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Chapter 332
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 337
Layla let out a slow breath, not even sure where the sudden wave of frustration came from.*That afternoon, after wrapping up work, she grabbed her car keys and headed toward the Perry family estate.As her car pulled into the driveway, she spotted a familiar Maybach parked near the entrance. It was too late to turn back now.The butler came over to open the car door for her, smiling warmly. “It’s lively here today. Mr. Perry Sr. will be thrilled. Mr. Lucas is already inside.”Layla nodded, inwardly resigned. If she had known William would be here too, she might have waited a day.“These past few years, Mr. Lucas has been visiting often,” the butler continued. “Mr. Perry Sr. always jokes he sees him more than his own grandkids.”He glanced at her with a knowing smile. “Mr. Perry Sr.’s favorite younger generation has always been the two of you. If you ever ended up together, I bet he’d throw in a very generous gift.”Layla forced a polite chuckle. “You’re teasing me, sir.”She
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 338
At the sound of the voice, Layla turned to see Susan standing not far away with her arms crossed. Kiera was right beside her.Her gaze cooled instantly. She knew coming to the Perry estate meant there was always a chance she would run into someone unpleasant but that didn’t make it any less annoying when it happened.“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Lucas,” Susan chirped the moment she saw William, her voice turning suddenly sweet. “How thoughtful of you to visit Mr. Perry Sr. so often. He’s truly blessed to have someone like you around.”William didn’t even bother responding. He turned to Layla and asked quietly, “Want to head back?”“Yeah,” she nodded. She planned to talk with him later about the nursing home plan anyway. Once Mr. Perry Sr. was settled, she could finally draw a clear line between herself and William.“Mr. Lucas,” Susan’s voice rang out again, louder this time. “I heard you’re getting engaged to Miss Harris. What a happy occasion! Be sure to send me an invitation. I’ll bri
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 339
Layla looked away and muttered, “We’ll see.”That feeling of being completely seen through—it still rubbed her the wrong way.No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to slip out from under William’s control. He was always one step ahead. Even the nursing home idea, he had predicted her move before she made it.To him, she was an open book.But him? Layla still couldn’t figure him out.*The next day, Susan accompanied Kiera to the women’s hospital for her check-up.Kiera took the VIP route into the exam room, while Susan stayed behind in the waiting area.She was bored, glancing around aimlessly, when a familiar figure exiting a room across the hall caught her eye.Just as the person was about to turn a corner, Susan quickly ducked behind a pillar. She watched the figure disappear down the hallway, eyes narrowing. “What’s Xena doing in the OB-GYN department?” she wondered.Her curiosity piqued, Susan’s mind started turning. An idea hit her.She rushed into the e
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 340
Half an hour later, Sean stepped into the cafe and immediately spotted Susan waving him over in a flustered panic.He walked up, brow slightly furrowed. “What’s so urgent?”Susan grabbed his arm and practically dragged him into the booth. “I went to the hospital with Kiera this morning. Guess who we saw?”Sean’s heart skipped a beat. “Who?”“Xena Xander! She’s pregnant!”Susan clenched her teeth, practically spitting out the words. “That woman is something else. She’s done everything she can to get pregnant with a Perry baby. She’s determined to marry into this family.“She’s been with Felix for ages and never got pregnant. I honestly thought Felix was the problem…”“How do you even know it’s Felix’s—”Sean caught himself mid-sentence, realizing too late how it sounded. He quickly corrected, “I mean, how did you find out Xena’s pregnant?”“I asked the doctor.”Susan looked more annoyed by the second. “If I hadn’t run into her, we wouldn’t have known until she started showing.
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 460
“I used to think I knew her pretty well,” Layla said as she leaned casually against the doorframe, crossing her arms loosely over her chest. She tilted her head slightly to look at William. “But people change, don’t they?”William lowered his gaze, only to meet the teasing glint in her eyes. For a moment, his heart skipped a beat.“I’ve actually heard a few things about Hannah Stone,” Carter chimed in, stepping closer. “She’s the youngest daughter of the Stone family. She’s got an older brother, Stanley Stone. He’s a total screw-up. A couple of years ago, he got hooked on online gambling, lost a ton of money, and even had loan sharks show up at their door.”Carter shook his head, clicking his tongue. “If someone like that existed in the Lucas family, Grandpa would’ve kicked him out of the family tree ages ago.“But Hannah’s dad? He’s a different story. Not only did he pay off all of Stanley’s debts, he even forced him into the family business and had Hannah work under him as his
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 459
“I already ate...” Hannah said, standing awkwardly by the table. She couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. “Layla, I didn’t know you had company tonight. Am I interrupting?”“It’s fine.” Layla smiled easily. “Mr. Lucas and Carter are both friends of mine. No need to feel so nervous.”Just then, Carter suddenly smacked his forehead like he had just remembered something. He pointed at Hannah in surprise. “Wait a second... you’re the General Manager of QS Entertainment!”Hannah gave a sheepish smile. “Yeah, that’s me. I’m Hannah Stone.”“You know Layla?” Carter looked at Layla, full of curiosity. “How come I didn’t know about this? When did you two meet?”“We met overseas,” Layla replied casually.She reached out, pulling Hannah toward the table with a smile. “You’re a guest. Come on, have a seat.”Hannah sat down obediently, though she still felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was quietly sizing her up.She glanced around a
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 458
Night had fallen by the time Layla finally dragged her exhausted body home. The moment she stepped out of the elevator, she heard Carter’s excited voice.“Sis! You’re back!”She looked over when she heard his voice and saw Carter and William standing outside her door, seemingly about to ring the doorbell.“Why are you back so late? Didn’t Grandpa already put the word out not to—”Halfway through his sentence, Carter suddenly realized he had said too much. He quickly cut himself off, looking embarrassed.“Sorry, Sis. I didn’t mean that.”“It’s fine.” Layla walked toward them and caught sight of the takeout box in Carter’s hands. One glance and she instantly recognized the packaging. It was from a Michelin-starred restaurant in North City.Carter immediately lifted the box like he was showing off a treasure. “You haven’t eaten yet, right? Perfect timing! Uncle William told me to bring you dinner so we could eat together. The head chef at this place is notoriously hard to book.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 457
After waiting for five minutes and seeing that no one else stood up to leave, Layla finally spoke up in a clear, steady voice.“Thank you, everyone, for trusting me. Now, let’s get down to business and discuss how we’re going to move forward with the new operating plan.”*Meanwhile, Mike was reporting everything his team had found straight to William.William frowned. “Why is Eason Lopez looking for her at a time like this?”“I’m guessing he heard about Miss Xander’s studio running into trouble and went to check in on her,” Mike offered cautiously.“When did they get to know each other?” William asked coldly.Mike scratched the back of his head, a little unsure. “Eason came by with a gift when Miss Xander’s studio first opened. But… before that, I don’t think they had any real connection.”“Don’t think?” Catching the cold look in William’s eyes, Mike immediately lowered his head. “I’ll arrange for someone to look into it thoroughly.”At that moment, Mr. Perry Sr., who had
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 456
The atmosphere inside the conference room felt heavy.The studio had just been established, and now it was facing a massive wave of cancellations. Losing money was bad enough but the damage to morale was far worse.Gone was the excitement and drive from just a few weeks ago. Now, everyone sat around the table looking discouraged, their energy completely deflated.It wasn’t until Layla and her assistant walked into the room that everyone straightened up a little and greeted her in unison, though their voices lacked their usual enthusiasm.“Miss Xander.”Layla walked to the head of the table and bowed slightly. “I’m truly sorry,” she said slowly. “It was my personal matters that ended up affecting the studio. I’ve dragged all of you into this with me, and for that, I owe you an apology.”“Miss Xander, don’t say that! We all believe in you. This can’t possibly be your fault!” “No matter what happens, we’re willing to stick with you and get through this together!”“That’s righ
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 455
Layla looked completely serious. “Once I get the chance to set him straight, I’ll make sure he apologizes to you in person.”“Good,” Eason replied lazily. “That way, I can finally find out who the photographer was that re-shot his portfolio back then.”His tone was casual, almost indifferent, but his words made Layla’s heart skip a beat.So he was here for her.“Or…” Eason added casually, narrowing his eyes, “do you happen to know who it was?”“I—How would I know?” Layla instinctively denied it, a little too quickly. She was terrified Eason would start questioning her on the spot, and then their senior-junior relationship would be over before she knew it.If it had just been a simple technical disagreement, that would have been one thing. But given the situation back then, Layla had deliberately stepped in to shoot Carter’s photos. In the photography world, that was basically slapping Eason’s reputation in the face.Anyone would hold a grudge over something like that. No wond
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
