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Chapter 431
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 432
Just then, Maggie’s voice called from outside the storage room. “Layla, did you get the flour? Gwen’s here too. She’s going to help.”Layla reacted quickly. She raised her voice and called out, “Got it! I’ll be right there.”Without missing a beat, she turned on her phone flashlight, grabbed a bag of flour from the shelf, and stepped around William to leave. As she passed him, his low voice rumbled behind her.“This isn’t your problem. Stay out of it.”Layla didn’t answer. She simply pushed open the door and walked out, leaving William standing alone in the dark.She carried the flour back to the kitchen island, casually positioning herself just enough to block Gwen’s view of the storage room.“Miss Harris, what are you doing here?” Layla asked, her voice light. “Shouldn’t you be waiting in the pavilion?”Gwen smiled like nothing was out of the ordinary. “It was getting boring just sitting there. Thought I’d look around and find something to do.”As she spoke, her eyes lande
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 433
“How thoughtful of you.” Mrs. Harris Sr. gave a polite nod, then turned to Layla. “Your camera’s here. You can get to work now.” Her tone was casual, almost dismissive, like she was giving orders to a servant rather than speaking to a guest. There wasn’t the slightest trace of respect in it.Layla’s assistant instantly bristled. But knowing full well these were not people she could afford to offend, she forced herself to swallow her irritation.Instead, she pulled out her iPad and switched to full professional mode. “Since this was a last-minute request, we had to cancel two pre-booked shoots to accommodate today,” the assistant said evenly. “Miss Xander’s schedule is fully packed, so rescheduling wasn’t an option. We’ll have to pay a cancellation fee which I’m sure you don’t expect us to cover out of pocket.“On top of that, Miss Xander’s rate for on-location shoots is not cheap. If you really want her to handle this personally, we’ll need to sign a contract and collect a
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 434
Layla let out a faint, almost amused laugh. “Mr. Zion Lucas, you sound awfully sure of yourself. What is it? Did you plant a camera on me, or did you put one on Mr. William Lucas?”She turned slightly, her gaze cool. “I’ve been in the kitchen this whole time with Mrs. Maggie Lucas, helping her with the pastries. Even Miss Harris stopped by for a while. Why don’t you ask her if she happened to see Mr. William anywhere?”All eyes immediately shifted to Gwen. She hesitated for half a second, then shook her head. “I didn’t see him.”Layla smiled, calm and unbothered. “If one person’s word isn’t enough, Mrs. Maggie should be here soon too. I’m sure she can confirm it for you.”She looked right at Zion, meeting his gaze head-on, completely at ease.Zion stiffened, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected Layla to push back like this, especially not here on the Lucas family’s turf.Lucien stepped in, his voice calm but edged. “Miss Xander, my brother was only asking if you’d seen William. T
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 435
Layla pulled out her camera and began attaching the lens with practiced ease. “Wouldn’t that mean we wasted the whole morning for nothing?”She glanced at her assistant, her tone calm. “You can head back first if you want. I’ll be fine handling the rest on my own.”“But...” The assistant hesitated, clearly worried.Before she could say anything else, Layla gave her a reassuring look. The assistant paused, then finally nodded. “Alright. I understand.”Layla gave a small smile and patted her shoulder lightly before stepping past her. With her camera in hand, she made her way down the stone steps, starting to search for the best angle to capture the peaceful, harmonious scene around the pavilion.After what her assistant had just pulled, Layla decided to treat this like any other job. As long as she told herself everyone in front of her was just another client, it became easy to shut off her personal feelings and slip into full professional mode.Or at least, that was the plan.B
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 436
Led by the servant, Layla stepped into the room and immediately spotted Mr. Lucas Sr. standing out on the balcony.Even though she had mentally prepared herself for this, standing here alone with him still made her feel a little tense.As the door quietly clicked shut behind her, Layla steadied herself, walked toward the balcony, and spoke calmly. “Mr. Lucas Sr., you wanted to see me?”“You really don’t know why I called you here?” His voice was low, edged with impatience.Layla suppressed a sigh. “Seriously? He wanted to play guessing games now?” she muttered to herself.“If you have something to say, Mr. Lucas Sr., I’d appreciate it if you’d just say it directly. I honestly don’t know why you asked to see me.”Mr. Lucas Sr. finally turned to face her, his sharp eyes narrowing. “At this point, are you really still going to play dumb with me? Mrs. Harris Sr. brought you all the way here. You expect me to believe you can’t guess what that means?”His voice turned colder.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 437
But William ignored Mr. Lucas Sr. completely, never once looking back as he pulled Layla out of the room.“William Lucas!” Mr. Lucas Sr.’s furious shout echoed through the house, followed by the sharp crack of his hand slamming down on the balcony railing.“Grandpa, don’t get so worked up! I’ll go talk to him.” Carter blurted out.He then quickly slipped out after them, not forgetting to shut the door behind him on his way out.Mr. Lucas Sr. clenched his fists tightly, his expression stormy. Fine. He would give Layla the benefit of the doubt this once. But if he found out she had lied tonight, she wouldn’t get off easy.*“Mr. Lucas, let me go!” Layla called out, struggling against William’s grip.She called him a few more times, but the man in front of her didn’t even flinch.Frustrated, Layla finally raised her voice. “William Lucas, what exactly are you trying to do?”Suddenly, William stopped in his tracks. Layla, caught off guard, bumped straight into his back.“Where
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 438
William arrived five minutes late, only to find that Layla was nowhere to be seen.Mike immediately stepped forward. “I’ll go look for Miss Xander.”William gave a slight nod.As soon as Mike left, Scarlett came over and slipped her arm through William’s.“William,” she began gently, “I noticed you barely said a word to Gwen in front of Mrs. Harris Sr. tonight. Are you still upset?“I know what Mrs. Harris Sr. did today was a little over the top, but for my sake, and out of respect for her as an elder, could you not take it to heart?“She’s only doing all this because she wants what’s best for Gwen. What parent or grandparent doesn’t want to see their children and grandchildren happy?”As she spoke, Scarlett handed him a glass of wine. “Why don’t you go over, have a drink with Mrs. Harris Sr., and chat for a bit? After all, you’re the younger one here. It’s only right for you to take the first step.”William lowered his gaze to her hand but made no move to take the glass.“If
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 439
The spring night was damp and chilly, but Layla stood there under the freezing water, her face still flushed bright red.Noticing something wasn’t right, William grabbed a towel and strode over to her. He caught her wrist in one hand and yanked her out from under the showerhead, wrapping the towel firmly around her.She stumbled right into his chest. Through her hazy, fevered state, a little clarity returned to her eyes. “Mr. Lucas… you finally came…” Her whole body was burning from the inside out, while the icy water on her skin only made the contrast feel unbearable. It was like fire and ice colliding.When she drank that cocktail, she hadn’t expected it to hit her this hard. If she had known, she would have only taken half a glass.“It was Lucien,” she bit down on her lip, shivering uncontrollably while feeling like she might combust from the heat. “He… he told someone to send me to your room…”Layla looked up at William. Her tear-bright eyes glimmered with a hint of seduct
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 466
This was the first job offer to come their way in an entire week.The call came from a small town’s tourism office. The town was tucked away in the mountains of a southern coastal region. It was surrounded by lush scenery, but not exactly famous. It had only recently been included in a cultural tourism development project, and was still relatively unknown.At first, the person on the other end of the call sounded genuinely surprised. A studio like Layla Studio was actually willing to take on such a small, thankless project? They even wondered if it might be some kind of scam.To show her sincerity, Layla offered to visit the town in person the very next day.Once she made up her mind, she didn’t waste any time. After wrapping up her meeting, she clocked out early and headed home to pack.That night, as usual, William dropped by for dinner. The first thing he noticed when he walked in was the suitcase sitting next to the couch.“You’re going somewhere?” he asked.“Yeah,” Layla an
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 465
“Fine! Looks like you’ve really grown a backbone! From now on, don’t expect us to treat you like Layla Xander anymore. Our daughter... has been dead for a long time.”Two separate recordings echoed through the office, every word harsh and ugly, cutting through the air like a slap to the face.Shane's expression twisted between green and pale. His voice shook as he stammered, “How... how did you get that recording?”That first recording was from right after news of Layla’s death had spread.Shane had gone out drinking at a club, drowning himself in booze, and even jumped up on stage to announce he was buying drinks for the whole place.Back then, it never crossed his mind that one drunken outburst would one day become the very thing Layla would use against him.As for the recording itself? That came from Levi.He had casually told Layla that a friend happened to be at the club that night and just so happened to catch Shane’s little performance on video.Layla had extracted the a
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 464
“Miss Xander…” The assistant hesitated, about to speak, but saw Layla lift her hand slightly, signaling for her to leave first.“If you need anything, just call me.”With that, the assistant turned and glanced pointedly at Chris. “Go on in.”The moment Chris stepped inside, the assistant closed the door behind him hard. The breeze from the shut door practically slammed into Shane’s back like a silent warning.Shane scowled. “Seriously? Your assistant’s just like you. She has no manners at all.”“Manners?” Layla let out a cold laugh, still sitting lazily in her chair, not bothering to get up. She stared at Shane from across the room. “Coming from you, that word sounds like a joke.“After all,” she added lightly, “nothing decent’s ever come out of that mouth of yours.”“You—!”Shane shot to his feet, glaring at her like he wanted to start a fight. “Do you even realize what situation you’re in right now? Once this studio goes under, let’s see who still gives a damn about you!
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 463
“What’s the big deal if Carly stays in bed for a few days?” Camila argued. “It’s still better than her working at that studio.”Zion frowned and brushed her hand off his arm. “What studio?”Camila glanced around cautiously before leaning in and whispering right next to his ear. “Layla Xander’s studio.”“What?!” Zion’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at her. “She actually went and worked for—”“I only found out a few days ago myself.” Camila sighed helplessly. “If it wasn’t for the way she’s been acting after losing her job, I wouldn’t have even thought to look into where she’d been working.“This girl’s really grown up, huh? She’s got her own ideas now. She actually dared to hide this from us. Thank God your dad didn’t find out, or she’d never hear the end of it.”Camila glanced at Carly’s bedroom door. “I’m guessing the whole thing with Layla disappointed her too. She quit on her own. And honestly, she hasn’t been in a great headspace since.”“What’s so great about Layla
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 462
A week went by.Mr. Lucas Sr. was still fuming. He called Zion into his study and asked, “What’s the situation with that studio now?”“With your word out, no one dares to work with her,” Zion replied respectfully.“I heard they haven’t had a single client reach out all week. Give it another month and Layla will come crawling back to apologize for sure.”“Good.” Mr. Lucas Sr.’s expression darkened. “She’s just a photographer. Crushing her is no harder than crushing an ant. This is the perfect chance to show William exactly what kind of woman Layla Xander really is — pretty face, but absolutely useless.”“Exactly, Dad.” Zion laughed flatteringly. “If it weren’t for your generosity, she wouldn’t have lasted this long. She really thought you wouldn’t dare touch her. That’s why she’s gotten so arrogant.”Mr. Lucas Sr. shot him a look. “Alright, enough flattery. You should start using your brain for once. Stick close to your brother these days and learn something from him. Now go.”
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 461
“What’s with that attitude? I’m still your brother, you know... I’m talking to you!” “Let go!” Hannah snapped, shaking Stanley’s hand off with all her strength.Stanley stumbled backward, landing flat on the floor with a loud thud. His expression darkened instantly, rage surging up. “What the hell is wrong with you, Hannah? Out there messing around with some guy, and now you come home and take it out on me?”“What’s all this shouting about in the middle of the night?” Their father, Steven Stone, stepped out of his room. Their mother, Nancy Stone, followed right behind, pulling a coat over her shoulders.“Dad, she came home and just started yelling at me!” Stanley shouted, playing the victim as he sat on the cold floor.Seeing him sitting there, Nancy rushed over to help him up. “The floor’s cold. Get up, quick.”Steven, however, turned his sharp gaze on Hannah, his voice stern and unforgiving. “What is wrong with you? A young woman like you, coming home at this hour?”
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.
