Chapter 358 - Pessimism

"In my memories, my father's appearance has become quite vague," he gazed out the window at the street scene, his voice subdued. "I only remember that my mother was very beautiful but never smiled at us. Perhaps you're right; beautiful people face more temptations, so she left with someone, taking everything with her."

Roy spoke slowly, revealing the memories he had buried deep in his heart, including everything he had done to ensure his younger brother and himself had enough to eat. He also mentioned how they were sent to foster homes separately, and how he had run away to live on the streets to protect his brother, among other things.

"Do you know? I don't regret anything I did back then, even though they left me with unpleasant memories. Your life is your own, and you can't let the past continue to disturb your present," he concluded.

Laila listened silently, realizing that he might have misunderstood something. If she were still the old Laila, she might have had significant reservations about romantic relationships or marriage due to her parents' history. But she wasn't that person anymore; she was a soul from the future with her mind set on reaching the pinnacle of filmmaking.

For the sake of this ideal, she had sacrificed her past life. Now that she had finally found a bright path to success in this life, she couldn't give up so easily. No one understood the value of opportunities better than her, especially considering her second chance at life.

However, Roy's ability to open up about these matters to her made her happy because it showed that he trusted her completely. She wouldn't waste that trust. When actors and directors trust each other, it often leads to great chemistry in their films, and she had confidence in that!

"Alright, let's not dwell on unhappy things from the past," Laila said, trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere. "So, what's the purpose of inviting me to dinner?"

"Purpose?" Roy was taken aback by the question and then cast a guilty glance at her. Had she figured it out?

Laila looked at him with a playful smile. "Do you think I don't know you? Even if it's for the sake of creating rumors, you wouldn't have taken me out to dinner, especially in a private room where the paparazzi can't catch us. You chose this place because of its privacy, right? Do you think I wouldn't guess your intentions?"

Roy's heart skipped a beat. Should he admit or deny his true intentions? Would admitting them damage their relationship, or would denying them ruin his chances?

In a moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind. However, he had underestimated Laila's emotional intelligence...

She smiled slightly and said, "Is it because you saw the news in the newspapers stating that our movie's box office performance couldn't surpass that of 'The 13th Warrior,' so you wanted to cheer me up?"

Roy turned away silently, burying his face in the back of his chair.

He should have known. It was just that he couldn't understand why she, who could calculate everything so meticulously and had left no room for error, was so emotionally dense that he couldn't even muster a hint of frustration.

"Never mind," Laila laughed, thinking he had reacted that way because she had seen through his thoughts. "Don't worry; it's only the first day. And besides, you've seen the final cut of the movie. Do you think we'll fail?"

"No..." Roy replied, lacking the energy to speak. He looked up at the ceiling with a despondent expression.

"That's right!" Laila didn't pay much attention to him, focusing instead on the dishes that had just arrived. She took a bite and continued, "Although I haven't seen the movie 'The 13th Warrior,' I know they have an advantage in every aspect. Even I'm thinking this way, so what do you think the audience will think? Besides, we don't have any significant advantages in promotion. We don't have the budget to spend millions on advertising."

She had always used clever and cost-effective methods for movie promotion. The fake romance rumor this time was one such method, using their combined fame to make the movie known to more people.

Unfortunately, the type of movie she had filmed this time wasn't very appealing, a genre that had rarely succeeded in Hollywood. It was natural for audiences to subconsciously overlook it when choosing a film. However, she believed that with a few days for word of mouth to spread, the film would quickly achieve the desired results.

"Yes, you're right," Roy agreed listlessly. "I hope you're right, and I believe in you. You won't fail."

Dinner was consumed in an awkward atmosphere. Laila enjoyed her meal; the food here suited her taste, and she even asked for their takeout number before leaving, planning to add this restaurant to her menu. As for Roy... may God bless him.

The next morning, the box office results from the previous day were released. "Kill Bill" had earned 11.24 million, while "The Thirteenth Warrior" had earned 13.52 million! Faiza's film triumphed again!

If the day before, only a few media outlets had mentioned the competition between the two films, today most of them joined the discussion.

When "The 13th Warrior" had initially promoted itself at the expense of Laila's film, many media outlets jumped on the bandwagon, creating a significant buzz.

The premiere had started at 8 p.m. on the first day, so the box office numbers for that day hadn't garnered much attention. But the second day was different; it was a complete screening day, and the data could predict the future trend of the box office.

The most delighted party was undoubtedly the production team of "The 13th Warrior." They had been concerned before the box office figures were released, fearing they might have spoken too confidently and made themselves look foolish. After all, Laila's talent was evident, as was the box office performance of her previous films. Although they had put on a brave face and claimed they would outperform her, they felt a huge sense of relief now that their words seemed to be coming true. They began to calculate the profits the movie would bring them with confidence.

With newfound confidence, they didn't mind using Laila for publicity again. After all, she generated a lot of buzz. So, early in the morning, many newspapers began to praise "The 13th Warrior" and simultaneously criticize Laila.

"Genius Director Faces Failure: The Truth Behind the Lone Wolf's Downfall – Whose Fault Is It?"

"The 13th Warrior Kills Bill: The Summer Box Office Battle Begins Early"

Various headlines, but the gist was the same – Laila's failure, being overshadowed by "The 13th Warrior," and her descent into obscurity.