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Chapter 194
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 195
Xena stepped forward and picked up the phone, scrolling through the trending topics. With every post she read, her face grew paler. How did this happen in just a few hours? The spotlight had completely shifted to her. Several well-known photography influencers had posted detailed analyses, comparing images from Xena’s past photography exhibition to the landscapes Layla had just showcased at the Haven City event. Their conclusions? The photos were likely taken by the same person. Even though these were just speculations, the comment section was overwhelmingly one-sided—the internet had already convicted her. People were furious, accusing Xena of stealing Layla’s photography, stealing her career, stealing her life. And now that Layla had publicly revealed her illness, sympathy for her was at an all-time high. Netizens were outraged, and their fury was only growing. At this point, even a stray dog would probably stop to mark its territory on Xena just out of shee
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 196
By morning, the online outrage against Xena hadn't died down. If anything, it had only intensified. When Layla woke up, she instinctively reached for her phone, only to be met with an onslaught of notifications. Her inbox was flooded with messages from netizens, nearly all of them urging her to speak up and tell the truth. Fully awake now, she sat up and scrolled through the trending topics, quickly piecing together what had happened overnight. She had gone to bed early the night before, drained from the day’s events. But while she was sleeping, dozens of photography experts and influencers had come forward, analyzing and comparing her work to the photos from Xena’s past exhibition. The discussion had snowballed into a full-blown public reckoning. Xena’s name was still dominating the trending list, and based on the sheer scale of this online storm, Layla knew this wasn’t just organic outrage. Someone was deliberately fanning the flames. And only one name immediatel
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 197
“Think about how to handle the Xander family and whatever counterattack Xena might throw at you.”William’s lips curved slightly. “But first, the most important thing is for you to go freshen up and come downstairs for breakfast. You’ll need energy if you want your brain to function properly.” Despite the heavy topic, he deliberately lightened the tone at the end, clearly making an effort to keep her from feeling too overwhelmed. Something inside Layla softened.Without realizing it, she smiled along with him. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”*Everything was progressing smoothly, which put Carter in an excellent mood. He even declared that watching Xena suffer was his new favorite pastime and that such a joyous occasion deserved a celebration. Ivan took the opportunity to claim credit for his part in fueling the scandal and shamelessly demanded Carter treat him to an extravagant meal. Seeing how everyone was so pleased with the situation, Layla felt a little less burd
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 198
Chris completely missed the sarcasm in Layla’s words. His expression remained serious as he said, “We need to handle this as soon as possible. If we let public opinion spiral any further, it won’t just ruin Xena. It’ll drag the Xander family’s name through the mud too.” “Do I look like I care?” Layla’s calm yet icy voice cut him off before he could finish. Chris fell silent, unable to respond. Shane, however, immediately lost his temper. “Layla, you’re still a Xander! If the family goes down, do you really think you’ll have a good life either?“People only give you respect because of the Xander name. Once you have no one backing you up, you’ll be nothing!” “I don’t have a future anymore.” “Who says she has no one backing her up?” Layla and William spoke at the same time. She hesitated, glancing at him—a silent message, telling him not to interfere. William ignored it completely. His cold gaze landed on Shane. “Respect is something you earn for yourse
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 199
But Layla wasn’t after fame or fortune—she was chasing the person she used to be. And more than anything, she refused to leave behind even the tiniest bit of benefit for Xena. What was hers, she would take back in full. Her voice was calm, but the words cut deep. “Back then, I listened to all of you. I gave up my achievements and handed Xena an easy, open road to success. And what did I get in return?” A cold, mocking smile tugged at her lips. “And now you expect me to give her a way out? What do you think I am, some kind of saint?” Chris faltered, visibly uneasy. “We… we did treat you unfairly back then. But you agreed to it, didn’t you? And now—” “Agreed?” Layla’s voice sharpened, her volume rising. “If I had refused to give up my award back then, would I have even been able to stay in the Xander family?” Her gaze bore into him, unyielding. “Have you forgotten? Mr. Xander, in all his wisdom, told me—if I wanted to be a Xander, I had to ‘support and help my
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 200
Layla nodded. Just as she was about to speak, she caught something out of the corner of her eye.Carter and Ivan were walking toward them, grinning. Panic surged through her. She jerked her wrist out of William’s grasp, so fast that the movement knocked over her cup, spilling water all over the table. So, by the time Carter walked up, the first thing he saw was Layla frantically wiping the table, her ears burning red. His face tensed. “Sis, what’s wrong? Did Chris say something to you? Tell me, and I’ll go deal with him right now!” “No.” Layla quickly glanced at their soaked clothes, seizing the opportunity to change the subject. “You’re both drenched. Go home and change before you catch a cold.” “Pfft, this?” Carter waved dismissively, beaming with satisfaction. “Totally worth it. I only wish I had my phone on me. I should’ve recorded the whole thing so you could see Shane’s pathetic face! It was priceless!” He laughed as he recounted the scene. “We o
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 201
“Enough.” Chris’s expression darkened. “No matter what, Layla is still our sister. Can you stop bringing up death like it’s nothing? What, are you actually hoping something happens to her?” Shane huffed, rubbing his nose irritably. “Bro, I felt bad for her at first too. I genuinely wanted her to come home. And what happened? You saw it yourself—Layla’s heart is made of stone. No matter what we do, she’ll never soften toward us.“She treats us like enemies. If we’re not willing to die with her, it’s like we’re in the wrong. Tell me, have you ever seen a family member like that?” Another loud sneeze interrupted his rant. He sniffled and mumbled under his breath. “She doesn’t care about us, so why should we care about her? We don’t owe her anything.” Chris remained silent. He didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t argue with Shane’s words. Layla was beyond saving. This trip had been a complete waste of time. Just then, his phone rang. Chris picked up immediat
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 202
The number one trending topic was none other than “Xena Xander’s Suicide Attempt”! Carter stared in shock. “Holy crap. Is this real? Did she make it or not?” “She survived,” Ivan replied, clicking his tongue a few times. “They got her to the hospital in time, so she’s out of danger. The place is swarming with reporters now.” News of her attempt spread fast. In less than an hour, public opinion had already started shifting in her favor. Many netizens began attacking the photographers and influencers who had previously spoken up against Xena, accusing them of spreading baseless rumors and pushing her into depression. Some even suggested the entire scandal had been orchestrated—that Layla was behind it all, hell-bent on destroying her sister. “I’ve never seen a dying person so full of energy. Layla just can’t stand seeing her own sister happy, huh?” “Where are all of Layla’s supporters now? Shouldn’t you be rushing to defend your precious Layla? Take a good look—this
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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
