, that must be it.
And then?
Should she call the police?
No, no, no—she wasn't suicidal.
Still...
At least she wasn't all that pretty.
But why did that realization make her feel a little disappointed?
Regardless, she decided to leave quickly.
At least she could brag to her friends and family that she had run into Simon Westeros!
Inside the small hat shop.
Recognizing the unusual reaction from the shopkeeper, Simon took a moment to recall. This was one of the three girls he had previously removed from the villa in the southern part of the city—Yulia Antonenko.
Over the years, Simon had had many women come and go, most of whom he didn't pay much attention to.
However, when he had decided to remove the three girls from the villa, Simon hadn't completely forgotten about them.
They were different, after all.
Though they were still just fifteen or sixteen years old, Simon didn't want them to fall into ruin due to family troubles. He had specifically instructed Celia Miller to make arrangements for them, ensuring they were taken care of until they turned eighteen.
It all came down to Simon's instinctive possessiveness.
Even women he no longer wanted, he wouldn't allow just anyone to have.
Celia had later informed him that she had arranged for the girls' families to open shops on the commercial street, enabling them to become self-sufficient, while also assigning someone to watch over them, ensuring they were looked after until they turned eighteen, per Simon's orders. After that, Simon hadn't paid much more attention to the matter.
He hadn't expected to run into one of them tonight.
Standing in the small shop, Simon noticed the girl, now much thinner than before, staring blankly at him. Tears were streaming down from her beautiful blue eyes. He stepped closer, removed his gloves, and gently cupped her face, wiping away her tears. "Don't cry."
Hearing Simon speak only made Yulia's emotions overflow even more. She threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around him, and burst into loud sobs. Between her cries, she muttered a string of incoherent words, her voice thick with grievance.
Charlotte Brenita, who had followed Simon into the shop, stood quietly by his side, watching the scene unfold in complete confusion.
Yulia cried for over ten minutes, her sobs fueled by pent-up frustration. When she finally quieted down, she still clung tightly to Simon, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go.
All this commotion had naturally attracted attention from outside.
A pair of police officers responsible for patrolling the commercial street approached cautiously but were stopped by Simon's two bodyguards. Another group of guards, hidden in the shadows, emerged to block the officers from disturbing their boss. Although the bodyguards didn't know who the girl in the shop was, they knew that whatever Simon did in this city, their job was to follow his orders.
Upon realizing the man in the shop was Simon Westeros, the officers immediately relaxed and became more respectful. They hadn't doubted that Westeros was inside—his presence had been the reason they were assigned to patrol here tonight. Even if it seemed unlikely for him to visit, the entire city's security had been ramped up in anticipation of his arrival. Several small gangs had even been warned: causing trouble during Westeros's visit would be a death sentence.
As for this commercial street, backed by the full might of the Westeros System, the number of officers on patrol had been tripled.
Still, the officers exchanged glances and politely suggested that it might be a good idea to close the shop's door, to avoid drawing too much attention.
One of Simon's bodyguards relayed the suggestion, and with Simon's approval, the shutter was pulled down, making the shop the only one on the street with its doors closed, which in turn made it even more conspicuous. Especially with a group of burly bodyguards and two police officers standing outside.
Fortunately, seeing the police outside, passersby stopped worrying.
Thanks to the strict control exerted by the Westeros System, Rivne had become far safer than most other Ukrainian cities, where chaos was common. People strolling along the commercial street were confident that nothing major would happen here.
Inside the small shop, there was only one high stool used for breaks. Once Yulia had finished crying, Simon sat down with her on his lap, gently soothing her like a small kitten.
Feeling comforted by Simon's gentleness, Yulia, though no longer crying, still sniffled as she looked up at him and pleaded, "Simon, please, can you let my father go? He's having a really hard time in prison. He was beaten last time."
Seeing her about to cry again, Simon wiped her cheeks and reassured her, "Alright, don't cry anymore. I'll have him released tonight."
Turning to one of the bodyguards, Simon instructed, "Call Smirnov and tell him to release the fathers of all three girls. If there are any other relatives involved, do the same, tonight."
The head bodyguard, though not one of Simon's most trusted aides like Ken Dixon or Neil Bennett, was still familiar with many of Simon's affairs. He didn't ask any questions and promptly left the shop to make the necessary calls.
Simon's initial hardline approach had been intended to ensure that the Westeros System's plans in Rivne weren't disrupted. That objective had been achieved. If Simon hadn't run into Yulia tonight, he might have forgotten about them entirely. But since he had, he decided to let them go. After all, these girls had once been his, and some people were now irrelevant.
Still clinging tightly to Simon, Yulia looked at him in disbelief as he ordered the release of the relatives of all three girls. In her mind, once someone went to prison, getting them out was nearly impossible.
Whether it happened or not, Yulia instinctively tightened her hold on Simon.
After giving his orders, Simon felt the increased pressure on his waist and gently patted Yulia on the back. "It's late. Why are you here by yourself?"
Yulia glanced nervously at Simon before replying in a small voice, "My sister's child is sick and in the hospital, and my mother is helping to take care of them."
As she spoke, Yulia couldn't help but feel a bit fortunate.
If she hadn't been needed to mind the shop, she might not have met him tonight.
A few days ago, when she saw on the news that Simon had returned to Rivne, she had wanted to run
to the southern villa several times. But Celia Miller's past warnings had stopped her. After all, their life had been decent thanks to the shop. If she recklessly showed up at the villa and lost the shop, her family wouldn't know how to survive.
Simon nodded and didn't ask further.
But Yulia couldn't help herself, continuing like a floodgate had opened. "My sister's husband used to work for the city government, but... he lost his job and then divorced my sister. He smuggled himself into Poland, so she had to move back in with us." Pausing for a moment, Yulia glanced up at Simon and added impulsively, "Simon, my sister is really beautiful too."
"Oh? I'll have to meet her sometime," Simon chuckled before asking, "How are the other two doing?"
Yulia knew exactly who Simon was referring to, though she didn't want to talk about them. Still, she answered, "They're doing well. We've all been good and we miss you a lot." Looking up at Simon hopefully, she continued, "Simon, would you take me back? I can be your maid. I'll clean the house every day. I don't need to be like Nana and the others. Let me come back to you, please?"
Simon didn't answer her question. Once she had calmed down, he lifted her up slightly and said, "I'm exploring the street. Come walk with me."
Yulia realized then that some things would never return to the way they once were.
But she wasn't willing to give up easily.
When the three girls had been removed from the southern villa, Yulia had been the most resistant. She had even locked herself in her room, refusing to leave until Simon gave in. So now, though she stood up, she still clung tightly to Simon's arm, unwilling to let go, even if it meant enduring a scolding.
If she couldn't go back to the princess-like life she had once led at the villa, she felt she might as well die.
After standing, she finally noticed Charlotte Brenita, who had been awkwardly standing nearby the entire time. Yulia shot her a quick glance, her eyes instantly filling with hostility. But after Simon introduced them, she obediently greeted Charlotte in English.
Simon had originally entered the shop to buy Charlotte a hat, a task he hadn't forgotten. Looking around, he picked out a white knit cap from one of the shelves and handed it to her. "Try this on, or pick another if you'd like."
Still puzzled by what had just transpired, Charlotte was sure that Simon knew the girl hanging onto his arm, though she had no idea what the full story was.
When Simon handed her the hat, Charlotte—who would never have worn such a low-quality item under normal circumstances—didn't complain. She casually put it on and glanced at herself in the nearby mirror. The white knit cap paired with her all-black outfit softened her appearance, giving her a more gentle look. It wasn't bad.
Watching Simon pick out a hat for the other woman, Yulia couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Wanting to impress him, she eagerly picked out a simple baseball cap for Simon, her true intention being to ensure that no one else would recognize him.
With hats chosen, the three of them left the shop.
Yulia, now entirely indifferent to the store behind her, was still holding onto Simon. It was Simon who instructed a bodyguard to lock the shutter and greet the remaining police officer, who mentioned that his partner had gone to inform their superior about Simon's recent orders. No further explanation was necessary.
Simon had initially hoped to explore the street quietly.
But after running into Yulia and issuing those orders, things were bound to get busy.
Still, it didn't matter.
Continuing onward, they neared the center of the commercial street, where the atmosphere became even livelier. A long line had formed in front of a dance hall, but Simon chose not to join the crowd. Instead, he led them into a nearby arcade, which was equally bustling.
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