"I said I wouldn't wear these kinds of clothes."
"Why?" Janet picked up a set of clothes and gestured in front of her. "Look, this color complements your eyes so well."
"It's a beautiful dress, but I don't like it." Laila pushed the clothes away. Even if doing so would make her mother sad, she absolutely wouldn't allow herself to wear such childish clothes.
Janet put the clothes down disappointedly. "I thought it would suit you."
"A lot of things might suit me, but don't you think I should also follow my preferences?" Laila retorted.
"Fine." Janet surrendered reluctantly and had someone bring the last box over. "These few should do, I guess."
The box was opened, revealing several dark-colored long dresses. Sapphire blue, dark gold, and emerald green—all were beautiful colors within the dark spectrum. Even if the colors were deep, the material still reflected a faint luster under the light. This was the only way she could think of to make her daughter wear brighter clothes.
Laila sighed softly and pointed to the jewel-blue evening gown with a cascading style. "Let's go with this one." At the very least, compared to the other two, this one wasn't as exaggerated as a Christmas tree.
After changing into the dress, she saw that Theron and the others were already dressed. Demi wore a short skirt in a shade of aqua that matched her eyes very well. was wearing a black fishtail gown that she secretly coveted, which left her somewhat frustrated.
Just like all of Janet's designs, the clothes she created could showcase the beautiful body curves of the women who wore them. This time was no exception; Theron's tall and sexy figure and Demi's alluring figure were all on full display.
However, the most dazzling aspect was the jewelry they were wearing—designs also crafted by Janet. The brand of jewelry was still gaining recognition, but it was already receiving good reviews and attracting loyal customers. This indicated that it would likely become another successful venture in her future.
"Boss, can I wear such expensive diamonds?" Demi squirmed uncomfortably as if those weren't jewelry but rather roses covered in thorns.
"Aren't they beautiful? Just wear them." Laila knew she was very beautiful and, after being dressed up by Janet, she looked even more like a beautiful Barbie doll, a limited-edition high-end version at that. Participating in the event with such a secretary should be quite interesting, right?
Demi hesitated, "These are all real diamonds, what if I damage them?"
Laila couldn't help but chuckle at her, "If you can damage diamonds, then I'll help you sign up for 'American Idol.'" Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth, okay? With her ability to knock down books just by carrying them, did she think she could damage diamonds?
"Boss!" Demi felt like she was being laughed at by her boss. But she had no way out. Diamonds were very hard, but the gold that connected those diamonds wasn't as strong. What if she accidentally scratched or scraped them? Even if she sold herself, she wouldn't be able to compensate for the damage. "Can I not go?"
"No, you can't!" Laila's expression turned stern. "Don't forget why you're here. Do you think you're here to play? You're my secretary. If you don't follow me, where do you think you'll be hiding?"
"Yes..." Demi didn't dare say anything else, just reluctantly accepted it. She could only be careful not to touch anything as she walked, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves.
At that moment, Roy, who was also dressed up, walked out of the dressing room.
Upon seeing his attire, Laila couldn't help but give her mother a reproachful look. Like Theron, Roy was wearing an all-black suit. Not only was the outer layer black, but the shirt inside was also black. It added a touch of steadiness and sophistication to his previously unruly self.
Why were two out of the four people dressed in black? Why did her black dress have to be thrown away?
Pretending not to notice the look in her eyes, Janet stood in front of Roy with a smile and gave him a final touch-up. "Little Roy has a good figure, I thought your shoulders would be broader."
"Thanks, Janet." Roy gave her a flirtatious wink as usual.
"Ah!" Janet covered her mouth and burst into cheerful laughter. She liked cheerful boys like him the most. Ice-cold, cool, and muscular guys were no longer her type. Handsome, cute, and willing to fight for her daughter's sake—she found herself liking him more the more she looked at him.
She had heard about it. The reason he had clashed with the prince was because he saw the prince making inappropriate moves towards Laila and went over to defend her. She didn't blame him for causing trouble; she was very happy to see a boy who was willing to fight a prince for her daughter. Ah~ So romantic!
Of course, the prince's side was also quite romantic. Afraid of all women, yet only able to communicate normally with Laila—such experiences could easily be made into a romantic love story.
The more she thought about it, the happier she became. Leaving the group behind, Janet left with a parting statement, "I have new bridal gown inspiration!" and slipped back into her room.
Roy watched the tightly closed door and curiously turned to Laila. "Why does she get bridal gown inspiration from looking at me?" Was he dressed like a groom?
Laila had long gotten used to this, so she smiled and nodded. She could pretty much guess her mother's thoughts, but she didn't want to think about it too much, lest it ruin her mood for the event.
Looking at her watch, it was almost time. She turned to the others. "Let's go."
"Okay." The others weren't as relaxed as her; they took deep breaths before following her steps.
Even though everyone said that everyone was equal, facing those powerful figures who held great power and controlled vast fortunes, many people couldn't handle the aura they emitted. Leaving others aside, even Theron's group would feel a bit weak in the knees if they saw Oswald.
Regardless, they met up with Oswald's group on the way.
"Laila, come meet some friends with me later. They've been insisting on meeting you all day."
Laila smiled and linked her arm with him. "Sure."
How could she not know that her grandfather was just trying to provoke some jealousy? But if it could make her grandfather happy, why bother with the antics of those unruly youngsters after tonight?
"By the way, do you have people you want to meet?"
"I do." Laila wouldn't change her mind about coming just because of Theron. The real reason she wanted to come was because she saw a few names on the guest list.
Oswald looked at her with contentment. "Then, have a good chat with them. It's always good to make more friends." Speaking of this, he seemed to recall something and added, "Young people might be immature, but still, try to interact more with those who are truly capable."
Oswald's intentions were crystal clear. Laila smiled and nodded in agreement. Poor Grandpa, he must have been so sad when Janet was taken away all those years ago, right?