Chapter 208 - Striking it Rich!

Suddenly, a promotional photo with impact caught her eye. It was one of Roy's "Glistening Men" series shots he took for Burberry.

In the photo, Roy's gray eyes were half-lidded, and his dark golden curls dripped with glistening water droplets. His chin was raised slightly, and his fingers were naturally separated, resting below his neck. The viewers' gaze was instinctively drawn to his sexy collarbone and Adam's apple. Of course, the Burberry attire he wore exuded both youthful elegance and luxury.

"This guy is about to be more handsome than me," Zeni's voice came from behind.

Laila's eye twitched. What do you mean by "about to be"? He's been more handsome all along! "It's a fortunate thing to live as confidently as you do,"

"See? I told you Hollywood has blackened you," Zeni clicked his tongue. "Where did my adorable little Laila go?"

He meant it as a joke, but he accidentally hit Laila's sore spot.

"Don't you know there's a saying in the East, 'Women undergo eighteen transformations'? I've grown up," she smiled, though the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

The young Laila had departed to meet her maker, replaced by a foreign soul living alone in another world—a lonely wanderer...

Seemingly sensing her momentary gloom, Zeni patted her shoulder. "That's right, you've grown up. Forget about the past." He interpreted her present low mood as recalling the painful experiences of being bedridden as a child.

"I think the current you is more charming. At least I prefer it." He chuckled.

Whether genuine or not, Laila accepted his consoling words.

"Alright, I admit you're indeed slightly more handsome than him."

"Just slightly?" Zeni feigned displeasure. "Seems like your sense of aesthetics has changed too. Hollywood is truly a terrifying place."

"Indeed," Laila pondered, not entirely sure what she was thinking. She nodded thoughtfully. "Hollywood brings about the end of the world in so many ways each year. Aliens, monsters, disasters, zombies, and more—truly a scary place."

Zeni was amused by her words. "Leaving others aside, just a few of the movies you've made have caused quite a few deaths."

To ensure the accuracy of death scenes, each one was discussed and agreed upon between him and Laila before filming. This prevented awkward scenes where a character should've died instantly but instead rambled on with pointless lines before falling. Having seen so many death cases, he was also a good source of "creative" ideas for death scenes.

It could be said that some of the movies were better than the originals due to the inventive deaths. Especially movies like "Saw" and "Final Destination," centered around creative methods of dying, creating suspenseful horror films. If the deaths weren't captivating, would so many fans keep coming to the theaters to watch them over and over?

Speaking of those earlier movies, Zeni recalled the recent speculations in the media about Laila's new film.

"I've seen a lot of speculations about you. How many people are going to die in the new movie this time? I've come up with so many interesting death scenarios lately."

If someone accidentally heard his words in a different context, they would keep a safe distance from him, or even dial 911 to summon the police. But this was Hollywood. Even a random taxi driver might have appeared as an extra in numerous films. No one would genuinely believe he was plotting some kind of terrorist attack.

Talking about movies, Laila's spirit lifted again. "There will be a lot this time, more than ever before! I think you'll have plenty of opportunities to shine!"

Zeni's eyes also brightened. "Tell me more. I can't wait to be the first to know about the details of your new movie!"

"Have you finished shopping? If so, let's discuss it in the car."

"I'm done. I left the address with them; someone will deliver it." Zeni grabbed her hand and led her toward the parking lot. "Hurry, I want to know the details."

People around the world were speculating what sort of film Laila, known as the "Witch," would make next. Some fans even protested by sitting outside her company building. Naturally, Zeni wasn't an exception. However, unlike those unfortunate fans, he could access more information in real-time, thanks to his status as her close director friend!

Unaware of what was happening not far from them, the two of them headed to the car, a certain person inside a nearby shop, gripping a camera, was trembling with excitement under the resentful gazes of the store staff.

This is it! I'm finally hitting the jackpot! Just came here casually to snap some candid celebrity photos, who would've thought I'd stumble upon such a major scoop?

Although he had been told not to tail Miss Moran, he hadn't followed her at all. He just happened to take a picture. Surely the editor-in-chief would publish it without hesitation once they saw what was in the photo, right? So what if he's a media tycoon? With the impact of high sales, even if he's a tycoon, he wouldn't matter to the world!

As for Laila, who was already in the car, she couldn't have anticipated that a simple trip to buy clothes would spark a huge storm of rumors.

"This time, I'm going to portray a cool woman with exceptional skills. Her story revolves around seeking revenge, and she'll systematically eliminate all her enemies," on the way back home, Laila started sharing some of her ideas with Zeni. Ordinarily, she wouldn't leak her plans before production, but knowing he wasn't a blabbermouth, she felt comfortable sharing with him.

"That sounds..." Zeni stroked his chin, "like it could work."

Though he said it could work, his expression remained inscrutable.

"What? Do you think this theme won't do well?" Laila raised an eyebrow.

Zeni pondered for a moment. "I feel it might not appeal to a broad audience. It seems like a niche topic." After a pause, he added, "Hollywood films mostly revolve around male leads. Even your previous movies, while might feature some standout female characters, the primary focus is usually on male characters. If you give the women a prominent role, it might not achieve the same box office success."

He made a valid point. Hollywood does tend to favor male characters over female ones. If not for her awareness of future reviews, Laila wouldn't have shifted her focus to a female-led action film.

"Exactly because it's not common, that's why it's worth trying, isn't it?" she said, delivering a 99% pretentious line, saving the last 1% to avoid sounding too proud.

Even Zeni was taken aback by her response. "Just based on that line, I promise to distribute two thousand tickets when the movie comes out. That way, the box office won't look too shabby, right?"

Laila's eye twitched, and she forced a half-smile. "I must thank you for your generous support."

As Laila, who had already entered the car, drove away, she couldn't have foreseen that a routine shopping trip would unleash a huge wave of scandal.