And that wasn't the end of it. Over the next few days, The Entertainer's Journal continued publishing excerpts from Laila's exclusive interview. While the public was eager to hear all about her upcoming wedding, they were just as interested in everything else going on in her life. So even though Anthony had deliberately saved the juiciest bits for the last installment, the newspaper's sales skyrocketed over the course of several days.
By the second and third day, readers had already learned a great deal. But once the section about Laila's wedding came out, not only the readers—but even Laila herself—couldn't help but feel like, "What the hell am I reading?"
Laila's expression as she read the article was... complicated. Even Demi, who was always by her side, couldn't quite decipher what she was feeling.
When it came to the wedding, there honestly wasn't much Laila could say.
For example, when asked whether she'd be having a traditional Chinese-style wedding, she'd openly admitted that the ceremony would mainly follow a Western format—her mother had been designing her wedding dress for years, and she'd always dreamed of walking into the most important chapter of her life wearing something her mother had created for her.
As for the Eastern-style ceremonial dress that had been leaked online, she explained that it would be reserved for more private moments. After all, many people knew of her love for Eastern culture—and of course, they also knew that her grandmother was of Eastern descent.
Questions like the exact date, detailed arrangements, who would be invited, and whether the wedding would be livestreamed were all grouped by Anthony.
Instead of simply brushing them off with a vague "She doesn't know," as Laila had expected, Anthony had gone with a more romantic spin:
"Roy has been secretly planning the wedding as a surprise for Laila. Other than waiting to become the happiest bride in October, she knows nothing else."
It was technically true—and, more importantly, incredibly effective.
Readers, especially the younger crowd, were green with envy. How could a couple stay so deeply in love after all these years? The girls were practically swooning at the idea: If a man as sexy and devoted as Roy planned their wedding from start to finish, they'd probably laugh in their sleep for months!
The article was dripping with emotional language, painting Laila and Roy's relationship like some epic, heart-wrenching romance. If you didn't know better, you'd think you were reading a dramatic love story rather than a news piece.
Laila was stunned reading it.
That's not even how I said it!
Sure, the general meaning was there... but the level of exaggeration? At least a hundred times more than what she actually said! She could barely recognize her own words!
"Anthony, what the hell was that interview you published in the paper? I never said anything like that!"
She immediately called Anthony the moment she finished reading.
Laila was someone who usually kept her emotions well hidden—but in this so-called "interview," every sentence involving Roy felt like it was dripping with passion and obsession.
Heavens above, she thought. Just reading it gave me goosebumps!
Anthony, meanwhile, was lounging in his office, eyes locked on the glowing sales figures on his computer screen, wearing a very satisfied smile.
"I was worried the readers wouldn't pick up on the depth of your emotions," he said cheerfully. "So I 'translated' your words into something they'd better understand. I mean, the sentiment was more or less the same anyway, wasn't it?"
What the actual hell kind of "translation" is that?!
Laila was so close to swearing out loud.
"..."
She stared at her phone, momentarily speechless. Finally, she muttered, "Get back to work," and hung up.
If she kept talking, she might actually blow a gasket.
Hearing the dial tone from the other end, Anthony hung up with a light-hearted chuckle.
Compared to the elder Oswald, he definitely preferred dealing with young Miss Moran. If he'd pulled this stunt with the old man, he'd have been chewed out for sure.
But Laila was different. She was far more rational. Once she understood what was best for the company, she wouldn't really get mad at him.
In Anthony's eyes, Laila was far more suited to be a modern boss than the old Mr. Oswald.
She was the most logical person he'd ever met—it was almost hard to believe such sharp rationality existed in a woman.
(Not that he had anything against women—just that, compared to men, women tended to be more emotional and prone to letting feelings cloud their judgment.)
But Laila wasn't like that.
No matter what happened, she always made the most rational decision.
Even in moments of danger, even when time was short and options were few, she could remain clear-headed and choose the path that served her best interests.
He'd seen it too many times before.
The old man was no slouch either—he'd built the family business from a humble print shop into a vast media empire. But due to the era he came from, he was bound by rules and sentiments that didn't always align with the present day.
His emotions still influenced some of his decisions.
Like when he switched political parties.
To ensure Laila's safe return, he left the political party he had supported for decades and backed a rival faction.
That move caused a huge stir at the time.
People had to remember—he wasn't just any businessman. He was a media tycoon, owning several major outlets, many of which wielded considerable influence.
In political campaigns and party rivalries, could anyone really afford to ignore the power of media?
Bringing the Moran family under one's wing was like getting a golden ticket to the top of the political food chain.
When the old man changed sides, it shook the political landscape—but all for the sake of bringing his granddaughter home safely.
Thankfully, his gamble paid off. The new party he backed ended up winning, which earned him significant political capital in return.
Still, Anthony couldn't help but think:
From a purely rational standpoint, giving up a political foundation built over decades for emotional reasons just wasn't a wise move.
But if it had been Laila in charge?
She never would've let emotion trump logic like that.
She wouldn't have made a decision that could potentially unravel everything the family had built over the years.
If Laila ever found out this was how Anthony saw her, she'd probably be shocked by how highly he rated her.
She knew exactly what kind of person she was—truth be told, she didn't always like how rational she could be. But that side of her wasn't entirely innate; it was shaped over time.
In her past life, she had no choice but to be rational.
In that world, if she didn't constantly keep a cool head, she would've crumbled under everything she'd seen and experienced.
But things were different now.
She had something she had never had in her previous life—a warm family, people who loved her, Roy, and little Eli.
She felt more complete than ever.
Her heart, once hardened by necessity, was now a little softer, no longer so coldly rational.