To be honest, when he first saw those reports, he had felt pretty pleased.
In his heart, he'd always seen himself as the "King of the World." But that brief moment of satisfaction quickly faded once he realized he'd been dragged into a mess. He believed in his strength, and he was confident that he could remain at the top of box office history for a long time—but not by being forcibly compared to someone else. That wasn't praise. That was an insult!
Yet at a time like this, there wasn't much he could say. What was he supposed to do—go out there and admit that the public was giving him too much credit, and that Laila might be the stronger one? No way would he ever say something like that.
And just like that, in the swirl of speculation, three days flew by in a flash.
This press conference had everyone's attention. Many countries sent their journalists, and even some independent media outlets shelled out hefty travel expenses just to be there. Everyone knew that no matter what Laila said, it was going to be the headline of the day.
If they could manage to ask her a few sharp questions? Even better—jackpot.
So this press conference wasn't just packed with journalists from every major outlet. There were live TV broadcasts, international news syndicates, and global streaming coverage. If someone had taken the time to tally up viewership numbers, they'd have been stunned to discover that tens of millions of people were watching the event from their TVs or computers.
Tens of millions! The Oscars usually pulled in thirty to forty million viewers, which meant Laila alone had drawn in a crowd on par with an entire awards show full of A-list stars. And that wasn't even counting the post-conference media coverage and replay audiences. If you did the math, the total number of people paying attention to her right now would easily hit two or three hundred million—maybe even more. And as for how many people were at least aware of this press conference? You couldn't call it a real global event if the number wasn't in the billions.
But no one was thinking about that yet. Everyone's focus was on the ticking seconds on their watches, counting down to the big moment.
Because of the overwhelming media turnout, the press conference—originally planned to be held at the company HQ—had to be relocated to a nearby five-star hotel.
Some fans had also quietly gathered nearby, hoping to sneak in just to catch a glimpse of the truth. Even if they couldn't get inside, even just finding out firsthand whether Laila was quitting Hollywood and the film industry would be worth it. But without a press pass or an invitation, they had no chance of getting in. So all they could do was gather outside the hotel, nervously waiting for any scrap of news.
When Laila heard there were over a hundred fans still waiting outside, unwilling to leave, she had someone bring them into a side hall and arranged for the hotel to set up a screen so they could watch the live broadcast from there.
The fans were incredibly touched by her thoughtfulness. Many of them posted their experience on Facebook, which quickly went viral and earned praise from netizens.
"There aren't many celebrities out there who care about their fans the way Laila does."
"But she's leaving us… I hope she doesn't go through with that decision."
"All those people smearing her online—if it were me, I'd be heartbroken too."
The fans all felt it was unfair to Laila. Meanwhile, she was waiting quietly in the hotel's backstage lounge, counting down the minutes until it was time to take the stage.
Roy gently held her hand, and the moment he touched her, he flinched a little—it felt like holding a block of ice. He couldn't help but worry.
"Laila, maybe I should go out there and speak for you instead?"
"It's okay, I can do this." Laila smiled and shook her head, but didn't pull her hand away from his. Because right now, she needed that warmth.
She knew exactly what she was doing—making a bold, high-risk move. But she had her reasons.
Her memories from her past life played a huge part. And her experiences from the past ten years were equally precious. With all that, she believed she had earned the right to challenge the highest-grossing film in history. As for whether she'd be the one laughing in the end… she no longer cared.
She had no retreat. That path had already been sealed shut by her hand.
If she wanted to keep moving forward, there was only one direction—forward, even if it meant leaping blindly off a cliff.
Someone came in to notify her:
"Director Moran, it's time."
Laila nodded, gave Roy a reassuring smile despite his worried expression, and then her eyes turned sharp—glinting with a steely resolve—as she strode confidently toward the stage.
Roy's heart skipped a beat, not from fear but from sheer awe.
In his eyes, she was like a warrior goddess striding into battle, radiating a magnetic charisma that made it impossible to look away.
If Leonardo saw the way Roy was utterly entranced by just one look from her, he'd probably tease him again about having "questionable taste."
The host for the press conference was Louise. Before Laila took the stage, she laid down some ground rules:
Each person could only ask one question, and no one could shout questions until the open Q&A segment began. Anyone who broke the rules would be escorted out.
None of the journalists had flown in just to get kicked out like some clown show, so they all nodded and agreed to behave.
Louise glanced across the room, letting her gaze linger briefly on a few journalists from media outlets that had long had a rocky relationship with Laila. With a quiet sigh, she finally invited Laila onto the stage.
There was no turning back now. Whatever would happen, would happen.
As Laila stepped onto the stage, the flashbulbs erupted like a downpour of mercury.
Even someone as seasoned as she was had to steel herself to stay composed under that relentless, punishing storm of lights.
Her image didn't just represent herself—it stood for her film company and the future of the entire Moran Group. If she slipped up here, even with something minor or unsightly, she could guarantee that Moran Group's stock would take a hit the next day.
"Regarding today's press conference," she began, "I only have one announcement to make—I'm going to direct a new film…"
The journalists were caught off guard. They'd already known she had plans to shoot a new movie. Hadn't she picked up a script she liked while she was in South Africa? Was that what this whole media circus was about?
But before they could finish the thought, Laila continued:
"This film… will be my bid to claim the top spot in global box office history!"
"WHOA—!" The room exploded.
Everyone watching the live broadcast from home lost their minds.
Wait, what did Laila just say?
She was aiming for the #1 box office of all time?
With a new film?
Was this her answer to all the haters and smear campaigns of the past few weeks?
The reporters' eyes were bloodshot with excitement. They knew exactly what her words meant.
To challenge the throne of a $3 billion box office?
On this planet, probably only Laila would dare make such a declaration.