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Chapter 144
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 145
Kiera looked at Layla, her eyes shining as if she could see her past self reflected in her. “Now that I finally have a chance to be with him, I don’t want to give up. I believe he’s still the same boy I remember. Deep down, he’s not a bad person.” For a moment, Layla was almost convinced. Back then, Sean had indeed been dazzling—full of ambition and charm. She had once clung to that same illusion, hopelessly devoted to him. Until the day she finally woke up and realized that the man Sean had become was nothing special. A filter was just a filter—it was bound to crack one day. Some people were better left in memories. “Have you ever heard of the suspension bridge effect?” Layla suddenly thought of the psychological theory and blurted out the question. “Huh?” Kiera looked confused. “The suspension bridge effect is when someone in a tense or dangerous situation mistakes their heightened emotions for attraction to a person nearby,” Layla explained seriously. “Bas
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 146
Layla was lost in thought, so much so that she didn’t even notice William standing at her bedroom door for quite some time. “What are you thinking about?” The sudden voice startled her. She sat up in a hurry, looking toward him. “When did you get here?” “I’ve been here for a while.” William walked over to the hospital bed and casually asked, “What did Kiera want from you?” “She seems to think Sean still has feelings for me, so she came asking me to put in a good word for her. She wants me to tell him to move on so they can get engaged smoothly.” Layla let out a mocking laugh. “Miss Jenkins is certainly… naïve. Imagine asking your boyfriend’s ex to help you win him over. Honestly, it’s a miracle I didn’t slap Sean when I saw him. “She wants me to play matchmaker? I was this close to telling her I’d rather curse Sean to never know love and die alone.“Besides, I don’t even think he still has feelings for me.” Layla paused, lost in thought for a moment. “It’s just
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 147
“Sis, how can you think like that? You’re not going to die, you hear me? We’ll spend the New Year together—not just this year, but next year, and for many, many more years to come…” By the time Carter finished speaking, two silent tears had already slipped down his face. He quickly wiped them away with the back of his hand, then grumbled, “I don’t care what you say. Without my permission, you’re not allowed to die.” Layla chuckled. “Oh? And what, are you the Grim Reaper now?” “You’re still laughing!” Carter huffed, pretending to be angry. “It’s all because of your nonsense. Stop saying such ridiculous things!” “I think it sounds kind of romantic, though…” “Romantic, my ass!” Carter didn’t even bother arguing. He just peeled an orange and stuffed two slices straight into her mouth. “Eat more, talk less. Fill your head with good thoughts instead of all this death nonsense. As long as my uncle is around, you’re not going anywhere.” Layla chewed the orange, but it t
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 148
Mr. Perry Sr. sat at the head of the table, with William and his eldest son, Wilfred Perry, seated on separate sofas beside him.Meanwhile, the two younger men—Sean and Felix Perry—were left standing.Sean was an illegitimate child, whereas Felix was the rightful firstborn. The two had been at odds since childhood, constantly competing in the shadows. Felix wasn’t as sharp as Sean, but he had received far more paternal affection. Over the years, Wilfred had taken him under his wing, guiding him in expanding the family's overseas business and personally grooming him for the future. Now that both had grown into capable men, their ambitions for the heir position were no longer hidden. Tonight, as soon as William arrived, he brought up one of Felix’s overseas projects—one that had helped strengthen business ties between the Lucas and Perry families. His words were full of praise, subtly painting Felix as a talented and promising young man. Mr. Perry Sr., delighted by the flat
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 149
Sean froze.Layla?He’s calling her that now? So casually? So intimately?Sean’s expression darkened even more.And to top it off, they picked out a gift together? William had to be doing this on purpose.“Fine, let him take it.” Mr. Perry Sr. waved his hand, signaling the servant beside him to carry the gift and follow Sean. With Mr. Perry Sr.’s order given, Sean had no choice but to obey. No matter how unwilling he was, he kept his mouth shut and left the study with a stony expression. *“Mr. Lucas, I heard from my father…” Wilfred hesitated before asking, “You’ve been looking after Layla all this time. How is she doing?” “She’s fine. No need to worry.” Seeing that William wasn’t planning to elaborate, Wilfred knew he was hitting a dead end. It made sense—given the complicated relationship between the Perry family and Layla, no one was in a position to ask about her well-being. *Meanwhile, Sean led the servant into the collection room. “Put it down.”
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 150
“Xena.” Sean didn’t pull his hand away. Instead, he met Xena’s gaze with an unsettling calm. “I’ve told you many times—I love Layla. From the very beginning, whatever was between us was a mistake.“Losing the baby was just a chance to correct that mistake. You and I… we should go back to where we belong, shouldn’t we?” “No!” Xena sobbed harder, clutching Sean’s hand in a death grip. “You’re lying! There’s no way you don’t have feelings for me!” “Xena, listen to me—” “No! I don’t want to hear it!” Her emotions spiraled out of control as she suddenly stood on tiptoe, pressing her lips desperately against his. Her voice trembled as she whispered between hurried kisses, “Sean, I love you…” Sean shoved her away. “Calm down—” “You love me!” Xena wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to give him the chance to push her away again. Her kiss was clumsy, desperate—her lips salty with tears. There was a hint of submission in the way she kissed him, as if beggi
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 151
Xena shook her head, instinctively wanting to defend herself—but then she caught Sean’s gaze. The look in his eyes was clear. Play along. She froze. If she admitted to seducing him, the scandal would spread like wildfire throughout the banquet. How would she ever face anyone again? Did Sean not care about what this would do to her? “There’s no need to explain.” Kiera took a shaky step back, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Sean. “I should’ve never trusted you!” “Miss Jenkins—!” Sean panicked as she turned and ran. Without thinking, he moved to chase after her.But before he could reach the door, Mrs. Jenkins stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Her expression was fierce with anger. “A man like you is nothing but filth—unworthy of even being associated with our family!”She shot a sharp, disdainful look at Susan. “Well done, Susan. You’ve raised quite a son.”With that, she turned on her heel and strode after her daughter. The nex
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 152
Seeing that neither Sean nor Xena spoke up, Mr. Perry Sr. let out a furious laugh. “Oh? Oh, I see how it is! If neither of you want to take responsibility, then you’ll both pay for it!” He turned to William. “Tell me, how much did that gift cost? Whatever it is, they’ll compensate you.” William’s gaze lingered on the shattered jade pieces. His voice remained calm. “Mr. Perry Sr., you’re letting your anger cloud your judgment. Since the gift was for you, it belongs to you now. If anyone should be reimbursed, it’s you.” His tone was light, but he sighed faintly. “It’s just a shame… Layla spent so much time picking out this jade bonsai for you. She put a lot of thought into it. We should make sure she never finds out—it would only upset her.” Hearing this, Mr. Perry Sr. felt a pang of guilt and frustration. “Absolutely. Layla must never know. I’ll have these two buy an identical replacement so she doesn’t suspect anything.” William gave a slight nod. “You always think ah
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 454
Watching Carly turn and leave without looking back, Layla’s assistant was still fuming. She instinctively took a step to chase after her, wanting to argue. However, Layla reached out and stopped her.“Miss Xander, that was way out of line! Total ungrateful brat!” The assistant couldn’t help venting. “Did she forget how much you’ve done for her since she started here?“If it weren’t for you giving her so many chances, would a fresh grad like her even have gotten to go out on assignments with us?”“It’s fine,” Layla patted her assistant’s shoulder lightly. “Guess I misjudged her.”“But…” The assistant could only sigh in frustration. “Whatever. Right now, the most important thing is figuring out how to fill all these canceled bookings. If this keeps up, she might actually end up being right.”Layla frowned slightly. “You’re not going to ask me…”The assistant gave her an exasperated look. “I’ve worked with you long enough to know what kind of person you are, Miss Xander.”Layla
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“You looking for me?” “Where are you going?” They both spoke at the same time.For a second, the moment felt awkward. Layla quickly explained, “Something came up at the studio. I need to head over and deal with it.”“What happened?” William asked, his voice low and serious.“It’s nothing major.”As she spoke, Layla tried to walk past him but William reached out and caught her wrist.“Does it have something to do with the Lucas family?”Layla paused but didn’t look back at him. After a beat of silence, she replied softly, “I’m not sure yet. But even if it does, I’ll take it.“This whole thing is partly my responsibility anyway. Since I chose to get involved from the very beginning, I should’ve been prepared to deal with the fallout. Consider it paying you back for saving me that night — for taking the hit from that car.“Besides,” she added, “you lost your position at Lucas Corporation because of all this. Compared to that, me losing a few client appointments really isn’t
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 452
“Miss Jenkins?”The nurse called out to Kiera several times, but she didn’t respond at all. Finally, the nurse reached out and gently tapped her on the shoulder.Kiera snapped back to reality, her tear-reddened eyes turning toward the nurse, making her flinch in shock.“Miss Jenkins, are you okay?” the nurse asked with concern.“I... I’m fine...” Kiera hurriedly put her phone away and wiped at her tears with the back of her hand, not even caring how messy it looked. “Did you need something?”“Your test results are ready. The doctor wants to see you,” the nurse explained. “Also, didn’t you have another report you wanted the doctor to check? If you give it to me, I can help you book the appointment with the right department.”Seeing the nurse reach her hand out, Kiera hesitated for a second. Then she shook her head.“No need. I don’t want it checked anymore.”She looked up at the nurse with a faint smile. Her eyes, still glistening from tears, looked clearer than ever. Along w
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 451
“It’s really a boy?” Sean asked.“Mhm. I even brought the report with me.” Xena turned and pulled a folder from her bag. Unfolding the paternity test results, she handed it to Sean, her lips curling into a proud smile. “I had it done at one of the best labs. No chance of a mistake.”Sean glanced at the report, satisfaction flashing across his face. “Good. A son’s good.”Xena leaned closer, her voice sweet and coy. “So… what are you planning to do? In another month, there’s no way I’ll be able to hide this bump.”Like a bucket of cold water, her words instantly doused the small flicker of joy that had just risen in Sean’s heart.“We’ll talk about it later.”Sean folded the report neatly and handed it back to her. “Kiera’s still overseas. We’ll have to wait until she’s back.”Xena had expected this. She wasn’t planning to press him now anyway. She just showed a hint of disappointment. “Okay, I’ll do whatever you say.”Sean gave a quiet hum of approval.Her obedience earned he
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 450
Right on time, Xena showed up at Sean’s villa, holding a shopping bag in one hand and a bouquet of roses in the other. She pressed the doorbell without hesitation.When Sean opened the door, the first thing he saw was the bright red roses and Xena’s radiant, smiling face framed perfectly behind them.“Sean!” Xena threw herself straight into his arms, acting sweet and clingy like a spoiled girlfriend. “I missed you so much.”Sean hesitated for a second before raising a hand to lightly rest on her shoulder. “Didn’t you say you had something to talk to me about? Let’s talk first.”“What’s the rush?”Xena held up the bag in her hand. “I bought some things and I’ve been learning how to cook from videos online. Tonight, I want you to try my cooking. We can eat and talk at the same time.”Before Sean could respond, Xena was already happily skipping toward the kitchen, casually setting the bouquet down on the island counter.Sean followed her to the doorway, watching her busy figure
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 449
Chris had actually been thinking about this for a while. He just hadn’t found the right opportunity to bring it up. Now that Mr. Xander had asked him directly, he decided to go with it.“I want to represent the Xander family and apologize to her. See where she stands.”Mr. Xander fell silent.If Chris had brought this up a while ago, Mr. Xander would have scolded him on the spot without hesitation.But now, things were different.He had just seen Layla shine at the recent charity gala. And after that night, he had given it a lot of thought.If Layla was willing to come back to the Xander family, it would absolutely be a good thing for them.“Alright,” Mr. Xander finally said, making his decision. “Go see how she feels. Now that William’s been kicked out of the Lucas Corporation, if she knows what’s good for her, she should realize that coming back to the Xanders is the smart move.”Hearing this, Shane immediately jumped in. “Chris, I want to go too!”Chris gave him a look. “
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 448
Outside the door, Layla hesitated, unsure if she should ring the bell.Suddenly, the door swung open.She froze for a second when she came face-to-face with William.“You need something?” he asked.Snapping out of it, Layla cleared her throat. “Uh… I just wanted to check if you’ve eaten. I made a little too much food tonight.”“I haven’t eaten yet. Let’s go.”Without waiting for her response, William walked right past her and headed straight into the apartment next door like it was the most natural thing in the world.Layla followed behind, feeling more and more puzzled. Why did it feel like William was getting way too comfortable around here? He didn’t even bother with the usual polite small talk anymore.She watched him sit down at the dining table like he owned the place. After hesitating for a moment, she sat across from him and casually served him a bowl of soup.Then, almost without thinking, she started, “I don’t know what your plan is, but if—”“Let’s eat first.”Wil
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 447
“If that’s the choice he’s made, then so be it!” Mr. Lucas Sr. said coldly. “As long as he refuses to admit his mistake, he can forget about ever coming back to the Lucas family! From this moment on, I don’t have a son like him!”“Honey, you can’t—” Scarlett tried to plead.But one sharp look from Mr. Lucas Sr. stopped her cold.Facing his overwhelming fury, Scarlett froze in place.Her own son was being kicked out of the family. Her husband was blaming her too. And for the first time ever in this house, Scarlett felt completely alone.She could only stand there helplessly, watching Mr. Lucas Sr. storm off. It wasn’t until Hazel called her name several times that she finally snapped out of it.Scarlett turned to Lucien, guilt filling her heart.“I’m sorry, Lucien. On William’s behalf, I apologize. Focus on recovering. If you need anything, just let me know.”With that, she turned and walked away like a woman who had lost her soul.Zion, of course, didn’t miss the chance to kis
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 446
Half an hour later, William walked out of the office with Mike following close behind.His suit jacket was gone. The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up, revealing the lean, muscular lines of his forearms.William had always been known for being precise and put-together. He was always calm and composed. But right now, there was nothing calm about him. He carried a dangerous, almost violent edge that sent chills down anyone watching.The secretaries from the Executive Office stood quietly, watching the two men leave without daring to say a word.Outside the Lucas Corporation building, William had just gotten into the car when his phone started to buzz. He glanced at the caller ID, frowning slightly.Not surprisingly, the moment he answered, a man’s gloating voice came through.“Word is, you got kicked out of Lucas Corporation? Damn, looks like the old man finally lost it for real this time!”The man laughed even harder. “Man, this is the best news I’ve heard in forever. Hur
