At the Perry family estate, Sean instinctively adjusted his shirt collar as he walked through the door, trying to hide the marks left from the previous night. His thoughts lingered on Xena, who was still at the villa. Before leaving, he had promised her he would return early to take her back home. Without wasting time, he got straight to the point. “Grandpa, what did you need? If it’s about Layla again, there’s no point in discussing it. Between her and me…” A teacup came flying toward him. Sean startled and dodged instinctively. The cup shattered on the floor behind him, pieces scattering everywhere. With that kind of force, it would have left him with a bleeding head if it had hit.Frowning, Sean spoke up, “Grandpa, I’m your actual grandson. Layla hasn’t even married into the family yet—she’s still an outsider. Why do you always take her side over mine?” “Shut your mouth!” Mr. Perry Sr. was furious, not sparing Sean a glance despite the visible injuries on his f
“Q” was an extraordinarily powerful international organization that catered exclusively to the upper echelons of society. As long as the money was right, there was no task they couldn’t accomplish. Within its ranks was a world-renowned medical genius, known for their miraculous ability to save lives and heal the seemingly incurable. However, the individual had an eccentric personality and only took on cases based on their mood. If money couldn’t fix it, getting it done became nearly impossible.Thinking about this, Levi sighed. “I’ll keep an eye on it for you, but your priority right now should be convincing Miss Xander to start chemotherapy as soon as possible.” William was silent for a moment before responding, “Understood.” After hanging up, William finally noticed the commotion downstairs. It was Carter, yelling as usual. He stood up, made his way downstairs, and followed the noise to the kitchen, where he saw Carter buzzing around Layla like an excited monkey. L
Carter stood by the entryway, watching the surveillance monitor, his expression darkening. He turned to Layla and asked, “Sis, it’s Sean, that scumbag ex of yours. Want me to go out and chase him off?” Hearing this, Layla paused briefly, utensils frozen in her hand. She hadn’t expected Sean to show up so quickly. William frowned, his voice low and steady. “I can have security take care of it.” Layla shook her head. “I’m already imposing on you by staying here. Let me handle this myself.” With that, she set her utensils down, stood up, and walked toward the door. Carter started to follow her, but Layla raised a hand to stop him. Seeing her insist on facing Sean alone, Carter reluctantly stayed behind, his eyes fixed on her retreating figure. Outside the wrought-iron gate, Sean dropped to his knees the moment he saw Layla approach. Without hesitation, he began slapping himself across the face. “Layla, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” Overcome with emotion, Sean kept slap
“Even though Uncle William rarely plays the good guy, isn’t this level of concern a bit over the top?” Carter wondered.…By evening, Layla woke up. The first thing she saw was an unfamiliar face, which startled her. “Who are you?” “Allow me to introduce myself,” the man said with a polite smile. “I’m Levi, William’s friend and his family doctor.” He handed Layla a business card. “I also work at St. North Hospital. If you ever need help, feel free to reach out to me.” Layla didn’t take the card. Instead, she responded softly, “I don’t need it.” “There’s no need to avoid medical care, Miss Xander,” Levi said as he placed the card on the bedside table. “Life is precious—every day counts. You’re still young. Don’t give up so easily.” Layla froze. “How do you know?” “I’ve seen your medical report,” Levi said matter-of-factly. Before Layla could react, Carter burst into the room, scratching his head and looking guilty. “Sis, about the car accident… when you were un
Xena froze in shock as Sean lunged at her, grabbing at her dress like a madman, muttering over and over, “This belongs to Layla… it’s Layla’s…” “Sean!” Panicked, Xena tried to hold down his hands, but it was no use. With a loud ripping sound, the dress tore apart. Sean wasn’t done. He grabbed the straps, clearly intent on stripping her completely. Terrified, Xena burst into tears. “Sean, what’s wrong with you? It’s me—Xena!” She had hoped her voice would snap him out of it, but Sean’s expression darkened instead. He suddenly struck her across the face. Caught off guard, Xena stumbled and fell to the floor, clutching her cheek in disbelief. “What… what’s gotten into you?” He had been perfectly fine when he left that morning. Why was he acting like a completely different person now? “It’s all because of you…” Sean pointed at Xena, his bloodshot eyes burning with rage. “If it weren’t for you, Layla and I wouldn’t have split up! She wouldn’t hate me so much th
“I want chicken ravioli soup.”Sean’s lips were pale, and one hand pressed against his stomach. Mrs. Lincoln immediately recognized the symptoms of his recurring stomach problems.“Mr. Perry, I can’t make that,” Mrs. Lincoln replied, her tone indifferent, still holding onto her resentment. “The flavor you like was something Miss Xander poured her heart into. Even the ravioli filling was carefully chosen by her.“To be honest, I could never match her level of thoughtfulness.”She did what she was paid to do—nothing more, nothing less. At her age, Mrs. Lincoln wasn’t about to go the extra mile without a good reason. She didn’t feel the need to explain herself. Just looking at Sean annoyed her, so she turned away and headed outside to busy herself in the yard. Sean sat there, staring blankly at the untouched breakfast on the table. Memories of the meals Layla had lovingly prepared for him flashed through his mind, and before he realized it, his vision blurred with tears.…At
Autumn had arrived, bringing cooler weather with it.Layla curled up on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the trees by the lake sway gently in the breeze, their falling leaves fluttering like delicate butterflies.After a rare few days of peace and quiet, she felt noticeably more rejuvenated.A knock at the door drew her attention. Turning her head, she offered a soft smile. “Mr. Lucas, not working today?”“It’s the weekend.” William walked over and handed her a cup of hot latte. “I just made this. Try it.” “Thank you.” Layla took the cup, cradling it in both hands. The warmth brought a sense of comfort and contentment. William didn’t leave immediately but stood there quietly, watching her. Although they had been living under the same roof for a while, this was their first time alone together. William stood tall before her, his usual formal suit replaced with a casual khaki outfit that added a relaxed air to his otherwise polished demeanor. The
A sharp glint appeared in William’s eyes. “Are you planning to take her from me by force? You’d better think carefully about whether the Xander family has what it takes to challenge me.” Hearing the threat in his words, Mr. Xander’s heart sank. Layla refused to leave, and William wouldn’t let her go—this was a deadlock. “Layla…” Tears welled up in Xena’s eyes as she knelt on the ground. “I know I was wrong. Please forgive me. Please don’t be mad at Mom and Dad anymore, okay?” Shane immediately stepped forward to pull her up. “What are you doing? Get up!” “Xena, stop begging her,” Mrs. Xander said, her voice thick with disappointment as she turned to Layla. “If I had known back then that this is the kind of daughter I’d give birth to after fighting to keep the pregnancy, I should’ve let her die.” Those words were like a knife stabbing into Layla’s heart. Even though she had mentally prepared herself for this fallout, the pain was still suffocating. Nothing was more
During the celebration dinner, Layla received a call from Jenny.Since it was too noisy inside, Layla grabbed her phone and stepped out into the hallway, finding a quieter corner before answering. “Miss Jasper.”“Did you forget you even have a mentor?” Jenny half-scolded. “Something this big happens, and you didn’t even think to tell me? I had to find out online!“If I don't mean anything to you anymore, then stop thinking of me as your mentor,” she huffed.“Don’t say that,” Layla said quickly, her voice warm and coaxing. “I just didn’t want you to worry. And honestly, it’s a complicated situation. I didn’t want you getting dragged into it.“Besides, it’s not that serious. I’ve been handling it fine. If I ever hit a wall, you’d be the first person I’d call.“You’re not just my mentor. You’re my safety net. You’re my strength.”“Alright, enough,” Jenny said, laughing despite herself. “That silver tongue of yours—how am I supposed to stay mad at you?”She had stormed into the con
Fabian muttered under his breath, “Weren't you crushing on Mr. Lucas before?”“Nope! I’m all about Miss Xander now!” Diana declared, purposely raising her voice so Layla could hear her loud and clear. “Smart, capable women are the real deal! Who wouldn’t be smitten?”Layla chuckled. “I’ll gladly accept your admiration.”“Aaah! She accepted it! Did you hear that? I knew it! Women really are the best!” Diana squealed in excitement, practically bouncing in place. Fabian could only shake his head and gently push her away, then hurried to wrap up the call with Layla.*As the promotional video’s popularity exploded, the calls started pouring in that very afternoon.Most of them came from the mentors, artists, and family friends that Jenny had once introduced to her. They had only just found out about the troubles Layla’s studio had been facing, after seeing the video hit the trending charts.Normally, those artists lived in their own world, blissfully detached from outside news.
Scarlett was curled up on the sofa, scrolling through her phone. She had just finished watching the entire promotional video when she muttered, “Looks like a great place to walk around.”“Not bad,” William replied without even looking up.Scarlett shot him a look and said, a little sharply, “Your dad ended up in the hospital because you ran off with Layla to the south.“I’m not saying you can’t go travel and clear your head, but you can’t be following a woman around like that. It doesn't sound good if people start talking, you know?”William furrowed his brows and was about to respond when Scarlett added, “How about this? Next time you want to follow her somewhere, bring me along. If people see a mother and son traveling together, it’ll look a whole lot better than making it seem like you're chasing after her.”Feeling quite pleased with her own cleverness, Scarlett nodded in satisfaction. “I usually only travel abroad, but clearly, there are plenty of beautiful places right here
“Who exactly was hiding something?” Kiera only muttered the words in her heart. On the surface, she kept her tone casual and said, “I was watching a promotional video Miss Xander produced. I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea if you saw it.“If you don’t believe me, take a look for yourself.”As she spoke, Kiera handed her phone to Sean, her expression calm and composed.Sean frowned slightly. “Layla Xander? Isn’t her studio the one Mr. Lucas Sr. basically shut down?”“You seem pretty up to date on her situation,” Kiera said with a half-smile. “Here I thought you didn’t know anything.”“I just... heard about it. Everyone in the circle has,” Sean said, clearly uncomfortable, avoiding her gaze. “She crossed the Lucas family. Of course she was going to end up like this. When she first came back, everyone was talking about her, but in the end, all it took was one word from Mr. Lucas Sr. and her studio couldn’t land a single project.”“Is that so?” Kiera tightened her grip on
Kiera had always played the part of the gentle, obedient wife.But right now, the cold sarcasm in her eyes made Sean feel like he was looking at a stranger.Sean sobered up a little in an instant. “What the hell are you talking about?” he snapped. “All I did was ask you to play the harp. Do you really have to twist it into something so ugly?”He huffed and continued, “Mr. Zimmer has sent us quite a few projects over the years. I know he’s into classical music, so I thought bringing you tonight might give you two something to talk about.“How was I supposed to know that asking you to play one song would feel like pulling teeth? You refused to drink, which was fine, but then you just sat there with that sour face. Who would even dare start a conversation with you like that? Anyone watching would have thought I treat you like garbage at home.”Grumbling, Sean let go of her arm and leaned back against the car door, putting distance between them.To his surprise, Kiera didn’t move clo
“I’ve heard Mrs. Perry plays the harp,” someone across the round table suddenly said. It was Mr. Zimmer, one of the business partners. “There happens to be one here tonight. Mrs. Perry, would you mind playing a piece for us?”“This…” Kiera hesitated, but before she could reply, Sean jumped in with a smile, “Of course not. My wife plays beautifully. Tonight’s the perfect chance for everyone to enjoy it.”Hearing that, Kiera’s heart sank.It was rare for Sean to ask her to attend a business dinner. In all their time married, this was the first time he had willingly brought her into one of his work events.If she didn’t already know better, she might have been flattered, maybe even excited to join him.But she knew too much. She could see right through him. When something felt this out of the ordinary, there was always a hidden reason. Still, she smiled and nodded. “Sure, I’d be happy to.”A few minutes later, the restaurant staff wheeled in a harp and set it up in the private di
From the moment Mr. Xander stepped through the door, his face was clouded with anger. He didn’t even bother putting on a friendly face for Felix like he normally would.It wasn’t until Felix left after dinner that Xena finally approached her father. “Dad, did you go see my sister today?”“She’s no sister of yours! There’s no place in this family for someone as heartless as her!”Furious, Mr. Xander slammed his hand against the table, the loud thud making Xena flinch.Mrs. Xander rushed over to shield her daughter. “Easy, don’t scare her. She’s pregnant, remember?”“I’m fine, Mom.” Xena lowered her gaze, looking guilty. “Dad only lost his temper because of me. Maybe we should just drop it. I’ll talk to Felix myself. I’ll keep the baby, and we’ll figure the rest out later.”“What are you saying? You can’t have that baby now!”Mrs. Xander immediately objected. “Even if you two get married afterward, people will still talk! If the baby comes before the wedding, everyone will trea
“If you don’t like it here,” William said coolly, “the elevator’s just to the right.”Scarlett was fuming. Just a few words in and she was already being shown the door? Was she not even allowed to speak?And she hadn’t even said anything bad about Layla. She was just feeling protective of her precious son. Was that so wrong?For the rest of the time, Scarlett sat stiffly on the couch, clutching her glass of water and sipping from it every now and then. William sat across from her on another sofa, silently scrolling through his phone.Neither of them spoke. The only sound in the apartment came from the kitchen, where the soft clatter of cooking echoed faintly.Soon, the scent of food filled the air.Scarlett couldn’t help glancing toward the kitchen. Through the frosted glass, she could only make out the blur of Layla’s figure. Doubts crept into her mind. “Could Layla’s cooking actually be edible?” she wondered.After all, she was still a woman who had grown up with a silver sp
Layla braced herself as she welcomed William and Scarlett into her apartment. After a quick round of small talk, she headed into the kitchen with the groceries.She had just started unpacking when she heard William call from behind, “Need a hand with anything?”“No, I—”She was about to turn him down, but then thought of Mr. Xander and hesitated. Instead, she handed him a bag of snap peas. “Help me trim these.”“Sure.”William stepped up beside her without hesitation. As he got to work, she lowered her voice. “How’s Grandpa Perry doing?”“He’s fine,” William replied, eyeing her curiously. “Why are you suddenly asking about him?”“Gerald Xander came to see me today. He wants to meet with Grandpa Perry.”Layla said her father’s name without a trace of emotion, as if she were talking about a stranger.William glanced over at her. “Did he give you any trouble?”“Not really. He can barely walk straight, can’t argue, and definitely can’t catch up to me. What else is he going to do