This wasn't Claire's first time doing something like this.
The moment she arrived at Laila's Hollywood home, Claire took command of the staff—ordering the butler and maids to remove anything in the house that could be potentially harmful to the baby. Then, she spent a long time crafting a custom meal plan for Laila—one that would ensure she received all the nutrients she needed without overburdening her body. After all, even if Laila didn't rely on her figure for work, gaining too much weight could still make delivery difficult.
One of the things Laila had always admired about Claire was her knowledge—not only did she fully understand the Western approach to caring for pregnant women and patients, but she had also mastered many Eastern traditions. She knew all about the properties of different foods and how they interacted, and she could make delicious Eastern dishes that were also nutritionally balanced. That's exactly why Laila had asked her mother to send Claire over as soon as she found out she was pregnant.
Laila was staying in Hollywood for the next three months to complete post-production on Blood Diamond. Every day, Roy personally chauffeured her to and from work. Every meal she ate was meticulously prepared by Claire. Life couldn't have been more comfortable.
Still, while working on the post, Laila couldn't help but let her thoughts drift to her new script.
She had previously sent out multiple scouting teams to find the perfect filming location—somewhere that felt distant from the civilized world, brimming with danger and mystery. It didn't have to be remote, but it needed to look dangerous on film.
The scouting teams included both her own company's staff and outside professionals she'd hired. After a while, a mountain of data came back—detailed reports, high-res photos, and videos. It was almost too much. Laila felt like her eyes were crossing just trying to sift through it all.
Some of the locations were genuinely impressive. If she weren't under such strict watch, she would've already flown out to check a few of them in person.
Unfortunately, one afternoon, all that material ended up being seen by Roy when he came to pick her up.
"Laila! Why do you have all this information?" Roy might not have known the details, but even he could tell how remote and dangerous those places looked. There wasn't a scenic angle to be found in the pictures—don't even try telling him they were for some geography magazine!
Laila hadn't expected him to arrive so early—if she had, she would've packed everything away.
Awkwardly, she began gathering up the papers spread across the entire table. "It's nothing, I was just… looking."
"Just looking?" Roy gave her a look like he'd just heard the world's worst excuse. "Don't tell me you weren't scouting locations for your next script!"
"…" Laila was speechless. "Since you already know, why ask and embarrass me?" she mumbled, not meeting his eyes. Did he want to give her a complex? What if the emotional stress affected the baby?
Roy was so exasperated he couldn't help but laugh. "Laila, you should know—not just me, but Janet and your grandfather as well—none of us are going to let you step foot in places like that."
"I'm making a film, not going on a jungle expedition!" she protested.
"Exactly. And weren't you filming in South Africa last time?"
"That was different." Laila tried to explain—but even she couldn't fool herself, let alone him.
Roy sighed lightly. "You're not alone anymore. For the baby's sake, you shouldn't take risks."
Laila rubbed her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere now. I'm just preparing. And I'll choose a place that looks dangerous but isn't really. You have to trust me. I care about this baby more than anyone, okay?"
Roy looked at her—gray eyes serious, lips pressed into a line. He didn't say it out loud, but his face was full of skepticism. A woman who'd been pregnant for three months without realizing it had no business claiming to be hyper-attentive about her baby.
"You…" Roy gave up trying to argue. He knew all too well how much Laila loved filmmaking. Honestly, if she had to choose between him and her work, he wasn't sure she wouldn't pick the latter without hesitation.
But he didn't care. Whether she loved him for his face or didn't love him enough yet, he could endure it all—as long as he could stay by her side. He'd keep working, keep giving, hoping she'd love him a little more with each passing day.
That had always been his belief. But the longer they were together, the more his heart changed. He became greedy. He didn't just want to be with her—he wanted all of her. He wanted her to belong to him completely, to think of no one and nothing else but him.
He knew he shouldn't be like this. He knew he needed to give her time. He thought he had come to terms with that. But then everything changed—because they were having a baby.
When the doctor confirmed what he had only dared to suspect, those words had sounded more beautiful than anything he'd ever heard in his life. For a long time afterward, he didn't even remember how he got back to the car.
Now he was like a man clutching a treasure aboard a small boat, setting sail for paradise—constantly worried someone would try to steal the treasure, or that the waves would overturn the boat. He was anxious all the time. And that anxiety bled into his overprotectiveness of Laila.
Laila didn't know the full extent of his fear. But she could sense that his strictness was rooted in care—both for her and for the baby. That's why she let him micromanage her life without resistance.
"Not going home?" she asked, flashing him a warm smile as she reached for her coat. "I'm a little hungry."
"Yeah. Let's go home." Roy shook off the messy thoughts in his head. Nothing was more important than feeding his wife and child. Even if dinner wasn't for another two or three hours—hey, she was eating for two now.
Back at home, Laila ate happily. Afterward, she dozed off peacefully beside him. Roy, meanwhile, stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep.
He knew that once Laila made up her mind, no one could change it. Her passion for that script was obvious—everyone who knew of its existence understood how deeply she loved it.
That was why so many studios had approached Bardi, the screenwriter she had brought to Hollywood not long ago, hoping to buy his script. And there were even more companies waiting in the wings. Once Laila made the movie—and assuming it did well at the box office—Bardi would likely become one of the most sought-after screenwriters in all of Hollywood.