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
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.
Half an hour ago, a young woman had shown up at the Perry estate gates, shouting through a megaphone, accusing Felix of getting her drunk at a party and trying to assault her.Felix’s father, Wilfred, had quickly shown up with security. They confiscated the megaphone, dispersed the gathering neighbors, and managed to restore some order to the estate.But the damage had been done. Mr. Perry Sr. had heard everything loud and clear. Now, he sat in his room, chest heaving with rage.“Where’s that bastard?” he growled through clenched teeth.“Mr. Felix is on his way,” the butler replied. “Mr. Wilfred asked him to come home and face the girl directly. The truth needs to come out, one way or another.”“What truth is left to uncover?!” Mr. Perry Sr. slammed his hand on the edge of the bed several times. “No girl would lie about something like this. Clearly, she was pushed to the brink!“I think Wilfred is still trying to cover for that little bastard!”Worked up, Mr. Perry Sr. was sudde
Hearing Felix shout with such confidence, the girl trembled even harder, tears falling like a broken string of pearls.“You… how can you twist the truth like that…” She bit down hard on her lip, her red-rimmed eyes locked on him.“How am I twisting anything?” Felix shot back, unshaken. “You got close to me just to secure a full-time position. You’re young, but so calculating—I really fell for it! I thought you were sweet and innocent, but turns out you’re the most ambitious one of all.“You came here today to throw around wild accusations. Was it all for money?“Oh wait, that’s right! Your mom’s in the hospital, right? If you needed money, you could’ve just asked me! But no—you had to pull this stunt to extort me. You want to play this game? Fine. I’ll call the police. I’ll have you arrested for slander.”“Fine!”The girl shouted, throwing her arms in the air, her stance full of defiance—ready to go down with the ship if she had to.“Go ahead! Call the police! Have them dra
Mr. Perry Sr. looked utterly disappointed. “Felix, I’ve always known life hasn’t been easy for you. That’s why I never interfered when your father spoiled you.“But I never imagined he’d go so far, raising you into someone who’s arrogant, reckless, and completely without respect for rules or decency.”“Grandpa, I really—”“That’s enough.”Wilfred raised a hand to stop Felix. He had already seen where this was headed.If they didn’t give the girl a proper resolution today, Mr. Perry Sr. would have no problem sacrificing Felix to protect the Perry family’s reputation.Wilfred looked Mr. Perry Sr. in the eye and said solemnly, “Dad, however you decide to deal with Felix, I won’t object.”“Dad!” Felix’s face paled as he looked between them, but one sharp warning glance from Wilfred shut him up instantly.The room fell into heavy silence.Mr. Perry Sr.’s voice was raspy as he spoke slowly, “Young lady, the Perry family will make this right—we’ll compensate you… and this little brat
“Sean, did you hear? Felix is going to be your assistant!”Susan’s voice practically trembled with excitement as she clutched her son’s arm. She and Kiera had returned late and missed the fireworks firsthand but the housekeeper had already filled them in.“You’ve finally made it!” she beamed. “After the way Felix screwed up today, there's no way your grandpa will warm back up to him anytime soon. All we have to do now is stay in his good graces, and the Perry heir title is as good as yours!”Unfortunately, her triumphant words fell right into Wilfred’s ears. He had just come back in from the courtyard after making a call. Felix’s phone was still off, so he had no choice but to send bodyguards out to look for him—just in case he did something stupid again.Already frustrated, hearing that just added fuel to the fire.Wilfred’s expression darkened. “Keep dreaming.”His sudden voice made Susan jump.Sean met his father’s icy stare, not even bothering with a greeting. He just watc
“No, Sean, how could you say that about yourself? You’re not—”“Alright, you don’t have to say more.”Sean glanced in the direction Wilfred had gone, his eyes dark with determination. “Whatever’s meant to be mine, I won’t let anyone take it. One day, I’ll make sure you can hold your head high in this family.”Seeing the ambition brewing in her son’s eyes, Susan felt a deep sense of satisfaction. “I believe in you.”*The next morning, the sound of servants moving luggage stirred everyone awake in the Perry estate.Wilfred caught the butler by the arm. “What’s going on here?”“Mr. Perry Sr. is moving out to rest somewhere quieter.”“Where?” Wilfred pressed.“Not sure yet—it’s up to Mr. Lucas.”At that, Wilfred’s heart sank. Why was William Lucas suddenly involved?This couldn’t happen. If Mr. Perry Sr. left the estate and cut off contact, Sean becoming Felix’s supervisor would be locked in. There would be no reversing it.Just then, Wilfred saw the butler helping Mr. Perry S
After settling Mr. Perry Sr. into his new room at the nursing home and leaving the butler to keep watch, Layla stepped out into the hallway. In the distance, she spotted William speaking with a doctor.Perhaps sensing her gaze, William looked up and met her eyes. He then gave the doctor a polite nod to wrap things up.As the doctor walked away, Layla approached. “What were you two talking about?”“Levi asked me to bring Mr. Perry Sr.'s medical records so the staff here would have a full picture moving forward.”His eyes drifted past her, toward the room behind. “How’s he doing?”Layla tried to hold back a laugh and shot him a playful glare. “Now you care about Grandpa Perry’s feelings? Where was that concern when you sent someone to make a scene outside the house?“He’s spent his whole life protecting the family’s reputation and you used that to force him out. How do you think that made him feel?”William furrowed his brows. “You figured it out?”“Yesterday, the butler called
“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
“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
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.
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 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
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
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