Chapter 1051 - Don’t All Girls Want to Marry a Prince?

Roy knew full well that Laila would eventually go on to shoot that film. He also knew she'd pick a location she deemed "suitable." But whether or not it was dangerous… well, that was another story. In her eyes, perhaps, all danger was just a problem that could be solved in advance—like their shoot in South Africa, where she had hired extensive security before departure.

But she seemed to have forgotten one thing: no matter how tight the defenses, there's always the possibility of "what if." Before they left for South Africa, everyone believed the protection was sufficient. And yet? The unexpected still happened. It was just that the person who suffered wasn't who they had anticipated.

Those were not pleasant memories. Even if Laila hadn't been treated too badly, no one could truly say what she endured. While she brushed it off like it was no big deal, Roy couldn't stop fearing that the same kind of "accident" or "what if" might strike again.

What should he do? How could he let her keep making movies—while not recklessly throwing herself into danger?

The three months she had set aside for Blood Diamond's post-production turned out to be more than enough. The film didn't have heavy visual effects—just audio, music, and other relatively straightforward tasks. So she finished early, and once the final cut was ready, she held a small screening at the company for internal staff.

The invitees included some company executives and the main cast, but not the entire crew.

Laila wanted to hear their thoughts before wrapping things up. If everything checked out, she'd head back to New York. And the next time they saw her, there'd likely be a new family member in tow.

But on her way to the screening room, she received a surprising phone call.

It was Prince Al Nadeem.

After all these years, Al Nadeem had been under tight supervision. Otherwise, given his personality, he would've bombarded her phone long ago.

Laila actually preferred this kind of distance—it was far better than stringing someone along when she had no way to return their feelings.

"Laila, I heard you're pregnant?" came Al Nadeem's disappointed voice as soon as the call connected.

Laila smiled silently and placed her hand gently on her now-rounded belly. "Yes."

"I always thought you'd be my wife. Why didn't you wait a few more years? Once I took over the family business, I could've gone to America to find you!"

Laila chuckled softly. "Would it have been that simple? The truth is, we never really got to know each other. And if there's no understanding, where would the feelings come from?"

"I fell in love with you at first sight! Do you understand that? The moment I saw you, I just knew—you were meant to be my wife!"

"You're romanticizing things," Laila said gently. "What you fell in love with… was the idea of me."

She didn't want him to stay trapped in a fantasy—it wasn't healthy. And since they had at least once shared a connection, she didn't mind acting as a sort of therapist for him.

Al Nadeem felt wronged. He was being genuine—how did it become a "fantasy" in her eyes?

"Laila, I know how I feel! If I didn't love you, would I still be thinking of you after all these years?"

"Okay, then tell me," Laila sighed. "What kind of person am I, in your mind?"

Al Nadeem didn't catch the subtle helplessness in her voice. Instead, he replied dreamily, "You're kind, beautiful, and radiant like sunlight. You never treated me like a prince—you saw me just as Al Nadeem."

If he were standing in front of her, Laila might've reached out to ruffle his hair. How could someone be this adorable? What a sweet thing to say.

Unfortunately, the person he was describing… wasn't her.

"Al Nadeem, you have me all wrong. First of all, I did see you as Prince Al Nadeem. Otherwise, you wouldn't have had the chance to appear in my life at all. As for 'beautiful'—well, I'll gladly accept the compliment. But as for 'kind'… I'm afraid there's not much of that in me."

Laila never thought of herself as kind. She simply chased her goals with single-minded focus, often oblivious to everything around her. She followed her heart, and in the struggle to stay human, she clung to a sliver of conscience—but that wasn't "kindness." Not really.

"You've idealized me far too much. Maybe you should talk to the people I've scared half to death. Do you know that in my company, hardly any employee dares to make direct eye contact with me?"

"So what? My employees don't dare talk to me either," Al Nadeem said, completely unbothered.

Laila blinked, then remembered—he was a prince. In his country, it made sense for people to be afraid of him.

Fine. She had picked the wrong example.

"And not only that—I once made Roy so miserable, he quit!" She couldn't even explain why she was saying this. The words just tumbled out. When she realized it, she smacked herself on the forehead and silently mourned her poor brain cells.

Al Nadeem huffed. "Don't talk to me about him! Do you know how much I hate that guy? I honestly can't understand what you see in him. Other than his looks, how is he better than me? I'm richer, more powerful—don't most girls want to marry a prince?"

Whoever told him that nonsense was getting their mouth ripped off the next time he saw them. If he hadn't been so overconfident back then, he wouldn't have let someone else swoop in and steal the girl.

Granted, part of it was his father's fault—insisting that he complete some "successor evaluation" and forbidding him from contacting her during the process. That evaluation had dragged on for years.

In recent years, the Dawud family has been hit with one internal crisis after another. The vast clan was starting to crumble, and rival families were circling like sharks, waiting to take a bite. As the heir, Al Nadeem had to guard his territory carefully, making sure not to get swept up in the chaos.

All of that had cost him the chance to pursue her. And he knew—this would be a lifelong regret.

"Feelings aren't something you can compare on paper. Sure, you have more money and power—but Roy left a mark on my heart. No one else can ever take that space again. Al Nadeem, I appreciate that you like me, but I can't return your feelings."

Compared to a few years ago, Laila had matured. She no longer used cold rejection to sever connections. If possible, she preferred to maintain a civil and friendly relationship.