This person not only lost his position as a film director and severed ties with his former company, but he also openly held a press conference to criticize the movie harshly. If there isn't a hidden hand behind this, no one would believe it.
After hearing Laila's explanation, Roy looked at her searching the news online, and couldn't help but express his frustration, "This guy is a real jerk!"
When Laila had given him the director's position, he had seemed so grateful. It had only been a short time, and now he was claiming that the company was persecuting him. Who would spend over a hundred million dollars to destroy the so-called "directorial career" of a second-rate director? To be blunt, he was just not worth it!
"What should we do? Are you going back?" Roy asked, annoyed by the situation. While he was upset, he thought it would be good if she could return early. He didn't want her to stay any longer with Prince Al Nadeem, who was always sticking to her.
"I have to go back." Laila nodded. She didn't want to stay here any longer. Not only the foolish prince but also Faiza, who constantly shot her dirty looks that practically said, "I'll stab you to death."
However...
"The plane has probably just reached the United States, so it won't be possible to leave right away," Laila said, regretting that this hadn't happened a bit earlier. If it had, she would have taken the same flight back to the United States in the morning. She couldn't help but complain in her mind about that director's "inopportune timing."
"Leaving? Where are you going?" Prince Al Nadeem suddenly entered without knocking.
He held a stuffed teddy bear that was half his size in one hand and a bag of... raw meat in the other, rushing in with a worried look. "You just arrived, and now you want to leave again?"
Laila looked at what he was holding, and her lips couldn't help but twitch. He had a giant stuffed animal and raw meat – what a strange combination!
"This is a gift for you. I asked many people online, and they all said this is the most suitable gift for a girl," Prince Al Nadeem said, having learned his lesson from asking people around him and now posting questions online. He had even posted on an American forum to ensure that the advice he received was credible and not just random opinions.
"Alright," Laila accepted his explanation. "What's with the meat, though?" Giving a girl a large piece of raw meat was quite unusual. Which internet friends suggested that – the Amazon Cannibal Tribe?
"Of course, that's for it," Prince Al Nadeem pointed to the small leopard cowering in the corner of a cage, "Did you think I'd give you meat? Ha-ha, I'm not that stupid."
"...Hehe, you're quite the comedian," Laila dryly chuckled, unable to bring herself to remind him that the little leopard couldn't eat raw meat.
She couldn't bring herself to say it, but Roy was more than happy to deflate Prince Al Nadeem's ego. "Do you really think this little guy, who doesn't even have teeth, can grind your meat with his gums?"
"You!" Prince Al Nadeem was indeed taken aback by Roy's comment. Making mistakes repeatedly in front of his romantic rival, he really wanted to just send this guy back to the United States. Speaking of the United States, he finally remembered what he heard before entering the room: "Laila, are you leaving?"
"Yes, there's been an issue at the company, and I need to return as soon as possible," Laila confirmed.
"What's the big deal that requires you to rush back?" Prince Al Nadeem looked at Roy, feeling that he might be scheming something behind the scenes, intending to deceive Laila into returning to the United States.
Roy rolled his eyes, not bothering to address him.
Laila pointed to the still-open web page. "You'll understand when you see it."
Prince Al Nadeem leaned over the computer and read through the news with furrowed brows. It became clear to him that this situation was quite serious. "It's just a movie costing over a hundred million dollars. I'll give you $200 million; can't you stay here a few more days?"
He hadn't completed his father's "test" yet, which meant that once Laila left this country, their contact would be severed again. Even if he hadn't had a romantic relationship, he knew that you couldn't be apart from someone you liked for too long. With time, even the best relationships would fade away, especially when he was in the disadvantaged pursuit phase.
"It's not about money," Laila wanted to smack him with the money. $200 million just to make her stay for a few more days? This was something only an incredibly extravagant person would say.
"It's not about money, so what is it?" Prince Al Nadeem huffed. "Clearly, that director was bought off by your rival. If you give him more money, he'll definitely come back to your side."
Laila was left speechless by his words. It did seem like that was what had happened. The guy took the money, smeared her name, and walked away. While she agreed with him to some extent, she couldn't actually say that out loud; it would be too embarrassing.
"It's my dream, and I have goals I must achieve!" She tried to sound noble, and even though it was the truth, saying it like this made her feel complicated.
Perhaps it was because of her different position and perspective that her goals had changed. If in her previous life, her greatest wish was to become a film director and make a great movie, now she was already focused on the little Oscar statuette.
Despite having directed one film after another, the goal she wanted most was still quite distant. In her estimation, achieving her dream of winning the Best Director Oscar would take at least until she was 30. She had just turned 23, which meant she had another seven long years to accumulate achievements.
Prince Al Nadeem realized from the multitude of online reports that this issue had become quite significant, and she had to leave.
"Alright, if this is what's happening, I won't keep you here any longer. I just hope that if you have the time, you'll come back and visit. We have many beautiful sights here you haven't seen yet."
He acted disappointed, and Laila didn't want to deny him that face-saving gesture. She nodded, "Sure, I'll come back when I have the time."
"Sigh," Prince Al Nadeem sighed softly. He felt like he was just being managed. But what could he do? If he escaped his father's "trial," his brothers would be more than happy to take his place, along with the wealth he could have obtained in the future. If he ended up penniless, what qualification did he have to stand by her side again?
"Your plane will take a while to return, so why not take my plane back? It will save some time," he suggested. He knew it was pointless for her to stay an extra ten or twenty hours. He wanted to leave her with a favor so that she would owe him one.
Laila couldn't refuse this very attractive offer since she wanted to get back quickly. This was the best option. She accepted his offer, saying, "Thank you."