He had received some companies from his father's hands and had been involved in managing them, earning quite a bit in dividends. However, the amount of money he could spend in a year couldn't possibly be in the billions.
But the girl in front of him was younger than him and hadn't inherited the Moran family's legacy. With just the inheritance of a nearly bankrupt film company left by her deceased father, she had earned hundreds of millions of dollars in just one or two years. No one doubted that she would create an even greater career with films in the future.
He was indeed a prince of Saudi Arabia, and his father owned a considerable amount of wealth. The problem was that he had several brothers and sisters who would likely inherit the majority of the wealth in the future. On the other hand, not only could she earn money herself, but she could also inherit Moran Media and the Moran brand without any obstacles.
Why did life have to be so fair? He sighed at the sky.
If people knew about his status and position and he still complained about life's unfairness, how many would look down on him?
"Do you think I want this? Do you think I'm happy running around scared of women?" Al Nadeem hung his head in dejection. "Do you know how painful it is not being able to talk to the woman you like?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to know!" Roy answered cheerfully. But then, as if he remembered something, he changed his tune, "Sorry, I spoke honestly again. Alright, I do want to know. Please tell me!"
The prince didn't have the mood to argue with him, looking mournfully at Theron swimming in the sea. "Never mind, you don't understand anything." Leaving behind this full-of-regret statement, he walked away with a sense of solitude.
"What a fragile guy." Roy shrugged, holding the drink that was brought over and chugging it down.
Laila looked at him with her icy blue eyes half-closed. "Did you just say, 'You would tell the girl you love that you love her'?"
"Cough." Roy almost sprayed his drink, "Did I? Did I say that?"
"Yes! And I heard it very clearly!" Laila kicked him off the beach chair, "You should remember the company's thousand reminders and instructions. Absolutely no falling in love! Absolutely no falling in love!! Absolutely no falling in love!!! When it's time for your love life to be exposed, we'll arrange the most suitable candidate for you. Apart from that, no one else can get involved. Don't forget your position! In the future, you are destined to become Hollywood's top-tier superstar!"
Roy rubbed his back and grinned, walking over to the chair where the foolish prince had been sitting. "I remember, I remember. I was just speaking casually, you know? Can you not get handsy with me so easily? What happened to your ladylike demeanor? Did a dog eat it?"
"I'm not joking with you!" Laila glared at him with a cold face. "Once you step onto the path of a star, you no longer belong to yourself. You have no privacy, no freedom—just the hopes and attention of your fans. You can have love, but you can't casually reveal it, understand?"
"I understand, I understand." Roy rolled his eyes. "Is it that serious to just have a girlfriend?"
"It is that serious!" Worried that he might not comprehend the gravity of the situation, Laila walked up to him, held his head with both hands and forced him to meet her gaze. "Listen, if you only want to be a minor star, I won't interfere. But if you want to be the best, you must follow the plan I've set out."
With her memories from the next two or three decades, she had seen far too much ludicrous and tragic celebrity gossip. She knew very well what could drive fans crazy when it happened to a star, and what could cause them to lose interest.
If a star didn't have fans' support, they were nothing. No matter how good-looking or talented they were, if fans didn't care about them, it was all in vain.
Roy was stared at by those seemingly emotionless icy blue eyes, and he couldn't help but tremble. "I got it. I was just speaking casually earlier."
Laila released his hands, revealing a smile. "But don't worry. As long as you follow my plan, you'll be at the top of Hollywood's most valuable superstar list in less than five years. By then, it won't even matter if you marry a princess."
Once the foundation was set, he could pursue girls however he wanted. Or, to put it differently, if he didn't pursue girls by then, people might start thinking he was gay. This wasn't the future; the present society was still far from accepting of same-sex relationships.
Roy glanced at her. "After seeing that kind of prince, are you even looking forward to so-called princesses?"
Laila hesitated for a moment, then chuckled. "You're right."
The tense atmosphere between the two of them dissipated with her smile, allowing Demi, who had been hiding behind, to sigh in relief. Did they have to make the conversation so intense? She was afraid they were going to argue.
Today was the third day on the island. According to Linda's notification, there will be a banquet held in the banquet hall tonight. In the past couple of days, helicopters could be seen flying over from time to time in the distance, obviously transporting guests for the gathering.
To prepare for the event, in the afternoon, Laila took a few people with her to her mother's place. The clothing, accessories, and overall styling would be handled by Janet's team that she brought along.
As an excellent designer, Janet's taste was undoubtedly exceptional. Laila didn't have much of a sense for fashion, but she remembered one thing her mother had told her: "When you're unsure of what color to choose, pick black. When you're unsure of what style to choose, pick a black dress."
Black was a color that would never go out of style, it could make one's skin appear fairer, and it could make one look more slender. It could also convey an aura that other colors couldn't. Laila rather liked black, especially simple black dresses that were easy to wear.
However, Janet would never allow her to wear such a simple color while standing by her side. In the past, she had been quite exasperated by her daughter's overly plain choices—either in dark shades or deep tones. How many years could one squander their youth? Why waste the most beautiful time of one's life by not wearing the colors of youth?
So, upon seeing Laila's prepared black dress, Janet directly ordered the clothes to be thrown far away, even if they were previously designed according to her request. Then she took several custom-designed gowns out of the box for her.
"Choose one for yourself, or I'll choose one for you." The mighty mother pointed at a few dresses, issuing Laila a final ultimatum.
Pink... pale blue... lavender... pastel yellow...
Laila rubbed her forehead and diverted her eyes from those blindingly soft colors. She was in her thirties in reality, and what level of shamelessness would she have to endure to put on such overly girlish clothes?