Christmas arrived as scheduled, and for Hollywood, the most anticipated event was the annual Christmas box office. It was the perfect time for heartwarming movies to be released, allowing families to enjoy a wonderful time together at the cinema.
While not as lively as the summer box office, the competition and promotional battles between movies during this period were still very interesting. Even for those not interested in movies, people were eager to visit various stores to buy things for the festive season.
However, the most talked-about topic this Christmas was not movies or special deals in stores, but a photo—specifically, a photo certified to be evidence of infidelity.
Unfortunately, Roy was the protagonist in that photo, and next to him was a young and beautiful lady. From the photo, it was clear that the background was a hospital, and "authoritative sources" certified that it was a hospital well-known for its excellent obstetrics and gynecology services.
So, when Roy appeared at the Moran family's luxurious mansion in New York during his vacation, his expression was extremely unpleasant.
The photo was not taken by Moran's reporters; it looked more like a poorly executed sneak shot, likely taken by a passerby. The photo was then bought by the New York Post and published with a headline that read, "Roy Seasonstar Cheating? New Girlfriend Appears to Be Pregnant."
"I'm going to sue them! I must sue them!" Roy angrily threw his scarf onto the sofa. He had just landed, looking forward to a happy reunion with Laila during his vacation. Instead, he was immediately surrounded by a bunch of reporters asking if he was cheating and if his new girlfriend was pregnant.
New girlfriend? Pregnant? He wanted to curse those damn reporters who were full of crap! If there was any woman who could bear his child, it could only be Laila! He had such an irresponsible mother that it had made him develop a psychological resistance to most women. He believed that without Laila's appearance, he might have spent his whole life just wandering around, never experiencing true love.
Only Laila, a woman who never cared about his background and had been constantly giving for him, could be the mother of his child. Because she was so kind, she would never treat their child as if it were disposable!
"Sue? How do you plan to sue?" Laila handed him a cup of coffee. "They used the phrase 'appears to be pregnant,' not confirming that she is indeed pregnant. Even if you sue, after spending a lot of time and energy, you'll at most get an apology." The Moran family was in this business, and she knew the ins and outs very well.
"Then let them spread rumors?" Roy was very angry. He had just assured her over the phone a few days ago that he would be careful and avoid any bad situations, and now it had turned out like this!
Laila playfully rubbed his face, turning his beautiful and sexy face into a strange and funny expression.
"On Facebook, clarify it first. If that doesn't work, wait until the end of your vacation and organize a press conference. After all, between you two, there's no real issue. Once the heat dies down, fewer people will pay attention." Cold handling was often a very effective approach. People tended to forget quickly; a topic that was hot a month ago would not attract much attention a month later.
"I understand." Roy's voice sounded a bit muffled.
Seeing that he couldn't vent his anger, Laila couldn't help but laugh, "You can consider this a good thing. Don't you feel that your popularity has increased a lot with the rumors? Anyway, the effects of a pregnancy will show in a few months. Once people don't see her belly getting bigger, everything will be clear, right?"
Using controversial methods for publicity was a mindset that would only emerge in later years, and bringing it up at this time tested Roy's tolerance.
Hearing her say "Good thing," Roy's eyebrows raised, "I really don't see how this is a good thing! I'll go find that woman's phone number and make her come out to clarify too!"
Knowing that Roy didn't even have the woman's phone number, Laila felt even more relieved, "No need for you to do that. Don't forget what agents are for. If they can't handle such a small matter, you might as well find someone else."
His current agent was still Michael Ovitz. Although Laila had acquired his company, she left the position for him. He knew Roy's potential and believed that he would have a bright future. He was more than willing to continue personally managing Roy as his agent. This way, when Roy eventually reached the pinnacle of stardom, he would feel a great sense of accomplishment.
At Ovitz's level, money no longer held much sway. Only a sense of accomplishment would make him feel satisfied.
With such a big figure as Roy's agent, Laila was not worried about these boring rumors at all. She thought that Ovitz probably let the rumors spread with the same mindset as hers—to increase his popularity during this time. After whitewashing, those who currently criticized him would feel guilty, and the memory of him would be even more profound.
Roy agreed to her suggestion, but he still contacted the leading lady in the rumor to coordinate with her in dispelling the rumors.
The leading lady in the photo was Elisa, a twenty-five-year-old who had been struggling in Hollywood since she arrived at eighteen. She had a personality that refused to yield easily; whenever someone proposed some mutually beneficial deal, she would firmly reject it with disdain. Combined with her somewhat stubborn and aloof character, and mediocre acting skills, despite her good looks, she hadn't received any good opportunities.
However, at the age of twenty-five, she was no longer considered fresh in Hollywood. Western women tended to age faster than Eastern women, especially after reaching a certain age, freckles and other imperfections would appear. If she also tended to gain weight, and if she wanted any roles, she would probably have to play an ugly character in a comedy.
Every day, Hollywood had many girls of the same age coming here to seek opportunities. Among them were those with better acting skills, those who were more youthful and beautiful, and those who were more carefree. She knew that if she didn't work harder, she would probably have to return to her hometown, find a stable job, and get married.
So, with her pride, she finally bowed her head to reality under the persuasion of her new agent and used some of her own conditions to get the opportunity in the movie "Cold Mountain." Although it was just a small role with few lines, it was still much better than her previous roles with only one or two lines.