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Chapter 303
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 304
The photography exhibition had wrapped up successfully, but the buzz around Layla still hadn’t died down.Prominent photography bloggers compiled detailed threads of Begonia’s past work—awards, gallery appearances, even her celebrity shoots. Every post praised her eye, her talent, her unmistakable presence behind the camera.Three years ago, she was on the brink of death. Now, she had returned, radiant and confident, thriving in the career she loved. Anyone watching had to admit: she was a force.But to the Lucases, it was nothing more than a calculated show.“What’s all the fuss about? She’s just a damn photographer,” Mr. Lucas Sr. snapped. He had come across the news first thing that morning and, in a fit of irritation, tossed his iPad onto the table.Around the breakfast table, the rest of the family kept their heads down, quietly chewing their food, pretending they hadn’t heard him.“Where’s William?” he barked suddenly, turning to Scarlett. “Don’t tell me he ran off to see h
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 305
The news quickly reached William.“Uncle William,” Carter said over the phone, sounding serious. “Mom says Grandpa means business. As soon as Miss Harris gets back, you’re not getting out of it.”William responded calmly, “Got it.”Carter blinked. “Wait, that’s it? You’re not even worried? What if—”Just then, a knock came from the other end of the line. Carter instinctively switched topics.Carter paused. “Uncle William, what are you doing right now?”William answered calmly, “I haven’t had breakfast yet.”Carter gaped. “Seriously? With everything going on, you're still thinking about breakfast? You—”Before he could finish, Layla’s voice came through loud and clear.“Mr. Lucas? What are you doing here?”Carter instantly fell silent.Well then. Uncle William wasn’t nearly as chill as he pretended to be.Showing up at her door this early? That said it all.This wasn’t calm. This was a full-on strategic offensive.Back at the apartment, William slipped his phone away and l
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 306
Ever since that breakfast, William had been showing up at Layla’s door every few days, conveniently around mealtime.Layla never called him out. Instead, she treated him like a proper guest, carefully preparing three dishes and a soup each time. Watching him eat was surprisingly pleasant. It lifted her mood and even boosted her appetite.Back when she lived abroad, Layla had often been too busy to eat properly. Most days she just grabbed whatever was convenient, and the chance to cook for herself was almost nonexistent.Now, with someone else sharing her meals, she felt a new sense of responsibility. No matter how hectic things got, she would make time to buy groceries and cook. And truthfully, she kind of enjoyed it.For her, cooking had always been a hobby. It naturally became a way to unwind.A week went by like this. Once she wrapped up all the little tasks involved in setting up her new studio, she figured she would head out to buy some groceries and stretch her legs a bit.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 307
“It’s nothing…” Mr. Perry Sr. shook his head gently. “I’m just happy. Don’t worry about me, sweetheart.”The old housekeeper, standing at the bedside, smiled and chimed in, “Miss Xander, Mr. Perry Sr. really is happy today. It’s the most energy he’s had since falling ill. He even went outside this morning to get some sun.“Ever since he found out you were alive, he’s been asking me to read him all the news about you. Knowing you’re doing well has lifted his spirits more than any medicine could.”Layla felt a wave of guilt crash over her. “Grandpa Perry, I’m sorry. I should’ve come to see you sooner. This is all my fault…”“It’s not your fault,” Mr. Perry Sr. said with a faint smile, reaching out to gently wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes. “As long as you’re doing well, that’s all that matters. I’m just an old man now—nothing much worth seeing.”“I’ll come visit you often from now on,” Layla said earnestly, meeting his sunken eyes. “Grandpa Perry, I’ve still got so muc
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 308
The early spring night was bone-chilling, the kind of cold that crept in under your skin. Layla pulled her coat tighter around her as she walked along the roadside. The night breeze brushed against her face, and the tip of her nose had turned red from the cold. She walked in silence, letting the quiet and the cold gradually wash away the heaviness in her chest. In a low voice, she asked, “You knew about Grandpa Perry’s condition, didn’t you?” William glanced at her and answered slowly, “Yeah. He’s getting older and his health’s been going downhill. He had a bad fall last year and never really got back on his feet.“He told me that getting sick and growing old is just part of life. He’s come to terms with most things at his age. All but one…” William paused, hesitating. Layla turned to look at him. “What is it?” Under the streetlight, her almond-shaped eyes glistened with a hint of red. Maybe it was the cold, or maybe she had already figured out the part William ha
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 309
After speaking, Layla gave a polite nod and turned to leave.William instinctively reached out to stop her, but Scarlett quickly grabbed his arm.“She’s the one choosing to walk away. Why are you still trying to keep her here? William, listen to me—stop getting involved with her. Have you already forgotten how she nearly cost you your position as heir three years ago?”The night wind carried Scarlett’s words straight to Layla’s ears. Without meaning to, she quickened her pace.As he watched Layla walk away, William’s gaze turned cold. He looked sharply at Scarlett.“I kept quiet just now because I didn’t want you to get carried away and say something that would hurt Miss Xander even more.“Now that she’s gone, it’s time for you to listen to me.“As for Gwen Harris—I won’t agree to it. And if you all insist on forcing this, I don’t mind handing over the position of heir again.“Also, give Dad a message for me. I only ever sat in that position because I wanted control—real contro
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 310
In the living room, after the assistant brought in two cups of hot coffee, she quietly left.Layla took a sip of her coffee and immediately got to the point. “If you have any conditions, Miss Jenkins, feel free to bring them up. We may know each other, but we’re not exactly close. Let’s make sure everything is clear.”“This isn’t urgent,” Kiera Jenkins responded lazily. “I heard you visited Grandpa Perry a few days ago.”Layla felt a wave of annoyance. As expected, this wasn’t about the townhouse. The meeting had been a setup.But, since she had nothing to hide, she didn’t feel guilty. “Yes,” she said calmly. “Grandpa Perry was always very kind to me. It’s only right that I visited him.”“Of course,” Kiera said with a smile. “I was just making conversation, nothing more.”If she really didn’t care, Kiera wouldn’t have gone out of her way to meet in person. Layla didn’t feel like playing games. “Miss Jenkins—oh, wait, I should probably call you Mrs. Perry now. It’s nice t
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 311
Sean turned to Kiera, a trace of irritation in his voice. “Did you say something to her?”“No,” Kiera replied calmly. “We just talked about the house. Maybe it didn’t quite meet Miss Xander’s expectations.”She met his gaze without flinching, then asked with a curious smile, “You seem really disappointed that she didn’t want to rent my place. Why is that?”Sean froze for a second, caught off guard. He quickly pulled himself together. “No, not at all. I was just asking. I didn’t want you to read too much into it…”“You mean, you were afraid I’d give her a hard time?” Kiera cut in quietly.The color drained slightly from Sean’s face, and he snapped back in protest, “See? You’re overthinking again.”He looked like someone whose guilty conscience had just been poked.Kiera saw right through him and let out a helpless little smile. “Forget it. Let’s not talk about this anymore. We should go see Grandpa.”As she walked down the steps ahead of him, Sean’s expression darkened, his eyes
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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
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
