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Chapter 370
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 371
When Layla instinctively took a step back, Xena’s expression froze with embarrassment.“Layla, I really am happy to see you…” she said, stopping awkwardly. “Last time, we didn’t even get a proper chance to talk.”Her voice was soft and cautious, each word carefully delivered with that oh-so-innocent look on her face. “Layla, it’s a miracle you came back alive. I really believe it’s heaven giving me a chance to make things right. From now on—”“There’s no ‘from now on’ between us.”Annoyance flickered across Layla’s face. She hadn’t expected it, but somehow, Xena’s fake sweetness had only gotten worse after three years.“Layla, I know you’re still angry with me, and with the family.”Xena lowered her gaze slightly, looking even more pitiful. “What we did back then really was too cruel. After we thought you were gone, we’ve been living in guilt ever since…”“Oh?” Layla let out a cold laugh. “And how exactly have you been repenting? I’d love to hear the details.”Xena went quiet.
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“I—I didn’t! How could I be following you?” Shane stammered, quickly thinking on his feet. He gave her an awkward smile. “I was just dropping Xena off. She came to borrow some jewelry from Mrs. Jackson for an event. Then I got word that Layla was here.“I saw you nearby, and you didn’t look happy… so naturally, I thought maybe you’d run into her. You’ve told me more than once that you can’t stand her.“With all those coincidences lining up, of course that was my first thought.”Carly stared at him for a long moment, skeptical, but eventually relented. “Fine. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt—just this once.”Shane quietly let out a breath of relief, then pushed on, “So… I was right, wasn’t I? She upset you? What happened exactly?”Carly’s expression remained cold. “Even if you're right, it’s none of your business. Shane, I’ve said it before—I’m not interested in you. Can you please leave me alone?”“Carly, don’t always shut people out like this!”He reached for her hand,
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“You’d better mean that,” Carly said sharply before turning on her heel.Her footsteps picked up speed with every stride, a silent reminder to Shane of just how badly she wanted to get away from him.As soon as she disappeared, Xena appeared behind him.“She’s already gone. What are you still staring after her for?”“None of your business,” Shane snapped, shooting her a glare. “Is Layla still upstairs?”“Yeah. Didn’t Carly just join her studio? Strange she’s not by her side,” Xena said with a tilt of her head.“Keep your voice down!” Shane immediately reached out and clamped a hand over her mouth, lowering his voice. “Carly can’t know that we all know she’s working at Layla Studio. If she starts digging into that night, she’ll find out I was the one who called those thugs to trash the place!“If she finds out, I’m done. She’ll never give me another chance.”Xena pulled his hand off her face and blinked innocently. “So, Shane… are you really going to just let her stay at Layla S
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“Miss Xander, could you come take a look?”The call snapped Layla out of her drifting thoughts. The memory that had seemed so close—right at her fingertips—vanished without a trace.She furrowed her brows. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall where she had seen that ring before.Then again… how could she have seen it?Shaking off the thought, Layla returned Mrs. Jackson’s phone with a polite smile. “You’re welcome to head out now. Once we finish up and organize the raw shots, someone will contact you to come by the studio and select your images.”“Perfect,” Mrs. Jackson said cheerfully. “Watching you work has been a treat. I know I’m in good hands!”After seeing her off, Layla threw herself back into the shoot.Before they knew it, the sun had dipped below the horizon. The day’s work was finally done.When the team returned to the studio, they assumed everyone else had already gone home. But to their surprise, the lights were still on and a delicious smell lingered
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The rest of the team raised their glasses as well. “Cheers!”Caught off guard by their enthusiasm, Carly hesitated, her lips pressed into a thin line, not quite sure what to do.Lily simply shoved a drink into her hand, then grabbed her wrist and raised both their glasses high. “We’re a team now!”Laughter and cheers filled the room as everyone took a sip.Carly followed along, taking a small drink. Her heart was unexpectedly full. These bright, energetic faces were the ones who helped Begonia bring every masterpiece to life.And in that moment, for the first time, she felt a real desire to be part of this team—not just in name, but in spirit.The joyful atmosphere didn’t last long. As the night grew late, team members began to trickle out.Carly volunteered to stay behind and help clean up. Carrying out a bag of trash, she paused on her way back and noticed that the light in Layla’s upstairs office was still on.After tossing the trash, she made her way upstairs and knocked on
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 376
From Ivan, Layla learned the full story behind Shane’s so-called “pursuit” of Carly.It had always been one-sided—Shane clinging like a persistent shadow, while Carly avoided him at all costs. And yet, she still hadn’t managed to shake him off.After hanging up, Layla couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy. “Of all people, why did Carly have to be the one to catch his attention?” she thought.And Shane? He was absolutely delusional. Even if he somehow “won” Carly’s heart, did he really think the Lucas family would let their heiress marry into the Xander family?The gap between the two families was a canyon—wide and impossible to cross.Without meaning to, her mind wandered to William’s face.Now that she thought about it, it had been a long time since she had seen him.She had been so busy lately—out early, back late—that she hadn’t even had the time to glance next door. She didn’t even know if he had already moved out.Her gaze drifted to the corner of her laptop screen.
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“Alright, wait for me.”Layla quickly made a U-turn at the next light and entered the address Jenny had sent her into the GPS.Less than twenty minutes later, she arrived at the venue and followed a staff member who offered to guide her.This tea gathering had been arranged by Jenny herself—not only to thank their friends for showing up in support of Layla, but also to help Layla build deeper connections within the circle.Through the door of the private room, Layla could already hear the cheerful chatter and laughter. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing to apologize for being late.That was when a cold voice rang out behind her.“What are you doing here?”Layla paused mid-step and turned around—only to see Gwen standing arm-in-arm with Scarlett. The two of them looked like the perfect mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo.Scarlett frowned, sizing Layla up from head to toe. “Even a no-name photographer can get into this place now? The bar’s really dropped. Maybe next ti
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Gwen looked visibly embarrassed. “Mrs. Lucas, I’m sure Miss Jasper didn’t mean it like that…”“She absolutely did!”Scarlett, still fuming, made a move to march over and bang on the door again—only for Gwen to quickly grab her arm and stop her.“Mrs. Lucas, don’t you have another gathering to attend? It's getting late. You really shouldn’t waste your time getting worked up over something like this.”Her voice was gentle and coaxing as she slowly guided Scarlett toward their reserved private room.Once inside, Scarlett still looked furious. She sat stiffly in the main seat and didn’t say a word for a long while.One of the other ladies leaned over and whispered to Gwen, “What’s wrong with Mrs. Lucas?”“It’s nothing, really. She’ll be fine in a bit,” Gwen replied with a polite smile. “You all go ahead and eat, chat as you like.”Seeing she didn’t want to elaborate, the women exchanged subtle glances but didn’t press further. The conversation eventually turned toward Gwen.“I hea
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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
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
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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
