The day after the celebration party was March 22nd, a Saturday.
At the Johnsons' rented home in the Ocean Park neighborhood, Scarlett Johansson had assumed that the man's promise of a new residence for her family would take at least a week or two to materialize. As such, she and her sister Vanessa had yet to figure out how to break the news to their mother.
To Scarlett's surprise, someone showed up early in the morning.
Among the visitors was their familiar agent, Scott Lambert, along with two impeccably dressed women in uniforms, whose elegance made Scarlett feel a little self-conscious. Having lived in Los Angeles for some time, she had heard of these uniformed women—rumored to be members of the Westeros family's personal service staff.
The most bewildered person, however, was Melanie Sloan, the girls' mother.
What was going on?
Noticing that the family hadn't yet discussed certain matters, Scott Lambert took the lead, explaining only Vanessa's situation while omitting any mention of Scarlett.
Vanessa had caught Simon Westeros' attention?!
Even as the family left Ocean Park and headed toward the upscale Brentwood Heights neighborhood in northern Santa Monica—a hillside area filled with sprawling mansions—Melanie Sloan was still processing this revelation. Her thoughts scattered as they pulled up to a sprawling two-story estate perched on a ridge with a breathtaking view, covering over an acre of land.
Scarlett, on the other hand, felt completely at ease.
The young girl firmly believed that all of this was something she deserved. Standing in front of the white-walled, blue-tiled mansion—she couldn't quite place its architectural style—Scarlett confidently waved over one of the uniformed attendants and asked to be shown around the property.
The attendant, maintaining a respectful and polite demeanor, obliged, leading Scarlett inside for a tour.
Not wanting to be outdone, Vanessa, who felt a twinge of jealousy at her sister's boldness, quickly called over another attendant to give her a tour as well. She even declared that she would be selecting her bedroom.
Seeing their older sister take charge, the two Johnson boys, Adrian and Hunter, finally snapped out of their daze and followed her inside. The group, now led by an attendant, began exploring the mansion, leaving Vanessa somewhat annoyed that she wasn't getting the exclusive experience her younger sister had.
Silently, Vanessa thought to herself how wonderful it would be if Simon truly liked her instead.
As the children wandered inside, Melanie Sloan glanced at Scott Lambert for clarification.
Scott, who had also been admiring the grandeur of the mansion, could only envy the family's luck. Even if Scarlett or Vanessa became Hollywood superstars one day, and he, as their agent, benefited from their success, he doubted he'd ever be able to afford such a property. Noticing Melanie's gaze, he smiled and gestured toward the entrance. "Shall we go inside, Melanie?"
"Oh, of course."
Melanie followed him in. While she was more experienced than her children, the sheer opulence of the mansion left her feeling instinctively awkward and out of place. Her first thought upon stepping into the lavishly decorated grand hall was, How would I even clean a place like this?
Immediately, she chastised herself for such a trivial concern.
Scott, observing Melanie's expression, took the opportunity to comment, "Melanie, how much do you think this mansion is worth?"
Melanie paused in thought before replying, "At least... $20 million, I'd guess?"
Scott didn't confirm or deny her estimate. Instead, he looked around again and smirked. "Interesting. You know, a few years ago, in that Michael Jackson case, the family settled for $20 million."
Michael Jackson's case?
Melanie froze for a moment before realizing what he was implying. Instead of feeling hopeful, she was struck by a wave of unease. Shaking her head quickly, she said, "Scott, no... I would never consider such a thing."
Was he joking?
This was Simon Westeros they were dealing with!
As someone who had been part of the industry for years, Melanie had heard and seen enough to understand the risks. She didn't know the full truth behind the Michael Jackson case, but when it came to Simon Westeros, she was certain that any attempt at extortion would be futile.
Simon wasn't just a Hollywood director; he was the wealthiest man in the world.
What kind of power comes with that level of wealth? Consider the notorious case of the DuPont family.
One member of the DuPont dynasty had repeatedly abused his own children from the age of three, including his son. When his wife finally couldn't take it anymore and exposed the scandal, it shocked the nation.
But despite the gravity of the accusations, the court merely ruled that the defendant had mental health issues. He didn't spend a single day in prison, paid a mere $4,000 fine, and symbolically stayed in a luxury rehabilitation facility for a short while before the matter was swept under the rug.
Melanie could only imagine that if she ever tried to target Simon Westeros using her daughters, the case might not even make it to court.
Scott, satisfied with Melanie's response, nodded approvingly. Continuing the tour, he said, "Melanie, honestly, you should think long-term. Consider people like Nicole Kidman or Julia Roberts. With Mr. Westeros' support, Vanessa—or even Scarlett—could one day reach those heights. On the other hand, if you entertain any inappropriate thoughts, all of this will vanish like a bubble, gone in an instant."
Melanie nodded fervently. "I understand, Scott."
"Actually," Scott added, "from what I know, Vanessa hasn't had any... intimate interactions with Mr. Westeros yet. You'd know better than I would—she hasn't stayed out overnight in recent months, right?"
Melanie hesitated briefly before realizing what Scott was implying. She felt a surge of anxiety.
They were about to move into this luxurious mansion, yet her daughter hadn't established a firm connection with the man. That felt... precarious.
After a moment's pause, Melanie tentatively asked, "Scott, what should I do?"
Scott shook his head with a smile. "It's not about what you should do, Melanie. You should focus on teaching your daughter what she needs to do." He then added, "Oh, one more thing—about your current job. You should resign as soon as possible. There's a new position waiting for you at Daenerys Entertainment, tied to Vanessa's recent role in Deep Impact. You'll be working as a production assistant."
Melanie, being somewhat familiar with the industry, understood that a production assistant's role could vary significantly.
For a key production figure's assistant, the job could come with substantial authority and influence over the filmmaking process. But for those handling logistics or errands, the role was essentially that of a glorified gopher.
Melanie suspected her position would fall into the latter category. However, she had no complaints.
She knew she was only qualified for entry-level tasks for now. But she also understood that, because of her daughter, this was an opportunity to build a solid foundation. Being associated with a major project like Deep Impact would be an impressive credential, opening doors for future advancement. After all, even Amy Pascal, now a high-ranking executive at Daenerys Entertainment, had started her career as a low-level assistant at Fox.
By midday, the Johnson family had finally settled into their new home.
There were, of course, a few minor incidents.
Scarlett and Vanessa argued fiercely over one of the rooms. Melanie had to intervene, ultimately siding with Vanessa and giving the room to her eldest daughter. Scarlett was so upset that she felt like exploding. However, the clever girl wisely refrained from confessing certain truths to her mother.
In addition to the mansion, the Westeros family's support extended to all aspects of the Johnsons' lives. This included Melanie's new job, household expenses, transportation, and arrangements for the children's schooling.
The Johnsons didn't need to worry about covering any of the mansion's operating costs—there was a dedicated staff for that. On top of that, the family received a $20,000 monthly allowance for living expenses, which was essentially pocket money. Even the children's new school fees and extracurricular training programs were taken care of.
Melanie felt as though her family had suddenly been catapulted into high society.
With Malibu's thriving Daenerys Studios nearby, the adjacent Brentwood area had become a hub for Hollywood's elite. It was rumored that their new neighbor wasn't just anyone—it was "Batman" actor Adam Baldwin.
After lunch, Scott Lambert took his leave. Melanie spent the afternoon familiarizing herself with the mansion, guided by the two uniformed attendants. Meanwhile, Adrian and Hunter, unable to resist the allure of the luxury cars in the garage, practiced driving a Mercedes SUV under their mother's strict supervision in the front yard.
Upstairs, the two sisters, who had earlier argued, found themselves gathered in the study.
At 2 p.m., Tinkerbell's new Spring Product Launch was set to begin. The event was already a global sensation, and Tinkerbell's products had become especially popular among young people in recent years. A modest fan of the brand, Vanessa had pre-registered to watch the live stream online.
Scarlett, initially uninterested, became enthusiastic when she realized the event was closely tied to him.
Thus, the sisters, still somewhat annoyed with each other, squeezed together in front of the study's computer.
Although each of their bedrooms had a computer, Scarlett, still smarting from the morning's slight, refused to back down this time.
At exactly 2 p.m., the live stream shifted to the Egret campus employee activity center in Mountain View, San Francisco Bay Area. Amid thunderous applause, Tinkerbell's chairwoman and CEO Claire Gain stepped onto the stage, signaling the start of the presentation.
The sisters were well aware of the legendary ABCD women.
As they watched Claire Gain on screen, they couldn't help but dream. They didn't aspire to be powerful women like her, but given their newfound connection to Simon Westeros, they hoped this relationship would ensure a bright future for them.
Their thoughts were interrupted when the camera panned across the audience. Both girls immediately spotted him and straightened in their chairs.
However, seeing the elegant and aloof woman sitting beside him dampened their spirits somewhat.
Realizing they faced a multitude of rivals, the sisters couldn't help but feel a rare sense of camaraderie and shared determination.
San Francisco, Mountain View.
With so much happening this weekend on the West Coast, Simon had decided to attend the event in person.
After achieving a string of record-breaking sales and growth in just a few short years, Tinkerbell's Spring Product Launch had reached unprecedented scale. Over a thousand journalists from around the world were in attendance.
This level of attention was a natural result of the ongoing tech boom.
Of course, skepticism was abundant—perhaps even more so.
Following the massive successes of the iCam, iPlayer, and iRec, Tinkerbell had drawn increasing scrutiny. As the Spring Launch approached, critics predicted the company's momentum might finally falter.
For one, legacy electronics manufacturers had begun launching competing products to counter Tinkerbell's dominance. For another, industry analysts doubted Tinkerbell could produce another breakout hit in the near term. Speculation about the long-rumored Linux-based personal computer was met with particular skepticism.
With Microsoft commanding over 90% of the PC market, few believed the Westeros system could make significant inroads.
Despite the buzz surrounding the event, many media outlets preemptively declared it unlikely to offer anything groundbreaking.
A Linux PC? Hardly exciting.
However, as the presentation got underway, both the live audience and online viewers quickly shifted their tone.
On stage, Claire Gain began by recapping Tinkerbell's 1996 performance.
Although the company's annual report had been released in January, seeing the numbers displayed on the massive screen was still a jaw-dropping experience.
For the 1996 fiscal year, Tinkerbell's three core electronic products achieved staggering shipment figures:
iCam: 33.1 million units iPlayer: 35.6 million units iRec: 23.9 million units
Combined, the total reached 92.6 million units.
To put this in perspective, the collective shipment volume of all PC manufacturers worldwide in 1996—hundreds of companies—was only 138 million units.
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