"Achoo!" Suddenly, Laila sneezed.
"Are you catching a cold?" Claire hurried over and felt Laila's forehead. She sighed with relief when she didn't detect any temperature change.
Laila rubbed her nose in confusion. "Maybe someone was talking behind my back. It's not a cold."
Claire disagreed and handed her a tissue. "You've been working too hard lately. Don't imagine your body to be stronger than it is. You're working sixteen to seventeen hours a day now. If you continue like this, I might have to report your condition to Janet!"
Laila waved her hand with a smile. "Come on, don't exaggerate. You're always by my side now, aren't you? I promise to eat three proper meals every day and get eight hours of sleep. I swear this sneeze was just an accident. You don't need to tell my mom about such a trivial matter, do you? Don't forget, I might have a stepfather soon."
Mr. Quentin was not to be underestimated. He had managed to take Laila's workaholic mother on a world tour for a few months, all under the pretext of "finding inspiration." Why bother disturbing them?
Speaking of a "stepfather," Claire finally smiled. "Mr. Quentin is indeed quite impressive. Janet has never had any official dates before this. I was worried that her past experiences might affect her dating life."
Laila nodded in agreement. "Exactly!"
Although everyone believed that Laila's reluctance to date was due to her parents' relationship, it was actually Janet who needed to worry. A woman in her thirties, radiating mature charm, needed love and affection more than a teenager who didn't want a boyfriend, didn't she?
However, over the years, she hadn't seriously dated anyone. Some insincere people had approached her, but they had all been quietly dealt with by Grandpa. He probably knew about Quentin's existence a long time ago and had investigated him, silently approving of his pursuit.
"Speaking of Mr. Quentin, I do have something I hope he can help with," Laila suddenly remembered her plans for making money in the future.
She wasn't a protagonist with all-knowing abilities after her rebirth. Apart from the filmmaking skills from her previous life and some hobbies left behind by the original Laila, she was clueless about many things. For example, economics. Even if she was given a large sum of money, she had no idea how to spend it beyond filmmaking and related endeavors.
She knew that some stocks would rise in the future and that there would be some widely known events. But even if she knew that 9/11 would happen or that the subprime mortgage crisis would occur, she didn't know how to profit from this foreknowledge.
So Quentin's appearance presented an opportunity for her. With some extra cash on hand, she naturally wanted to make as much money as possible in the shortest amount of time.
Unfortunately, her timing wasn't perfect. She was currently in the midst of the bursting internet bubble. While she knew that this field would bring her many benefits, investing in it now would surely result in losses. Even if she wanted to buy in at the bottom, she would have to wait for a while.
Just as she was contemplating this, a phone call came in.
"My dear Laila, come to New York quickly. I've brought you some gifts!"
As soon as the call connected, Laila heard Janet's excited voice.
"Mom? You're back?" Laila was surprised. She thought Janet was still traveling the world with Quentin, enjoying herself.
"Of course! Come to the airport quickly. I've arranged for someone to pick you up. Oh, and don't forget to bring little Roy too. I've bought many gifts for him!"
Laila was about to say something, but the call was already hung up from the other side. Almost simultaneously, Demi entered the room.
"BOSS, I just received a call. Your private jet has landed at the airport. The pilot asked about your arrival and departure time."
Laila pinched her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. Why did her mom have to be so impulsive? Did she not know that Laila hated flying on airplanes the most?
Well, no one knew this little secret of hers. She didn't want anyone to see her vulnerable side.
Sighing, she nodded. "Tell them I'll arrive at the airport in two hours. Let the pilot arrange the departure time as soon as possible."
"Understood." Demi accepted the instructions and left the office to make the arrangements.
Claire smiled at Laila. "Is this what they call mother-daughter telepathy? You just mentioned her, and she called you immediately."
"Let it go; as long as she's happy." With a mother like that, Laila had no choice but to adapt.
Two hours later, Laila, along with Roy, and his little brother, Abel, arrived at the airport.
What no one expected was that just before the VIP channel, a shrill, foreign-accented scream made Laila stop in her tracks.
"Moran! Why are you here?" Faiza yelled wide-eyed as if she couldn't believe her eyes!
Laila felt like her luck was terrible. Encountering her here, did it mean that her trip was going to be unlucky?
"Let's go," she said, ignoring the hysterical woman, and continued toward the channel with Roy and Abel.
"Moran! Stop right there!" Faiza ran a few steps before blocking the entrance. "Why should you go ahead?"
Laila, standing behind Roy, looked at her in bewilderment. "Who are you?"
"Who am I... am I... am I... am I..." Boom!
Faiza's mind snapped.
"Why would you dare to say you don't know who I am?"
If it weren't for her attendants and servants restraining her from behind, her hand would have already reached Laila's face.
Laila was pulled back by Roy and took a step back, patting her chest with lingering fear. That was close! She almost had her face clawed by those dagger-like nails! How much did she hate her to attack her face right from the start?
This served as a warning to Laila: never try to decipher the actions of a madwoman with the mindset of a normal person. Normal people don't suddenly attack someone's face in the middle of a conversation!