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Chapter 328
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 329
“You like it, that’s all that matters.” Gwen noticed Carly had makeup on and was dressed rather formally, so she asked curiously, “Did you have an interview today?”“You could tell?” Carly looked a little surprised.“I overheard Mrs. Lucas mention that you graduated last year and started job hunting this year,” Gwen said with a warm smile, sounding every bit like a thoughtful older sister. “How did it go? Was it smooth?”“Yeah, I got the job. I start at the end of the month.”“Oh?” Gwen’s face lit up. “And which lucky company landed someone as talented as you?”Carly went quiet.She had zero plans to tell anyone—especially not Gwen—that she was going to work at Layla Studio. If her grandfather found out, he would probably lock her at home.Gwen assumed it was just a little secret and didn’t push. “Well, no matter where you’re working, I know you’ll do amazing things. When the time comes, you owe me a celebratory dinner.”Carly was grateful for Gwen’s thoughtfulness and smile
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 330
“Gwen, you grew up with William. You know exactly what he wants.“Love is fleeting. Sure, she has him now—but feelings come and go. One day she holds on tight, the next he’s gone. But interests—mutual benefits—those are solid. That’s what lasts.“In families like ours, marriages are built on alliances. It may not be all romance and passion, but it’s solid and unshakable. When two people are tied together by responsibility, by what they stand to gain or lose—they go farther. They hold on.“You’re not kids anymore. It’s time to think about your families. Miss this chance, and there won’t be another one.”That day, Mr. Lucas Sr. spoke at length over the phone, his voice heavy with meaning.At some point, Gwen had stopped hearing the words clearly. Instead, a quiet voice echoed from deep within her.“Try. Even if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll have tried.”So, she came home to give her years of silent love a proper ending.“Gwen?” Carly called softly.Gwen snapped out of her
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 331
“Pfft.” Wilson rolled his eyes. “Privacy, my ass. And I wasn’t snooping. I was looking fair and square.” He leaned in, eyeing Ivan with mock suspicion. “Look at you now, acting all supportive of Layla and William. Didn’t you get kicked back to North City three years ago because you tried to mess with them? Weren’t you the one dead set against them being together?” He handed Ivan a glass of whiskey, clearly settling in to hear the story. “So what gives? Why the sudden change of heart?” Ivan waved him off. “Don’t ask. Let’s just say... I regret it.”He raised his glass but didn’t drink right away, lost for a moment in the memory. William had punched him like a lion in a blind rage. Back then, Ivan had been pissed that William was throwing away friendship over a woman. But thinking back on it now—if a woman could drive William to that kind of fury, she had to mean everything to him. And him, as the so-called friend? He hadn’t supported William at all. Hell, he had alm
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 332
“Mr. Lucas, what are you standing there for? Come eat,” Layla called out as she waved William over.Seeing someone his height—nearly six foot three—looking awkward sitting at her low coffee table, she let out an embarrassed chuckle. “Uh… want to move to the dining table instead?”“No need,” he said, leaning back against the couch. But his eyes briefly swept over the takeout spread on the table, and his brows furrowed slightly.Layla caught it. She had gotten a little carried away ordering junk food and totally forgot that someone like William might not be used to this kind of thing.She tried again, a little sheepishly. “I can cook something else for you real quick, if you want?”“No need,” William repeated, this time with the look of a man resigned to his fate. If she could eat it, he could too.“Alright then, try it first. If you really don’t like it, I’ll make something,” Layla said—though honestly, she had zero intention of getting back up. It was just a polite offer.She
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 333
“If you’re short on money, you can come to me,” William said casually.“That’s really kind of you, Mr. Lucas. I appreciate it.”Layla was clearly tipsy now, all her usual boundaries forgotten. William, who used to feel so distant and out of reach, suddenly seemed much closer—like she could reach out and touch him.She did exactly that, giving his shoulder a light pat.“Thanks, Mr. Lucas!”In the soft glow of the room, her eyes sparkled with the warmth of alcohol—like ripples on a quiet lake. There was something beautiful and a little dangerous about it.For a moment, William could almost feel those ripples brushing against his heart. It stirred something deep inside him, something he couldn’t quite name.His gaze darkened. He caught her wrist. “You’ve had too much to drink.”“Just a little,” Layla mumbled, pulling her hand back before perking up like a child with a secret. “Oh! Guess who I saw at Mrs. Young’s birthday party? Xena and Sean.“You wanna hear some scandal that’ll
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 334
The next morning, Layla woke up in bed with a pounding head.She sat up, rubbing her temples. Suddenly, bits of last night came flooding back. In an instant, she was wide awake.Wait a second—Did she really lean in that close and whisper that whole scandal about Sean into William’s ear last night?And in that position?That close?Saying that kind of gossip?Oh god.Layla slapped her cheeks in frustration, practically on the verge of tears.“Alcohol ruins lives! Of all the times to spill that story, why did I have to do it then?”She flopped back with a dramatic sigh. “Congratulations, Layla. You’ve officially embarrassed yourself.”After mentally preparing herself to face the world or at least pretend to have blacked out the whole thing, she finally got out of bed.When she walked into the living room, she was surprised to find everything from last night already cleaned up—takeout boxes gone, beer bottles cleared, pillows neatly back in place.Layla couldn’t help but fee
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 335
Layla met Gwen’s gaze with a calm smile. “I run a tiny studio. I’m hardly qualified to work with the Lucas Corporation.”Gwen kept her professional smile in place. “You’re too modest. With your talent, I’m sure you’ll go far. We’re definitely looking forward to seeing where your studio goes.”“I’m not big on assumptions. I just want to stay grounded and take things one step at a time.”Looking at Layla’s composed expression, Gwen’s heart sank slightly. This woman was sharper than she had expected.“Well, thank you again for the interview.” Gwen stood up and extended a hand. “I hope we get the chance to work together again.”Layla glanced down at Gwen’s fair, well-manicured hand then paused. Where was the ring?William had worn his for three years. Why wasn’t Gwen wearing one?Seeing that Layla still hadn’t lifted her hand, Gwen called out with a smile, “Miss Xander?”That snapped Layla out of her thoughts. She lightly shook Gwen’s hand and replied politely, “Let’s hope so
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 336
Layla stepped into her office and turned to her assistant. “You can go. I need a minute.”“Of course.”As the assistant opened the door to leave, she froze in surprise. “M-Mr. Lucas?”Layla looked up. “Why are you here?”“I told you I needed to talk. Why’d you run?” William stepped past the assistant without hesitation. The assistant, catching the mood, quietly stepped out and shut the door behind her.As he approached, Layla frowned. “You just left Miss Harris out there?”“She’ll wait,” William said matter-of-factly, then shifted topics. “I want to talk about the Perry family.”Layla blinked. “You actually remembered that?”“Of course. It’s not a small matter.”His serious tone made her uneasy. “There’s more to it?”William nodded. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Xena.”He paused before continuing, “Three years ago, after your accident, I tried to use Mr. Perry Sr.’s ‘gift’ as bait to draw out whoever was backing Xena. Does that ring a bell?”He could have brou
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 400
“Don’t tell her I’m awake. And don’t let her come to the hospital,” William said quietly.Ivan frowned. “Why not? She’s been running herself ragged for you. She even made me promise to notify her the moment you woke up…”“Not until I know whether this accident had anything to do with me,” William cut in, his voice calm and unreadable.What Ivan didn’t know was that William had been awake for a while—long enough to overhear the full story Ivan shared about the car crash.Layla had just returned to the country. She couldn’t possibly have made any enemies dangerous enough to try and kill her.And yet the timing of the crash was too perfect. It happened the same night the two families were supposed to meet.Whoever orchestrated it clearly wanted to use Layla to throw him off and keep him from showing up.William’s eyes darkened. “I’ll have someone keep an eye on her—discreetly.”Ivan hesitated. “But… won’t she be really hurt by this?”“Will she?” William closed his eyes slow
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 399
“That accident felt way too convenient,” Wilson said, narrowing his eyes at Ivan. “What really happened?”Given how worked up Wilson had been earlier, Ivan knew he couldn’t keep him in the dark any longer. He gave him a look and motioned toward the window, away from the bedroom door.Keeping his voice low, Ivan spoke cautiously, always watching the door out of the corner of his eye.When he finished explaining everything, Wilson was visibly stunned. “Someone was trying to hurt Miss Xander?”“Yeah. The driver’s still in the ICU. No idea when he’ll wake up.”Ivan’s brows drew together, his expression tight. “I read the report from the scene. For the impact to be that severe, the other car had to be going fast and with all that traffic on the overpass…“If William hadn’t swerved to block it, it could’ve caused a multi-car pile-up. And if Layla had been the one brought to the hospital instead, her injuries might’ve been a lot worse.”“Wait… are you saying—” Wilson’s face went
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 398
At the Harris estate, the moment Gwen heard that William had been in a car accident, she shot to her feet.“I have to go see him!”Mrs. Harris Sr. grabbed her hand, frowning. “What’s the rush? Didn’t the Lucases say he’s not seriously hurt?”Gwen pressed her lips together. “But Grandma, the only reason William didn’t show up last night was because of the accident. Are you still angry with him?”“And that accident happened a little too conveniently, don’t you think?” Mrs. Harris Sr. snapped.“Grandma! You can’t just assume things like that. Do you really think William would risk his life just to get out of an engagement?”Seeing Gwen’s tone shift, Mrs. Harris Sr. frowned. “Look at you—raising your voice to me over this boy.”“I just think it’s unfair,” Gwen said quietly.“You’re letting your feelings cloud your judgment.”Mrs. Harris Sr. gave her a pointed look. “I asked their man for details about the accident and he couldn’t give me a straight answer. He didn’t ev
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 397
Scarlett shot to her feet and stormed toward the door, ready to confront Layla—only to be stopped by Ivan, who rushed in just in time.“Aunt Scarlett, where are you going? William hasn’t even woken up yet. You should be with him.”“Move!” she shouted, shoving at him with all her strength. But Ivan held firm, refusing to budge.“Please, calm down,” he said urgently. “William’s condition isn’t critical. Once he wakes up, we can get the full story. But right now, we can’t blame Miss Xander.”Scarlett was furious. “You’re still defending her? Are you trying to get William killed too?”“No!” Ivan was growing desperate. “I’m just stating the facts. This crash was anything but normal. Miss Xander had no idea it was coming. She’s the one who brought William to the hospital. She stayed up all night with him!“She was the one who asked me to suppress the news. Because of that, we avoided a PR nightmare. She’s done everything she could to help. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like this
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 396
By the time Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Sr. arrived at the hospital, Levi had already been alerted and rushed to the inpatient wing to meet them.As soon as he stepped off the elevator, a sharp slap rang out down the hallway.It was immediately followed by Scarlett’s shrill, out-of-control voice.“It’s you, isn’t it? You brought this on him! You’re a curse—anyone who gets close to you ends up ruined! Can’t you just stay away from William?“Layla Xander, how far are you planning to drag him down before you’re satisfied? He’s my only son! If anything happens to him, I swear I’ll take you with me!”By the time she reached the end, Scarlett had broken down completely, sobbing hysterically as she shoved Layla aside and stormed into the hospital room.Mr. Lucas Sr. followed behind her without sparing Layla a single glance.Layla stood frozen in place, a bright red slap mark across her cheek but her face remained eerily calm, like the sting hadn’t even registered.The whole thing happened so f
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 395
“I heard from Wilson,” Ivan said. “Mrs. Harris Sr. and Mr. Lucas Sr. both blew up when William didn’t show last night. Word is, Mr. Lucas Sr. has people out searching the whole city for him.“If they find out he got into an accident while…” He trailed off mid-sentence, but Layla didn’t need him to finish. She was smart and she already knew what he meant.“This has to do with me. I can’t avoid that,” she said quietly. “If the Lucas or Harris families want to come after me, let them.”Her eyes never left William.Right now, the only thing she cared about was seeing him open his eyes—and asking him why he would risk his life just to block that car.*But the truth couldn’t stay hidden for long.The news of William’s accident inevitably broke.At the Lucas family estate, Mr. Lucas Sr. shot to his feet. “What? You’re telling me William got into a car accident last night?”“Yes, sir,” the assistant said, head lowered. “Mr. Ivan Dixon had the story locked down. We only manag
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 394
That night, news of William’s car accident on the overpass was kept tightly under wraps.When Ivan arrived at the hospital, William had just been wheeled out of surgery. Panicked, he grabbed Levi and immediately started firing off questions.“How is he? Did he lose an arm or a leg? Will he wake up? Is he—”“Calm down,” Levi said patiently.“The impact hit the passenger side. William is mostly okay—just a mild concussion and a fractured right hand. He just got out of surgery.”Ivan finally exhaled. “Thank God… When Miss Xander called and asked me to lock down the news online, I was scared out of my mind.”“Wait—” Levi blinked. “Miss Xander called you?”“Yeah!” Ivan looked curious. “It all happened so fast, I didn’t even get the full story. Was she with him when the accident happened?“I mean, I heard from Wilson Harris that William skipped the dinner with the Harris family but I didn’t think he’d gone to find Miss Xander.”Ivan glanced around. “Where is she, anyway?”“She went
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 393
At this point, Mrs. Harris Sr. was done playing nice.She turned to Mr. Lucas Sr. and said bluntly, “We’re all here now. Just tell me straight—did William actually agree to this engagement or not?”“He did, he did—” Scarlett cut in quickly, trying to smooth things over.But Mrs. Harris Sr. slammed her palm on the table, making everyone jump. “If he agreed, then where is he?”Mr. Lucas Sr. finally spoke, his voice slow and steady. “This isn’t up to him. Whether he agrees or not doesn’t matter. He’s not here? Fine. We can still move forward with the engagement.”“What kind of logic is that?” Mrs. Harris Sr. snapped. “If he couldn’t even bother to show up, that tells me exactly how little he cares about my granddaughter. And you expect me to hand her over just like that?”She glared across the table. “Let me be very clear. Before I agree to anything, William has to look me in the eye and swear that he’ll treat Gwen right for the rest of his life. No sincerity, no marriage.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 392
Hannah stood frozen in shock, watching as Layla smashed through the car window and reached inside to unlock the door.“William, can you hear me? William, wake up…”Layla’s voice trembled with panic. She had managed to get the door open, but she didn’t dare move him. Her first instinct was to check his breathing. As her fingertips brushed under his nose, she felt the steady warmth of his breath.Only then did the tight knot in her chest loosen slightly. Her mind slowly began to clear.She knew the risks. With an accident like this, unconsciousness could mean internal injuries and without trained medics on-site, moving him could do more harm than good.So all she could do was keep calling his name.“William… please, wake up. Don’t scare me like this…”Her voice cracked, and a wave of helplessness crashed over her. She was choking back tears now, unable to stop her hands from shaking as she pounded weakly on the seat.Hannah finally stepped closer and gasped.Layla’s hands were c
