"I don't mind," Roy replied with a cold expression. "I don't have any work for the whole month."
"You have no work?" Laila looked at him in disbelief. It was hard to imagine that, with his current fame, he had nothing to do for an entire month. "What about Ovitz? Don't tell me he didn't schedule any work for you!"
Laila was slightly irritated. A celebrity's fame couldn't be allowed to cool off. Even top-tier stars lost their appeal if they disappeared from the public eye for too long.
Roy was a newly emerging star who needed various jobs to increase his exposure. With her guidance and his talent, whether it was acting in movies, singing, or even modeling, he could excel. After all, wasn't Ovitz the one who founded CAA? He shouldn't be letting Roy remain idle for so long.
In reality, Laila was unfairly accusing Ovitz. It wasn't that he didn't arrange work for Roy; it was Roy who had informed Ovitz in advance that he needed over a month of free time to fully focus on rehearsing the song. Even though he knew that lip-syncing would suffice when the time came, he still put in unwavering effort in practice, so as not to embarrass himself if a real singing performance was needed.
Roy was certainly not going to tell Laila about this. He didn't want to hear another one of her lectures for no reason. Now, he had accumulated substantial wealth, and even if he temporarily couldn't earn money, he could still use it to support his brother.
However, he didn't believe that the audience would forget him so quickly, even if he took a brief hiatus. He was confident that as soon as he appeared on the big screen, they would remember him again!
"Aren't we supposed to discuss the song?" Roy wore an impatient expression to mask his true feelings. "If you have something to say, just say it. I've promised Abel to watch a movie with him."
As soon as the topic turned to movies, Laila's attention shifted instantly. "Are there any good films to watch?"
Roy replied, "Nothing special, just a promise to watch a movie with him." Abel had shown interest in the audio-visual equipment here last time and had suggested they try it out together during this visit. It was the perfect excuse for Roy.
"In that case, do you need me to recommend a few?" Laila asked.
Roy looked at her bright eyes and felt a bit puzzled. "What happened to discussing the song?" he inquired. "How much do you love movies?"
Laila suddenly realized that she had been sidetracked by movies once again, coughed softly, and awkwardly said, "Um, I was actually about to discuss that."
Roy gave her a sidelong glance and didn't even bother to comment.
Unfortunately, that lazy side glance, combined with his exceptionally handsome face, had an unquestionable charm. Especially after joining Ovitz, he had changed his appearance to suit his movie role. His short hair hadn't grown back yet, which gave him an abrupt blend of youthful charm and mature sexiness. The unshaven stubble added a hint of ruggedness.
In short, there was a considerable difference from his previous appearance.
He was already exceptionally good-looking, and the altered image suited him well, resulting in a significant increase in his charisma.
Laila's heart raced when she caught that one glance, and she quickly looked down, internally cursing herself for being so vain and falling prey to her instincts as a visual creature.
"Ahem, about the song. How well have you practiced? We need to send the song over there before heading to the East." She wasn't concerned about it getting approved. She just needed to give them some breathing room to arrange the program, right?
"I think I've got it," Roy casually sang a line. "What do you think?"
Laila nodded in surprise. "Not bad. There's a bit of an exotic touch. But it should suffice. At this level, it's enough for the program."
When selecting the song, she had taken special care in this regard. For the song "A Thousand Miles Away," Laila sang the initial part, while Roy sang the repetitive chorus. The chorus mainly consisted of repeated lines, making it easier for him to learn.
"Right," Roy replied nonchalantly.
Laila looked at him and frowned, feeling a slight headache. She raised her hand to rub her forehead. "I say, Roy, do you have to talk to me with such an attitude?"
Roy's eye twitched, and he turned his head slightly to the side. "I don't."
"Yes, you do, and it's quite rude!" Laila sat down next to him, patted his arm, and said, "Don't you want to talk to me about something?"
"Nope," Roy responded in a characteristically defiant tone.
Laila sighed. As a mature adult, she believed that at least one of them had to act maturely. His spoiled child act wasn't going to solve anything. It seemed like she had to be the one to break the deadlock.
"Roy, we really need to have a proper conversation," she said. Both of them should at least try to be mature, right? His stubbornly childish attitude wasn't going to lead anywhere.
"Whatever you think, I'm not angry with you for going to Ovitz. If I were, do you think I'd meet with you now, or even talk to you?"
She wasn't being entirely truthful. When she first heard the news, she was indeed furious, very furious, to the point where she wanted to punch him. Who wouldn't be angry when someone else plucked the fruit she had cultivated before it even ripened?
However, her anger didn't last very long—perhaps not even a full minute. This was because she remembered the farewell message he had left for her. Based on what she knew about him, even if the farewell had failed, he wouldn't have lost his determination and left the company. She was certain that the other party had presented him with an irresistible offer, and this made her curious about the terms that would make him abandon her nurturing.
Was it about money? Definitely not. He could ask her for as much as he wanted. Besides, he had already earned a significant amount from his movie roles, so money wasn't an issue.
Could it be about connections? Ovitz undoubtedly had an extensive network in Hollywood, but Laila felt that her own connections weren't inferior. What were talent agents mainly for if not to secure roles in high-profile movies?
In Hollywood, her movies were equally capable of boosting people's careers. Just look at the characters who appeared in her films; many of them started from scratch, and her films launched them into stardom.