Sean froze. “Layla, are you mad at me? I only ended up with Kiera because I had no choice.”“I don’t care who you’re with, or how it happened. And I’m definitely not mad about it.” Layla met his eyes head-on. “How many times do I have to say it before you finally believe we’re done?”“You chose Kiera, so be loyal to your choice. Don’t bring your fake feelings here and pretend they’re love—it’s disgusting.”With that, she turned to the two bodyguards in black, her voice sharp with displeasure. “Where’s Mrs. Lucas? Don’t tell me even this man was part of her plan?”“Layla, Mrs. Lucas asked me to bring you—”“I’d rather die than go with you!” Layla’s tone suddenly turned fierce. Her eyes stayed fixed on the guards. “Go ask Mrs. Lucas yourself—if she doesn’t want me dying in her hands, she’d better make sure this man disappears from my sight.”The two bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances. This wasn’t what Mrs. Lucas had told them to expect. “Layla, don’t be like t
Layla waited over an hour before Scarlett Lucas finally showed up.Scarlett walked in with a sour expression. “Why won’t you go with Sean? You haven’t even known William that long, and now you’re changing your heart already?”She stepped closer, her tone turning sharp. “Or maybe…” Scarlett narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think just because William made his feelings public that you actually stand a chance. Let me tell you, the Lucas family isn’t some place any random girl can marry into.”Hearing once again about William’s so-called confession, Layla looked completely confused. “What are you all talking about? What confession?”Scarlett blinked, stunned. “The entire world knows about it—how could you not? Don’t play dumb with me. You—”“Everyone knows?” Layla’s face was filled with genuine surprise—not a trace of pretense. Scarlett frowned. “You mean you didn’t know Chris came to the hospital to see you?”“He came to see me?” Layla looked puzzled. Scarlett fell s
“Mrs. Lucas!” Sean called out, but Scarlett didn’t stop. He clenched his jaw in frustration, teeth grinding. He couldn’t let Layla stay with the Lucases—not a chance. *As night fell, Scarlett arrived at Layla’s room with a full medical team behind her. She nodded to the guards at the door, who promptly opened it.“Layla, it’s time to go.”But when she stepped inside, her eyes immediately scanned the room and froze. Layla was gone.“Layla Xander!”Scarlett stormed around the room, checking every corner, then spun around and shouted at the guards outside. “Where is she?! Where did she go?!”One of the guards looked completely panicked. “She… wasn’t she in the room this whole time?”“Open your damn eyes! Do you see her anywhere? What, you think a terminally ill woman just vanished into thin air?!” Scarlett was fuming.Then the guard slapped his forehead like he just remembered something. “Right! It must’ve been Mr. Perry!”“What?!”“About half an hour ago, h
Under everyone’s stunned gaze, William took out a diamond ring and slipped it onto Layla’s left ring finger.Scarlett was the first to react. She snapped, “William, have you lost your mind?!”She muttered under her breath, “Proposing to someone who's dying? Are you seriously planning to throw your whole life away?”William stood up slowly and said, “I’ve never been more clearheaded.”That night when Layla broke down and sobbed that she wanted to die, he had never felt so terrified in his life. In that moment, he had made up his mind. No matter life or death, he would marry her.He turned to Scarlett, his voice calm and steady. “She reached out to you a while ago to ask for your help leaving, didn’t she?”His gaze was sharp and composed, like a strategist revealing the final move in a game he had been controlling from the very start.Scarlett’s eyes widened. “You knew?”A realization struck her, and her fury rose again. “I knew she wasn’t up to anything good! I ju
When Sean heard those words, everything finally clicked.William had known from the very beginning that Scarlett was planning to take Layla away and that Sean would try something. He had deliberately waited until the airport to show up, just so he could shut them both down in front of everyone, once and for all.No matter what they had done, it had all happened under William’s watch and in the end, they had only helped him get exactly what he wanted.As William raised his hand, signaling for his men to take Layla away, Sean thrashed wildly and screamed, “Give Layla back to me!”“Shut him up!” Scarlett barked. This was an international airport. If he kept yelling, there was no way tonight’s incident would stay under wraps.One of the guards clamped a hand over Sean’s mouth. His furious shouts turned into muffled, broken sobs.Scarlett grabbed William’s arm. “William, please. I’m begging you—don’t do this…”William pulled his arm away. “Mom, my whole life, I’ve done every
“No idea,” Levi shrugged. “It was already on your hand when you were brought in.”Layla frowned. Could it have been that lunatic Sean who put it on her? Disgusted, she yanked off the diamond ring. Just as she was about to toss it out the window, Levi quickly snatched it from her hand. “Miss Xander, that ring is probably worth a fortune. You can’t just throw it out!”“It’s useless to me.” Seeing how carefully he held it, Layla said offhandedly, “If you like it that much, it’s yours.”“Huh?” Levi blinked, his expression suddenly awkward. That was William’s engagement ring. What would it mean if it ended up in his hands?“I haven’t done anything to deserve a gift like this,” he said with a faint, polite smile. Worried she might still try to throw it away, he quickly slipped it into his pocket. “Tell you what—I'll hold onto it for now. When you’re better, I’ll give it back.“You should rest. If you need anything, just call me.” He helped Layla back into bed a
Just then, a sharp whistle pierced the air and the kids scattered in all directions.A moment later, a figure in a black hoodie stepped out from the shadows.“That’s her, Yuna,” Levi said, pausing before adding deliberately, “She’s a girl.”Only then did William take a closer look.Despite the close-cropped buzz cut, she had a gentle, feminine face, with soft, refined features.The contrast was jarring.This was Yuna? A top-tier operative in a world-renowned international organization? She looked barely twenty—like a sharp, androgynous teenage girl, not someone with a fearsome reputation.“And what’s your relationship to the patient?” Yuna asked casually, hands stuffed in her pockets.“Her fiancé,” William replied without hesitation.“Oh?” Yuna gave him a once-over, her gaze amused and teasing. “You look like you’re worth quite a bit. All this trouble for a woman? You really willing to throw your fortune away?”“I am.”William met her eyes head-on. “If you can save
The next morning, Layla stirred awake, groggy and disoriented. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a small figure sitting at her bedside and nearly jumped in surprise.“Who are you?”“I’m the doctor Levi brought in for you. Just call me Yuna,” Yuna replied, closing the patient chart in her hands. She crossed one leg over the other and said bluntly, “Miss Xander, your condition’s not great. If we go through with the surgery, there’s a very real chance you could die on the table. You’re aware of that, right?”Layla said nothing.In the sunlight, the girl across from her looked no older than twenty—nothing like the expert Levi had spoken so highly of. But she definitely had a presence.She was pretty, with delicate features—yet she had gone and shaved her head into a close buzz cut.“What?” Yuna caught the flicker of doubt in Layla’s eyes and seemed completely unfazed. She reached up and rubbed her prickly scalp. “Let me guess—someone like me doesn’t look like a doct
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
“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
“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
“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
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
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. “
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
“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
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