On the eastern tip of Long Island, in a sprawling estate on Martha's Vineyard, Celia Miller finally met Simon again after returning to North America. It was November 15, a Friday.
In just a few days, under intense international scrutiny, the Kyiv authorities' special task force in Donetsk had swiftly "solved" the Sherban assassination case.
At the official press conference summarizing the case, Ukrainian officials claimed that one of the five arrested perpetrators had harbored resentment after being laid off following the acquisition of his factory by a company under Sherban's control. Allegedly, this grudge had led him to organize the assassination with a group of accomplices.
This explanation was complete nonsense.
Anyone with a modicum of insight into the situation knew that the entire incident was part of an intense power struggle between two major factions in Ukraine, both vying for control of Eastern Ukraine's industrial assets. Moreover, in light of Lazarenko's failed assassination attempt a few months prior, it was evident that neither side had clean hands.
But such dirty laundry wasn't meant for public airing.
Even if it was just an exercise in self-deception, the case needed to be wrapped up.
With the case "solved," President Leonid Kuchma himself held a press conference, assuring journalists from around the world that Ukraine would strengthen its protections for foreign investors. After brief statements from both Russia and the United States, no substantial follow-up actions were taken, and the matter was considered closed.
As for the private undercurrents and turmoil that continued to unfold, those were matters beyond the reach of most.
In the seaside villa's living room on Martha's Vineyard, Celia Miller sipped coffee slowly, occasionally glancing at her boss on the sofa. Simon was sitting with Irene Landay nestled in his arms as they flipped through a proposal for developing a casino city in Rivne.
After more than ten minutes of reading, Simon set the documents down, his hands gently caressing Irene's waist. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek and neck lightly before asking, "What do you think of this plan?"
Irene, who had been clinging to Simon's arms to subtly assert her claim in front of Celia, blushed at his gestures. She held his misbehaving hand still and shook her head. "I don't really understand this. Besides, I don't even know where Rivne is. If you invest all this money to build a casino city there, will it really attract tourists?"
"Las Vegas was just a small desert town before it became famous."
Irene, seeing Simon leaning in to kiss the corner of her lips, felt embarrassed by such public displays of affection in front of others. She pretended to bite him lightly and said, "Then you decide. It's your money anyway."
Simon, unbothered by her playful nip, kissed her earlobe again and said, "How about we get the Landay family involved too? Then we could leave it to little Noah in the future. How does being the 'Eastern European Casino King' sound? Pretty impressive, right?"
Irene's blush deepened. "We don't even know if it's a boy or a girl yet. Besides, investments are for my father and his team to decide—I can't manage these things."
Finally reaching her limit under Celia's gaze, the well-mannered Irene, who had been raised as a lady, got up and said, "Alright, I'm going to take a nap. You two talk."
Simon reluctantly held onto her arm until she stood up, slowly letting go. "I know you can't sleep alone. I'll come join you soon."
Irene rolled her eyes. "I like sleeping alone."
She turned to leave but noticed Simon was still holding her hand and had turned his face expectantly toward her. She had no choice but to lean in for a kiss before being allowed to go.
Just as she reached the door, Irene suddenly realized something. That devious man had done it on purpose—teasing her until she couldn't take it, knowing she'd leave on her own.
With a pointed look that said, "I see what you did there," she politely nodded at Celia and left.
After Irene departed, Simon glanced at Celia's bemused expression. "Jealous?"
Celia, being aware of certain things Simon didn't bother hiding, didn't respond to his teasing. Instead, she changed the subject. "Noah. That's a nice name."
"Yes, Irene came up with it. We're both hoping for a boy. If it is, he'll be Noah Landay Westeros."
Recognizing this was a personal matter, Celia maintained her professionalism despite their closeness. She nodded and refrained from further comment, instead asking, "What do you think of the proposal, boss?"
Simon replied, "If the entire project truly only costs $200 million, it's worth a try. But realistically, that budget won't be enough to get it off the ground."
Celia agreed.
Building a casino city involves more than just the basic construction of casinos and hotels. While $200 million might be enough to establish the foundation in Ukraine, the real challenge lies in long-term operations.
Atlantic City serves as a cautionary tale. While not a total failure, it fell far short of its initial lofty ambitions. Despite its many advantages, it never lived up to investor expectations. Developing a casino city in an obscure Eastern European province would be even more challenging. If the project underperforms, it could become a financial black hole—like a runaway film production, such as Waterworld or the still-filming Titanic, where investors are forced to throw good money after bad just to salvage their initial investment.
It wasn't an easy decision.
After a moment of thought, Celia said, "Based on the operations of the hot spring resort and the military-themed amusement park, both Andrei and Alexander have shown impressive capabilities. They're also continuously learning and exploring, which is a significant positive. If they can maintain this passion for the next five to ten years, and if the boss is willing to leverage the resources of the Westeros system to support them, I believe there's a 70% chance the casino city will succeed."
Simon closed the file and said, "I'll have someone evaluate it further. Now, tell me about your trip to Ukraine."
Celia organized her thoughts and detailed her interactions with Viktor Pinchuk, Viktor Yanukovych, and Yulia Tymoshenko, along with the outcomes of various discussions and negotiations. She even mentioned the Kolkoshko family's plans to send gifts for Thanksgiving.
Simon, having read some of these updates in Celia's briefing notes, merely smiled when he heard about Eve Genievna's gift plans. He suggested Celia relay the matter to Janet.
Still, Simon couldn't help but reflect.
Yanukovych's name had now entered the picture.
As a politician from the Donetsk faction who eventually became Ukraine's president, Yanukovych arguably had the most disastrous fate among Ukraine's leaders. His downfall was primarily due to his pro-Russian stance. Unfortunately, Russia was no longer the powerhouse it had been as the Soviet Union. Struggling under US dominance, Russia could do little to support Yanukovych's presidency beyond granting him asylum to avoid imprisonment upon his ousting.
After finishing her report, Celia couldn't resist asking, "Boss, this crisis was a golden opportunity for us to expand aggressively in Ukraine. Why did we pass it up? Everyone feels both regret and confusion. For example, with Tymoshenko—if you had accepted her allegiance, we could have directly controlled Ukraine's natural gas supply."
"If I wanted to invest in natural gas, I'd go directly to Russia to purchase oil and gas fields. That's where the real energy business lies. Tymoshenko is merely a middleman who profits from monopolizing distribution channels," Simon said with a shrug. "As for why I didn't seize the opportunity to expand, I know what you're thinking. We could have destroyed Lazarenko's faction, moved into Eastern Ukraine, and absorbed the Donetsk group. That would effectively give us control over all of Ukraine, right?"
Celia didn't immediately nod but instead asked, "And what's wrong with that?"
"Honestly, I almost couldn't resist the urge to expand. But in the end, I held the line," Simon admitted. Seeing Celia's continued confusion, he added, "Let me ask you something: Why do you think the Westeros system has grown so rapidly over the past decade, almost like a miracle?"
The question was broad. After some thought, Celia smiled and said, "Because you're a genius?"
Simon laughed and shook his head, not pressing her for a more thoughtful answer. He explained, "I won't deny I have my secrets. But one key factor behind the Westeros system's rapid rise is that I've always avoided direct competition in established industries. Instead, I've focused on untapped opportunities, bypassing the barriers that typically hinder entrepreneurs. Take Daenerys Entertainment, for example. From its inception, I avoided provoking the old Hollywood Big Seven by pursuing partnerships and sharing profits. Even now, the company still collaborates with other major studios. Then there's the internet—a prime example of a new industry where we faced virtually no competitors, allowing the Westeros system to grow unimpeded."
Celia nodded thoughtfully.
Simon continued, "My approach in Ukraine is the same. After the Soviet Union's collapse, Ukraine inherited its most valuable assets in the east and south. But instead of expanding into those regions, I focused on the impoverished northwest, specifically Rivne Oblast. By investing heavily to develop the area from scratch and sharing profits with Ukraine's local powers, I avoided triggering their envy and resistance."
Seeing Celia nod again,
Simon pressed on. "People are naturally drawn to easy gains, but what comes too easily is often hard to keep. Look at Lazarenko's faction and the Donetsk group. Their fierce struggle over Eastern Ukraine's industrial assets has already cost lives, like Yevhen Sherban's. Or Tymoshenko—she may seem glamorous as the 'Gas Princess,' but her monopoly on natural gas distribution channels will be the first thing taken from her when Ukraine's political landscape shifts. By contrast, our foundation in Rivne is already solid. With patience, we'll build a powerful economic conglomerate that can effortlessly control Ukraine's economy. At that point, the country will naturally fall under our influence. Just like Hollywood—given Daenerys Entertainment's current scale and influence, if I claim to be the king of Hollywood, do you think anyone would object?"
Celia instinctively nodded, then quickly shook her head, only to end up smiling awkwardly. "I understand, boss."
Satisfied, Simon shifted the conversation slightly. "That said, I've been thinking about this over the past few days."
"Oh?"
"We've stirred up so much commotion that if we don't make some sort of demand, Ukraine's local powers might grow anxious, suspecting we're planning something even bigger."
Celia immediately agreed. "That's exactly what I wanted to say, boss."
Simon nodded. "So, next, Rivne can apply to the Kyiv authorities for the establishment of a free trade zone. That'll be the benefit we seek from this crisis."
"A free trade zone?"
"Yes. You're aware that Rivne's municipal government proposed this idea two years ago. Initially, they wanted to model it after China's special economic zones, but that was never feasible. Kyiv would never allocate extensive resources to Rivne—they barely have enough for themselves. Instead, we'll push for a free trade zone with tariff exemptions. This will attract more investors to Rivne, provide a better platform for Sergey's 'light industry consortium' initiative, and accelerate local development. Given the aftermath of the Sherban assassination case, neither Kyiv nor other factions will risk opposing this plan."
Celia recalled the earlier proposal Simon had shelved.
Compared to projects like the casino city, Rivne Oblast's core industries were light manufacturing and assembly, both heavily export-oriented. Establishing a free trade zone in Rivne was undoubtedly the ideal next step for further development.
Moreover, given Ukraine's current circumstances, the proposal faced minimal resistance in Kyiv.
Energized by the discussion, Celia eagerly explored the idea with Simon for the next half hour before taking her leave to begin coordinating with Rivne.
Simon personally escorted Celia to the helicopter headed for Greenwich. As the chopper disappeared into the clear winter sky, he stood in the open air, stretching his arms. Surrounded by the barren landscape of late autumn, the absence of lush greenery lent the scene a sense of wistful desolation. After lingering for a while, he turned and walked back toward the villa.
This estate actually belonged to the Landay family.
When Irene became pregnant, her grandmother, Estée Lauder—still alive and the founder of the cosmetics empire—personally transferred the estate to her granddaughter's name. It was a gift for the unborn child.
As Simon approached the familiar white-walled, blue-roofed American-style villa, he heard a sound and looked up. Irene, now awake, was waving to him from the second-floor bedroom window. Smiling, Simon waved back and gestured for her to wait as he made his way upstairs.
Although Irene allowed herself to be scooped up from her seat by the window and settled onto Simon's lap, she wrinkled her nose and sniffed his collar disapprovingly. "You talked for so long, and you promised to nap with me."
"Want to try napping again?" Simon teased.
"I can't sleep now," Irene said, lightly smacking his shoulder before leaning against him. Her tone turned slightly plaintive. "Are you leaving again soon?"
Though she sounded like she was sulking, Simon relented. He had already spent two days here since arriving earlier in the week. "Of course not. We'll stay here tonight. I'll even tell you a ghost story."
Irene pouted, then grabbed Simon's hand and brought it to her lips, pretending to bite down. She didn't actually apply pressure, though, and soon let go. "You don't love me. You won't marry me. You just want to keep me for yourself. And now you've even gotten me pregnant. So you should spend more time with me, right?"
Simon took her small hand and pressed it against his chest. "Feel that? I'm so guilty it's about to stop beating."
Irene actually paused to feel for a moment, then rolled her eyes. "Liar."
Simon leaned in and kissed her.
After some time spent cuddling, Irene seemed more content. She lightly tapped a stack of thick documents on the nearby coffee table with her stockinged toe. She had glanced through them earlier out of curiosity. "This is all about the Mellon family, isn't it? Are you planning something bad again?"
Simon couldn't resist the joke. "Why do you say 'again'?"
Irene didn't catch the humor and simply replied, "The Mellon family is much stronger than the Hearsts. I'd advise you not to mess with them."
Simon nodded. Seeing her concerned expression, he smiled. "Don't worry. Everything I do is within the rules. I wouldn't risk destabilizing our future—or our child's future."
Seeing that Simon understood her concern, Irene let the matter drop.
Simon glanced at the stack of documents, feeling a sense of awe.
Through his investigation of the Mellon family, Simon had come to realize that their assets and influence were almost a blueprint for the ultimate goal he had envisioned for the Westeros family.
Currently, the Mellon family controlled a vast array of industries: Mellon Financial Group, which oversaw numerous local banks; Alcoa, a global leader in aluminum production; GTI, a company dominating domestic railroads; Warner-Lambert, a pharmaceutical company later acquired by Pfizer for $90 billion; and Chevron, a titan in the energy sector.
These companies, each worth billions, provided the Mellon family with immense and stable wealth. Despite holding less than 10% of the shares in most of these companies (and often less than 5% in giants like Warner-Lambert and Chevron), the family's network of trusts, charities, and foundations, combined with a century of influence-building, gave them significant control over these enterprises and their boards of directors.
For example, GTI was still directly run by Timothy Mellon, ensuring it remained firmly in the family's hands.
This intricate web of influence allowed the Mellons to wield power far beyond their relatively modest wealth of a few billion dollars, impacting industries collectively worth hundreds of billions.
Such a deeply entrenched structure meant that conventional methods of undermining the Mellons, like those Simon had used against the Hearsts, would be ineffective. Attacking the Mellons would risk disturbing a vast network of industries in finance, energy, mining, and pharmaceuticals.
And that was just the economic aspect.
Over decades, the Mellon family had woven an even larger web of political, cultural, and academic connections. Their foundations had donated to nearly every major institution, from Harvard and MIT to Cambridge and Imperial College. If someone opposed them without comparable backing, the Mellons could easily shut their adversary out of elite circles with just a word.
This was true entrenched power.
To weaken such old-money families, Simon knew he'd have to play the long game. It would involve dismantling their financial foundations piece by piece, slowly severing their networks of influence until they lost their grip on power.
As the Westeros system began expanding into traditional industries still dominated by old-money families worldwide, clashes with these entrenched powers were inevitable. Rather than being deterred by the Mellons' complexity, Simon saw it as a challenge. If he could bring down the Mellons, other old-money families would crumble just as easily in the face of the Westeros system's growing dominance.
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