LOGINShare
Chapter 407
Related chapters
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 408
A full week had passed, and Layla still hadn’t shown up at the hospital. There was not even a single message asking about him.By the time William was ready for discharge, he was in a foul mood, surrounded by an air of cold hostility that warned everyone to stay away.Inside the hospital room, the atmosphere was tense. No one dared speak, as if even the slightest noise might set off a ticking time bomb.Suddenly, a voice broke through the silence.“Uncle William!”Carter came rushing in, dragging a suitcase behind him. Completely unaware of the dark look on William’s face, he immediately launched into a rant.“You guys are way too good at keeping secrets! Seriously, am I not part of this family?“If I hadn’t called my mom after getting back and heard her accidentally let it slip, how much longer were you planning on keeping me in the dark about the accident?“I was abroad for work, not on another planet! You could’ve told me. It’s my uncle we’re talking about here! What kind of
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 409
Out in the hallway, Ivan had just finished telling Carter about the accident when they saw William walking out of the ICU. The two immediately stepped forward.But before they could ask anything, William brushed right past them without a word.They exchanged a glance and instantly understood that he hadn't gotten any answers.Once outside, William got into the car. Mike turned slightly and asked in a low voice, “Mr. Lucas, we’ve found the driver’s home address. Should we head there now?”Because the driver had been using an unregistered plate, it took a lot of digging for Mike to uncover his real identity.“Does he have family?” William asked.“Yes, a wife and kid.”“Let’s go see them.”With that, William rested his elbow against the car window and pressed his fingers to his temple. His eyes lowered slightly, his expression unreadable, hidden in shadow.The car ride was silent.Mike drove them through the bustling city and out toward the suburbs. Nearly an hour later, they pu
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 410
Layla took a steady breath. “I just spoke with the old lady downstairs. She said the family across from her in Unit 802 hasn’t been around for over two weeks.“Before I came, I also talked to the landlord. He said the apartment was rented by a family of three. The husband worked as a security guard for one of the Lucas Corporation’s subsidiaries, the wife stayed home full-time to care for their child, and the kid apparently has some health issues and goes to the hospital frequently.”She pulled a folded sheet of paper from her pocket and held it out to William. “Here’s their information. You can track their whereabouts by checking which hospital the child visited most recently.“Since you’re already here, why don’t you go talk to Dr. Young and look into the kid’s medical records? That should lead you to them pretty quickly.”Despite the intensity of William’s stare, Layla remained composed, meeting his eyes with calm certainty.When he didn’t respond, she raised a brow slightly. “
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 411
“I’m guessing the reason that driver refused to say anything was all because of his kid. Whoever’s behind this must’ve used the promise of sending his wife and child overseas as leverage. That’s his biggest weakness,” Levi added.“Yeah.” William lifted his gaze toward the night sky, his voice calm and deliberate. “I’ve decided to go back to the Lucas estate to recover.”Levi was caught off guard. “Why all of a sudden? You—”Halfway through his sentence, a chilling thought hit him. His stomach dropped. “Wait... you think someone in your own family is involved?”William didn’t respond.But when he really thought about it, who would have the most to lose if he went through with marrying Gwen? And who had the ability to quietly reach someone working for the Lucas Corporation?The answer was almost painfully obvious. However, it was just a guess without proof.At this point, there was only one way to get to the bottom of it. He had to step right into the game himself.After all,
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 412
An hour later, Mr. Lucas Sr. and the rest of the family walked into the living room.Scarlett was the first to speak. “William, your father and both your brothers came to see you!”William was sitting on the couch, casually flipping through some documents with one hand. It wasn’t until he heard the commotion that he finally looked up. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his sharp eyes showed no emotion whatsoever.Mr. Lucas Sr. stepped closer and glanced at the papers in William’s hand. “You just got out of the hospital. Shouldn’t you be resting instead of working?”“There was some work piling up while I was admitted. I figured I’d try to clear as much of it as I can over the next few days.”William gestured for them to sit before setting the file aside.“You don’t have to push yourself so hard,” Mr. Lucas Sr. said as he sat across from him. “Your health should come first.”Zion and Lucien each took a seat on the nearby armchairs.Scarlett, seizing the moment, sat down next to Will
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 413
Just as Scarlett was finally winding down her rant, William reached over and pressed her arm, signaling her with a look to stop talking.But at this point, it was already too late. Everything that should have been said and plenty that shouldn’t, had already come spilling out of her mouth.For a moment, an awkward silence settled over the room.Mr. Lucas Sr. cleared his throat a few times before speaking. “All I said was one sentence, and you fired back with a whole speech. Was that really necessary?“You always have to have the last word, huh? Must be nice to always think you’re right.”Scarlett scoffed, clearly still not backing down. “William didn’t stay away from home because he was rebellious. He stayed away because he was working his tail off for Lucas Corporation. I’m proud of him.“And now that he’s finally back home, it just shows he’s filial and still cares about family. I’m just as happy about that.”In Scarlett’s mind, William could do no wrong. No matter what the sit
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 414
Ever since William moved back into the Lucas family estate, the atmosphere around the house had felt complicated.The only person who seemed genuinely happy about it was Scarlett. She was completely in her element, busy every day fussing over William, making soups and cooking up all kinds of dishes to help him recover.In front of her, William would play along and take a few polite sips. But the moment she left the room, the rest of the soup always ended up in Carter’s stomach.Carter groaned, practically on the verge of tears. “Uncle William, if I keep drinking like this, my manager’s seriously going to lose it. I’ve got a photoshoot next week for new promo pictures. There’s no way I can keep helping you with this.“Oh, speaking of the shoot,” Carter squinted at William, a little too knowingly, “I’m actually having Layla do it this time.”Then, as if remembering something important, Carter narrowed his eyes. “By the way, you didn’t tell her you moved back home, did you?”William
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 415
Lately, Carter had made a habit of secretly snapping photos of William’s daily life and sending them to Layla.Even though Layla’s replies were always short and half-hearted, Carter didn’t mind one bit. In fact, he was starting to understand why paparazzi loved their jobs. There was just something about sneaking around snapping secret photos that felt dangerously exciting.“Why are you so invested in getting Layla and Uncle William together anyway?” Carly asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.Carter blinked, then answered without hesitation. “Isn’t it obvious? I just think they’re a perfect match.”Carly frowned, her gaze drifting toward William’s room, her expression complicated. “Shouldn’t Gwen be the better match? In terms of family background, education, she and Uncle William are on the same level.“She can offer him way more than Layla ever could.“Layla doesn’t even come close to Gwen. Her own family didn’t even want her. She—”“She’s the one who walked away from them
Latest chapter
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
