She was referring to a separate lounge area that was part of her office suite, originally used by Reynolds and his lovers to "play games." After Laila took over the office, she had it completely renovated.
"Follow me," Laila said, not bothering to pay any more attention to Prince Al Nadeem. She led Louise into the lounge.
The renovated lounge was simple yet comfortable, with a touch of classical Chinese style. It featured solid wood furniture, not the overly heavy kind, but rather elegant and refined.
Laila sat cross-legged on a cushion by the window and casually poured a cup of tea for herself. "What's the matter?"
Louise smiled, "Nothing, I just thought you might need some help."
She had rushed back upon receiving the notification because she knew how much the young boss disliked that prince. Unfortunately, the prince was too obtuse to even notice the clear hints to leave, instead stubbornly remaining in the office.
Laila rubbed her forehead in frustration. "You can say that again. I have no idea what's wrong with him. He's not only causing me trouble, but he also dared to send his father to my grandfather's house to propose."
Louise raised an eyebrow, surprised by this revelation. "And then?"
Laila chuckled bitterly, "What 'then'? I directly had my grandfather reject the proposal. Let's not talk about him anymore. Is there any work that can get me out of the office for a while? I really don't want to be here right now."
One was Prince Al Nadeem, and the other was the reporters constantly lingering outside her company. She didn't want to deal with either of them for the time being.
Louise thought for a moment. "Everything is progressing smoothly. Why don't you go check on the progress of the costumes at Janet's place? I've heard Janet is very demanding, which might delay the delivery."
"That's it!" Laila snapped her fingers and stood up. "I'll head over there now. If there's anything urgent, just contact me."
"Alright," Louise nodded, hesitating to say something else.
"Do you have anything else?" Laila noticed Louise's hesitation.
"It's about the rumors outside. Aren't you planning to address them?" Louise inquired.
Laila smiled faintly. "No rush, it's not hot enough yet." With that, she left the lounge.
Left behind in the room, Louise continued to ponder what exactly constituted "hot" in her boss's eyes.
Outside, Prince Al Nadeem was about to approach Laila when she spoke first.
"I have a business trip, and I'm not sure when I'll be back. Make yourself at home."
"Huh?" Prince Al Nadeem watched as she walked away without waiting for a response, his words trapped in his throat.
Finally escaping from trouble, Laila didn't even return home. Instead, she booked the earliest flight to New York. By the time the car arrived at the airport, she could swiftly grab her ticket and disappear.
It wasn't until the plane took off that she let out a long sigh of relief.
With the current situation, she finally understood what was happening. It was clear that Prince Al Nadeem was pursuing her, to the extent that he even canceled his engagement.
But she had no idea what she had done to make him misunderstand that they would have any chemistry between them.
If she had known, she would have corrected it immediately!
Several hours later, she arrived at Janet's company.
"Laila? Why did you suddenly come over?" Janet greeted her daughter with surprise and excitement.
"I heard there were issues with the costume progress here," Laila said. She had no intention of mentioning Prince Al Nadeem's situation, as she knew her mother well enough to realize that if she told the truth, Janet would pester her endlessly for every juicy detail.
Indeed, mentioning work was the best way to handle her mother. As soon as she heard about work, Janet's face wrinkled in frustration. "It's all because of Sanders. He—" She suddenly stopped.
"Who is Sanders?" Laila was certain she hadn't heard this name before.
"No, no one..." Janet's eyes suddenly looked unfocused.
The expression on her mother's face made Laila feel like she had figured something out. "Is he your suitor?"
"He's not! He has no taste at all! You know what? He peeked at my manuscripts and had the nerve to say they were ugly!" Janet fumed, waving her fists in anger. Her cheeks flushed pink with excitement, making her look like a stunning woman in her late twenties.
"Not peeked, but I returned them for you," a deep, magnetic voice suddenly came from outside.
"Sanders!" Janet covered her mouth in shock, then jumped away hurriedly, wiping her lips with a tissue. She also glanced at her daughter's expression, worried that she would be misunderstood. "I have nothing to do with this man!"
Even Laila, who was not the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to these matters, could tell that there was something fishy between these two. Was it because spring had arrived, or was there something else going on that made everyone around her suddenly enter their mating season? Why did the air everywhere she went seem to be filled with the rosy scent of love?
"Mr. Sanders, may I ask why you're here?" Laila decided to help her mother figure out whether this was genuine interest or just a passing infatuation. After all, her mother's taste in men was questionable, to say the least.
The man smiled and didn't seem to mind being scrutinized. "I'm an investment consultant, and I have a relatively decent small company."
Laila gestured to the nearby seats. "Let's sit over there." She didn't follow up on his statement, keeping the conversation on her terms to unsettle his rhythm. She hoped that he wouldn't disappoint her too much when she probed further.