Chasing Stars in Hollywood

After the introductions, Sophia invited Celia Miller and Emily Choplin to sit on the sofa in the living room. She said, "Simon is currently on a conference call with Europe. You'll need to wait a bit. Fortunately, I just made some coffee. Let's have some together." Zoe Parks, with her doll-like face, proactively served coffee to Celia and Emily before quietly retreating.

Sophia, in a casual and lazy manner, leaned back on the large sofa, her body resting against one of the armrests. She held a cup of coffee in her hand, her bare legs tucked up on the chair. Her loose clothing did nothing to hide her graceful curves.

Despite not intentionally maintaining her posture, Sophia's years as the head of a luxury giant had subtly nurtured a strong woman aura that made the two women on either side of her feel a slight sense of inferiority.

Celia Miller, who had once made a secret deal for her political career and her husband's family, was by no means a weak woman. Quite the opposite. Therefore, despite understanding the need to befriend the woman before her, Celia instinctively chose an unappealing topic, "Sophie, I heard that Christie's auction in Paris was investigated by the French government recently. What was the result?"

The incident occurred on April 20th. The world-class auction house Christie's, acquired by the Melisandre company last year, had planned an auction of Oriental porcelain in Paris. Suddenly, there was a report that some of the porcelain in the auction were possibly stolen, leading to an investigation by the French government. Everyone knew the real reason behind it. After the battle on April 22nd, the French government, caught by the Westeros system, efficiently dropped the investigation, publicly stating that it was a misunderstanding.

Sophia glanced at Celia with a smile and helplessly said, "I came to Simon to complain about this. His reckless actions in Africa have made it difficult for me to continue my business."

Sophia's intimate tone, typical between lovers, left Celia at a loss for words. Yet, the new assistant did not back down immediately, instead seizing Sophia's words, "Mr. Westeros wasn't acting recklessly. If it weren't for his swift actions, hundreds of thousands of Rwandan civilians might have been killed."

Celia also wished to call their young boss by his name as Sophia did, but she lacked the confidence. Sophia's smile widened, and she nodded, "Indeed, that's why I properly thanked him on behalf of the African people last night."

This somewhat provocative response left Celia at a loss for words. Emily Choplin, who had been quietly watching the two women spar, couldn't help but laugh. She suddenly understood the source of Sophia's languid and soft aura: it was obviously because she was well-loved by a man.

Emily suddenly recalled the recent all-night event. Watching the entire first battle between the Westeros mercenaries and the Rwandan government forces via satellite broadcast, the man appeared strong and indifferent. While everyone in the office was tense, he calmly shook his head when the mercenary commander asked if the defeated Rwandan forces could surrender, saying, "This isn't what I want."

Then, thousands more were killed.

At that moment, standing close to him, Emily felt weak and, at one point, even wanted to crawl to his side, hoping to gain some strength by being near him.

Even now, recalling that moment, Emily felt a warm and tingling sensation within her.

Noticing the other two women looking at her, Emily quickly stifled her laughter and emotions, apologizing, "Sorry, I was just... um, sorry."

The two sparring women clearly didn't have the patience to deal with her.

After a brief moment of awkwardness, Celia looked at Sophia and asked, "Given our strained relationship with France now, isn't it difficult for you?"

Sophia shook her head, "I completed my immigration three years ago. I'm a Swiss citizen now."

"..."

"Simon said that France will lean left for a long time, creating a very unfriendly policy environment for the wealthy. But you probably aren't interested in that," Sophia still smiled, then scrutinized Celia Miller closely and said, "Celia, you look exhausted lately. Your skin doesn't look as good."

Due to the issues in Africa, Celia had been working more than ten hours a day, and despite being constantly energized, she couldn't fend off the adverse effects of the heavy workload on her body.

Looking at Sophia's tender, glowing arms, Celia calmly said, "I don't think Mr. Westeros would mind."

As soon as she said that, Celia realized her mistake. Her skin condition shouldn't matter to that young man.

Sophia's smile deepened, "That's where you're wrong. Simon is quite picky, a terrible perfectionist. If your skin isn't good enough, he won't even touch you and will gradually distance himself. Sigh, men are all like this."

Before Celia could respond, Sophia put her coffee on the side table and reached out, "Let me have a look."

Celia instinctively extended her arm, hesitated, but Sophia had already grabbed her cool hand. She then noticed the delicate touch of Sophia's hand, like white jade.

Sophia rubbed Celia's wrist for a few seconds before letting go, "You need to replenish your collagen and get some spa treatments, especially sulfur springs paired with carbonic springs. Sulfur springs soften keratin and nourish the skin, while carbonic springs can whiten it."

Celia Miller wasn't ignorant of self-care. However, with her previous annual salary of only $70,000 at the Department of Defense, it was impossible to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on personal care like the socialites of Manhattan's Upper East Side. Since she and her husband kept their finances separate and had no grey income, she could only spend at most a tenth of her salary on clothing and care each year. This amount was equivalent to a basic Hermes bag for some women.

As for spa treatments, she occasionally soaked in hot springs during trips with friends, but she knew that without regular sessions, hot springs wouldn't achieve the desired skincare effects. Ultimately, many women's youthful appearance is maintained by hefty financial investments.

Noticing Celia's embarrassment, Sophia didn't push further. She picked up her coffee again, "Celia, hasn't anyone mentioned the benefits?"

Celia, slightly relaxed by Sophia's change in tone, asked, "What benefits?"

Sophia explained, "As Simon's assistant, you enjoy a full range of care benefits. B is in charge on the East Coast. If she hasn't mentioned it, you should bring it up. You'll get a top-notch professional team to design your diet, beauty, and care plans. We have high-end beauty clubs on both coasts of the USA and in Europe, some of which are self-owned and exclusive to a select few within the Westeros system."

Emily Choplin, on the other side, couldn't help but shift slightly, but she didn't attract any attention.

Celia Miller was initially confused, then realized Sophia referred to one of the renowned ABCD girls around Simon Westeros. This made her cautious, wondering if Sophia was pushing her into some conflict. However, there was no reason for Sophia to lie about this. Moreover, should she really approach B about it?

It's not about embarrassment; if it's her rightful benefit, she wouldn't hesitate to claim it. But she feared causing a misunderstanding. Plus, this seemed like a very private circle. Celia noticed Emily's subtle movements and knew that if there was a standard, Emily didn't meet it.

Sophia noticed Celia's hesitation and, still smiling, said, "The club in Greenwich offers spa treatments. They import different types of spring water from Europe every week. Though not as effective as soaking in local hot springs, it's far better than artificially created spa treatments."

Weekly importing hot spring water just for baths left Celia stunned. She had wondered how Sophia managed spa treatments. Apparently, she lacked imagination due to her "poverty."

Understanding how Sophia maintained her excellent physical condition, Celia decided to approach B soon, even if it was a setup.

Emily Choplin couldn't help but ask, "Ms. Fitz, may I ask if I can also enjoy these benefits?"

Sophia glanced at Emily, noticing her delicate features, fair skin, and slender figure, fitting Simon's preference, "You can ask Celia to take you."

The implication was clear. Emily was disappointed but quickly regained her spirits, knowing that if she attracted Simon's attention, such benefits would be within reach.

As the three women chatted, A Girl appeared at the living room door, glancing around before saying to Celia Miller, "Ms. Miller, the boss wants to see you."

Celia smiled and nodded at A Girl, grabbed her prepared documents, and noticed Emily following her. "Emily, wait here," Celia said.

Emily paused, watching Celia leave with A Girl but didn't follow.

Once alone, Sophia leisurely finished her coffee and stood up, "I need to change for work. Emily, make yourself comfortable. There's plenty of coffee left."

Emily nodded, pursing her lips slightly and clenching her fists.

I'm only 24, she thought.

Can you really outlast me?

In the first-floor study, Celia Miller quickly got into work mode. She believed Sophia was right but also trusted her judgment that their boss valued capable women. A mere pretty face wouldn't hold his interest for long.

"The UN Secretariat sent us a document yesterday. In today's meeting, the UN will classify our recent military actions as 'private humanitarian peacekeeping.' But in exchange, the UN demands we immediately withdraw all troops from Rwanda."

Legally, the Westeros mercenaries' actions in Rwanda violated many fundamental UN Charter provisions. This official classification meant the UN acknowledged the legitimacy of the mercenaries' actions in Rwanda.

Even though many major countries didn't take

 the UN seriously, obtaining legitimacy changed the nature of the situation. With the UN's endorsement, no country would pursue the mercenaries' actions in Rwanda.

Simon didn't mind withdrawing troops to gain UN recognition since he had no intention of gaining any benefits from a small country like Rwanda. However, he didn't want to follow through completely.

The Westeros mercenaries' actions had already created a strong deterrent in most African countries. Simon intended to reinforce this deterrent through continued troop presence, warning African warlords of the consequences of provoking the Westeros system.

"What's your take on this?" Simon asked Celia.

After working together for a while, Celia could understand Simon's thoughts, "Since the UN acknowledges our actions, there's no reason to withdraw all troops immediately. Peacekeeping requires continuity. We should make some concessions, like withdrawing the infamous South African EO Company troops while retaining the Ukrainian mercenaries for six months. By then, Rwanda's situation should stabilize, and we wouldn't have a justified reason to stay longer, risking backlash across Africa."

Celia's proposal aligned with Simon's thinking. After the high-profile actions, the Westeros mercenaries needed to show some compliance but not completely.

One of Simon's main goals was to create a strong presence in Africa. A complete withdrawal would undermine the mercenaries' recent achievements.

After some thought, Simon nodded, "Very well, proceed as you suggested with the UN."

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