"A boy? How is that possible?" Laila looked at the stunned Roy, seeking the final confirmation from him.
Roy's eye twitched slightly as he gently placed the baby into her arms. He knew that she had always believed—and eagerly anticipated—that the little one in her belly would be a "princess." She had even decorated the nursery in a full-on pink, princessy theme.
But now…
Thinking about that overly pink room, the clothes and baby items they had bought for their little princess, Roy suddenly felt a little sorry for his little prince.
Just as Roy had done moments before, Laila pulled back the cloth wrapped around the newborn.
"It is a boy!" she gasped, staring blankly at her fiancé, clearly stunned.
When had she started thinking it was a girl? Was it because the baby had been so well-behaved throughout the pregnancy—no morning sickness at all? Or because he was so obedient, never once causing cramps or discomfort?
"How could it be a boy?" Laila held the baby in her arms, her brows furrowed, her entire face twisted up in dismay.
Afraid she might do something irrational out of disappointment, Roy quickly took the baby back. "What's wrong with a boy? He can be the big brother and protect his little sisters someday!"
"Well, when you put it like that…" But she had never planned to have so many kids, okay? Even this one was already beyond the original plan.
"Alright, I'll take the baby out to show Janet and the others. I'm sure they've been waiting anxiously." Roy kissed her on the forehead, then carried the baby out. If he stayed any longer, who knew what else she might say that could hurt their son?
He knew she didn't mean any harm, and he knew she didn't dislike their son—but babies are sensitive. Even the faintest trace of negativity can affect them. Was he supposed to grow up feeling like his mother was disappointed that he was a boy?
When Roy stepped outside with the baby, Janet nearly lost her mind with joy. "Is this my precious granddaughter? Oh my God, she's absolutely beautiful!"
"Let me see! I wanna see!" Little William clung to his mother's leg, trying to get a look at the baby in her arms.
Abel craned his neck for a look too, but honestly, he couldn't see anything in that wrinkly little bundle that resembled "beautiful."
"So tiny." And so ugly… Did they grab the wrong baby? How could his brother and Laila give birth to such an ugly little girl? What if no one wanted to marry her in the future? He figured he'd better start working hard now to earn more for her dowry!
If Roy had known what Abel was thinking, he definitely wouldn't have been touched by the concern—he would've punched him. Ugly? How could his and Laila's child be ugly? All newborns looked like this, okay!
But now the question was—how should he break it to everyone that the baby wasn't a girl, but a boy?
Meanwhile, the outside world had been eagerly awaiting news of the baby. After all, Roy had left the Oscars mid-ceremony—a show watched by 37 million people. Not just in America, but across the globe, the event was being followed closely.
Both Roy and Laila had massive fanbases worldwide. News of their baby's imminent birth had everyone desperate to know: when would the baby finally arrive?
At the same time, a wave of interesting discussions had taken over both the Eastern and Western corners of the internet.
Eastern fans were caught up in a more philosophical topic—"The Art of Reincarnating Well."
Think about it: Roy was an Oscar-winning actor, making tens of millions per film. The mother was a Hollywood director and heiress to a media conglomerate. Even putting aside what she stood to inherit, her earnings from filmmaking were counted in the billions.
To be born into that kind of family? You'd have to be a reincarnation expert!
Western fans, on the other hand, were more interested in the baby's name. Some speculated that since the child had chosen Oscar Night to make their entrance, they might name the baby Oscar. Others debated: if the boy was called Oscar, what would they name a girl?
In short, the speculations were endless—yet another spectacle in the entertainment world.
Just giving birth—without even knowing if it was a boy or girl—had already made the whole world buzz. That kind of natural attention magnetism made plenty of fame-dependent folks green with envy.
Laila had originally wanted to keep the baby protected, away from the entertainment industry. She had seen too many celebrity kids grow up twisted under the spotlight. But after some convincing from Roy, she eventually changed her mind.
Roy said they might be able to protect him for ten or twenty years, maybe even longer—but there would come a day when they simply couldn't. As parents, they couldn't shelter him forever. Sooner or later, every child has to face the light—and the darkness—on their own.
And Laila realized he was right. As long as they paid attention to how they raised him and didn't let him be seduced by the glitz and glamor of the outside world, it would be okay.
So, on the second day after giving birth, Laila asked Roy to announce the baby's name on Facebook—Eli Moran.
When they had thought it was going to be a girl, the family had brainstormed a long list of sweet and lovely girl names. But once the baby turned out to be a boy, naming him became a frustrating ordeal. It took the entire night before Laila finally circled Eli from the pile of candidates.
She didn't pick it for its meaning, but for its sound—it had the "Li" from Laila, and the "E" from Roy (in pinyin terms, Roy = "Yi"). It sounded adorable.
As for the surname, they eventually went with Moran—at Roy's insistence. He didn't want his most treasured child to inherit a surname that came from his father. To Roy, that man didn't represent strength or light—he was a shadow, a part of Roy's dark past. And the name he left behind was just as dark.
Whether it was the mother who abandoned the two brothers, or the father who would likely die in prison after never giving them a shred of love—Roy didn't want anything to do with them, not even their name.
Roy and Laila weren't married, and this was the U.S.—there was nothing unusual about a child taking the mother's surname. So when the baby was safely born and Laila was doing well, everyone sent them heartfelt congratulations.
Many friends and former collaborators sent in their blessings right away. Leonardo and Downey even fought over who got to be the baby's godfather.
But what no one knew was—while the rest of the world was showering Laila and the baby with love, Laila herself was quietly worried about the little one.
Because this baby was too quiet. He had inherited Roy's dark golden hair and Laila's icy blue eyes. The moment he opened them, anyone who saw those clear pupils found themselves instantly captivated.