What Laila was worried about most was exactly this. She had finally come across a great script, and she was ready—truly ready—to use a new film to challenge the Oscars. And now, just because of some vague concern about "danger," she was supposed to give it up? No way. That was something she couldn't accept.
"If I stay on schedule, I can wrap up post-production for Blood Diamond by the end of the year. Filming would probably have to wait until early next year. Do you think, by then, they'll have forgotten what happened a little?"
Roy was amused by the rare trace of naïveté in her voice. He reached out and gently flicked her forehead with his finger. "Do you think they're senile old folks losing their memory? Even your grandpa's memory is better than yours or mine. You can try sounding them out, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."
"Then what should I do? Just sit on the script forever?" Laila drooped her head in dejection.
"If you like the script that much, why not let someone else direct it? The company has plenty of good directors. Nolan, Bay—they're both people you've praised before. If it's a script even you love, I'm sure they'd be interested. Especially Nolan. I think you two have a lot in common."
Though Roy was genuinely offering suggestions, he didn't realize just how much sourness was leaking from his tone.
But Laila caught on right away and chuckled. "What's wrong? Jealous of how much I talk to Director Nolan?"
"Of course not." He lifted his chin, refusing to admit anything.
Laila leaned in with a grin, stood on tiptoe, and gave his chin a playful nip. "Alright, enough with the jealousy. Let's set the location aside for now—do you want to act in this one?"
Roy raised an eyebrow. "Do you even have to ask? How could I turn down a script of yours?"
"No one doubts your acting chops. But we'll have to choose your co-star carefully. He has to match your level of performance—otherwise, the scenes will feel too one-sided. It's a dual-lead film. If one side completely overshadows the other, the balance will be off."
Roy nodded in agreement. "Do you have someone in mind?"
Laila bit her lip, looking hesitant. "I have a general idea… but it feels a bit risky. What about you? Any recommendations?"
"I think Leo or Downey Jr would be great. You already know they're on par with me when it comes to acting, and they also bring in strong box office numbers."
Laila looked at him in surprise. "Are you saying I should go after box office success for once?"
Roy's little scheme was instantly exposed, and he let out an awkward cough. "No, no, just saying… in passing."
Of course, Laila wasn't fooled. She smiled knowingly. "Did someone's comments get to you again? Was it those people saying Blood Diamond won't even break $300 million, or maybe those claiming I'm not 'great' enough?"
That "great" remark had come from a viral post online. Knowing Roy's habit of browsing the internet when he had nothing better to do, there was nearly a 100% chance he'd seen it. No wonder he'd been thinking about box office numbers lately.
And she was right. Roy spent a lot of his downtime on Facebook and various film forums. That post had gone viral recently, with countless discussions and media coverage following in its wake—there was no way he could've missed it.
He hated those baseless accusations. No one knew better than he how hard Laila worked.
What good did it do to stir up public opinion against her with completely illogical nonsense?
He honestly couldn't understand why people refused to call her "great." In the entire history of cinema, how many filmmakers have produced so many iconic films at her age? Who else had held a ten-year-long streak of box office dominance? Who else could single-handedly occupy half the top ten of the all-time box office chart?
Sure, James Cameron was a legend. The Titanic had held the top spot for years without being dethroned.
But in that same timeframe, how many massive hits had Laila created? Several times more than he ever did!
People were so fixated on that number one spot that had remained untouched for over a decade, they completely overlooked the fact that Laila had practically conquered the entire top ten.
"Forget what everyone else says. Just know this—in my heart, you'll always be the greatest," Roy said sincerely as he took her hand, kissed the finger wearing the ring.
"You're making me feel like a princess," Laila said with a smile, intertwining her fingers with his. The cool touch of his hand warmed her instantly. If fingers could blush, hers would be redder than a cooked shrimp by now.
Roy let out a low laugh. "You are my princess. And I'll always be your knight."
Just then, Xiao Ye walked in and saw the two of them wrapped in a tender, affectionate moment. He immediately blurted out, "Seriously, if you two are gonna get all lovey-dovey, at least close the door! You're just leaving it open like this so anyone who walks in gets punished with a faceful of PDA?"
Laila was a little exasperated.
She'd felt stuffy today and opened all the doors and windows to let in some fresh air. Who knew everyone would suddenly barge in one after another? Usually, no one even bothered to come up to the top floor. Why was it so busy today?
"Do you need something, Xiao Ye?"
"Of course I do. You think I'd come up here for no reason?" he huffed and tossed his head dramatically. "Honestly, I think your secretary's office is more tempting than yours."
He wasn't the only one who thought that—everyone in the company knew just how attractive her secretaries were. If she didn't already have Roy by her side, there might've already been rumors floating around about her being into girls.
Laila rolled her eyes. "If you think you've got what it takes, go ahead and try. But don't expect me to play matchmaker—I don't run arranged marriages here."
Hearing the words "arranged marriage," Xiao Ye nearly choked on his spit. He coughed for a good while before shakily giving her a big thumbs-up.
"You are the most incredible 'Eastern expert' I've ever seen. Even know what arranged marriage is? Seriously, is there anything you don't know?" He was genuinely impressed. "When I first met you, your Mandarin still had an accent. Now it sounds completely authentic. If I didn't see your face, I'd never believe you weren't native Chinese."