When Sean escorted Xena back to the Xander residence, the family immediately swarmed around them with questions. “Sean, is everything they’re saying online true?” “What’s going on with your company? Are you really giving Layla her shares?” “Enough!” Xena interrupted, frustration evident in her voice. “Sean’s already dealing with enough. Stop adding to the stress.” It was only then that Mrs. Xander noticed Xena clutching her arm. “What happened to your arm?” “It’s nothing, just a little bruise,” Xena replied awkwardly, trying to hide it. But Sean grabbed her arm gently and pulled it closer, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a sizable bruise on her fair skin. His brows furrowed. “I’m taking you to the hospital.” “It’s fine,” Xena reassured him with a faint smile. “As long as the injury didn’t land on you, I’m happy.” Sean’s grip tightened as guilt flickered in his eyes, his focus remaining on her arm. “What happened?” Mr. Xander asked, his tone sharp. “It’s
The next morning, Layla finally noticed the buzz online. Lost in thought, she didn’t realize her other hand was still holding the kettle, pouring water until a firm hand gripped her wrist. Startled, she looked up to meet William's calm, steady gaze.“What’s got you so distracted?” he asked. Snapping out of it, Layla quickly pulled her hand back and placed the kettle on the counter. “I was just checking my phone…” she said, hesitating for a moment before turning the screen toward him. “I went out with Carter yesterday and didn’t expect someone to take pictures. It seems like it’s causing a lot of trouble for him. Should I talk to him and help clear things up?”Layla wasn’t familiar with entertainment news and had no idea Carter was preparing to debut as a celebrity. If she had known, she would have been more cautious.“No need,” William replied just as his phone buzzed with a call from Carter.As soon as he answered, Carter’s anxious voice came through. “Uncle William, is Layl
Sean hadn’t managed to hear a word from Layla before Xena suddenly dropped to her knees, pleading desperately.“Sis, please, let Sean go,” Xena’s voice was choked with sobs. “You love him, don’t you? How can you bear to let him suffer like this? If Grandpa Perry keeps going, Sean might really get hurt!”Susan quickly joined in, raising her voice. “Layla, do you want my son dead before you’re satisfied?”Layla calmly set down her teacup, her gaze shifting to Xena with an air of indifference. “First of all, whether or not I love him is none of your business. And second, whether or not he’s hurting, you’re in no position to feel sorry for him.“He betrayed me. He deserves this.”Hearing this, Susan raised her voice in protest. “What has Sean ever done to wrong you? You’ve been his only girlfriend, his only fiancée, from the very beginning!“My son is outstanding! He’s already treated you better than most would. What more do you want?”Layla curled her lips into a mocking smile. “Th
That evening, Carter arrived on time to pick up Layla. When they reached their destination, Layla hesitated as she looked at the bright, flashy bar sign. “Are you sure this is the right place? It doesn’t really seem like my scene.” “What’s not to like?” Carter didn’t give her a chance to back out, pulling her out of the car. “My friends are already inside waiting for us!” Left with no choice, Layla followed him inside. The thumping bass of the music hit her like a wave, mingling with the overpowering scent of perfume. They maneuvered through the bustling crowd until they reached a VIP booth. Before Layla could process her surroundings, Carter tugged her into a seat beside him and started introducing her to his friends. The swirling lights made it hard for Layla to focus, and she could barely make out anyone’s face. Forcing a polite smile, she nodded along, trying to keep up. “So, this is the girl you rear-ended? She’s gorgeous! Don’t tell me you did it on purpose j
The atmosphere in the car was stifling. Even the sound of Carter nervously swallowing was painfully audible. Layla glanced back and forth between them, hesitating for a long moment before clearing her throat to break the silence. “Mr. Lucas, this all started because of me—” “Twenty years old and still can’t control himself? That’s his problem,” William interrupted her in a deep, displeased voice. Earlier that night, William had received a call from a bar informing him that Carter had been involved in a fight and taken to the police station. He had rushed out without even changing out of his sleepwear. Thankfully, Layla hadn’t been hurt, but if she had been, William might have broken Carter’s legs himself. “From now on, you’re not allowed to take Miss Xander anywhere. If you want to make a fool of yourself out there, fine, but dragging someone else into your mess is unacceptable,” William said, his tone dropping into something almost menacing. “But, Uncle William—” Carter
At the Perry family estate, Sean instinctively adjusted his shirt collar as he walked through the door, trying to hide the marks left from the previous night. His thoughts lingered on Xena, who was still at the villa. Before leaving, he had promised her he would return early to take her back home. Without wasting time, he got straight to the point. “Grandpa, what did you need? If it’s about Layla again, there’s no point in discussing it. Between her and me…” A teacup came flying toward him. Sean startled and dodged instinctively. The cup shattered on the floor behind him, pieces scattering everywhere. With that kind of force, it would have left him with a bleeding head if it had hit.Frowning, Sean spoke up, “Grandpa, I’m your actual grandson. Layla hasn’t even married into the family yet—she’s still an outsider. Why do you always take her side over mine?” “Shut your mouth!” Mr. Perry Sr. was furious, not sparing Sean a glance despite the visible injuries on his f
“Q” was an extraordinarily powerful international organization that catered exclusively to the upper echelons of society. As long as the money was right, there was no task they couldn’t accomplish. Within its ranks was a world-renowned medical genius, known for their miraculous ability to save lives and heal the seemingly incurable. However, the individual had an eccentric personality and only took on cases based on their mood. If money couldn’t fix it, getting it done became nearly impossible.Thinking about this, Levi sighed. “I’ll keep an eye on it for you, but your priority right now should be convincing Miss Xander to start chemotherapy as soon as possible.” William was silent for a moment before responding, “Understood.” After hanging up, William finally noticed the commotion downstairs. It was Carter, yelling as usual. He stood up, made his way downstairs, and followed the noise to the kitchen, where he saw Carter buzzing around Layla like an excited monkey. L
Carter stood by the entryway, watching the surveillance monitor, his expression darkening. He turned to Layla and asked, “Sis, it’s Sean, that scumbag ex of yours. Want me to go out and chase him off?” Hearing this, Layla paused briefly, utensils frozen in her hand. She hadn’t expected Sean to show up so quickly. William frowned, his voice low and steady. “I can have security take care of it.” Layla shook her head. “I’m already imposing on you by staying here. Let me handle this myself.” With that, she set her utensils down, stood up, and walked toward the door. Carter started to follow her, but Layla raised a hand to stop him. Seeing her insist on facing Sean alone, Carter reluctantly stayed behind, his eyes fixed on her retreating figure. Outside the wrought-iron gate, Sean dropped to his knees the moment he saw Layla approach. Without hesitation, he began slapping himself across the face. “Layla, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” Overcome with emotion, Sean kept slap
“Sean, did you hear? Felix is going to be your assistant!”Susan’s voice practically trembled with excitement as she clutched her son’s arm. She and Kiera had returned late and missed the fireworks firsthand but the housekeeper had already filled them in.“You’ve finally made it!” she beamed. “After the way Felix screwed up today, there's no way your grandpa will warm back up to him anytime soon. All we have to do now is stay in his good graces, and the Perry heir title is as good as yours!”Unfortunately, her triumphant words fell right into Wilfred’s ears. He had just come back in from the courtyard after making a call. Felix’s phone was still off, so he had no choice but to send bodyguards out to look for him—just in case he did something stupid again.Already frustrated, hearing that just added fuel to the fire.Wilfred’s expression darkened. “Keep dreaming.”His sudden voice made Susan jump.Sean met his father’s icy stare, not even bothering with a greeting. He just watc
Mr. Perry Sr. looked utterly disappointed. “Felix, I’ve always known life hasn’t been easy for you. That’s why I never interfered when your father spoiled you.“But I never imagined he’d go so far, raising you into someone who’s arrogant, reckless, and completely without respect for rules or decency.”“Grandpa, I really—”“That’s enough.”Wilfred raised a hand to stop Felix. He had already seen where this was headed.If they didn’t give the girl a proper resolution today, Mr. Perry Sr. would have no problem sacrificing Felix to protect the Perry family’s reputation.Wilfred looked Mr. Perry Sr. in the eye and said solemnly, “Dad, however you decide to deal with Felix, I won’t object.”“Dad!” Felix’s face paled as he looked between them, but one sharp warning glance from Wilfred shut him up instantly.The room fell into heavy silence.Mr. Perry Sr.’s voice was raspy as he spoke slowly, “Young lady, the Perry family will make this right—we’ll compensate you… and this little brat
Hearing Felix shout with such confidence, the girl trembled even harder, tears falling like a broken string of pearls.“You… how can you twist the truth like that…” She bit down hard on her lip, her red-rimmed eyes locked on him.“How am I twisting anything?” Felix shot back, unshaken. “You got close to me just to secure a full-time position. You’re young, but so calculating—I really fell for it! I thought you were sweet and innocent, but turns out you’re the most ambitious one of all.“You came here today to throw around wild accusations. Was it all for money?“Oh wait, that’s right! Your mom’s in the hospital, right? If you needed money, you could’ve just asked me! But no—you had to pull this stunt to extort me. You want to play this game? Fine. I’ll call the police. I’ll have you arrested for slander.”“Fine!”The girl shouted, throwing her arms in the air, her stance full of defiance—ready to go down with the ship if she had to.“Go ahead! Call the police! Have them dra
Half an hour ago, a young woman had shown up at the Perry estate gates, shouting through a megaphone, accusing Felix of getting her drunk at a party and trying to assault her.Felix’s father, Wilfred, had quickly shown up with security. They confiscated the megaphone, dispersed the gathering neighbors, and managed to restore some order to the estate.But the damage had been done. Mr. Perry Sr. had heard everything loud and clear. Now, he sat in his room, chest heaving with rage.“Where’s that bastard?” he growled through clenched teeth.“Mr. Felix is on his way,” the butler replied. “Mr. Wilfred asked him to come home and face the girl directly. The truth needs to come out, one way or another.”“What truth is left to uncover?!” Mr. Perry Sr. slammed his hand on the edge of the bed several times. “No girl would lie about something like this. Clearly, she was pushed to the brink!“I think Wilfred is still trying to cover for that little bastard!”Worked up, Mr. Perry Sr. was sudde
Half an hour later, Sean stepped into the cafe and immediately spotted Susan waving him over in a flustered panic.He walked up, brow slightly furrowed. “What’s so urgent?”Susan grabbed his arm and practically dragged him into the booth. “I went to the hospital with Kiera this morning. Guess who we saw?”Sean’s heart skipped a beat. “Who?”“Xena Xander! She’s pregnant!”Susan clenched her teeth, practically spitting out the words. “That woman is something else. She’s done everything she can to get pregnant with a Perry baby. She’s determined to marry into this family.“She’s been with Felix for ages and never got pregnant. I honestly thought Felix was the problem…”“How do you even know it’s Felix’s—”Sean caught himself mid-sentence, realizing too late how it sounded. He quickly corrected, “I mean, how did you find out Xena’s pregnant?”“I asked the doctor.”Susan looked more annoyed by the second. “If I hadn’t run into her, we wouldn’t have known until she started showing.
Layla looked away and muttered, “We’ll see.”That feeling of being completely seen through—it still rubbed her the wrong way.No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to slip out from under William’s control. He was always one step ahead. Even the nursing home idea, he had predicted her move before she made it.To him, she was an open book.But him? Layla still couldn’t figure him out.*The next day, Susan accompanied Kiera to the women’s hospital for her check-up.Kiera took the VIP route into the exam room, while Susan stayed behind in the waiting area.She was bored, glancing around aimlessly, when a familiar figure exiting a room across the hall caught her eye.Just as the person was about to turn a corner, Susan quickly ducked behind a pillar. She watched the figure disappear down the hallway, eyes narrowing. “What’s Xena doing in the OB-GYN department?” she wondered.Her curiosity piqued, Susan’s mind started turning. An idea hit her.She rushed into the e
At the sound of the voice, Layla turned to see Susan standing not far away with her arms crossed. Kiera was right beside her.Her gaze cooled instantly. She knew coming to the Perry estate meant there was always a chance she would run into someone unpleasant but that didn’t make it any less annoying when it happened.“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Lucas,” Susan chirped the moment she saw William, her voice turning suddenly sweet. “How thoughtful of you to visit Mr. Perry Sr. so often. He’s truly blessed to have someone like you around.”William didn’t even bother responding. He turned to Layla and asked quietly, “Want to head back?”“Yeah,” she nodded. She planned to talk with him later about the nursing home plan anyway. Once Mr. Perry Sr. was settled, she could finally draw a clear line between herself and William.“Mr. Lucas,” Susan’s voice rang out again, louder this time. “I heard you’re getting engaged to Miss Harris. What a happy occasion! Be sure to send me an invitation. I’ll bri
Layla let out a slow breath, not even sure where the sudden wave of frustration came from.*That afternoon, after wrapping up work, she grabbed her car keys and headed toward the Perry family estate.As her car pulled into the driveway, she spotted a familiar Maybach parked near the entrance. It was too late to turn back now.The butler came over to open the car door for her, smiling warmly. “It’s lively here today. Mr. Perry Sr. will be thrilled. Mr. Lucas is already inside.”Layla nodded, inwardly resigned. If she had known William would be here too, she might have waited a day.“These past few years, Mr. Lucas has been visiting often,” the butler continued. “Mr. Perry Sr. always jokes he sees him more than his own grandkids.”He glanced at her with a knowing smile. “Mr. Perry Sr.’s favorite younger generation has always been the two of you. If you ever ended up together, I bet he’d throw in a very generous gift.”Layla forced a polite chuckle. “You’re teasing me, sir.”She
Layla stepped into her office and turned to her assistant. “You can go. I need a minute.”“Of course.”As the assistant opened the door to leave, she froze in surprise. “M-Mr. Lucas?”Layla looked up. “Why are you here?”“I told you I needed to talk. Why’d you run?” William stepped past the assistant without hesitation. The assistant, catching the mood, quietly stepped out and shut the door behind her.As he approached, Layla frowned. “You just left Miss Harris out there?”“She’ll wait,” William said matter-of-factly, then shifted topics. “I want to talk about the Perry family.”Layla blinked. “You actually remembered that?”“Of course. It’s not a small matter.”His serious tone made her uneasy. “There’s more to it?”William nodded. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Xena.”He paused before continuing, “Three years ago, after your accident, I tried to use Mr. Perry Sr.’s ‘gift’ as bait to draw out whoever was backing Xena. Does that ring a bell?”He could have brou