Chapter 1046 - Thank You

"Ah?" Laila was stunned on the spot. Her first reaction was, "Impossible," and the second was, "Are you messing with me?"

Roy looked at her, slightly exasperated. "Haven't you noticed any changes in yourself?" Honestly, he had already started suspecting something when she was spending a lot of time in the editing room. But since she didn't show the slightest reaction, he thought maybe he was just overthinking it.

It wasn't until this month, when her period still didn't come, that he became almost certain. Just earlier, he had asked Demi a few related questions and even inquired if she had noticed any signs in Laila.

Demi had her suspicions too. Her boss had always come off as mentally strong but physically delicate. No matter how much she ate, she never seemed to gain weight—something that had made countless women green with envy.

But in the past two months, she had gained a bit. For instance, that slender waist that once could be encircled with just one hand had noticeably widened.

Anyone with experience could tell just from the way someone walked whether they were pregnant. Demi couldn't claim to be an expert, but she still thought the chances were pretty high.

And once Roy asked those questions, it only confirmed her suspicions further.

"Boss, these past few months, have you…" Demi couldn't even finish her sentence. If she kept talking, she might burst out laughing. In her heart, her boss had always been this formidable figure—and yet now she was being this clueless? It just didn't match up.

Only then did Laila start to process things. Wait a second! Something had felt off lately!

She instinctively placed a hand on her abdomen, suddenly feeling like something was… strange. Lately, she had felt like she was gaining weight, that her belly was getting rounder. But she never imagined it could be because… she was pregnant!

It wasn't fair to call her slow. After all, this was her first time—even counting both her lives! She hadn't even begun to prepare herself to become a mother. Could she raise a child on her own and keep it safe?

"Laila." Roy stepped closer and held her slightly cold hand. He could tell this was a lot for her to take in. Not long ago, they'd even discussed this very issue. Back then, she had said she wasn't ready yet and wanted to wait. And now, the baby had just… shown up. He, too, had complicated feelings about it.

He was looking forward to becoming a father. He'd be the best dad in the world, giving the child all the love, attention, and care he had never received. He'd give that baby everything he once lacked.

"If you're not ready, then… we don't have to keep it…" Roy didn't know how much effort it took to force those words out of his mouth.

Yes, he wanted the child. But if Laila didn't, he would respect her choice. After all, she was the child's mother, and she had the right to decide whether this child would come into the world or not.

"What are you even saying!" Laila glared at him. "How could I not want my child? If you don't want them, fine! You can pretend they're not yours. I have no problem raising them on my own!"

Roy was dumbfounded. "Didn't you say you weren't ready?"

"That was before," she snapped. "Back when the baby hadn't arrived yet, of course, I didn't feel ready. But now that they're here, who could take away my right to hold them in my arms?" Laila knew Roy had probably been thinking from her perspective again. And while she was touched by how much he cared for her, she also felt a bit hurt. What did he think of her, to believe she would ever willingly get rid of her child?

Roy fell silent. Then, without warning, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. "Thank you. Thank you so much." A child of his flesh and blood was growing inside her—was there any news in the world more wonderful than this?

He was truly grateful to her. After his mother had abandoned him, life had lost all its color. His younger brother had been the only reason he'd found to keep going. And then he met Laila—she brought color back into his world. She brought light. Now, not only had she saved him, but she had also given him a future. No one could understand how much this meant to him.

Seeing him like this, Laila swallowed the words she was about to say.

"You'll have many more reasons to thank me in the future, so don't get all emotional just yet," she said, lifting her hand to ruffle his hair. The soft strands tickled her fingers, making her hand itch a little, but her heart felt warm.

It was only now, after realizing she might be carrying a child, that Laila understood just how much she had been longing for something like this.

Roy had been abandoned by his mother and left to rely on his brother. She, on the other hand, had been pulled into this world by fate, arriving utterly alone. But she was lucky—she'd not only inherited young Laila's body but also her family. Those lovable people were the reason she had been able to stay strong and keep going.

But no matter how you put it, her bond with those people still stemmed from Laila's identity. The child in her belly, though—that was different. That was her flesh and blood, a true connection between body and soul!

Roy steadied his emotions and finally looked up. "Let's go to the hospital and get it checked out."

Laila nodded. That made sense—what if it was just a false alarm?

"Alright. Let's go now."

In the U.S., medical care usually requires an appointment. For non-urgent matters, the wait could be ridiculously long. She'd once read a joke about someone who scheduled a doctor's visit for a cold, and by the time the appointment came around two weeks later, the cold had healed on its own.

Of course, those kinds of waits only apply to regular folks. The rich had their privileged class—especially families like the Morans, who donated generously to hospitals every year. When they needed help, they could get the best care available, no questions asked.

The Morans even had a private physician. If not for the fact that they needed certain medical equipment, Laila and Roy wouldn't even need to show up at a hospital.

As Laila and Roy stepped into the hospital, elsewhere, a paparazzo was already cashing in big on the photos they'd snapped.

After all, this was Laila Moran we were talking about! With The Dark Knight just finishing its box office run with 1.5 billion in revenue and still the talk of the town, every little move she made drew massive attention. And now, of all times, she and Roy had gone to the hospital? That was bound to stir up wild speculation.

Why were they at the hospital? Was someone sick? Was it serious? Life-threatening? Was it Laila or Roy who was ill?

And if it weren't for the fact that both of their faces were unbruised, the media probably would've spun it into a domestic abuse scandal.

Even without knowing the full story, the headlines about Laila and Roy visiting a hospital spread like wildfire. The media outlet that bought the photos for a premium was the first to run an exclusive, and from there, it was a ripple effect across the internet. Within moments, the whole world knew.