On the same day, Laila boarded a plane to travel to the headquarters of Victoria's Secret to begin the promotional plan she had set in motion for the brand.
Speaking of Victoria's Secret headquarters, there is an interesting aspect to it – it has a fake headquarters.
The founder of Victoria's Secret once wanted the brand to sound upscale and have a British flair, so he named the headquarters "10 Margaret Street, London." However, the actual headquarters is located in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
In the beginning, the brand was founded because the founder felt awkward while buying lingerie for his wife and sensed peculiar looks from salespeople. As a result, he decided to open a store specializing in high-end lingerie and was friendly toward male customers as well.
Surprisingly, this casual store establishment turned into a success, leading to the opening of several branches. However, Victoria's Secret truly rose to fame after being acquired by Leslie Wexner.
In 1995, Victoria's Secret held its first runway show, which was widely covered by global media as the "Lingerie Century." It was from that moment that Victoria's Secret began to exhibit its distinct charm and allure, setting itself apart from other brands. The annual Victoria's Secret show also became a focal point of attention for countless men and women.
Indeed, by this time in the United States, Victoria's Secret had gained a certain level of fame and was known to some who followed high-end lingerie and fashion trends abroad. However, compared to the future Laila came from, it still had a long way to go.
Knowing the brand's future direction and subsequent steps, Laila confidently claimed that she could turn Victoria's Secret into the world's top lingerie brand within a year.
After disembarking the plane, the first person Laila encountered was a familiar face.
"Gisele? What are you doing here?"
"Of course, I'm here to welcome you on behalf of the company." Gisele smiled and embraced her. "Welcome to Columbus."
Laila had helped Gisele secure a contract with Victoria's Secret through a series of promotional photos she had taken. The beautiful pictures showcased Gisele's beauty, helping her become a sought-after model. It could be said that Laila played a significant role in Gisele's current success.
So, she volunteered to pick up Laila at the airport.
"Welcome, Miss Moran. I'm Warren Galls, working for Victoria's Secret. I will be responsible for coordinating all your work this time." A young man introduced himself and took Laila's modest luggage.
"Hello, nice to meet you. Just call me Laila." Handsome faces easily gained favor from others, and Laila was no exception. Warren happened to be the type she admired.
"Sure, Laila. You can call me Warren too." Warren smiled.
As Warren went to place the luggage in the car, Gisele discreetly leaned in to whisper to Laila, "Warren Galls is the son of the president of Victoria's Secret."
Laila's eyes flickered as she understood. No wonder they only sent these two to pick her up – one was a familiar face, and the other was a prominent figure's son.
Being a member of the Moran family, it would be disrespectful not to send someone of significance to greet her.
After Warren opened the car door and invited them in, he followed suit.
"Our president intended to come and pick you up personally, but unexpectedly, Mr. Leslie Wexner came. To accompany him, I had to come to pick you up."
"Mr. Wexner is here too?" Laila was surprised. Why would this old man appear here at this time? He must want to meet her, right?
Indeed, having signed a contract worth billions without even meeting her face-to-face was not appropriate. However, logically, she should be the one visiting him.
Warren smiled, "Yes, Mr. Wexner attaches great importance to this collaboration and has repeatedly instructed us to follow your every instruction."
Laila smiled but didn't say anything, for she noticed something interesting.
In his eyes, she detected a hidden aversion beneath his elegant smile – even a hint of hostility. It made sense, given that they had sent a young, handsome, well-mannered man to pick her up; clearly, they had designs on her.
As the heiress of the Moran family, a promising Hollywood director, a genius strategist, possessing a beautiful face and figure – any one of these attributes would make her an ideal candidate, let alone all of them. This was likely why a handsome, wealthy man was personally sent to pick her up. However, Laila believed that Warren himself was probably quite resistant to this situation; otherwise, she wouldn't have sensed his unease.
In the end, it all came down to youth. Laila sighed inwardly, her smile deepening.
As she suspected, Warren was indeed picked by his father to come and meet her.
From his perspective, his son was superior in all aspects to his peers. He was refined and cultured, not to mention a sensible and charming young man who could easily win over any girl. Leaving aside whether the Morans were wealthy, just the attitude of their CEO towards them indicated that this was a path to impress the boss.
However, he had forgotten that his son, despite all his good qualities, was equally rebellious and arrogant as any young person. No matter how well-intentioned the elders might be, the youngsters would see it as a shackle – just like the tight-fitting headband on Sun Wukong's head, making it hard for him to breathe.
Furthermore, the impression he had of heiresses from prominent families was quite negative. Perhaps Laila had a very positive image in the public eye, but who knew what she was really like in private? The Morans were involved in media and had the power to control it far beyond imagination. They wouldn't expose her true nature. Maybe the day her private life was exposed, her image in the public eye would shatter.
Of course, he wouldn't show these thoughts on his face or in his actions. He knew that offending her would lead to dire consequences. Leave those tricks for the young kids; he just had to continue being the elegant and handsome gentleman.
As one person thought he was hiding his true intentions well, performing enthusiastically and perfectly, another person observed him with a half-smile, chatting with Gisele, until the car stopped at the entrance of Victoria's Secret headquarters.
"Welcome, Laila. I've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time."
A man who appeared to be in his sixties stood at the entrance, wearing a smile as he opened the car door for Laila.
"Mr. Wexner, hello." Laila smiled and embraced him.
This was the first time she had met him, but she had made sure to familiarize herself with his appearance. Laila, who liked to be well-prepared for anything, wouldn't let a lack of recognition stand in her way.