"What a crazy wedding that was!"
In the honeymoon suite, Laila stepped out of the bathroom in her pajamas, only to find Roy carefully folding up her wedding gown.
"Where's Eli?"
"Janet took him."
As for why—was there even a need to ask?
Laila smiled and handed him the hairdryer.
Roy took it without a word and began drying her hair. From how practiced he was, it was clear he'd done this more times than either of them could count.
"Did you like the wedding today?" He'd been worrying about her thoughts the entire time. A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event—he didn't want her to feel even a hint of regret.
"Of course. I'm thrilled you put so much thought into it for me."
And she meant it. Nothing could have made her happier than a movie-themed wedding. The fact that he thought of it showed just how deeply he understood her.
Not to mention, everything had been held on a remote island far from the mainland. Anything they needed had to be custom-made and specially delivered. It wasn't something as simple as ordering online and clicking "Pay Now."
Just that level of effort alone was enough to move her deeply.
Roy could tell her joy was absolutely genuine, and only then did his tightly strung nerves finally relax. Though he'd handled all the preparations on his own and hadn't let Laila lift a finger, it didn't mean he hadn't felt the pressure.
He loved Laila. Hurting her—even unintentionally—was the last thing he could forgive himself for. If he'd ruined what was meant to be the most important day of her life, he would never have been able to live it down.
But now? She liked it. And there was nothing that could make him feel prouder than that.
—
The day after seeing off the guests, Laila and the others prepared to return to the United States. Everyone had their own work to get back to—being away too long would start to cause issues.
Laila was no different. Silent was in the middle of its promotional period, and for this film—her real film—she wanted to give it her all. She wished to see if the praise she received now came from her second chance at life… or if it was because she had already earned her place at the top of Hollywood on her own merit.
"I really don't want to leave this place."
As the plane took off, Laila stared at the shrinking outline of Golden Isle and let out a wistful sigh. Between the deep blue sea and sky, the golden beaches of the island looked like a painting carved in gold—quietly awaiting the arrival of new visitors.
"You like Golden Isle that much?" Roy followed her gaze out the window, his eyes thoughtful.
Laila didn't notice the shift in his expression and nodded. "Yeah. So many memories were made here. Wasn't it where your path to fame began, too?"
When Roy first came to Hollywood, most of his roles were supporting characters. It wasn't until Pirates of the Caribbean that he rose to stardom, thanks to his portrayal of Captain Jack.
Many actors, once they made enough money from commercial films, would try to transition into arthouse films—hoping to win critical acclaim. It was no secret that big-budget blockbusters rarely made a splash at awards shows. Even something as wildly successful as Avatar only earned a few technical Oscars.
Art films were a different story—smaller box office, but easier award prospects.
But just because arthouse films were easier to win awards with didn't mean they were a shortcut to fame. If you wanted to become an international star in the shortest amount of time, a successful commercial film was still essential.
Laila had carefully mapped out Roy's path to stardom. Not only did it prevent his stunning looks from reducing him to a mere pretty face, but it also allowed him to break through at a young age.
Pirates of the Caribbean had been his first breakthrough hit.
Later, the filming of Silent also took place on this very island.
And if everything unfolded the way she'd envisioned, Silent might very well become his crowning masterpiece.
Why was she so confident? Because the moment she read the script, it had stunned her. And even after filming wrapped, when she watched it through the eyes of an ordinary viewer, she still believed it was a film worthy of being called a classic.
After years of studying film, she had more than enough reason to believe this would be one of Roy's most iconic works—and hers, too.
Of course, one of them. She would always keep challenging herself to make even better films.
Even if Silent was outstanding enough to earn Roy another Best Actor award, it wouldn't stop the two of them from continuing to chase after even greater cinematic heights.
Roy was pulled into the same wave of memories. He thought back to all the things that had happened on the island.
Sure, the movies were unforgettable—but the wedding? That was the one moment that would stay with him forever.
Thinking of it, he reached over and gently held Laila's hand. "Laila, I'm really happy."
She was his wife now. What could make him feel more grateful to the universe than that? Not even little Eli's existence could top it.
Feeling the warmth of his love and his palm wrapped around hers, Laila's eyes curved into a radiant smile. "I'm happy too. Once we wrap up our work, let's go on a honeymoon again—our second honeymoon."
She really wished they could keep being all lovey-dovey like this.
Their last honeymoon, spent in the East, now felt a little incomplete. She used to think there wasn't much difference between being married and not, but now that they were truly husband and wife… she realized just how different it actually was.
If you asked her to explain the difference, she might struggle to put it into words. It was a shift in mindset—a kind of quiet joy only they could understand.
"Deal!" Roy immediately agreed. "As long as we have the time, we can honeymoon whenever we want. Once, twice, ten times, twenty times—why not?"
He had the money to take her to every corner of the world. As long as she was happy, it was all worth it.
—
Back in Hollywood, while on the way to Beverly Hills, Laila suddenly remembered something.
"Hey, do you think we should post some of our wedding photos online?"
"Honestly, there might already be photos floating around," Roy reminded her. "Don't forget—even though we didn't invite any reporters, we didn't exactly stop anyone else from taking pictures. Anyone at the wedding could've taken shots freely. Do you really think those crafty reporters won't find a way to get their hands on at least one photo?"
Laila thought about it—and realized he was right.
Many of their guests were business elites. It wouldn't be appropriate to ask them not to take photos or share them.
As for the celebrities—well, that was a whole other story. Just being invited to Laila and Roy's wedding was a great promotional angle. If someone wanted more exposure, even without the press present, leaking a few photos themselves would still score them attention.
So… why wouldn't they?