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Chapter 184
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 185
“That’s not what I meant…” The staff member hesitated, wanting to say more, but when they caught sight of the sudden chill in William’s gaze, their nerves got the best of them. Their mind blanked under the pressure, and for a moment, they forgot what they were even trying to say. “Just follow the original plan.” Layla spoke softly. “No need to make special arrangements for me.” The staff member hesitated for a second before nodding. “Alright, we’ll do as you say.” With that, they proceeded to assign Layla and William to separate areas—one heading backstage to prepare, the other escorted to the VIP section. Layla was scheduled to go on stage early in the event. It didn’t take long before a staff member came to usher her forward. The walk from backstage to the stage wasn’t far. But to Layla, every step felt unbearably heavy. She had always known that the moment she stepped onto the stage, her illness would become public knowledge. No matter how good her work was,
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 186
As soon as the call connected, Kiera’s cheerful voice came through the line. “Sean!” “What is it?” Sean asked, his tone indifferent. “I just… I missed you.” There was a hint of shyness in her voice. Hearing the noise in the background, she casually asked, “Where are you? It sounds so loud.” “I’m out with a client.” Sean’s eyes remained locked on the stage, his tone flat and emotionless. “I’m busy today.” Hearing that, Kiera immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I hope I’m not bothering you? I’ll wait for you to text me when you’re free.” “Alright.” Sean hung up just as Layla stepped off the stage. Slipping his phone into his pocket, he bypassed the crowd and headed straight toward the backstage area. From a distance, he saw Layla engaged in conversation with the event staff. Just as he was about to step forward, William blocked his path. “Don’t ruin Miss Xander’s moment.” William’s voice was calm but laced with clear irritation. “M
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 187
“Sure! There's nothing else going on here anyway.” Layla agreed without hesitation. “Um…” The staff member hesitated before carefully asking, “Miss Xander, aren’t you going to do any interviews?” “No, thanks. I’ve already said everything I wanted to on stage.” With a polite smile, Layla declined, then took William’s arm and walked away. But the moment they stepped out of the backstage area, a swarm of reporters closed in on them. Fortunately, Carter and Ivan arrived just in time. Ivan was an expert at handling situations like this. Taking the lead, he quickly dismissed the journalists.“You all work in this industry. I don’t think I need to remind you what should and shouldn’t be written, right?” Ivan’s tone was casual, but the weight behind his words was unmistakable. No matter how much those reporters wanted a scoop, they weren’t about to cross him. Offending Ivan meant losing any chance of survival in the entertainment and media world. As the journalists slunk
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 188
“After I’m gone, please help me contact Miss Jasper and give her all the photos I’ve left behind.” Layla trusted Jenny. She was the only one who truly understood her work, and leaving her photos with Jenny felt like giving them a proper home. It was better than having them buried with her. “I’m not agreeing to that.” William rejected her request without a second thought, his resistance clear. “If you really have what it takes, then stay alive. You’ll see Miss Jasper again, and when that time comes, you can give her the photos yourself.”With that, he strode forward, widening the distance between them, making it obvious that he had no intention of continuing this conversation. Layla let out a frustrated sigh, watching his tall figure ahead. The shift in his mood was obvious. His entire aura had turned cold. It seemed like she would have to find another time to bring it up. He was the only one she had trusted to handle this, and she hadn’t been about to change her mind
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 189
Just as Sean lunged forward, Ivan casually stuck out his foot, tripping him. Sean fell face-first onto the stone steps in front of the restaurant, his forehead slamming into the edge. Blood immediately gushed from the wound. Carter doubled over laughing. “Damn, someone’s in a hurry!” “Let’s go. No need to waste time on someone like him.” Layla didn’t spare Sean a single glance. Without hesitation, she stepped over him and walked into the restaurant. “Layla!” Sean shouted after her, watching helplessly as she and her group disappeared inside. Frustrated, he clenched his fist and slammed it against the step. *Inside, Ivan walked alongside Carter, shooting him a curious look. “Did you really send that recording to your mom? You reacted pretty fast.” “Of course not. I was just messing with him.” Carter found the whole thing hilarious. “Sean’s guilty as hell. Just a few words were enough to scare him.” He scoffed. “From the way he panicked, it’s obvious he doesn
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 190
Layla took the iPad, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease. She tapped on the trending topic and started scrolling. Halfway through, her vision blurred with tears. The official Haven City tourism account had posted a video of her speech, dedicated solely to her. It had been shared over a million times, and the comment section was buzzing with activity. “Wow, who would’ve thought? These photos were actually taken by Layla Xander! She just proved to everyone that she’s far from worthless.” “From now on, I’m officially her online defender! If anyone dares to badmouth her, I’m grabbing my keyboard and charging in!” “Layla is seriously talented. How is she only getting noticed now? I feel like I vaguely remember… didn’t she hold a photography exhibition before?” “Ugh, get your facts straight. The one who held the exhibition was Xena Xander.” “Wait, both Xander sisters are photographers? That’s… quite the coincidence. Just curious—who’s actually better?” The comment
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 191
Carter finally noticed the two people on the couch and immediately felt awkward. “Uncle William, Sis… you’re here? Why’s it so dark?” Before he could process the situation, a sharp smack landed on the back of his head. “Ouch! Ivan, what was that for?” Carter winced, rubbing the sore spot. Ivan rolled his eyes. “I keep saying your brain is empty, and you just keep proving me right.” A man and a woman alone in a dark room—what else could it mean? Realization dawned on Carter’s face. He quickly glanced at William, then turned to Ivan. He didn’t dare to voice out and instead mouthed a question to Ivan—“Did I just ruin Uncle’s moment?”Ivan sighed and shook his head. “Do you even need to ask?” Their wordless exchange only made the atmosphere even more awkward. William stood up, his expression unreadable. “Miss Xander fell asleep on the couch, so I didn’t turn on the lights.” “Oh… I see.” Ivan nodded, but his smile carried a deeper meaning. “Say whatever you want—
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 192
Ivan frowned. “This is nothing short of leeching off Miss Xander.” “Exactly! My sister is already seriously ill, and all the Xander family cares about is how she can help them! I’ve never seen people so shameless!” Carter was fuming, his teeth practically grinding in anger. “And the worst of them all is Xena! Every time something happens, she puts on this sob story, acting all weak and helpless when she’s the one pulling all the dirty tricks. It’s disgusting!“And those brainless Xander family members actually buy into it! The moment Xena sheds a few tears, they lose all common sense!” “Calm down.” Ivan patted Carter’s shoulder. “No matter how loud you yell, they’re miles away and won’t hear you. You’re just working yourself up for nothing.” He smirked. “Besides, this is just a theory from William. What if you’re ranting at the wrong people?” “It’s not a theory.” William’s voice was cold and firm. “I’ve wanted to deal with this for a long time, but I never had the
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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
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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.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 512
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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 511
“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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 510
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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 509
“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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 508
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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 507
“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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 506
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
