Dumb Prince's fiancee? Laila immediately understood and looked at her with pity. No wonder she's gone crazy; if the person she's supposed to marry is also a severe gynophobia, she might have gone crazy too, right?
"Don't worry, I believe the Prince's condition will gradually improve with time," she tried to console her.
However, her words seemed to provoke her, rather than reassure her.
"Have you shown off enough? Don't think that you can join the royal family by using some strange methods to make the Prince not afraid of you. I've said it before, I will never accept the system of polygamy!"
Her angry words turned Laila's attempt at comfort into a challenge.
"Please, rest assured, I have no intention of having any relationship with the Prince beyond friendship." If possible, she didn't even want to be friends.
Apparently, Faiza didn't believe her words. "No woman would refuse the opportunity to marry Prince Al Nadeem! He's handsome, charming, wealthy – he's the kind of man every woman dreams of marrying!"
"Haha," Laila forced a dry laugh, "I work in Hollywood. If I were to want to marry every handsome and charming man, I'd be marrying someone new every day. Besides, you haven't investigated my background, have you? If we're talking about wealth, I'm richer than the Prince."
Faiza was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head, "How could that be? How old are you? How can you possibly have more money than Al Nadeem? Even if you've inherited some properties, your elders would never entrust you with large corporations."
Laila remembered hearing about the Prince's hometown, where the status of women was extremely low. They wore black robes, covering themselves from head to toe, only their husbands knew what they looked like. The most shocking was their practice of polygamy; according to their religious customs, a man could have up to four wives.
Realizing this, Laila finally understood why she was here.
"I'm sorry, but I have no interest in having any closer relationship with Prince Al Nadeem," she clarified firmly. If anything, she wanted to emphasize that they weren't even friends.
Faiza, however, remained unconvinced. "You can say what you want, but mark my words. I won't let you get close to Prince Al Nadeem as long as I'm around!"
With a stamp of her foot, Faiza turned and went to gather information.
Laila found herself inexplicably hated by a woman, feeling rather unlucky. To think that this misfortune was brought about by the dumb Prince; irritated her even more. She had thought Roy was a troublemaker, but now she realized he wasn't as troublesome as the Prince. She'd have to be a bit gentler when reprimanding him next time.
Finishing her juice, she left the empty cup on a passing waiter's tray, then got herself a new one and proceeded towards her main objective for this trip – James Cameron.
The "Titanic" fever that had started at the end of last year was still in full swing, with the whole blue planet intoxicated by the grand ship he'd crafted and the love story he'd woven.
Creating billions in box office revenue from a single movie was previously unimaginable. It was because of this film that James Cameron officially ascended to the realm of legendary film directors.
Though often referred to as a set tyrant, he was quite affable in person. At least when talking to Laila, he always had a smiling response to her questions. This was partly due to his relationship with Janet, and also because he appreciated Laila's talent.
"Mr. Cameron, hello," Laila walked up to the big director who was engaged in conversation with someone else, and smiled as she greeted him.
When he saw her approach, his expression brightened. "Look who's here, our future great director."
"What do you mean 'future'? She's already a great director now," the person beside him chimed in.
Laila recognized the person; he was another renowned director. "Thank you for your compliment. Mr. George Lucas, it's an honor to meet you."
In terms of reputation, George Lucas was even above Cameron, for creating a whole era with the "Star Wars" franchise.
"Come here, child, let me introduce you to some people," George warmly introduced her to the people around them.
Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, and others were among the crème de la crème of Hollywood, standing before them, even Laila couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed.
Yet, her exceptional self-control prevented any nervousness from showing. Her composed demeanor and impeccable manners impressed everyone present.
When Laila inquired about their current projects, George gave her an answer that pleasantly surprised her.
"We were just talking about the filming of Titanic. After watching that movie, even an old guy like me started to have a soft spot for the sea and ships."
"Of course, not just you." Laila made a helpless gesture. "Those thoughts have been swirling around in my mind until now. If it's alright with you, may I listen in?"
"Of course," James laughed heartily. "As long as you don't find it boring."
Laila nodded enthusiastically. "That's great. I'm finally starting to feel like this trip was worth it."