Of all the people, Janet was the one who felt most sorry for Laila's busy schedule. If she could, she would have gladly attended those events in Laila's place. However, Oswald stopped her, emphasizing that experiencing such social obligations was necessary for Laila as the family's heir.
If it weren't for Janet's initial disappointment, Laila would not have assumed the role of the heir. Her unreliable mother was the reason Laila had to shoulder this responsibility, no matter how challenging it was.
Janet could only sigh silently about this situation. She had a passion for fashion design, and if given a media conglomerate, she would have likely been devoured by competitors in no time.
"I actually quite enjoy these social gatherings," Laila said after experiencing this period.
In this life, she had become one of those wealthy individuals she used to detest and had to face similar social obligations. This transformation gave her a satisfying feeling. What made her even happier was that this sense of fulfillment wasn't solely due to her family background but also stemmed from her own abilities.
Being recognized for her talents—what could be more satisfying?
Not wanting to waste time on this topic, she suddenly asked Janet, "Have you made any breakthroughs recently with the pirate theme in your designs?"
After Laila's discreet encouragement, her mother became interested in the pirate theme and even incorporated some elements she hoped for. Now it was time for Laila to reap the rewards.
As soon as Janet started talking about her work, her expression immediately changed, and she spoke with enthusiasm, "It's going very well! I find the pirate theme fascinating, and when I add elements of Baroque style to it, it creates a unique and marvelous style."
Laila smiled and asked her, "In that case, do you have an interest in designing costumes for my new movie? It just so happens that my new film is related to pirates, and your designs could appear on the big screen."
Her tone resembled that of a tricky uncle trying to persuade his little niece. Oswald, who had been listening to the conversation despite not wanting to eavesdrop on his daughter and granddaughter's conversation, raised an eyebrow. It wasn't that he wanted to eavesdrop, but the two of them seemed to have swapped roles or something.
Laila didn't hide her intention to tease her mother, but Janet didn't seem to notice. How could Oswald not worry about his daughter in such a situation? He was relieved that he had seen through his daughter's true nature early on and had shifted the burden of being the heir onto Laila; otherwise, he couldn't imagine what the future of the Moran Group would look like.
Janet was currently looking at her daughter in amazement. "A pirate movie? Are you really making a pirate movie? I used to love pirate stories so much, like Peter Pan and Captain Hook. Oh, dear, I adore pirates!"
She was excited, but on the other side, Oswald furrowed his brows. He worked in the news industry and had encountered a lot of information. The disastrous failure of 'Cutthroat Island' a few years ago has left many filmmakers lamenting the death of pirate movies. Since then, no one has dared to touch the genre.
Was it okay for Laila to venture into this genre?
Regardless of whether it was okay or not, Oswald wouldn't intervene. Losing over a hundred million dollars was still affordable for their family. If they could learn from their mistakes with that money, it would be more cost-effective than going down the wrong path in the future.
Oswald wondered if his father, who had already passed away, was silently lighting a candle for his granddaughter's decision in his heart. Meanwhile, Laila continued to talk about her new movie to her mother.
"My pirate movie has some fantasy elements, and action is a crucial part of it," Laila explained while handing Janet the script and storyboards.
Janet looked through them and asked, "Do you have any specific requirements?"
"Only one: it needs to be beautiful," Laila replied as she took out a pencil sketch of one of the characters and placed it on top of the script. "Something along these lines."
"Wow, this is the most unique captain I've ever seen," Janet commented as she looked at the sketch. It was a character sketch of Captain Jack, the movie's protagonist. Laila thought the design perfectly captured the character's personality, and she wanted to maintain the original style.
"Yes, I came up with the entire story based on him. Don't you think a captain with this style could bring a fresh feel to the movie?" Laila said with a mischievous smile, winking discreetly in the direction of her grandfather, who was still secretly listening.
Janet nodded enthusiastically, "You're right. I'd love to see such a unique captain on screen. By the way, have you decided who will play him?"
"Roy. I think he's a perfect fit."
This choice didn't surprise Janet. She said, "That's fantastic! I can already imagine him in this outfit, charming girls all around the world. But is it a good idea?"
Laila was taken aback, looking at her in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"Darling!" Janet exclaimed, looking at her with concern. "If young Roy becomes a star, it will be difficult for you to hold onto him in the future! A handsome young man like him will surely attract a lot of female fans!"
Laila couldn't help but pinch her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Mom, I remember you once said that Al Nadeem was the most suitable for me. Why are you bringing Roy into this now? Are you trying to marry me off to any man who comes along? How badly do you want to get rid of me?"
Janet paused, then clapped her hands in delight. "So, you prefer princes, don't you?"
"I ****ing hate them!" Laila finally burst out. She couldn't stand Janet's obsession with "romantic" love. At this point in her life, all she cared about was making movies. She didn't have time to waste on love, especially when it came to her career aspirations.
"That's right. Many women long for love, but that's not me! What I want is much bigger than that!" She wanted an Oscar, Hollywood, and to be the person that future generations wouldn't forget when it came to movies. Wasting her time on love would be wasting her life!