As the evening approached 10 PM, the Boeing 767 landed in San Lucas, a coastal city at the southern tip of Baja California Sur, Mexico.
It wasn't until they disembarked that Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain, and their round-faced assistant, Lena Kane, saw Simon again. While Amy and Jessica seemed unfazed, Lena couldn't help but feel a bit resentful. This was her first time on a private jet, and she had hoped to make a good impression, but there had been no opportunity to do so.
As expected, even without presenting any documents, Lena breezed through the airport without a hitch, accompanied by a group of people who seemed to be sending them off with enthusiasm.
They boarded a black car that had come to pick them up, part of a convoy of five vehicles. Lena shamelessly claimed her spot on Simon's lap once again. Amy and Jessica sat on either side, gazing out at the foreign coastal town now over a thousand kilometers away. They were curious but also slightly disappointed. The only noticeable difference from Los Angeles was the high walls surrounding many of the buildings.
No one needed to explain this to them—they understood.
This was Mexico, after all.
For most ordinary people, life here wasn't much different from anywhere else, as long as you lived quietly and kept to yourself. However, if you ventured into certain areas—like a city official trying to make a name for themselves by cracking down on drugs—or if someone in your family made it big in the USA while the rest remained in Mexico, you'd quickly find yourself plunged into a brutal world of danger.
Take Hollywood, for example. Mexican director Guillermo del Toro had just started gaining recognition in the U.S. when his father back home was kidnapped. He had to borrow money from his friend James Cameron to pay the ransom.
The convoy left the airport and arrived at their destination in less than ten minutes.
The entrance was similarly surrounded by high walls.
Amy looked out the car window at a white wall at least three meters high, stretching endlessly into the night. Inside the walls, the scenery was noticeably different.
Located near the equator, this coastal city in Mexico had a tropical desert climate, making it even drier than Los Angeles. As they drove through the night, Amy could almost feel the lack of water in the air. But now, under the bright streetlights, the surroundings were lush and green.
Amy vaguely recalled reading that in arid regions like the Middle East, the number of trees a household had was a sign of wealth. Even with her limited knowledge, she could tell that maintaining such greenery here must cost a fortune annually.
Then, she noticed something else.
This place was enormous.
Even after entering the gates, the convoy drove for a while without stopping.
Lena, who was still trying to stir up some heat on Simon's lap, noticed this too. Unlike Amy and Jessica, who were more reserved, she asked directly, "Simon, this place is huge. How big is it?"
Simon, with his arm around the petite woman's waist—noting that despite her height, her figure rivaled that of many models—replied with a smile, "Well, are you asking in feet or hectares? It's about 300 hectares."
Before Amy and Jessica could process this, Lena giggled. "Simon, I'm really looking forward to this weekend."
The two women on either side, catching the innuendo in Lena's laughter, blushed. Jessica then exclaimed in surprise, "Simon, 300 hectares? That's insane! If I remember correctly, Universal Studios in Los Angeles is only 200 hectares, and Malibu Studios is 50 hectares."
Simon shrugged. "Land here is cheap, so I bought a lot."
San Lucas, located at the tip of Baja California Sur about 1,400 kilometers from Los Angeles, was touted as one of Mexico's famous resort destinations. However, its location was rather awkward.
Aside from being cheaper, it had little else to offer. Compared to Los Angeles, this dry, remote corner of Mexico paled in comparison. Even within Mexico, it couldn't hold a candle to the beautiful beaches of Cancún in the Caribbean.
In short, the only reasons tourists came here were for the low prices and the peace and quiet. For Hollywood celebrities, it was a decent spot for a short getaway, especially since paparazzi were rare.
If it were a longer vacation, Cancún would be the obvious choice. Simon had a private estate there as well, where some of the girls he'd collected from Latin America were kept. However, flying from Los Angeles to Cancún took four hours, so for a weekend trip, it wasn't worth the effort.
As the convoy climbed a gentle slope to a seaside plateau, Simon remembered something and turned to the three women. "Oh, by the way, you'll be on your own tonight. I've got plans."
"What?" Jessica couldn't hide her disappointment.
Amy, though silent, felt the same way.
After all, they'd been preparing themselves emotionally since boarding the plane.
Now, what was this?
Lena, however, wasn't surprised. She'd chatted with the other two on the plane and had a rough idea of the situation. She knew Simon's invitation to Amy and Jessica—and even to herself—had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
It didn't make sense for him to come to Mexico alone for the weekend.
There had to be someone else waiting for him here.
Having anticipated this, Lena had already prepared her strategy. She wrapped her arms around Simon's neck and leaned in closer. "Simon, it's fine. We can all join in. I'm sure you'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"I would," Simon admitted, "but they might not be comfortable with you being there."
Lena wasn't ready to give up. "We'll get along once we talk."
Simon laughed and surrendered. "Alright, the truth is, I'm the problem. Just you alone are enough to wear me out."
Lena persisted, planting a quick kiss on his lips. "Simon, I promise I'll be good. I'll do whatever you say."
"Then be good and rest on your own tonight."
"But Simon, I'll definitely have trouble sleeping without you."
"Then I'll look forward to seeing your dark circles tomorrow."
"I could sleep on the floor by your bed, like a little cat. Meow~~~"
"Be good."
"Fine…"
Amy and Jessica were too embarrassed to listen any further.
As they spoke, the convoy came to a stop. The bodyguards and drivers got out and opened the car doors from both sides.
The four of them stepped out.
Under the lights, the main villa and its surrounding annexes came into view. Simon didn't need to explain—the three women could see the resemblance to the layout of the Dume Point estate, though this place was far more expansive. The Dume Point estate, which had been expanding over the years, was only a few dozen hectares, while this place, as Simon had mentioned, spanned 300 hectares—equivalent to 3 square kilometers, 1.5 times the size of Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Having visited Universal Studios, they could imagine just how vast this property was.
As Simon got out of the car, Carmen Kass, along with several maids, came forward to greet them. There were also four other girls who stood out.
Amy and the others quickly noticed these four.
Two were tall, seemingly of Eastern European descent.
The other two were petite, standing at just over five feet, with adorable faces. This made the three women think of a certain age-related issue, but they quickly dismissed it.
It wasn't their concern.
The four girls also noticed Amy and the others, their eyes filled with curiosity and poorly concealed wariness.
Lena had no interest in playing mind games with these little vixens. However, from the girls' nervous demeanor, she deduced that they weren't familiar with Simon—perhaps this was their first time meeting him too.
This made things easier.
Fighting over a man? Now that sounded exciting.
As they approached, Simon instructed Carmen, "This is Amy and the others. Have someone take them to the guest villa."
Carmen nodded, whispered a few words to two of the maids, and gestured for Amy and the others to follow.
Though reluctant, the three women obeyed Simon's decision and followed the maids away.
Simon continued toward the villa, flanked by the four girls who had finally mustered the courage to approach him.
On his left were Vanessa Johnson, Scarlett Johansson's older sister, and Leelee Sobieski, whose role in Deep Impact had been taken by Vanessa. On his right were Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, both of whom Simon had been quietly grooming for their upcoming debuts.
Thanks to Simon's generous financial support, all four girls had blossomed into even more stunning versions of themselves.
The reason these four were here was that earlier in the day, Simon had been reviewing footage from Deep Impact, which had just wrapped filming. Impressed by Vanessa's performance, he decided to bring her to Mexico for the weekend.
But Simon found the idea of just one girl boring, so he added Leelee to the mix.
Still, it felt lacking.
Simon had developed a fondness for certain activities accompanied by a pair of blooming flowers, so after some consideration, he included Christina and Britney as well.
As for the age-related concern that had crossed Amy and the others' minds—yes, it was an issue.
Even the oldest, Vanessa, wouldn't turn 18 for a few more months.
This made Los Angeles an unsuitable location.
Why invite unnecessary trouble when it could easily be avoided? Fortunately, Simon's estate in Mexico had recently been completed, making it the perfect spot for this weekend getaway.
After a long day and with the late hour, Simon wasn't in the mood for much conversation.
He led the four fresh-faced girls straight to the indoor pool that had been prepared in advance.
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