Out of her love for fashion and interest in the industry, Janet had taken charge of Laila and Roy's attire, making sure they looked stunning every time they walked the red carpet, leaving countless journalists' memory cards filled with unforgettable images.
This situation made the representatives from Burberry uncomfortable, but they didn't have much of a choice. After discussions, they decided to sign a new top-tier contract with Roy, one that was commensurate with his current status. They also agreed to let him wear exclusively tailored Burberry outfits on the red carpet. To secure Roy's agreement, they even made a concession: before designing the outfits, they would consult with Janet, so the couple could still appear in matching outfits, but with the Burberry brand.
Since Janet and the head of Burberry were good friends, the negotiations went smoothly.
Janet didn't have any objections either. She had always been skilled in women's fashion, and she had only designed a few men's outfits for family and Roy. She believed that Burberry, as a brand, had more mature design concepts for men's clothing.
After reviewing the contract, Laila also found it acceptable. Burberry was a well-known brand, and Roy would benefit from the association. Moreover, the compensation offered was substantial, making it a top-tier contract.
"Ten years is too long," she said, with her only concern being the duration of the contract. "Let's sign a 2+1 contract. If we continue to work well together for two years, we can extend it for another year. If not, we can naturally terminate the contract."
Burberry's representatives hesitated at this suggestion. They believed that a ten-year contract, which offered so many benefits, would be very appealing to a top-tier star. They wondered why anyone would think the duration was too long. They knew that a star's shelf life wasn't fixed, and ten years could either transform a small role into a big-name star or bring a big star down to obscurity. From their perspective, they were taking on more risk.
However, Roy just shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Laila's right."
With a proud look on his face, he appeared to be saying, "My girlfriend knows best, and I'm the obedient modern man of this era." The representatives from Burberry were on the verge of rolling their eyes at this response.
In the end, they agreed to the terms, changing the contract duration to 2+1.
They also believed that ten years was too long. Signing a shorter contract would provide flexibility in case of changes in the future. The current contract was quite favorable, even for A-list stars. After all, could they be certain that Roy would still be the top name in Hollywood three years from now?
The reason for signing such a long contract was to maintain good relations with Janet and to provide Roy with an opportunity to make money. Since they were disregarding the brand, Burberry decided to make more concessions.
So, Burberry's representatives easily agreed to the terms, allowing Roy to become their exclusive brand ambassador for the next three years. They would also design and produce clothing specifically for him when he attended important events.
Once the Burberry representatives left, Roy whistled as he looked at the check with all the zeros.
"From today, I'm also a rich man."
This sentence made everyone present laugh.
"Didn't you already consider yourself a rich man?" Laila raised an eyebrow. "Just your share of the earnings from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' already made you a multimillionaire."
"That's different," Roy said, happily tucking away the check. "That was just payment, money set aside for our wedding."
Laila had no immediate reaction. Janet's eyes, however, lit up with excitement. "Are you two getting married? When? I want to design the most beautiful wedding dress!"
"Don't make a fuss! We're not getting married," Laila said, exasperated with her mother's obsession. "And Mom, the wedding dresses you've designed for me have already filled several racks."
"Those don't count as the best and most beautiful. Only the most beautiful wedding dress in the world is fitting for my dearest daughter's wedding!"
Laila raised her hand, not wanting to continue the topic. "I don't have any intention to get married anytime soon."
Janet didn't understand her daughter's attitude. "Dear, you must know that the moment a woman gets married is very sacred. It represents a ceremony. Before the ceremony, you're the most cherished child in the family, and after the ceremony, you become the pillar of the family. To welcome this sacred moment, you need to look beautiful. Do you understand?"
Laila smiled and said, "Mom, I'm still young. I won't consider getting married until I'm at least thirty."
"Why?"
"That's too late, isn't it?"
Both Janet and Roy exclaimed.
They exchanged glances, seeing the disagreement and tension in each other's eyes. So, one sat on her left and the other on her right, trying to change her incorrect thinking.
"Dear, your way of thinking is wrong!"
"Yeah, 30 is too late; how about 25?"
"I think 25 is good. It's the time when a woman's body is most suitable for having healthy and intelligent babies!"
"Laila is the most beautiful at any time!"
"Of course! She's my daughter!"
Seeing the two people going off-topic, Laila couldn't help but pull them back. "Aren't there many people who get married at 30?"
"Well, that's fine, but haven't most of them already had children before that?" Janet, who knew her daughter too well, replied. "You once said that if you don't get married, you won't have children. Remember?"
Laila was irritated by the Western idea of having children before marriage. To her, the order of marriage before childbirth was important!
Janet gave her a nudge. "So, if you get married at 30, when will I be able to hold your baby?"
"Isn't William enough for you to hold?" Laila laughed and shook her head. "It seems you're too free. I'm sure Mr. Quentin would be very happy if you helped him have another child."
"He said he wants a daughter." Janet, a single-celled organism, immediately went off on a tangent. "It would be great to have another daughter like you, but I'm afraid I'm too old now. Having another child might not be good for the baby."
Roy, standing on the side, was getting anxious. The topic wasn't about Laila having a child; it was about Laila not getting married, wasn't it?
Seeing Roy's meaningful glances, Janet finally remembered her actual goal and quickly steered the conversation back. "So, you see, at your age, you're too old. If you want to have a big family, you should have children earlier. This way, you won't worry about being too old to give birth in the future. Twenty-five is a good age. It's when a woman's body is most suitable for nurturing healthy, smart babies!"
"Janet is right!" Roy enthusiastically nodded his head.
Laila looked at the two of them with an amused expression and said, "Mom, how old were you when you had me? Am I not smart?"