“Without a father on the birth certificate, the child will be ostracized. Once kids at school find out, your baby will be bullied relentlessly.”

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking it won’t happen. You’re a writer. You understand human cruelty far better than I do.”

“And as they grow up, won’t they resent you? Won’t they ask why every other kid has a father while they only have you?”

“What happens when they start demanding answers, or worse, try to track down the man who abandoned them?”

“Have you really thought this through, Ama?”

“Think logically. Being a single mother will destroy your reputation and subject you both to a lifetime of hardship.”

“Abort the child before it’s too late. You are the heir to the Sullivan family. You’re going to hold the majority shares of the Sullivan Group. Someday, you’ll be sitting in the chairman’s seat.”

“You have a brilliant career, you’re stunning, and you have a heart of gold.”

“You should be with a man who worships the ground you walk on, living a perfect, happy life—not struggling to raise a bastard child.”

“I am only saying this because I love you. I don’t want to see your future destroyed. Please, just think about it.”

Amara stared at the screen, her eyes wide.

She was genuinely stunned.

Larry had never spoken to her with such raw vulnerability. She could feel the agonizing sincerity in every word; there was no reason for him to lie about this.

If he really wanted to be cruel, he could have just cut her out of his will completely. The fact that he was begging her meant he truly cared for her wellbeing.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and typed back: “I’ll think about it, Dad.” Putting her phone away, she sat down at her desk to focus on her script.

But Larry’s words echoed in her mind. Truthfully, she had already been questioning whether to keep the baby.

Between Finnian’s terrifying

possessiveness last night and her

father’s desperate pleating

the idea of an abortion felt increasingly inevitable.

But she already felt a fierce,

undeniable connection to the life et

growing inside her. The suffocating weight of the decision brought tears to her eyes

After revising a few lines, she emailed the updated pages to Mr. Frost and headed out with her notebook to watch the shoot.

It was a solo scene for Keith. As she walked over to the monitors, she noticed

Yolanda standing off to the side, scribbling furiously in a notepad.

“What are you taking notes on?” Amara asked, genuinely curious.

It wasn’t uncommon for directors or writers to take notes, but actors usually just focused on their own lines.

Yolanda looked up with a bright smile. “I figured the only way to truly nail my part is to understand Keith’s character inside and out.”

“Since the story revolves around the male lead, the heroine’s journey is heavily tied to his. If I study his emotional beats and mannerisms, my reactions on screen will be that much more authentic.”

Hearing that level of dedication, Amara immediately knew they had made the right choice casting Yolanda.

Thank God she had fired Antonia; otherwise, they never would have discovered such a gem.

“You are incredibly talented,” Amara said sincerely. “You’re going to be a massive star.”