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Chapter 189
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 193
The room fell into an awkward silence as everyone exchanged glances. But Kiera was, after all, a daughter of high society. She quickly composed herself, adjusting her expression into a polite, composed smile. “I just wasn’t expecting to see Miss Xander here. If I remember correctly, you weren’t on the guest list.” “You remember correctly.” Xena leaned back leisurely, crossing her legs. She showed no sign of embarrassment for showing up uninvited. “I came here specifically to see you, Miss Jenkins. We briefly met outside Sean’s house the other night, but it was late, and we didn’t get a chance to have a proper conversation.” The moment those words left her lips, the entire room tensed. The atmosphere shifted as eyes discreetly turned toward Kiera. Kiera was at Sean’s house late at night? That was a big revelation. Everyone knew that Xena had already thrown her reputation away once with her pregnancy scandal, but Kiera was different. The Jenkins family was k
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 194
The Haven City promotional event had dominated online discussions all day, but the real shock came when Layla took the stage to give her speech. Everyone had heard about it. And now, Sean’s sudden appearance at the event? No one even had to guess why he was there. A heavy silence filled the room. No one dared to breathe too loudly. Xena and Kiera had just been here fighting over him, only to find out that Sean had actually gone to Haven City to see Layla. They had turned into fools. And Layla? She had won. Who could have seen this coming? Xena shot up from her seat, snatching the phone out of the guest’s hand. “That can’t be Sean! There’s no way he’d go see—” Her voice faltered. Up close, there was no mistaking the man in the photo. That was Sean. Her chest tightened with rage. She spun toward Kiera and snapped, “What the hell is wrong with you? How did you not know where he was?“You claim you’re dating him, but he ran off without telling you, a
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 195
Xena stepped forward and picked up the phone, scrolling through the trending topics. With every post she read, her face grew paler. How did this happen in just a few hours? The spotlight had completely shifted to her. Several well-known photography influencers had posted detailed analyses, comparing images from Xena’s past photography exhibition to the landscapes Layla had just showcased at the Haven City event. Their conclusions? The photos were likely taken by the same person. Even though these were just speculations, the comment section was overwhelmingly one-sided—the internet had already convicted her. People were furious, accusing Xena of stealing Layla’s photography, stealing her career, stealing her life. And now that Layla had publicly revealed her illness, sympathy for her was at an all-time high. Netizens were outraged, and their fury was only growing. At this point, even a stray dog would probably stop to mark its territory on Xena just out of shee
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 196
By morning, the online outrage against Xena hadn't died down. If anything, it had only intensified. When Layla woke up, she instinctively reached for her phone, only to be met with an onslaught of notifications. Her inbox was flooded with messages from netizens, nearly all of them urging her to speak up and tell the truth. Fully awake now, she sat up and scrolled through the trending topics, quickly piecing together what had happened overnight. She had gone to bed early the night before, drained from the day’s events. But while she was sleeping, dozens of photography experts and influencers had come forward, analyzing and comparing her work to the photos from Xena’s past exhibition. The discussion had snowballed into a full-blown public reckoning. Xena’s name was still dominating the trending list, and based on the sheer scale of this online storm, Layla knew this wasn’t just organic outrage. Someone was deliberately fanning the flames. And only one name immediatel
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 197
“Think about how to handle the Xander family and whatever counterattack Xena might throw at you.”William’s lips curved slightly. “But first, the most important thing is for you to go freshen up and come downstairs for breakfast. You’ll need energy if you want your brain to function properly.” Despite the heavy topic, he deliberately lightened the tone at the end, clearly making an effort to keep her from feeling too overwhelmed. Something inside Layla softened.Without realizing it, she smiled along with him. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”*Everything was progressing smoothly, which put Carter in an excellent mood. He even declared that watching Xena suffer was his new favorite pastime and that such a joyous occasion deserved a celebration. Ivan took the opportunity to claim credit for his part in fueling the scandal and shamelessly demanded Carter treat him to an extravagant meal. Seeing how everyone was so pleased with the situation, Layla felt a little less burd
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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
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“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
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 505
Inside the car, Layla caught a glimpse of Mr. Xander through the rearview mirror, hurling his cane several feet in a fit of rage. A cold smirk tugged at her lips.The Xander family really hadn’t changed one bit. They only showed kindness to people they could use. They acted like their condescension was generosity, then expected gratitude in return.But to her, this so-called “Xander bloodline” was nothing but bad luck.Shaking off the thought, she turned up the volume on the stereo, letting the music drown out the lingering irritation. If anything, she felt even more satisfied than before.Humming along to the tune, she swung by the market and picked up groceries before heading home.When she got off the elevator, she walked over and rang the doorbell to William’s apartment.Just as the door opened, a woman’s voice called from inside, “William, I ordered food from Stonebridge Bistro. Let’s have dinner together tonight!”William gave a quick explanation, “That’s my mom.”He glan
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 504
The internal review meeting wrapped up smoothly, and everyone left the conference room full of confidence.That afternoon, the finalized promo video was handed over to Fabian, who would submit it to the local publicity office for the final round of approval.With nothing left to do until feedback came in, Layla gave the whole team a well-deserved break.By the time the workday ended, the office had completely emptied out.Layla stayed behind to chat with Fabian after receiving a message from him, and as a result, she ended up being the last one to leave the studio.After locking the front door, she headed toward her car out of habit, thinking about stopping by the market on the way home. She was planning to cook dinner and invite William over.She didn’t notice the stern figure getting out of a nearby car—her father.“Layla Xander.”She turned at the sound of his voice and met his displeased gaze, her brow twitching slightly.With a cane in hand, Mr. Xander approached her, his
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 503
After thinking it over, William figured the whole thing felt more like a guilt-trip performance. It seemed like Scarlett was putting on an emotional act to pressure him into going back to the Lucas family. The only question was how long she planned to keep it up.Still, Scarlett had been pampered all her life. Living in his place, with no one to wait on her hand and foot, she probably wouldn’t last long. Sooner or later, she would give up and leave.With that in mind, William didn’t bother chasing her out. He simply gave her a cold warning. “You can stay. But don’t cause trouble for Layla.”“No problem at all!”Scarlett agreed far too quickly. “I already made up my mind before I came. I won’t interfere in your love life ever again. You can count on that.”William was rendered speechless and frowned. Now he was even more certain. Something about her behavior just wasn’t right.*Meanwhile, Layla had left early that morning. The roads were clear, and after a smooth half-hour drive
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 502
“No, thanks.”Layla gave a tired smile and gently turned down William’s offer. “I have an early meeting tomorrow, and eating late messes with my sleep.“Mr. Lucas, you should get some rest too. Good night.”With that, she walked past him and returned to her apartment, closing the door behind her without hesitation.The sound of the door clicking shut made William frown slightly. Something felt off.Meanwhile, Layla stood in the entryway, slipping off her shoes as her mind wandered.“Layla Xander, you ruined him. You ruined the Lucas family,” she thought to herself.Gwen’s harsh words echoed suddenly in her mind, stirring the emotions she had tried to bury.All this time, she had avoided thinking too deeply about William’s choices. She was afraid that if she read too much into them, she would just end up fooling herself.But after seeing Gwen today, it finally hit her.William had stepped down from his pedestal for her. And she was still pretending not to see it.If the dista
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 501
“You’re a perfectly decent young woman. Why do you have to go and steal someone else’s man?”“Hannah,” Layla gently tugged on Hannah’s sleeve, giving her a look to stop.As Gwen walked toward the lounge door, Layla spoke up calmly, “The matching engagement ring—the woman’s one. You don’t have it, do you?”Gwen paused for a second at the doorway but didn’t reply. Without looking back, she walked out.That was all the answer Layla needed.She had suspected for a while that Gwen didn’t have the ring.William had always worn the man’s band. And knowing how much Gwen loved him, there was no way she would have hidden the woman’s ring if it had truly been hers.Now it seemed clear that he had never given that ring to anyone. Not yet.“What was that question about?” Hannah asked, suspicious.Layla snapped out of her thoughts. “Oh… nothing. I was just curious.”Hannah rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “Seriously? That’s all you had to say after everything Gwen just threw at you? Y
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 500
“I know William went south with you this past month. He stayed by your side the entire time. He’s shown, through his actions, that his heart and eyes are only on you.”Gwen stared straight at Layla, her voice dry and strained. “You told me yourself that you had feelings for him. And now that he’s gone this far for you, you must be proud of yourself, aren’t you?”But she didn’t give Layla a chance to respond. Instead, she pressed on.“Because of you, William was kicked out of the Lucas family. He was forced out of Lucas Corporation. His mom and Mr. Lucas Sr., a couple who’d been loving and devoted for decades, had their worst fight ever. She even moved back in with her family.“If Mr. Lucas Sr. hadn’t landed in the hospital from the stress, she still wouldn’t have forgiven him. The entire Lucas family is in chaos—all because of you.“The William I knew was always calm, reliable, never made his parents worry.“He’s the most capable man I’ve ever met. He was meant to lead Lucas Corp
