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Chapter 193
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 198
Chris completely missed the sarcasm in Layla’s words. His expression remained serious as he said, “We need to handle this as soon as possible. If we let public opinion spiral any further, it won’t just ruin Xena. It’ll drag the Xander family’s name through the mud too.” “Do I look like I care?” Layla’s calm yet icy voice cut him off before he could finish. Chris fell silent, unable to respond. Shane, however, immediately lost his temper. “Layla, you’re still a Xander! If the family goes down, do you really think you’ll have a good life either?“People only give you respect because of the Xander name. Once you have no one backing you up, you’ll be nothing!” “I don’t have a future anymore.” “Who says she has no one backing her up?” Layla and William spoke at the same time. She hesitated, glancing at him—a silent message, telling him not to interfere. William ignored it completely. His cold gaze landed on Shane. “Respect is something you earn for yourse
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 199
But Layla wasn’t after fame or fortune—she was chasing the person she used to be. And more than anything, she refused to leave behind even the tiniest bit of benefit for Xena. What was hers, she would take back in full. Her voice was calm, but the words cut deep. “Back then, I listened to all of you. I gave up my achievements and handed Xena an easy, open road to success. And what did I get in return?” A cold, mocking smile tugged at her lips. “And now you expect me to give her a way out? What do you think I am, some kind of saint?” Chris faltered, visibly uneasy. “We… we did treat you unfairly back then. But you agreed to it, didn’t you? And now—” “Agreed?” Layla’s voice sharpened, her volume rising. “If I had refused to give up my award back then, would I have even been able to stay in the Xander family?” Her gaze bore into him, unyielding. “Have you forgotten? Mr. Xander, in all his wisdom, told me—if I wanted to be a Xander, I had to ‘support and help my
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 200
Layla nodded. Just as she was about to speak, she caught something out of the corner of her eye.Carter and Ivan were walking toward them, grinning. Panic surged through her. She jerked her wrist out of William’s grasp, so fast that the movement knocked over her cup, spilling water all over the table. So, by the time Carter walked up, the first thing he saw was Layla frantically wiping the table, her ears burning red. His face tensed. “Sis, what’s wrong? Did Chris say something to you? Tell me, and I’ll go deal with him right now!” “No.” Layla quickly glanced at their soaked clothes, seizing the opportunity to change the subject. “You’re both drenched. Go home and change before you catch a cold.” “Pfft, this?” Carter waved dismissively, beaming with satisfaction. “Totally worth it. I only wish I had my phone on me. I should’ve recorded the whole thing so you could see Shane’s pathetic face! It was priceless!” He laughed as he recounted the scene. “We o
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 201
“Enough.” Chris’s expression darkened. “No matter what, Layla is still our sister. Can you stop bringing up death like it’s nothing? What, are you actually hoping something happens to her?” Shane huffed, rubbing his nose irritably. “Bro, I felt bad for her at first too. I genuinely wanted her to come home. And what happened? You saw it yourself—Layla’s heart is made of stone. No matter what we do, she’ll never soften toward us.“She treats us like enemies. If we’re not willing to die with her, it’s like we’re in the wrong. Tell me, have you ever seen a family member like that?” Another loud sneeze interrupted his rant. He sniffled and mumbled under his breath. “She doesn’t care about us, so why should we care about her? We don’t owe her anything.” Chris remained silent. He didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t argue with Shane’s words. Layla was beyond saving. This trip had been a complete waste of time. Just then, his phone rang. Chris picked up immediat
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 520
“The first time I watched the promotional video, I was blown away by the scenery. The second time, I realized there was a deeper meaning. Layla Xander filmed those children who had been left behind, showing their everyday lives. She clearly wanted to draw attention to their reality!” “I grew up as a left-behind kid myself. I know exactly how hard it is. Thank you, Miss Xander, for letting people see them! From now on, if anyone dares to bash her, I'll be the first to stand up and fight back!” “If it weren't for how beautifully she shot the promotional video, YT Corporation would never have noticed the town or the children. Layla truly did something incredible.” “Beauty, kindness, and talent—Layla Xander is the full package!” At the top of the trending page, an account called “LittleDianaHere” (who claimed to be a local) shared another piece of information:“Miss Xander is personally sponsoring every child who appeared in the promotional video, covering their education all
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 519
“Mr. Zion, Mr. Lucien is getting impatient...” the secretary reminded him quietly.Zion snapped back to attention, scowling. “Fine. Let’s go.”When they arrived outside the CEO’s office, Zion knocked lightly on the door. A sharp, furious voice came from inside.“Get in here!”Zion hurriedly pushed the door open. “Lucien, what happened? Who got you so worked up?”“You mean you still don't know?”Lucien’s temper flared even hotter. He slammed his palm against the desk several times, making the whole table shake.“I told you to get in touch with Xavier Taylor. Did you handle it?”Zion panicked. “I... I'm still working on it. His side keeps giving excuses, saying he's too busy lately. I didn’t want to bother him...”“Busy?”Lucien waved him closer with an icy smile. “Come here. Take a good look at what he’s so busy with.”Zion did as he was told and stepped closer.The next second, Lucien grabbed him by the back of the neck and forced him to bend over, his hands instinctively b
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 518
“I’m talking to you about something serious, and you’re still glued to your phone?” Zion’s voice was full of irritation.Only then did Carly finally put her phone away, looking at him with a hint of impatience.“You've repeated yourself three times already. I’m not stupid.”“I just don’t want you brushing it off,” Zion said, frowning. He then narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the pocket where Carly had stashed her phone. “Don't tell me you're still thinking about Layla Xander’s studio.” Carly's heart sank. “How did you know?” “Your mom told me.” Zion stepped closer, his expression serious. “Look, Carly, I'm willing to chalk up what you did before to immaturity. But if you even think about pulling something like that again—” “You’re spying on me?” Carly’s face turned cold. “I’m an adult. Can’t I even have a little privacy?” “You’re our daughter. As your parents, we have every right to know what you’re up to! It's a good thing you realized you were heading down
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 517
Everyone was both shocked and thrilled. They kept asking Layla over and over, needing to be sure it was really true.“Wow! Things are finally turning around! Who cares about those commercial gigs? A commission from a legendary artist is the real prize!”“Who would’ve thought? Just last month, we didn’t have a single job, and now we’ve been personally invited by Mr. Zeppelin Mason. Not even in our wildest dreams!”“It’s all thanks to Layla’s connections! Back when we first opened, so many big names showed up to support her. How did we not think to reach out to them last month?”The chatter kept going until Layla cleared her throat and spoke up firmly.“We didn’t get here because of connections. We got here through hard work. Step by step. There were no shortcuts. Every opportunity we have now, we earned.”She paused, her voice steady. “And for every project going forward, I want us to put in the same heart and effort we did with the small-town promotional video. Let’s aim to deliv
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 516
Thanks to the rising popularity of the small-town promotional video, the studio had been flooded with appointment requests over the past week. Although they still had not secured any major commercial contracts yet, the overall atmosphere in the studio had lifted significantly. Some team members even started dreaming big, vowing to create the best city promotional videos in the world and put every hidden gem on the global map.However, shooting city promotional videos meant a lot of traveling and a lot more manpower. After the previous wave of departures, the studio was seriously understaffed, and the HR department had to scramble to start emergency hiring.Seeing the studio slowly getting back on its feet, Layla found herself busier than ever, to the point where she wished she could clone herself just to keep up.In the middle of the chaos, she received a phone call.“Layla, have you had time to think about the offer I mentioned last time?” The voice on the other end wa
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 515
Before long, Mrs. Jenkins reached Kiera's side. Only then did she notice Layla standing at the end of the hall. Her expression immediately darkened.“What are you two doing here?” she demanded.“Nothing,” Kiera said quickly, grabbing her mother’s arm. “We just ran into each other and chatted for a bit.”“What could you possibly have to talk about?” Mrs. Jenkins shot Layla a look of pure disdain, but her warning was directed sharply at Kiera. “You stay away from her. That woman is nothing but shameless—”“Mom!” Kiera cut her off in a panic, rushing to say goodbye to Layla. “Miss Xander, sorry to bother you. We'll be going now.”Before Layla could even respond, Kiera tugged her mother away.As she watched the mother and daughter disappear down the hallway, Layla couldn't help but feel puzzled. “What was going on with Kiera?” Layla wondered.Outside the private dining room, Mrs. Jenkins yanked her hand free and turned on Kiera, her face thunderous.“Why didn’t you let
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 514
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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 513
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
