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Chapter 151
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 153
Before the banquet, William had already discussed with Mr. Perry Sr. how to set up Xena. That jade bonsai? He was the one who had shattered it first—then carefully had it pieced back together. No matter how Sean and Xena tried to defend themselves, the blame would land squarely on them. Luckily, even fate seemed to be on their side. The two had pushed the gift over themselves, making its destruction seem completely natural. Sean’s reputation was in shambles, and now he carried a massive debt on his shoulders—one that he would ultimately take out on Xena. Her dream of marrying Sean? Dead. The only regret? Layla hadn’t been there to witness the show herself. “Mr. Perry Sr., sorry for disrupting your birthday celebration tonight. And thank you for playing along.” “No need for thanks.” Mr. Perry Sr. looked up at the night sky, his aged eyes filled with deep contemplation. “I once wanted Layla to marry Sean. I thought she could help him and guide him. I genuinely int
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 154
William gently lowered Layla into the wheelchair beside the bed. She froze for a moment before awkwardly retracting her hands. For a split second, an odd sense of disappointment flashed through her. Wait—no! Was she seriously expecting William to carry her all the way like some kind of princess? She shook off that dangerous thought immediately, straightened her posture, and let him wheel her out of the hospital room. *Outside, the night was silent except for the soft whisper of falling snow. The wheelchair rolled over a thin layer of fresh snow, leaving behind two clear tracks—along with a set of steady footprints following closely behind. William pushed Layla toward the gazebo in the center of the hospital’s small garden. Once they reached it, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. It was still warm from his body heat. Layla glanced at him, about to refuse—but in the end, she swallowed the words. Forget it. He was just being a gentlem
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 155
After saying that, Layla pulled out her phone and snapped several pictures of the snowball from different angles. “The more I look at it, the more it really does look like a rabbit.” She picked her favorite shot and uploaded it to social media with a simple caption: “A precious gift, fleeting but unforgettable.” It had been a long time since she last logged into her social accounts. She didn’t know why, but tonight, she felt a strong urge to capture the moment. After posting, she looked up at William and smiled warmly. “Thank you, Mr. Lucas.” A strange ripple passed through William’s chest. He quickly looked away, a little uneasy. “Let’s get you back inside.” *While Layla was enjoying the quiet beauty of the night, chaos had erupted in the Xander estate. From the moment Xena stepped through the door, she hadn’t stopped crying. Meanwhile, Chris had already filled their father in on everything he had learned. After hearing the full story, Mr. Xander slammed his
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 156
Chris stepped forward, placing both hands on Xena’s shoulders, his tone serious. “I’ve already told you the best way out of this.“After everything that happened tonight, there’s no way Sean will see you again.“And I also heard that Mr. Perry Sr. was furious. He’s sending Sean to the old manor tonight. He won’t even be allowed back home for Thanksgiving.“You’re smart. Don’t you see what that means?” Chris let out a sigh. “If I had to guess, Sean’s company will be handed over to Felix.” Xena froze. “But… that company is Sean’s blood, sweat, and tears…” “So what? His last name is Perry. Even if he built it from the ground up, to outsiders, it still belongs to the Perry family. Mr. Perry Sr. has every right to take control.“By the time Sean returns, the Perry family will already have moved on without him.” Chris patted her shoulder. “Think about it. After the mess you made tonight, do you really think Sean will ever forgive you?” Without waiting for a reply, he wa
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 157
There was a sliver of hope—but not much. William’s mood didn’t improve. If anything, he felt even more frustrated, and the tension around him was impossible to ignore. Carter sensed it right away. Without wasting another second, he shot to his feet. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll get going. Uncle William, take good care of Sis.” With that, he bolted out the door like he was running for his life. As the sound of the door clicking shut echoed through the room, Layla finally spoke up. “Mr. Lucas, if you were going to give such an expensive gift, you should have told me first. I—” “I never planned on making you cover half the cost.” William cut her off effortlessly, his tone calm and indifferent. “You have to use bait if you want to catch a big fish.” Layla paused, then quickly caught on. “You’re trying to force Xena to turn to her backers for help again?” “Mm.” William lowered his gaze slightly, a hint of cold amusement flickering in his eyes. “Stay out of th
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 158
“I didn’t go see her.” Scarlett lowered her head, bracing herself for the storm she knew was coming. “I just… I feel bad for her. The Xander family doesn’t even treat her like one of their own. If she goes back, she’s as good as dead…” Her voice grew quieter. “Last time they took her away, they nearly killed her. I had a part in that, so I… I just felt responsible.” “Are you getting soft?” Mr. Lucas Sr.’s voice cut through the room like a blade. He slammed his glass onto the table with a loud thud, making Scarlett jump. “Oh, come on!” She clutched her chest, exasperated. “Can’t we just talk like normal people? Do you have to scare me half to death?” “If I don’t make myself clear, you’ll think I’m joking.” His glare darkened. “You pity Layla—what about William? Are you really going to stand by and let him waste his time on a dying woman?” The frustration in his voice grew. “Your so-called kindness is going to destroy him.”“You’re being too dramatic,” S
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 159
“No, you—” “Go back and tell Dad I haven’t changed my mind. If he wants to take away my position, he can have it. But he needs to stay out of my business.” “You—” Scarlett panicked as William turned away. Her frustration boiled over, and she snapped, “It’s just a woman! How can she possibly compare to your position as head of the Lucas family?“William, you’ve lost your mind! You’re throwing away your future for Layla! Do you have any idea how much your father and I have sacrificed to get you here? Is this how you repay us?” William’s gaze turned icy. His patience had clearly run thin. “Don’t use your standards to judge my choices.” His voice was calm but firm. “Since you’re here, I might as well tell you—I won’t be coming home for Thanksgiving. You and Dad can enjoy your perfect family gathering without me.” Scarlett froze. She watched in disbelief as William walked away, only snapping back to her senses when he was almost out of sight. “You’re not even com
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 466
This was the first job offer to come their way in an entire week.The call came from a small town’s tourism office. The town was tucked away in the mountains of a southern coastal region. It was surrounded by lush scenery, but not exactly famous. It had only recently been included in a cultural tourism development project, and was still relatively unknown.At first, the person on the other end of the call sounded genuinely surprised. A studio like Layla Studio was actually willing to take on such a small, thankless project? They even wondered if it might be some kind of scam.To show her sincerity, Layla offered to visit the town in person the very next day.Once she made up her mind, she didn’t waste any time. After wrapping up her meeting, she clocked out early and headed home to pack.That night, as usual, William dropped by for dinner. The first thing he noticed when he walked in was the suitcase sitting next to the couch.“You’re going somewhere?” he asked.“Yeah,” Layla an
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 465
“Fine! Looks like you’ve really grown a backbone! From now on, don’t expect us to treat you like Layla Xander anymore. Our daughter... has been dead for a long time.”Two separate recordings echoed through the office, every word harsh and ugly, cutting through the air like a slap to the face.Shane's expression twisted between green and pale. His voice shook as he stammered, “How... how did you get that recording?”That first recording was from right after news of Layla’s death had spread.Shane had gone out drinking at a club, drowning himself in booze, and even jumped up on stage to announce he was buying drinks for the whole place.Back then, it never crossed his mind that one drunken outburst would one day become the very thing Layla would use against him.As for the recording itself? That came from Levi.He had casually told Layla that a friend happened to be at the club that night and just so happened to catch Shane’s little performance on video.Layla had extracted the a
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 464
“Miss Xander…” The assistant hesitated, about to speak, but saw Layla lift her hand slightly, signaling for her to leave first.“If you need anything, just call me.”With that, the assistant turned and glanced pointedly at Chris. “Go on in.”The moment Chris stepped inside, the assistant closed the door behind him hard. The breeze from the shut door practically slammed into Shane’s back like a silent warning.Shane scowled. “Seriously? Your assistant’s just like you. She has no manners at all.”“Manners?” Layla let out a cold laugh, still sitting lazily in her chair, not bothering to get up. She stared at Shane from across the room. “Coming from you, that word sounds like a joke.“After all,” she added lightly, “nothing decent’s ever come out of that mouth of yours.”“You—!”Shane shot to his feet, glaring at her like he wanted to start a fight. “Do you even realize what situation you’re in right now? Once this studio goes under, let’s see who still gives a damn about you!
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 463
“What’s the big deal if Carly stays in bed for a few days?” Camila argued. “It’s still better than her working at that studio.”Zion frowned and brushed her hand off his arm. “What studio?”Camila glanced around cautiously before leaning in and whispering right next to his ear. “Layla Xander’s studio.”“What?!” Zion’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at her. “She actually went and worked for—”“I only found out a few days ago myself.” Camila sighed helplessly. “If it wasn’t for the way she’s been acting after losing her job, I wouldn’t have even thought to look into where she’d been working.“This girl’s really grown up, huh? She’s got her own ideas now. She actually dared to hide this from us. Thank God your dad didn’t find out, or she’d never hear the end of it.”Camila glanced at Carly’s bedroom door. “I’m guessing the whole thing with Layla disappointed her too. She quit on her own. And honestly, she hasn’t been in a great headspace since.”“What’s so great about Layla
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 462
A week went by.Mr. Lucas Sr. was still fuming. He called Zion into his study and asked, “What’s the situation with that studio now?”“With your word out, no one dares to work with her,” Zion replied respectfully.“I heard they haven’t had a single client reach out all week. Give it another month and Layla will come crawling back to apologize for sure.”“Good.” Mr. Lucas Sr.’s expression darkened. “She’s just a photographer. Crushing her is no harder than crushing an ant. This is the perfect chance to show William exactly what kind of woman Layla Xander really is — pretty face, but absolutely useless.”“Exactly, Dad.” Zion laughed flatteringly. “If it weren’t for your generosity, she wouldn’t have lasted this long. She really thought you wouldn’t dare touch her. That’s why she’s gotten so arrogant.”Mr. Lucas Sr. shot him a look. “Alright, enough flattery. You should start using your brain for once. Stick close to your brother these days and learn something from him. Now go.”
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 461
“What’s with that attitude? I’m still your brother, you know... I’m talking to you!” “Let go!” Hannah snapped, shaking Stanley’s hand off with all her strength.Stanley stumbled backward, landing flat on the floor with a loud thud. His expression darkened instantly, rage surging up. “What the hell is wrong with you, Hannah? Out there messing around with some guy, and now you come home and take it out on me?”“What’s all this shouting about in the middle of the night?” Their father, Steven Stone, stepped out of his room. Their mother, Nancy Stone, followed right behind, pulling a coat over her shoulders.“Dad, she came home and just started yelling at me!” Stanley shouted, playing the victim as he sat on the cold floor.Seeing him sitting there, Nancy rushed over to help him up. “The floor’s cold. Get up, quick.”Steven, however, turned his sharp gaze on Hannah, his voice stern and unforgiving. “What is wrong with you? A young woman like you, coming home at this hour?”
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 460
“I used to think I knew her pretty well,” Layla said as she leaned casually against the doorframe, crossing her arms loosely over her chest. She tilted her head slightly to look at William. “But people change, don’t they?”William lowered his gaze, only to meet the teasing glint in her eyes. For a moment, his heart skipped a beat.“I’ve actually heard a few things about Hannah Stone,” Carter chimed in, stepping closer. “She’s the youngest daughter of the Stone family. She’s got an older brother, Stanley Stone. He’s a total screw-up. A couple of years ago, he got hooked on online gambling, lost a ton of money, and even had loan sharks show up at their door.”Carter shook his head, clicking his tongue. “If someone like that existed in the Lucas family, Grandpa would’ve kicked him out of the family tree ages ago.“But Hannah’s dad? He’s a different story. Not only did he pay off all of Stanley’s debts, he even forced him into the family business and had Hannah work under him as his
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 459
“I already ate...” Hannah said, standing awkwardly by the table. She couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. “Layla, I didn’t know you had company tonight. Am I interrupting?”“It’s fine.” Layla smiled easily. “Mr. Lucas and Carter are both friends of mine. No need to feel so nervous.”Just then, Carter suddenly smacked his forehead like he had just remembered something. He pointed at Hannah in surprise. “Wait a second... you’re the General Manager of QS Entertainment!”Hannah gave a sheepish smile. “Yeah, that’s me. I’m Hannah Stone.”“You know Layla?” Carter looked at Layla, full of curiosity. “How come I didn’t know about this? When did you two meet?”“We met overseas,” Layla replied casually.She reached out, pulling Hannah toward the table with a smile. “You’re a guest. Come on, have a seat.”Hannah sat down obediently, though she still felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was quietly sizing her up.She glanced around a
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 458
Night had fallen by the time Layla finally dragged her exhausted body home. The moment she stepped out of the elevator, she heard Carter’s excited voice.“Sis! You’re back!”She looked over when she heard his voice and saw Carter and William standing outside her door, seemingly about to ring the doorbell.“Why are you back so late? Didn’t Grandpa already put the word out not to—”Halfway through his sentence, Carter suddenly realized he had said too much. He quickly cut himself off, looking embarrassed.“Sorry, Sis. I didn’t mean that.”“It’s fine.” Layla walked toward them and caught sight of the takeout box in Carter’s hands. One glance and she instantly recognized the packaging. It was from a Michelin-starred restaurant in North City.Carter immediately lifted the box like he was showing off a treasure. “You haven’t eaten yet, right? Perfect timing! Uncle William told me to bring you dinner so we could eat together. The head chef at this place is notoriously hard to book.
