Whether or not they beat Avatar at the box office wasn't something the employees particularly cared about. Of course, winning would be great—but even if they didn't, they were still second in global box office history. They were already thrilled and proud—what was there to complain about?
And let's be real—over two billion dollars in ticket sales? Who could find fault with that kind of achievement?
Sure, some people online had said, "Even if it falls short by just ten thousand, it still means Laila failed. It proves all that hype was just empty boasting."
But if 2.999 billion could be considered a "failure," then every studio in Hollywood would be lining up to "fail" like that.
That's why the employees were more than satisfied with the numbers. When they talked to people outside the company about DragonSoul's accomplishments, they did so with pride. Just saying, "I work for DragonSoul," was enough to make people in Hollywood look at them with envy.
A single ceiling separated the company into two distinct emotional spaces.
On the lower floors, the atmosphere was upbeat and full of excitement about the future. Everyone went about their work with energy and optimism.
But up in Laila's office, the mood was starkly different—quieter, more subdued. As the setting sun painted the office in hues of orange and red, she seemed to merge into that somber glow, her figure standing still amid the fading light.
Roy had been at home playing a game of "catch-me-if-you-can" with little Eli when he got a call from Demi. Hearing that something was off with Laila's mood, he immediately dropped everything and rushed over.
Demi had been at a loss. Laila had been standing by the window all afternoon. Demi had gone in several times, but each time, she couldn't bring herself to disturb her. She didn't know exactly what Laila was thinking about, but she knew something wasn't right. So she made the executive decision to call Roy.
When he arrived, Demi quietly cracked the door open just enough for the two of them to peek in and see Laila's silhouette.
The moment Roy saw her standing there in the golden light, his heart clenched. Without hesitation, he pushed the door open, crossed the room in a few long strides, and wrapped her tightly in his arms—before she even had time to react.
"Roy?" Laila was startled. If it weren't for the familiar scent on him, she might've instinctively responded with a few kicks and punches.
Roy held her even tighter, as if trying to merge her into his very bones. "Laila, don't do this. You're scaring me."
"Scared? What are you scared of?" Laila was still catching up.
"The way you looked just now... it was like you could vanish at any second."
Bathed in the soft amber of the setting sun, she looked as though she was glowing—like a divine figure moments away from being summoned back to the heavens. The image filled him with dread.
Laila didn't quite understand what he meant and chuckled, patting his back. "I'm standing right here. How could I disappear? And even if I did, where would I go?"
Roy knew how irrational his fear sounded, but in that moment, the feeling had been all too real. If she had suddenly turned to mist and vanished in the next breath, he wouldn't have been surprised. That's how ethereal she'd looked.
"What were you thinking about? Why were you standing there alone for so long? Demi said You've been like this all afternoon—what's bothering you?"
Only now did Laila glance at the clock on the wall. It was nearly the end of the workday. She'd been standing there for hours?
"I don't really know," she said. "My head was just messy. I thought looking out at the street might help clear it, but I must've gotten caught up in it."
Roy held her hand and walked with her to the floor-to-ceiling window, glancing down at the streets below. A chill crept up his spine. He didn't have a fear of heights, but standing here on a high floor still made him a little dizzy. And she'd been staring down this whole time?
He suddenly remembered a documentary he'd seen recently, where it said that people sometimes experience a strange urge to jump when they're in high places—not out of a death wish, but because the brain is warning them of danger and telling the body to get away.
Was Laila under so much pressure that even she had been pulled into that psychological state?
"Laila, I think we should cover this window—put something in front of it, at least. What if you accidentally fell?"
"..." Laila couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. "How would I fall? Have you ever heard of a CEO falling out of their own office window? Plus, this window is sealed. Falling out wouldn't exactly be easy, okay?"
Only then did Roy remember that the floor-to-ceiling windows were fully enclosed, made from custom bulletproof glass. Not even a bullet could get through, let alone a person. But the image from earlier had rattled him. He never wanted to see her like that again.
"You still haven't told me—what exactly were you thinking about all afternoon? I saw your mood and it wasn't right. Is there some huge problem you're struggling with?"
Roy racked his brain, trying to think of anything that could've upset her this much. But nothing came to mind. In his eyes, Laila always faced hardship with a smile. He couldn't remember a single time she'd stood silently for hours like this.
Laila fell quiet for a moment. "I'm not even sure... I guess my mind just wandered. Maybe the film's box office numbers are what I couldn't quite accept?"
"You mean... you're saying the 26 billion box office gross made you feel down?" Roy looked at her like she was out of her mind.
In Hollywood, any director who made a film that grossed hundreds of millions was already considered successful. Twenty-six—almost twenty-seven—billion? That was more than most directors would dream of in their entire careers. And she was disappointed?
"Laila, are you putting too much pressure on yourself? Even if the box office stops right here, you've already created something incredible. Don't let those outside voices get to you. They're just trying to stir things up. The public doesn't believe them. People only see how impressive your achievement is."
Roy had never taken Laila's earlier declaration about breaking Avatar's record too seriously. To him, the film had already exceeded all expectations. Every bit the box office increased was a pleasant surprise. Whether she actually broke the record or not—it didn't matter to him.
He hadn't realized until now that Laila had meant every word she said. She really, truly, wanted to break that record.
Roy didn't know what to say. He was proud of her—but also a little heartbroken by how much she'd invested emotionally.
"You've already done something extraordinary. There's no one better than you."
Laila gave a small, wry smile and shook her head. "There's still someone above me, isn't there?"
Roy replied softly, "When you reach his age, I believe you'll surpass him."