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Chapter 185
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 186
As soon as the call connected, Kiera’s cheerful voice came through the line. “Sean!” “What is it?” Sean asked, his tone indifferent. “I just… I missed you.” There was a hint of shyness in her voice. Hearing the noise in the background, she casually asked, “Where are you? It sounds so loud.” “I’m out with a client.” Sean’s eyes remained locked on the stage, his tone flat and emotionless. “I’m busy today.” Hearing that, Kiera immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I hope I’m not bothering you? I’ll wait for you to text me when you’re free.” “Alright.” Sean hung up just as Layla stepped off the stage. Slipping his phone into his pocket, he bypassed the crowd and headed straight toward the backstage area. From a distance, he saw Layla engaged in conversation with the event staff. Just as he was about to step forward, William blocked his path. “Don’t ruin Miss Xander’s moment.” William’s voice was calm but laced with clear irritation. “M
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 187
“Sure! There's nothing else going on here anyway.” Layla agreed without hesitation. “Um…” The staff member hesitated before carefully asking, “Miss Xander, aren’t you going to do any interviews?” “No, thanks. I’ve already said everything I wanted to on stage.” With a polite smile, Layla declined, then took William’s arm and walked away. But the moment they stepped out of the backstage area, a swarm of reporters closed in on them. Fortunately, Carter and Ivan arrived just in time. Ivan was an expert at handling situations like this. Taking the lead, he quickly dismissed the journalists.“You all work in this industry. I don’t think I need to remind you what should and shouldn’t be written, right?” Ivan’s tone was casual, but the weight behind his words was unmistakable. No matter how much those reporters wanted a scoop, they weren’t about to cross him. Offending Ivan meant losing any chance of survival in the entertainment and media world. As the journalists slunk
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 188
“After I’m gone, please help me contact Miss Jasper and give her all the photos I’ve left behind.” Layla trusted Jenny. She was the only one who truly understood her work, and leaving her photos with Jenny felt like giving them a proper home. It was better than having them buried with her. “I’m not agreeing to that.” William rejected her request without a second thought, his resistance clear. “If you really have what it takes, then stay alive. You’ll see Miss Jasper again, and when that time comes, you can give her the photos yourself.”With that, he strode forward, widening the distance between them, making it obvious that he had no intention of continuing this conversation. Layla let out a frustrated sigh, watching his tall figure ahead. The shift in his mood was obvious. His entire aura had turned cold. It seemed like she would have to find another time to bring it up. He was the only one she had trusted to handle this, and she hadn’t been about to change her mind
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 189
Just as Sean lunged forward, Ivan casually stuck out his foot, tripping him. Sean fell face-first onto the stone steps in front of the restaurant, his forehead slamming into the edge. Blood immediately gushed from the wound. Carter doubled over laughing. “Damn, someone’s in a hurry!” “Let’s go. No need to waste time on someone like him.” Layla didn’t spare Sean a single glance. Without hesitation, she stepped over him and walked into the restaurant. “Layla!” Sean shouted after her, watching helplessly as she and her group disappeared inside. Frustrated, he clenched his fist and slammed it against the step. *Inside, Ivan walked alongside Carter, shooting him a curious look. “Did you really send that recording to your mom? You reacted pretty fast.” “Of course not. I was just messing with him.” Carter found the whole thing hilarious. “Sean’s guilty as hell. Just a few words were enough to scare him.” He scoffed. “From the way he panicked, it’s obvious he doesn
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 190
Layla took the iPad, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease. She tapped on the trending topic and started scrolling. Halfway through, her vision blurred with tears. The official Haven City tourism account had posted a video of her speech, dedicated solely to her. It had been shared over a million times, and the comment section was buzzing with activity. “Wow, who would’ve thought? These photos were actually taken by Layla Xander! She just proved to everyone that she’s far from worthless.” “From now on, I’m officially her online defender! If anyone dares to badmouth her, I’m grabbing my keyboard and charging in!” “Layla is seriously talented. How is she only getting noticed now? I feel like I vaguely remember… didn’t she hold a photography exhibition before?” “Ugh, get your facts straight. The one who held the exhibition was Xena Xander.” “Wait, both Xander sisters are photographers? That’s… quite the coincidence. Just curious—who’s actually better?” The comment
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 191
Carter finally noticed the two people on the couch and immediately felt awkward. “Uncle William, Sis… you’re here? Why’s it so dark?” Before he could process the situation, a sharp smack landed on the back of his head. “Ouch! Ivan, what was that for?” Carter winced, rubbing the sore spot. Ivan rolled his eyes. “I keep saying your brain is empty, and you just keep proving me right.” A man and a woman alone in a dark room—what else could it mean? Realization dawned on Carter’s face. He quickly glanced at William, then turned to Ivan. He didn’t dare to voice out and instead mouthed a question to Ivan—“Did I just ruin Uncle’s moment?”Ivan sighed and shook his head. “Do you even need to ask?” Their wordless exchange only made the atmosphere even more awkward. William stood up, his expression unreadable. “Miss Xander fell asleep on the couch, so I didn’t turn on the lights.” “Oh… I see.” Ivan nodded, but his smile carried a deeper meaning. “Say whatever you want—
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 192
Ivan frowned. “This is nothing short of leeching off Miss Xander.” “Exactly! My sister is already seriously ill, and all the Xander family cares about is how she can help them! I’ve never seen people so shameless!” Carter was fuming, his teeth practically grinding in anger. “And the worst of them all is Xena! Every time something happens, she puts on this sob story, acting all weak and helpless when she’s the one pulling all the dirty tricks. It’s disgusting!“And those brainless Xander family members actually buy into it! The moment Xena sheds a few tears, they lose all common sense!” “Calm down.” Ivan patted Carter’s shoulder. “No matter how loud you yell, they’re miles away and won’t hear you. You’re just working yourself up for nothing.” He smirked. “Besides, this is just a theory from William. What if you’re ranting at the wrong people?” “It’s not a theory.” William’s voice was cold and firm. “I’ve wanted to deal with this for a long time, but I never had the
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 193
The room fell into an awkward silence as everyone exchanged glances. But Kiera was, after all, a daughter of high society. She quickly composed herself, adjusting her expression into a polite, composed smile. “I just wasn’t expecting to see Miss Xander here. If I remember correctly, you weren’t on the guest list.” “You remember correctly.” Xena leaned back leisurely, crossing her legs. She showed no sign of embarrassment for showing up uninvited. “I came here specifically to see you, Miss Jenkins. We briefly met outside Sean’s house the other night, but it was late, and we didn’t get a chance to have a proper conversation.” The moment those words left her lips, the entire room tensed. The atmosphere shifted as eyes discreetly turned toward Kiera. Kiera was at Sean’s house late at night? That was a big revelation. Everyone knew that Xena had already thrown her reputation away once with her pregnancy scandal, but Kiera was different. The Jenkins family was k
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 453
“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
