Chapter 886 – Skipping a Generation

"Laila, you're seriously overworking yourself."

That was the only conclusion Roy could make after a day in her shoes. Even with his years of physical training, he was exhausted from all the mental work. And yet, she—someone who looked so delicate—handled it every day.

Laila glanced at him, slumped in his chair like a wilting flower that had been left out in the scorching sun. That alone told her just how much he had struggled with today's workload.

"Tired now, huh? Maybe you should stop coming in from tomorrow onward."

"No way!" Roy immediately shot down the idea. "If even you can handle it, there's no reason I can't!"

What kind of man would he be if he couldn't even keep up with his own woman? If that were the case, forget about Laila looking down on him—he wouldn't be able to respect himself.

Laila chuckled and reached out to ruffle his hair. "That's not how it works. Everyone has things they're good at and things they aren't. I might be able to direct a decent film, but I could never do what you do—become someone else in front of a camera. You can bring any character to life. So, it's not strange that business just isn't your thing."

"That's not the same," Roy argued. "You're a director, not a CEO. Yet, you've still managed to do an incredible job. I don't need to be as outstanding as you—I just want to be at least half as capable so I can take some of the workload off your plate."

Laila raised a brow, momentarily at a loss for words.

He had a point. She had stepped into this role from a completely different industry. It wasn't uncommon for actors to become business owners, but none of them had taken on an empire as vast as the Moran Group right from the start.

After a moment of thought, she said, "Maybe it's in my genes. At least I have a grandfather who was great at business."

Roy smirked. "Then why didn't Janet inherit it?"

Laila paused. "Skipped a generation."

That shut Roy up instantly.

The two stared at each other for a second before bursting into laughter.

As Laila laughed, she recalled all the things she and her grandfather had done behind the scenes to keep her mother's company from falling apart under her mismanagement.

If Janet had even a shred of business sense, Oswald Moran wouldn't have placed all his hopes on a little girl like Laila.

Janet was purely a designer—brilliant at creating stunning, fashionable clothing but utterly clueless about turning her talent into profit. And she trusted the people around her far too much, never doubting anyone.

Back when she had first entered the industry, one of her designers had secretly tried to sell her sketches to a rival company. Even when Oswald's men caught the traitor, Janet refused to believe it. It wasn't until undeniable evidence was placed in front of her that she finally accepted reality.

Had her designs been leaked, an entire season's work would have gone to waste. Worse, if a competitor released similar styles before she did, she would have been branded as a plagiarist, destroying her credibility in the fashion world.

That incident had left Janet devastated. She had withdrawn into herself for a long time, nearly falling into depression. The entire family had been terrified of her. That was when Oswald finally realized that his daughter was too fragile for the cutthroat business world.

From then on, he silently weeded out the dangerous elements in her company, making sure she remained blissfully unaware. Whenever someone "left," she simply assumed they had started their brand or been headhunted by another firm.

And when Laila recovered, she took over her grandfather's role in this peacekeeping mission—ensuring her naïve, sweet mother could live in a fairytale-like bubble, untouched by the harsh realities of the business world.

Looking back, Janet was incredibly fortunate. She had a father who doted on her, a daughter who protected her, and later, a husband and son who adored her as well.

This environment allowed her to stay pure and dedicated to her art, resulting in the breathtaking designs she was known for.

Other designers inevitably had to grapple with the practicalities of business. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing—worldly experience could add depth to their work. But it also meant they could never achieve the same level of pure creativity that Janet did.

—

In the days that followed, Roy kept his word.

He threw himself into learning how the company operated, trying his best to help Laila with her workload.

Of course, he didn't have much experience, but there were still tasks he could handle, like gathering research and sorting through reports.

No one expected him to become a business prodigy overnight. But as long as he could take even a little bit off Laila's plate, it meant she could get a little more rest.

And the more he learned, the more he respected Laila's abilities.

Who else could increase a corporation's revenue by over 50% in less than a year?

Who else could produce multiple hit TV programs, each one achieving the highest ratings of the day?

Who else could casually pick out two random manuscripts and turn them into best-selling books?

There were too many examples. It was almost enough to make one wonder if Laila was divinely favored, an angel sent to bless humanity.

How else could she explain her success?

The Moran Group was primarily a media conglomerate, spanning print, digital platforms, publishing, and television networks. Even Oswald Moran himself had never dared to imagine achieving this level of profitability.

And within the company, even the proudest, most highly educated think tank members had learned to keep their egos in check when dealing with her.

Each of them had impeccable credentials, received sky-high salaries, and were renowned for their intelligence.

Yet, in front of Laila, their arrogance crumbled to dust.

With Oswald, they had the confidence to offer suggestions and propose strategies.

With Laila?

They were too intimidated to even speak freely.

If someone was just a little more capable than you, you might feel motivated to compete.

But if they were leagues ahead, to the point where catching up was impossible, there was no point in even trying.

At this point, the way the think tank looked at Laila was no different from the way devout believers gazed upon a deity.

Not even Oswald had commanded that level of respect.

Of course, it hadn't always been like this.

At first, the executives had been skeptical. They knew Laila had previously pitched successful reality TV concepts and sold them to NBC.

But so what? That was one achievement. It was a small victory in television—not enough to make a significant impact on the entire corporation.

However, after she took over as acting CEO, their opinions quickly changed.

More accurately, she slapped them with results until they had no choice but to acknowledge her.