Chapter 910 - No Rush

Laila and Roy exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter.

"Mom, don't you think the significance of a diamond lies in the sentiment behind it?" Laila asked.

Janet rubbed her forehead. "All I see is a precious treasure being wasted."

"Mom, I thought you'd be congratulating me," Laila said, feigning disappointment.

Janet suddenly remembered that the conversation wasn't about the diamond but about her daughter getting married!

"Oh! Sorry, darling. I must have been dazzled by the brilliance of that ring. Congratulations to both of you!" She rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a stack of design sketches, showing them one by one. "Take a look and see which one you like best. These are all the wedding dresses I've designed for you over the years."

Staring at the thick pile, Laila was momentarily stunned. "Mom, are you planning to open a bridal shop?" She thought her obsession with engagement dresses was bad enough, but this was on another level!

"That's an interesting idea," Janet mused, already considering the feasibility. "I'll have Channing help me draft a plan later."

"..." Laila finally understood why her grandfather always said her mother wasn't cut out to be the company's successor. A successor who couldn't focus on one thing and had such an unconventional thought process would be a nightmare for any corporation.

Sighing, she steered the conversation back on track. "I don't know much about wedding dresses, so just pick whatever you think looks good."

Janet's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? If I didn't think these designs were good, why would I have kept them all these years to show you? The ones I didn't like were already discarded! This is the most important day of your life. How can you not look stunning? I don't want people to see your wedding dress and say you have a mother with no taste!"

"You're being too modest..." If the work of a top designer like her could be called "tasteless," Laila doubted how many things in the world could truly be considered "tasteful." "Alright, I'll take a look when I'm back in New York. There's no rush anyway."

The word "no rush" made both their expressions change.

Roy's eyes widened as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. They were already engaged—shouldn't they be discussing the wedding date and plans?

Janet shared the same thought. "You're already wearing the ring. How much longer do you want to wait?"

Laila, surprised, countered, "Does wearing the ring mean we have to rush into marriage?"

"Doesn't it?" Janet stared at her, baffled. "Your father and I got together shortly after we met. You can't plan everything. You have to follow the stirrings of your soul!"

Laila's lips twitched, wanting to remind her that their short-lived marriage wasn't exactly something to boast about. Wasn't their brief union the result of rushing into things too quickly?

Love at first sight might sound romantic, but it's just chemicals in the brain playing tricks. Sometimes, you just click with someone, and it feels like love at first sight. However, Laila didn't believe in such impulsiveness. Who was the other person? What was their history? What were their friends like? What did they like or dislike? Jumping into a relationship without knowing any of that was the height of irresponsibility.

In the future, whirlwind marriages weren't uncommon, but so were skyrocketing divorce rates. Could anyone deny that rushing into marriage played a part in that?

Of course, she and Roy had been together for a long time and knew each other deeply. In that case, getting married sooner or later didn't seem to matter much, did it? They were already living together. Aside from the legal certification and a wedding ceremony, how was their relationship any different from marriage?

That's why she felt there was no need to rush into marriage, at least not before she achieved her dreams.

Ah, dreams!

"Mom, Roy, I remember saying I wouldn't think about marriage until I've won an award, right?"

"Did you? I don't know about that," Janet flatly denied. Even if she didn't know much about the Oscar rules, she had read an articleanything "Ten Reasons Why Laila Won't Win Best Director". The points made were so convincing that even a complete outsider like her could see that winning Best Director at 27 was nearly impossible.

While many predicted she would eventually win the award, it would likely be after she turned 30. No one believed she could defeat a lineup of seasoned veterans and bring home the trophy in her 20s.

Did she have to wait that long? Janet had been looking forward to seeing Laila and Roy's children for ages! Her daughter was so perfect, and Roy was so handsome. Their union was one of the most wonderful things in the world, and their children would undoubtedly be adorable. If they inherited both their intelligence and looks, they might even become one of the greatest people in the world.

Roy, reminded by her words, recalled that she had indeed mentioned wanting to achieve her dreams before focusing on personal matters. Back then, he had been disheartened, thinking he might have to wait until she was in her 30s to get married.

Perhaps it had been too long, or maybe he had subconsciously chosen to forget, but he had completely pushed that thought aside, focusing solely on being with her properly. Only with that legal certificate would he feel at ease, like a boat finally finding its harbor.

But now, it seemed Laila still remembered what she had said. Did that mean they would have to wait at least three more years? And even when she turned 30, there was no guarantee she would win the award. He believed she could continue producing outstanding work to compete for the prize, but would the judges think she was still too young and snatch the trophy away again?

Roy's mind began to wander, his face shifting between pale and flushed, making even Janet on the other side of the screen worry for him.

"Laila, even if you don't think about yourself, think about Roy. You've been together for so long. Don't you want to become a real couple?"

Laila didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused by their reactions. How many years did they think she would have to wait to win that award? Judging by their expressions, you'd think it would take decades!

Did they have so little faith in her?

Should she tell them now that she had a 50% chance of winning with The Lord of the Rings?

Never mind. Since she wasn't 100% sure she'd win, she might as well wait until the results were out before saying anything.