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Chapter 374
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 375
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.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 377
“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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 378
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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 379
In their memory, Scarlett used to talk endlessly about fine art. She would go on and on like an expert, often expressing admiration and even awe for the great masters.So how was it that now, when she actually had the chance to mingle with the masters, she suddenly looked down on them?The other women in the room were all wondering the same thing.Only Gwen knew the real reason behind it all. She stood up to smooth things over.“Mrs. Lucas just meant… it might be a bit abrupt for us to drop in uninvited.“After all, it’s a private gathering of masters. They’ve always preferred a quiet setting. I doubt they want outsiders barging in.”After hearing that explanation, the ladies slowly nodded in agreement. “That’s true…”*Inside the other room, Jenny was still fuming.“That Mrs. Lucas really looks down on people! She actually had the nerve to insult my student!“If it weren’t for the past ties I had with Mr. Lucas, I wouldn’t have been so polite just now.”She turned to the ot
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 380
Compared to the studio’s launch party, this gathering felt even more relaxed. With a few glasses of wine in their system, the room was full of laughter and easy chatter.It was so lively that Layla almost didn’t hear her phone ringing. She only noticed when her screen lit up and saw it was her assistant calling.“Excuse me, I’ll just step out and take this,” she said to Jenny before slipping out of the room.But as soon as she stepped into the hallway, the call ended. She was just about to call back when a voice stopped her.“Miss Xander, I’ve been waiting for you to come out.”Gwen stood there, her tone overly polite. “I just wanted to apologize on Mrs. Lucas’s behalf. Please don’t take what she said earlier to heart. She’s just… a little blunt sometimes. She doesn’t mean anything by it—”“Are you apologizing as her future daughter-in-law?” Layla suddenly cut her off.Gwen froze. “Does that matter?”“You’re right,” Layla gave a bitter smile. “It doesn’t matter at all.”What G
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 381
Even now, Gwen couldn’t help wondering—if she had confessed her feelings earlier, would she have made it into William’s heart before Layla?But life didn’t work like that. There were no what-ifs. She had already lost, long ago.By the time Gwen snapped out of her thoughts, Layla had already walked off, her steps light and unsteady.“Miss Harris, why bother saying so much to her?” A soft voice drifted from behind.Gwen turned to see Kiera. “What are you doing here?”“You’d been gone a while. Mrs. Lucas asked me to look for you. I happened to overhear your conversation with Miss Xander.”Kiera’s voice was calm, her smile gentle and refined, exuding an easy warmth. “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. But if it makes you uncomfortable, I can pretend I didn’t hear anything.“Before that, though, I just want to say a few words. You're from the Harris family. That alone puts you far above most people. Let’s not even talk about someone like Miss Xander.“Mr. Lucas was born into the Lu
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 382
Since William couldn’t peel Layla’s hands off, he had no choice but to let her sit on his lap. He stayed seated in the back of the car, holding her the whole time—back straight, posture impeccable, radiating gentlemanly restraint.“Stupid rich families… screw your stupid rich families…“So what if you’ve got money? You’re not giving any to me! Acting like you’re some big shot? Go ahead, throw your money at me—see if it knocks me out!”She sniffled, rubbing her teary eyes on his suit jacket. “I’m gonna make money… a lot of money…“I’ll be my own damn rich family…”Then she looked up at him, eyes red and watery, and stared straight at William. “Why don’t you marry into my family?”William was rendered speechless.In the front seat, Mike had been holding back his laughter for ages. When he caught a glimpse of William’s exasperated face in the mirror, he couldn’t hold it anymore. A snort escaped.He had followed William for years but had never seen a woman this bold, this gutsy.
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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
