“Even though Uncle William rarely plays the good guy, isn’t this level of concern a bit over the top?” Carter wondered.…By evening, Layla woke up. The first thing she saw was an unfamiliar face, which startled her. “Who are you?” “Allow me to introduce myself,” the man said with a polite smile. “I’m Levi, William’s friend and his family doctor.” He handed Layla a business card. “I also work at St. North Hospital. If you ever need help, feel free to reach out to me.” Layla didn’t take the card. Instead, she responded softly, “I don’t need it.” “There’s no need to avoid medical care, Miss Xander,” Levi said as he placed the card on the bedside table. “Life is precious—every day counts. You’re still young. Don’t give up so easily.” Layla froze. “How do you know?” “I’ve seen your medical report,” Levi said matter-of-factly. Before Layla could react, Carter burst into the room, scratching his head and looking guilty. “Sis, about the car accident… when you were un
Xena froze in shock as Sean lunged at her, grabbing at her dress like a madman, muttering over and over, “This belongs to Layla… it’s Layla’s…” “Sean!” Panicked, Xena tried to hold down his hands, but it was no use. With a loud ripping sound, the dress tore apart. Sean wasn’t done. He grabbed the straps, clearly intent on stripping her completely. Terrified, Xena burst into tears. “Sean, what’s wrong with you? It’s me—Xena!” She had hoped her voice would snap him out of it, but Sean’s expression darkened instead. He suddenly struck her across the face. Caught off guard, Xena stumbled and fell to the floor, clutching her cheek in disbelief. “What… what’s gotten into you?” He had been perfectly fine when he left that morning. Why was he acting like a completely different person now? “It’s all because of you…” Sean pointed at Xena, his bloodshot eyes burning with rage. “If it weren’t for you, Layla and I wouldn’t have split up! She wouldn’t hate me so much th
“I want chicken ravioli soup.”Sean’s lips were pale, and one hand pressed against his stomach. Mrs. Lincoln immediately recognized the symptoms of his recurring stomach problems.“Mr. Perry, I can’t make that,” Mrs. Lincoln replied, her tone indifferent, still holding onto her resentment. “The flavor you like was something Miss Xander poured her heart into. Even the ravioli filling was carefully chosen by her.“To be honest, I could never match her level of thoughtfulness.”She did what she was paid to do—nothing more, nothing less. At her age, Mrs. Lincoln wasn’t about to go the extra mile without a good reason. She didn’t feel the need to explain herself. Just looking at Sean annoyed her, so she turned away and headed outside to busy herself in the yard. Sean sat there, staring blankly at the untouched breakfast on the table. Memories of the meals Layla had lovingly prepared for him flashed through his mind, and before he realized it, his vision blurred with tears.…At
Autumn had arrived, bringing cooler weather with it.Layla curled up on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the trees by the lake sway gently in the breeze, their falling leaves fluttering like delicate butterflies.After a rare few days of peace and quiet, she felt noticeably more rejuvenated.A knock at the door drew her attention. Turning her head, she offered a soft smile. “Mr. Lucas, not working today?”“It’s the weekend.” William walked over and handed her a cup of hot latte. “I just made this. Try it.” “Thank you.” Layla took the cup, cradling it in both hands. The warmth brought a sense of comfort and contentment. William didn’t leave immediately but stood there quietly, watching her. Although they had been living under the same roof for a while, this was their first time alone together. William stood tall before her, his usual formal suit replaced with a casual khaki outfit that added a relaxed air to his otherwise polished demeanor. The
A sharp glint appeared in William’s eyes. “Are you planning to take her from me by force? You’d better think carefully about whether the Xander family has what it takes to challenge me.” Hearing the threat in his words, Mr. Xander’s heart sank. Layla refused to leave, and William wouldn’t let her go—this was a deadlock. “Layla…” Tears welled up in Xena’s eyes as she knelt on the ground. “I know I was wrong. Please forgive me. Please don’t be mad at Mom and Dad anymore, okay?” Shane immediately stepped forward to pull her up. “What are you doing? Get up!” “Xena, stop begging her,” Mrs. Xander said, her voice thick with disappointment as she turned to Layla. “If I had known back then that this is the kind of daughter I’d give birth to after fighting to keep the pregnancy, I should’ve let her die.” Those words were like a knife stabbing into Layla’s heart. Even though she had mentally prepared herself for this fallout, the pain was still suffocating. Nothing was more
Shane was the first to react, frowning as he questioned, “Sean, what are you talking about? Layla’s perfectly fine. You…” “Do you think I’d joke about something like this?” Sean gave a bitter smile. “If I could, I’d wish it was all just a bad joke, so I could turn back time and still have a chance to make things right with her.” Sean’s seriousness sent a wave of panic through Mrs. Xander. She rushed forward, grabbing Sean’s arm, and asked anxiously, “Tell me—what’s wrong with Layla?” “She has a tumor in her brain,” Sean said grimly. “It’s in a dangerous spot, and the chances of a successful surgery are very slim.” His words hit the Xander family like a bolt of lightning. They stood frozen, their faces full of disbelief. Mrs. Xander thought back to the cruel words she had said earlier. Guilt and heartbreak overwhelmed her, and tears streamed down her face. “How… how could I say something so horrible to her?” she muttered, her voice breaking. Overcome with regret,
Mrs. Xander hesitated, then let out a heavy sigh. “If Layla really dared to joke about something like this, I would never forgive her for the rest of my life.” Sean fell silent. If this whole situation was orchestrated with Mr. Perry Sr.’s help, then Layla’s position in his heart must be far too important.If Sean were to marry her, wouldn’t he be overshadowed by Layla forever, with Mr. Perry Sr. constantly supporting her and keeping him in check? The more he thought about it, the heavier Sean’s heart grew. …Inside the villa, William stood outside Layla’s bedroom door, hesitating to knock. He wanted to comfort her but couldn’t find the right words, afraid he would only make things worse. The mighty head of the Lucas family, undefeated in the business world, was at a complete loss when it came to consoling a woman. Just as he was caught in indecision, the door suddenly opened. Both of them froze. Layla forced a smile and handed him her empty cup. “The coffe
It was a large transfer notification. Layla squinted, carefully counting the digits in the amount. Not only did it cover her startup capital, but it also included funds from the sale of her shares, far exceeding what she had expected. With this sum, she could now consider herself quite wealthy. William glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “What’s making you so happy?” Layla put her phone away. Compared to him, this was nothing but a drop in the ocean, so she chose not to brag. “Nothing much. I just got what I wanted,” she said casually. “Sean transferred the money to you?” William asked. “Yep.” Layla held up her phone. “Tonight, dinner’s on me.” “No need. Tonight, I’m taking you to a cocktail party,” William replied. At first, Layla thought this was his polite way of declining, but then he added, “There’s a charity auction tomorrow evening. Once it’s over, we can go for dinner.” Realizing he wasn’t dismissing her offer, Layla nodded. “That wo
Layla stepped forward without hesitation, quietly positioning herself in front of Carly to shield her. Her gaze was cold as she stared down the group of thugs. “Who gave you the guts to storm into my place and cause trouble?”“You’re that... B-something?” the bleached-blond leader squinted, trying to remember the name. One of his guys leaned in to whisper it, but he found it annoying and punched him in the arm.“Why the hell are you even using some fancy, hard-to-remember name?”He raised his bat and pointed it at Layla. “People like you piss me off the most. Always acting like you’re better than everyone else.”Layla blinked. “Excuse me?”What kind of ridiculous logic was that?“I already called the cops,” Carly said, standing tall and fearless. “If you try anything, you’re all getting locked up.”“Well, well. Got some fight in you, huh?” the leader squinted at her. “We only came to rough up that woman. But I really can’t stand loudmouths who think they’re heroes. Guess I’ll
“Drop something off?” Layla blinked in surprise, glancing back at Eason’s lean figure. Could it be… he was the senior Jenny had mentioned?But she had never once heard that Eason Lopez had studied under Jenny.Still full of questions, Layla followed Eason into the lounge. Once they were alone, she finally asked, “Are you the senior Miss Jenny mentioned?”“Yeah.” Eason handed her a scroll with a blank expression. “Miss Jenny asked me to give this to you ahead of time.”A few days earlier, he had actually protested.“Why do I have to go early? You’re going to be there anyway,” he had complained on the phone.But Jenny had chuckled on the other end. “She’s only been with me for three years, and now she’s trying to make it on her own back in the country. She’ll need all the help she can get.“I don’t have much left to give her. The only thing I can do… is connect her with someone who might be able to help.“I know you’ve gotten used to working alone all these years. But iso
The morning of the studio launch, reporters from all major media outlets arrived bright and early.A light reception had been set up in the courtyard, and journalists gathered around, casually chatting over tea and snacks.“Think Gwen Harris will show up today?”“Probably… Didn’t she just interview Miss Xander a while back? The launch of ‘Layla Studio’ is big news. She wouldn’t want to miss it.”“Don’t let her heiress status fool you—she works hard. How else do you think she snagged that international journalism award? If you ask me, she’s not the type to let personal drama get in the way of her career.”“But aren’t you guys just a little curious about their love triangle? Who do you think Mr. Lucas really has feelings for?”They exchanged looks, each one with a knowing grin.Sure, Begonia launching her own studio was newsworthy. But if they could dig up some juicy gossip about the wealthy elite while they were at it, that would be a bonus.No one said it out loud, but they wer
Did his little game of playing hard to get just backfire on him?*After that night, Layla never saw William again.She didn’t want to waste time overthinking all these confusing emotions, so she forced herself to stay busy. Leaving early and coming home late gave her no room to dwell on it.Before she knew it, the grand opening of her studio was just three days away.She picked up a call from Jenny, and her face immediately lit up. “Miss Jasper, you’re really coming to cut the ribbon yourself?”“Of course I am!” Jenny’s voice rang out, bright and hearty over the phone. “My star student is launching her own studio. There’s no way I’d miss it. I don’t care how busy I am, I’ll be there to support you in person.“I heard all about that solo exhibition you did after coming back. You were making headlines left and right!“Layla, I’m honestly so proud of you and a little selfishly happy too. It feels like fate that I got to be your teacher. I must’ve done something right to deserve a
“You’re just going to stand there? Felix is about to leave!”Mrs. Xander rushed over and grabbed Xena’s arm, but Xena shook her off.For once, Xena’s tone was icy cold. “Let him leave. Why should I be the one begging him to stay?“It was Layla who pissed him off. Why should I be cleaning up her mess? Why don’t you go find her and make her apologize to him?”Mrs. Xander froze. “Xena, what are you—”“She’s not wrong,” Shane cut in, stepping forward to help Xena up. “Layla caused this, and now we’re the ones dealing with the fallout? If Felix wants someone to blame, he should take it up with her.”“But…” Mrs. Xander hesitated. “Do you really think she’ll agree to see us? Let alone listen?”“You didn’t hear Felix just now?” Shane raised an eyebrow. “He doesn’t want an apology. He wants her punished.”“So what?” Mrs. Xander frowned. “You’re going to go after her yourself?”“Who else would?” Shane shrugged. “I’m the only one in this family who can play the bad guy.“I heard Layla’s
“William may seem cold on the outside,” Gwen said lightly, “but deep down, he’s a good person. The few of us who grew up with him. Well, we’ve all benefited from his kindness at some point. He really does take care of the people around him.”She turned to Layla with a warm smile, eyes calm and sincere. “You’ve known William for quite a while now too, right? I’m sure you’ve seen that side of him.”It sounded perfectly reasonable. Friendly, even. There was no flaw to be found in her words.But Layla picked up on the deeper implication.Gwen clearly knew that moving Mr. Perry Sr. into a nursing home had been William and Layla’s decision. By bringing up William’s long-standing friendship with Mr. Perry Sr., she was subtly framing the move as nothing more than William repaying an old debt.And then, when she added that William was simply kind to all his friends, it was a quiet reminder that she was not special.That was when it hit Layla that Gwen saw her as competition.But since no
After their last interview, Layla instantly recognized that voice. Her brows knit together ever so slightly. “What’s Gwen doing here?” she wondered.Sure enough, Gwen strolled up beside her, arms folded, eyes glinting with mock curiosity as she gave Felix a slow once-over.“You must be Felix Perry, right? Hi, I’m Gwen Harris. These days, I work as a reporter.“I actually caught wind of something about you recently—a little scandal involving a woman showing up at your family’s estate? Juicy stuff. Care to give me a quote or two? I’d love to share it with my team.”“Shut it!” Felix shot to his feet, voice sharp.He was clearly rattled, but still trying to hold it together. He knew exactly who Gwen was—and more importantly, who had her back.“Miss Harris,” he said through clenched teeth, “I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of this.”“How is this not my business?” Gwen replied sweetly. “I’m just doing my job. Gathering material.”She whipped out her phone and aimed the camera st
“The older you get, the more you find yourself chewing on old regrets. Over and over—like gum. And eventually, there’s just nothing sweet left.“But really, what’s the use? What’s done is done.”Mr. Perry Sr. looked up at the sky. A quiet calm settled in his eyes.“What I should’ve wished for… was for you to have a better life. Truth is, the Perry family never deserved you.”Layla remained silent.There was really no point in continuing this conversation. She and Sean had ended a long time ago. In these past three years, she had gradually forgotten the little details about them—so much so that she could no longer remember what made her fall for him in the first place.Now, Sean meant less to her than a stranger.Suddenly, a voice rang out behind them.“Grandpa!”A blur of motion darted across the garden. Felix dropped to his knees with a loud thump in front of Mr. Perry Sr., gift boxes spilling at Mr. Perry Sr.’s feet.A group of bodyguards moved quickly, closing in. Layla
While Felix was abroad, he had partied and messed around but he always knew where his path was. Whenever he was by Wilfred’s side, he focused all his energy on the company and had actually helped a great deal.That was why Wilfred believed that, despite his reckless ways, Felix was still worth shaping. If he could just settle down, managing the entire Perry empire would be well within his abilities.As a father, Wilfred knew it was his job to keep a tight grip on the reins and steer this wild horse of a son back onto the right path before it was too late. And right now? It was time to pull hard.“Your grandfather’s health is failing,” Wilfred said, “and no one knows how much longer he has. This is the most important time for you to show him who you are. You can’t afford to give up now.“If he doesn’t leave a will, the company might need to hold an internal vote to choose the next heir. Are you confident you can beat Sean?“Felix, the only way forward is winning your grandf