There are always some people who only know how to keep their eyes fixed on others—whatever's right is theirs, and whatever's wrong must be someone else's fault. Sure, it's good to have ambition, but when you turn unrealistic goals into your actual goals and start seeing unrelated people as your enemies standing in the way, it all becomes a little absurd.
Faaris and Cooper were exactly that kind of people—used to blaming others for their failures. And the people they targeted as opponents were usually the unluckiest ones. Take Laila, for example—she didn't even know what was going on and was already being hated.
With the premiere looming, Laila's mood was getting… complicated. Nervous about the movie? A little. But the closer the time came, the more that tension seemed to fade.
She had already done everything she could. Avengers was like a grown child now—about to walk its own path. As the mother, Laila couldn't do much more for it. All she could do now was stand quietly to the side and watch. Whether it would walk down a wide, sunny road or teeter across a narrow bridge—it was all up to the film itself now.
The shadow of the ticket fraud scandal still hung heavy over her heart. It had even been disturbing her sleep. If Roy hadn't physically forced her into bed and made her close her eyes, the dark circles under her eyes might've been too deep for makeup to cover.
She had made multiple contingency plans, covering every scenario she could think of. In her estimates, she had accounted for 99% of all possible disasters. As for the remaining 1%, even she couldn't imagine it. She could only hope her opponents hadn't thought of it either.
And no exaggeration—Laila was pretty confident in this area. After all, she had an extra ten to twenty years of memory compared to the native residents of this world, didn't she?
Many of the tactics people used nowadays were things that had long been overplayed in her original timeline. And tricks from the future, if used here, were often enough to shock everyone. Nowhere was the power of information more apparent than right here.
This premiere was a huge deal—at least, that's how everyone involved saw it. Janet had been preparing Laila's red carpet gown ever since she returned from the island. Nowadays, Janet was one of Hollywood's most beloved designers among female stars. Her custom pieces were in such high demand that some clients were booked one or two years in advance.
Just for that reason alone, many people envied Laila for having such a talented mother, never needing to worry about red carpet fashion.
This time, Janet had designed a silver-white goddess-style gown for Laila. Its asymmetrical hem and single-shoulder strap complemented each other, and the embroidered detailing from the waist to the lower abdomen highlighted her figure beautifully. She didn't look like someone who had given birth at all—more like a Victoria's Secret angel, with a lean yet healthy frame.
Laila had always been on the thinner side due to health reasons, so clothes fit her well, but lacked a certain visual impact compared to more curvaceous figures. After giving birth, her bust had gone up a cup size, and she had a bit more softness to her body. Wearing Janet's tailored gown now, she gave off a strikingly radiant, mature charm.
Roy was still the global ambassador for Burberry, and naturally, his suit was perfectly coordinated with Laila's. Matching couple outfits didn't always have to mean identical colors or cuts—small details like ties, scarves, or accessories could create a harmonized look.
Take Roy and Laila's outfits, for instance: the fabric of her silver-white gown had been used to craft Roy's bow tie, while the deep navy jacket with silver shimmer he wore matched the color of the clutch in Laila's hand.
"Ahhh—Laila! Roy!"
The moment they stepped out of the car onto the red carpet, screams exploded like thunder, practically piercing through the heavy clouds above. The flashes from the cameras flickered wildly, lighting up the scene like a silver rainstorm.
Among the crowd were a few lucky winners from the official premiere lottery, but the vast majority had rushed in from all over just to catch a glimpse of Laila and experience the energy in person. If anyone had been willing to sell a ticket at the last minute, you could bet there'd be dozens of eager hands ready to pay a premium for it.
The plaza outside the theater was fairly spacious, yet even so, it felt crowded at this moment. Apart from the media and fans, a good number of security personnel had been arranged in advance. Laila absolutely did not want any stampedes, gunshots, or other disasters ruining her premiere.
If there was one thing about this country that she could never get used to, it was the ever-present possibility of a gun showing up out of nowhere. You never knew when some seemingly insignificant nobody might suddenly pull a weapon and cause chaos.
Call it paranoia or caution—either way, being overprepared was never a mistake.
Hosting the red carpet interviews was Jimmy, an NBC host and long-time friend of Laila. Anytime she did a talk show appearance, it was almost always with Jimmy. He had a great impression of her, too, and even though emceeing a premiere might be considered beneath his status, he happily accepted the invitation.
"Laila, I finally caught you!" Jimmy blocked her at the end of the red carpet with exaggerated drama. "You've been jetting around the globe these past two months, but couldn't find time to come on my show?"
He purposely acted all offended, making the nearby fans burst into laughter. Everyone was waiting to see what kind of difficult or cheeky questions the sharp-tongued host would throw at Laila.
"I did go on your show before I left for the world tour, didn't I?" Laila replied, feigning surprise in sync with the banter.
Jimmy widened his eyes. "And you think that's enough? With our friendship, shouldn't you come on this show first, then go to the others, and then circle back to me again? You left me behind, Laila. That hurts. Don't you care about my feelings?"
"Well then," Laila replied dryly, taking a step back with Roy, "I guess I'll just keep my distance from you so I don't hurt your feelings again."
Their synchronized step back was caught perfectly on the big screens outside the theater, sending the crowd into peals of laughter. Fans loved seeing Jimmy caught off guard—such a rare and delightful sight. Just witnessing that alone made the trip worth it.
And the chemistry between Laila and Roy was just too cute. Online viewers watching the live broadcast were instantly whipped and lit up Facebook with excited posts:
"OMG! Laila and Roy are so perfect together!"
"They didn't even look at each other or give a signal—how did they move in sync like that?!"