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Chapter 174
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 175
Kiera finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “Alright, I’ll do as you say.” After that night, Sean assumed Xena would finally back off. With that in mind, he focused on preparing for the upcoming dinner between the Perry and Jenkins families. But before the Jenkins family even arrived, Xena showed up first—carrying a gift. Sean’s expression darkened immediately. “What are you doing here?” Xena lifted the box in her hands with a bright smile—nothing like the pitiful girl from the other night. “Bringing you a present.” Suspicion flickered in Sean’s eyes, but with the dinner fast approaching, he just wanted to get rid of her quickly. Snatching the gift from her, he said flatly, “Fine. Consider it received.” Xena’s smile didn’t falter. “Sean, are you really in such a hurry to kick me out? I’m not here to ruin your big moment. I already told you—if you’re happy, I’m happy.” Just then, Susan stepped outside and immediately scowled at the sight of Xena.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 176
That night, news of the Jenkins and Perry families’ meeting made its way to Layla. Carter waved his phone in front of her. “Sis, take a good look. Don’t you think every smile in this picture looks fake?” The screen showed a group photo from the gathering, originally posted by Susan and then reshared enough times to land on Carter’s phone. Layla gave it a quick glance, barely interested. “Looks fine to me.” “Look closer! Sean’s smile is so forced, he might as well be crying.” Carter shook his head with a dramatic sigh. “I heard from my mom that the Jenkins family is totally against Kiera being with him.“Too bad. She’s acting like she’s under some kind of spell.“If you feel so bad for her, why don’t you fly back and talk some sense into her?” William closed his laptop, removed his gold-rimmed glasses, and turned to Carter with a slow, deliberate look. “I can arrange a flight for you.” “No way!” Carter immediately stashed his phone and slumped onto the couch. “I was
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 177
“Childish.” William’s response was instant, dripping with disdain. Carter, on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear. “That’s exactly why it’s fun! I just wanna see what Uncle William looks like when he acts childish for once.” He turned to Layla, dragging her into his mischief. “Sis, aren’t you curious too?” Layla nodded, her expression full of anticipation. William averted his gaze. “Fine.” “What?” Carter looked like he had just won the lottery. “Uncle William, did you just agree? Amazing! I swear, I’ll win no matter what it takes!” The car was already cramped, and with Carter making such a racket, it felt even smaller. Layla rolled down the window, letting the sea breeze wash over her face. Her heart felt light, brimming with happiness. Every day in Haven City felt like a dream—like a kind of joy she never knew existed. Before she knew it, the car rolled to a stop at the dock. With the captain leading the way, they boarded the yacht without a hitch.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 178
“What else could it mean?” Ivan let out a long sigh. “Obviously, she sent me as a watchdog. That kid Carter is clearly on Layla’s side, and Aunt Scarlett doesn’t trust him.“She’s worried about you being alone with Layla—afraid you’ll get in too deep. So she sat me down for a little talk and sent me over to keep an eye on things… maybe even talk some sense into you.” Ivan crossed his arms, looking thoroughly resigned. “Honestly, she’s giving me way too much credit. Since when have I ever been able to change your mind?“So yeah, I agreed just to put her at ease. That’s all.” As he spoke, he carefully studied William’s expression, testing the waters. “Aunt Scarlett sounded genuinely concerned. Are you really planning to go against your dad over Layla?” From childhood to adulthood, William had always been the levelheaded one. Sure, he was cold, but he never acted out. That was why Scarlett always bragged about how lucky she was—her son was exceptional and easy to manage.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 179
“Miss Xander, don’t be so pessimistic. Until the very last moment, you never know—a miracle could happen.” Layla responded with a faint smile but said nothing as she reached for her camera. Ivan watched her take it back, a lingering sense of regret flashing in his eyes. “Miss Xander, just focus on your recovery. Once you get better, Dixon Entertainment will always have a place for you.” “Thank you.” Compared to Ivan’s heartfelt sincerity, Layla remained indifferent. She had already made peace with her fate. Opportunities meant nothing when she wasn’t even sure how much time she had left. While Layla busied herself reviewing her photos, Ivan finished his beer, but his gaze kept drifting toward her. For a moment, he saw a shadow of someone familiar—someone long buried in his memory. His eyes softened unconsciously. “Ivan! Help me out here!” Carter’s voice snapped him back to reality. Ivan quickly stood up. “Coming, coming! What, did you hook a sea monster?”
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 180
Xena was ushered into the car without delay. She barely looked surprised when she saw Sean sitting in the backseat, as if she had expected this all along. “Sean, you finally came to see me.” She slid in beside him, a soft smile playing on her lips. “So? What’s the occasion? Did you miss me?” “What’s going on between you and Felix?” Sean cut straight to the point. Ever since that night when he saw Felix standing by her side, the thought had nagged at him. His gut told him something was off. Xena feigned innocence. “What do you mean? What could possibly be going on between us?” “Drop the act.” Sean grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer, his tone sharp. “I’m a man too—I know when another man is interested.“Stay away from him, Xena. If you don’t, you’ll be the one paying the price.” She met his gaze with a knowing smile. “Sean, are you jealous?” “Xena Xander!” Sean clenched his jaw, his patience wearing thin. “This is a warning. Don’t twist my words into
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 181
As the car door slammed shut, Xena walked away.Sean clenched his fist and punched the seat beside him, his eyes burning with fury.Felix had certainly grown shrewd after years by Wilfred’s side—smart enough to use Xena as leverage.Trying to take advantage of the situation? Not a chance.Sean had worked too hard for too long to let Felix ruin everything.*Meanwhile, Xena stepped into her home with a lighthearted stride, only to run straight into Chris.“Where’d you go?” Chris asked with a hint of concern. “It’s best if you stay in these days. Dad’s still furious. Don’t go looking for trouble and walking straight into his line of fire.”Xena smiled. “Chris, I just went out to take the trash. Do you really need to be this tense?”She was about to walk past him when he grabbed her wrist.“Don’t think I don’t know where you went that night.”His voice dropped lower. “The Perry and Jenkins families are already in serious discussions. Stay out of trouble. And for God’s sake, fig
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 182
“I’ll be there on time.” After sending the message to the event organizers, Layla set her phone down and stared blankly at the ceiling.For a moment, all she could see was the way William had looked at her. Without realizing it, her heartbeat quickened.Back on the deck, standing in front of him, she had already felt a little flustered. That was why she had made an excuse to leave early.She hadn’t expected that even now, in the quiet of her room, she still couldn’t shake the memory.Frowning, Layla forced herself to clear her mind.“What am I even thinking? William isn’t someone I should be getting caught up with,” she muttered to herself.But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that if she could keep spending time with William and still maintain her composure, her self-control must be extraordinary.Because William was like a spell—effortlessly captivating. Every glance, every movement had a way of stirring emotions, pulling people in before they even realized
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 472
Half an hour later, Layla, fresh-faced without a trace of makeup, found William waiting outside.“Where exactly are you taking me?” she asked.“You’ll see.” William started walking.As they stepped out of the guesthouse, they happened to run into Fabian and Diana.“Miss Xander, Mr. Lucas, heading somewhere?” Fabian asked curiously.Diana, on the other hand, was practically beaming at Layla. “Miss Xander, I heard you saved Mrs. Lawson’s son last night! That’s amazing!”Layla chuckled lightly. “It really wasn’t a big deal. Just did what anyone would.”“Oh, come on, you literally saved his life! That’s huge! You have no idea how much Mrs. Lawson adores that kid.”Once Diana started talking, there was no stopping her.“A lot of the young couples around here actually work out of town most of the year,” she explained. “Mr. and Mrs. Lawson used to do the same thing. It wasn’t until Paul turned three that they decided to come back and stay for good.“They told us that sure, you can m
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 471
Layla paused for a moment, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. “Too bad my luck wasn’t as good as that little kid’s. Even though I survived, my family’s gone. Then again, maybe that’s for the best.”Just thinking about her two brothers showing up the other day made that smile turn even more self-deprecating. What was the point of having a family like that?William watched her quietly. In his mind, all he could see was the way she had just thrown herself into saving that boy’s life. She was exactly like the girl he remembered — standing in the middle of that storm, fearless and unshaken, willing to risk everything to save someone else.Years had gone by. She had gone through so much chaos and suffered so many betrayals. But somehow, Layla had not changed one bit.Sitting here now, William knew without a doubt that the girl he had been holding onto in his heart had always been her.After everything. After all the wrong turns and all the time lost. She was still right here, stan
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 470
Williama and Layla left the restaurant and followed the noise toward the other side of the town. From a distance, Layla could see a crowd gathered near a fish pond. Even through the night air, Mrs. Lawson’s heart-wrenching sobs cut sharply through the noise.Layla instinctively quickened her pace. Pushing her way through the crowd, she quickly knelt down beside Mrs. Lawson.Lying motionless on the ground was their chubby little boy, his face pale, eyes shut tight, not moving an inch. His school uniform was still dripping wet. It looked like he had just been pulled out of the pond.“Step back,” Layla instructed without hesitation, immediately beginning CPR.She had learned first aid while she was abroad, but she never imagined the first time she would actually use it would be on a child.The mountain air was damp and cold, but Layla quickly broke into a sweat. Flashes of the family's happy photos on the restaurant wall played in her mind. She couldn’t bear to imagine what life woul
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 469
The next second, the door swung open. Layla looked up at William with a small smile. “You hungry too?”“Come on.” William didn’t waste any time. He walked ahead while Layla shut the door behind her and quickly caught up.The town was small, with half of it made up of farmland and the other half a quiet residential area. A narrow stream wound its way through the middle, with trees lining both sides, their leaves swaying gently in the evening breeze.The air was cool and damp, carrying the faint scent of grass and earth. It felt clean and calming, like it could quietly wash away all the noise and pressure of city life.Layla stretched her arms overhead with a relaxed sigh. “Feels like a vacation more than work. Honestly, I could get used to this.”William glanced sideways at her. “You like it here?”Layla answered without hesitation. “I do. It’s rare to find a place this peaceful. Feels like the perfect spot to slow down... maybe even reset.”Halfway through her thought, her ey
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 468
The next day, after flying from North City down to the southern region, Layla stepped out of the airport still wondering how they were going to get to the small town.Before she could even ask, she saw William walking toward a black Range Rover parked by the curb.The driver quickly got out, handed him the keys, and stepped aside.William turned to her. “Come on.”Layla walked over, just in time to hear him calmly explain, “I had someone rent the car last night.”She chuckled awkwardly. “Looks like you really do think of everything, Mr. Lucas.”“Get in. I'll be your driver for the next few days.”With that, William loaded their luggage into the trunk, got into the driver’s seat, and smoothly pulled away from the airport.Sitting in the front passenger seat, Layla glanced sideways at him and couldn’t help but feel that letting him tag along might have actually been the smartest decision she made.It was a two-hour drive from the airport to the town.William drove steadily, his
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 467
On second thought, maybe bringing William along wasn’t such a bad idea after all. He might actually end up being helpful.Besides, people who wanted to gossip would always find something to talk about. No matter how careful she tried to be, it wouldn’t stop the rumors. Instead of tiptoeing around awkwardly, it was probably better to just get along naturally and save them both the unnecessary awkwardness.Not to mention, things between them had already gotten to this point. There really wasn’t much reason to keep dancing around it anymore.With that thought, Layla stopped overthinking it. She might not have said it out loud, but in her heart, she had already agreed to let William tag along.*Meanwhile, over at the Xander family dinner table, the atmosphere couldn’t have been more tense.Mr. Xander barely touched his food before slamming his chopsticks down in frustration. “Forget it. I’ve lost my appetite.”Earlier that day, both Chris and Shane had come home and told him everyt
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!
