“Xena is your sister, and I’m her future brother-in-law. Is it wrong for me to take care of her?” Sean’s gaze moved past Layla, landing on William. “And what about you and Mr. Lucas? What’s your relationship? Why is he helping you?” Following Sean’s line of sight, Layla saw William approaching. Dressed sharply in a tailored suit, he walked with an aura so commanding it felt as though the world bowed at his feet under the golden sunlight. Sean’s question seemed aimed at both of them. Ignoring Sean’s hostility, William strode directly to Layla’s side. “Miss Xander, is there anything I can help you with?” Layla snapped out of her thoughts. “Mr. Lucas, why are you…” “After the accident, I’ve been thinking about your injury. I won’t feel at ease until I know you’ve fully recovered,” William said, handing her a bag of breakfast. “Carter asked me to bring this to you.” Accident? Sean’s expression shifted as he recalled Layla mentioning the rear-end collision when she firs
In just one week, Layla had received all kinds of deliveries, and without exception, every single one ended up in the trash. Today’s delivery was right on schedule: a large bouquet of vibrant yellow roses in full bloom. The delivery guy struggled to carry it to her door, sweating profusely. “Hi, your delivery is here.” Before he could finish, the door opened. Layla glanced briefly at the card’s signature. “Could you please throw it in the trash downstairs?” “What?” The delivery guy was stunned. “But these flowers are beautiful.” “They take up too much space.” Layla smiled politely before closing the door. She used to treasure the two bouquets she would receive every year—one for her birthday and one for her anniversary. She would carefully dry them and save them as keepsakes. But now, with flowers arriving daily, even a single glance made her feel like she was about to develop a pollen allergy. If nothing else, this ordeal had taught her something new. Sean a
After some thought, Sean concluded that his repeated attempts to appease Layla had only emboldened her. “Women shouldn’t be spoiled,” he told himself. For an entire week, Sean ignored Layla completely. That day, the company held a shareholder meeting. Sean sat confidently at the head of the table, listening as employees presented the third-quarter performance reports.Suddenly, the conference room doors burst open. Layla entered first, followed by a group of reporters with cameras in tow. Sean shot to his feet. “Layla, what the hell are you doing!” “Nothing much,” Layla replied with a lazy smile. “I just thought the shareholders deserved to know the truth. Oh, and leaking it to the press earns me a little extra cash. The money you offered me isn’t even enough for pocket change.” Sean’s face contorted with rage. “You’ve lost your mind!” “Sure, I’m crazy,” Layla sneered. “You drove me to it.” She turned to the bewildered shareholders. “I have some documents I’
“Of course,” William replied. “Then… can I move into your place?” Layla asked tentatively. William: “?” Even Mike, the usually stoic bodyguard trailing behind William, couldn’t hide the flicker of surprise on his face. He shot Layla a glance, clearly amazed at her audacity. This was William Lucas she was addressing—someone who valued peace and quiet so much that even his household staff had to avoid him during his hours at home. “Yes, you can.”Hearing William's response, Mike’s expression faltered completely. He stared at William in disbelief. “Did those words really just come out of Mr. Lucas’s mouth?” he questioned himself.“You don’t need to worry. I won’t stay for free,” Layla quickly offered. She pulled out her phone, tapped the screen a few times, and held it up for him. “Add my contact info. You can name your price, and I’ll treat it like I’m renting a room. I promise to keep a low profile. You can pretend I’m not even there if you like.” “That won’t be ne
When Sean escorted Xena back to the Xander residence, the family immediately swarmed around them with questions. “Sean, is everything they’re saying online true?” “What’s going on with your company? Are you really giving Layla her shares?” “Enough!” Xena interrupted, frustration evident in her voice. “Sean’s already dealing with enough. Stop adding to the stress.” It was only then that Mrs. Xander noticed Xena clutching her arm. “What happened to your arm?” “It’s nothing, just a little bruise,” Xena replied awkwardly, trying to hide it. But Sean grabbed her arm gently and pulled it closer, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a sizable bruise on her fair skin. His brows furrowed. “I’m taking you to the hospital.” “It’s fine,” Xena reassured him with a faint smile. “As long as the injury didn’t land on you, I’m happy.” Sean’s grip tightened as guilt flickered in his eyes, his focus remaining on her arm. “What happened?” Mr. Xander asked, his tone sharp. “It’s
The next morning, Layla finally noticed the buzz online. Lost in thought, she didn’t realize her other hand was still holding the kettle, pouring water until a firm hand gripped her wrist. Startled, she looked up to meet William's calm, steady gaze.“What’s got you so distracted?” he asked. Snapping out of it, Layla quickly pulled her hand back and placed the kettle on the counter. “I was just checking my phone…” she said, hesitating for a moment before turning the screen toward him. “I went out with Carter yesterday and didn’t expect someone to take pictures. It seems like it’s causing a lot of trouble for him. Should I talk to him and help clear things up?”Layla wasn’t familiar with entertainment news and had no idea Carter was preparing to debut as a celebrity. If she had known, she would have been more cautious.“No need,” William replied just as his phone buzzed with a call from Carter.As soon as he answered, Carter’s anxious voice came through. “Uncle William, is Layl
Sean hadn’t managed to hear a word from Layla before Xena suddenly dropped to her knees, pleading desperately.“Sis, please, let Sean go,” Xena’s voice was choked with sobs. “You love him, don’t you? How can you bear to let him suffer like this? If Grandpa Perry keeps going, Sean might really get hurt!”Susan quickly joined in, raising her voice. “Layla, do you want my son dead before you’re satisfied?”Layla calmly set down her teacup, her gaze shifting to Xena with an air of indifference. “First of all, whether or not I love him is none of your business. And second, whether or not he’s hurting, you’re in no position to feel sorry for him.“He betrayed me. He deserves this.”Hearing this, Susan raised her voice in protest. “What has Sean ever done to wrong you? You’ve been his only girlfriend, his only fiancée, from the very beginning!“My son is outstanding! He’s already treated you better than most would. What more do you want?”Layla curled her lips into a mocking smile. “Th
That evening, Carter arrived on time to pick up Layla. When they reached their destination, Layla hesitated as she looked at the bright, flashy bar sign. “Are you sure this is the right place? It doesn’t really seem like my scene.” “What’s not to like?” Carter didn’t give her a chance to back out, pulling her out of the car. “My friends are already inside waiting for us!” Left with no choice, Layla followed him inside. The thumping bass of the music hit her like a wave, mingling with the overpowering scent of perfume. They maneuvered through the bustling crowd until they reached a VIP booth. Before Layla could process her surroundings, Carter tugged her into a seat beside him and started introducing her to his friends. The swirling lights made it hard for Layla to focus, and she could barely make out anyone’s face. Forcing a polite smile, she nodded along, trying to keep up. “So, this is the girl you rear-ended? She’s gorgeous! Don’t tell me you did it on purpose j
“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