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Chapter 284
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 285
Watching Layla walk away, William’s gaze darkened.If he hadn’t been worried about scaring her off, he would have dragged her into the car and taken her away right then and there.He was barely hanging on to the last shred of rationality and gentlemanly restraint, telling himself, “She’s back. There’s time. Yeah, right.”William’s voice was low as he ordered, “Pull up the listings for that building. I want everything on that complex.”*Unaware that she was already a marked target, Layla rolled her suitcase into her new apartment and casually dialed Carter’s number.As soon as the call connected, Carter’s chipper voice came through. “Sis! Did Uncle William pick you up? Was he—”“You’ve got some nerve,” Layla cut him off, clearly annoyed. “Weren’t you supposed to pick me up? How did it suddenly become Mr. Lucas, and you didn’t even bother to give me a heads-up? Do you know how awkward that car ride was? I nearly curled my toes so hard, I could’ve carved out a whole three-bedroom
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One week after Thanksgiving, the Xander family piled into the car, dressed neatly for their annual cemetery visit.From the moment Shane climbed in, though, he was already grumbling.“I’m exhausted. Couldn’t you have let me sleep a little longer? It’s not like visiting Layla’s grave is some huge deal. What’s the harm in going a bit later?” he yawned as he spoke.“We already told the reporters what time to meet us,” Chris said, clearly irritated. “You want to keep the press waiting?”“Fine, fine. Got it,” Shane muttered half-heartedly, then turned to Mrs. Xander. “Hey, Mom—when are you getting me those tickets to the Begonia exhibit?”“Wait, you mean Begonia’s photography show?” Xena, chimed in.Shane raised his eyebrows proudly. “That’s the one. Mom said she could get them for me.”“For real, Mom?” Xena’s eyes lit up. “I want to go too! If I could meet Begonia in person, maybe I could even book a shoot with her!”She had already brought it up with Felix a few times, but he had
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That strange mix of familiarity and distance made Mr. Xander feel momentarily disoriented. “You… are you Layla?”Layla let out a soft laugh, twirling her sunglasses in one hand before pointing to the gravestone. “Isn’t your Layla right there?”“No… you… you’re my sister…” Xena finally spoke, her voice low and uncertain. But behind her wide eyes, something darker stirred—resentment. Layla wasn’t dead after all.That was when Mrs. Xander snapped out of her shock and rushed forward in tears. “Thank God, you’re alive!”But Layla smoothly stepped aside, letting her fall to the ground with nothing but a cold glance.Mr. Xander’s expression turned dark. “You’ve got some nerve showing your face here, Layla.”“Don’t be like this,” Mrs. Xander scrambled up awkwardly, her voice trembling through tears. “It doesn’t matter. She’s alive, that’s all that matters.”Mr. Xander’s jaw clenched. “Alive? What good is that? What were the last three years to us? Some joke to entertain
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“Why are you even trying to keep her around?” Shane grumbled. “All you’re doing is feeding her ego. She—”“Shut up!” Chris snapped, turning on him with such fury that it made Shane jump.Shane had never seen his brother lose his temper like that. Stung, he muttered, “You’re yelling at me over Layla?”“That’s enough,” Mr. Xander cut in, waving a trembling hand. His whole body was shaking—Layla had clearly rattled him.Xena stepped forward to steady him. “Dad, you’re in this condition, and she still had the nerve to upset you. That’s just too much.”“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Mr. Xander’s voice softened slightly as he patted her hand.One daughter had just tried to drive him to an early grave. The other was caring and considerate. The contrast only deepened his resentment toward Layla.“Layla Xander is dead. As far as we’re concerned, today never happened.”With that, he turned and walked away, leaning on his cane, his back stiff with anger.Shane scoffed. “Hear that? Dad
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And Carter honestly wasn’t sure which was worse.He watched as William followed behind her into the apartment and let out a quiet sigh. “Uncle William’s path to winning her back... is going to be a long one,” he muttered softly.Since both of them happened to be there, Layla took the initiative and offered to cook them a nice meal.While she was busy in the kitchen, Carter slipped over to William’s side. “Uncle William, aren’t you worried Grandpa will find out you moved in here? That’s a pretty bold move.”“He’ll find out eventually,” William replied casually, as if it didn’t bother him in the slightest.Carter raised an impressed eyebrow. “You’re the only one in the entire Lucas family who dares go head-to-head with him.”Then William asked, “She went to the cemetery today?”“Yeah! Didn’t you notice there wasn’t a single press release about the Xanders mourning her this year?”Carter pulled out his phone and scrolled through the trending topics. “Every year, right aro
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“Not enough! Another round!” Carter suddenly shouted, raising his hand.Layla jumped and instinctively let go of William’s wrist, quickly sitting up straight in her chair like nothing had happened.When she turned to look at Carter, she realized that he was still facedown on the table, eyes shut. Speechless, Layla could only roll her eyes, her heart still racing like she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t.Under the lights, her earlobes were flushed a telltale red.William’s lips curved into the faintest smile, but he casually set his glass back down as if nothing had happened.“So now that you’re back in North City,” he said smoothly, “what’s next for you, Miss Xander?”Layla steadied herself. “First, I want to see the photography exhibition through. After that, I’m planning to open my own studio.”“So you're putting down roots here?” William’s gaze lingered on her. There was something unreadable in his eyes, but beneath it, a trace of hope seemed to shine thro
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After hanging up the call, Layla returned to the dining table, clearly a little distracted.“Something wrong?” William asked.Layla shook her head lightly. “Nothing serious. Just a small issue.”But her thoughts were spinning. She couldn’t help but wonder—did William know that it was Scarlett who had sent her away back then?She had left so suddenly, without a word. Had he been angry? Did he feel abandoned?A flood of questions rose to the surface, but facing William now, she didn’t even know where to begin.It wasn’t until after the meal that her tangled emotions finally began to settle.He probably wasn’t angry. After all, three years of silence speaks for itself. She was just a passing chapter in his life. If she read too much into it now, it would only make her look foolish.Snapping out of it, she glanced over and saw William staring down at Carter, who was passed out drunk across the table, looking thoroughly unimpressed.Layla stifled a laugh and offered, “W
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Mrs. Xander had just gotten the good news and couldn’t wait to share it with Shane and Xena.“Really? That’s amazing!” Shane threw his arms around her in excitement. “Mom, you’re the best! My love life is finally looking up!”Xena beamed. “Seriously, Mom—what would we do without you?”“It was nothing,” Mrs. Xander replied modestly, though a note of pride slipped into her voice. “I’ve been connected with the society ladies for a few years now. I’ve built up some relationships that can help open doors for the two of you. If you ever need anything, just let me know.”Across the room, Mr. Xander looked up from the documents in his hand and let out a cold snort.“You really think it was all you? If it weren’t for the Xander family behind you, do you honestly believe you could’ve pulled that off? You’ve been hanging around those society wives too long—you’re starting to forget who you really are.”His words landed hard.Ever since Mrs. Xander started attending those high-society ga
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 454
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
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“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
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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
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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
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“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
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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
