Meanwhile, Layla turned off her phone and tossed it aside. She let out a deep breath and collapsed onto the couch, as if a heavy weight had finally lifted off her shoulders. Carter scrolled through his phone excitedly. The internet was on fire. “Oh my God, what a shocking reversal! Xena is done for!” He turned to Layla with stars in his eyes. “Sis, you’re incredible. You had this ace up your sleeve the whole time? I was worried sick for nothing!” Ivan clapped his hands, looking at Layla with admiration. “No wonder Miss Xander was so calm about everything. This was a guaranteed victory from the start.” He paused, a realization hitting him. “That medical institution getting shut down… that’s what you asked Levi to handle, isn’t it?” “Mm.” Layla rubbed her temples, her head aching. “Dr. Young is well-connected in the medical field. I asked him to look into it, and he got back to me fast.” She let out a soft laugh. “I knew from the beginning that Xena
After the livestream ended, reporters swarmed outside the Xander family estate, completely blocking the entrance. Thankfully, Chris had anticipated this and moved the family into a hotel in advance, successfully avoiding the media ambush. As soon as Xena stepped into the hotel room, a heavy glass ashtray came flying her way, shattering into countless pieces at her feet. She froze in shock, too scared to move. Mr. Xander’s face was livid with rage. “You lying little brat! You really had the nerve to fake an illness and fool us all?!” “I didn’t—” Xena panicked, shaking her head furiously. “I swear, I had no idea that clinic was faking medical records! It has nothing to do with me!“Dad, this has to be Layla’s doing!” Xena cried. “She’s been waiting for us to hold that press conference. There’s no way it’s just a coincidence that the clinic got exposed right after!” “She has a point.” Shane stepped in, frowning. “Dad, all Xena did was happen to visit a clinic that had been
Now, through Layla’s livestream, they finally understood just how dangerous that trip had been. Chris hadn’t thought about it in years, but now, the memory resurfaced, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. While Layla was on the brink of death, their entire family had been vacationing abroad, laughing and celebrating. They had even posted about it online. Had Layla seen those posts? Had she looked at them and decided, in that moment, that there was no point in saying anything at all? He couldn’t even begin to imagine how she had swallowed all that pain, how she had still gone along with them and handed over those photos, letting Xena take the credit and host that photography exhibition.The thought twisted a sharp pain in Chris’s chest. Only now did he realize just how cruel they had been to Layla.“We were wrong…” His voice was hoarse. “Unbelievably wrong.”“Come on, Bro, you can’t put this all on us,” Shane scoffed. “Layla never said a word. We’re not mind readers
Following Ivan’s arrangements, Layla sat down for an exclusive interview with a leading media outlet. The journalist was professional, focusing on Layla’s relationship with the Xander family and the truth behind the photography exhibition. Every question was measured and respectful, making the conversation feel less like an interview and more like a casual chat with an old friend. Over the years, Layla had kept so much bottled up inside. She hadn’t expected how liberating it would feel to finally say it all out loud. “Regarding your father’s public announcement about severing ties with you, do you have any response?” Layla smiled, meeting the camera head-on. “Actually, I was the one who suggested cutting ties in the first place.” Her voice was calm but firm. “I also want to say this to anyone out there who, like me, has been drained by their birth family. Sometimes, the only way to start fresh is to cut them off completely. If you know it’s a sinking pit, don’t let yours
The great William Lucas, head of the Lucas family, had been at this for so long… and he was still just a friend?That had to be one of the biggest failures of the century.As a seasoned veteran in the art of romance, Ivan had finally found something he could lord over William.His gaze turned teasing, filled with an unspoken “Dude, are you seriously this useless?” William shot him a cold glance, not even bothering to respond. Layla, glancing back and forth between them, couldn’t quite grasp what was so strange about her answer—why did the atmosphere suddenly feel off? * Two days later, Layla’s exclusive interview was released. Along with the clip of her thanking Mr. Xander for severing ties, it shot straight to the top of the trending charts. The interview itself was lengthy, but Layla never delved into the specifics of her suffering. Instead, she used calm, almost indifferent language to describe her past. She never once claimed to be a victim—yet every word made p
The next day, Mr. Xander convened a shareholder meeting, with Chris presiding. The moment they stepped into the conference room, the shareholders couldn’t hold back any longer, rising from their seats to bombard Mr. Xander with accusations. “Mr. Xander, how did your family drama get this out of control? Now it’s dragging the company down. What do you have to say for yourself?” “I heard Layla has William Lucas backing her. How are we supposed to fight against the Lucas family? This company is doomed!” “Mr. Xander, no matter what, Layla is still your daughter. Can’t you just apologize and get her to let this go?” Faced with their relentless questioning, Mr. Xander’s barely contained rage erupted once again. “I’m her father! You expect me to apologize to her in public? Where’s my dignity supposed to go?“There’s always a way to fix this. What’s everyone panicking for? Over the years, this company has made you plenty of money. And now that we’ve hit a rough patch, you’re
After handling the situation at the company, Mr. Xander and Chris returned to the hotel. But as they approached the room, they heard Mrs. Xander’s shocked voice from inside. “Mr. Felix Perry, how can your family do this to us?!” Chris and Mr. Xander exchanged glances. Why was Felix here, of all times? Without hesitation, Mr. Xander pushed the door open and strode in. His voice was steady, but there was a sharpness to it. “Well, well—what brings you here today?” Felix turned, flashing a smirk. “Ah, Mr. Xander, you’re finally back. I was just explaining things to Mrs. Xander, but she wasn’t quite getting it, so I figured I’d wait for you.” Mrs. Xander rushed to her husband, looking flustered. “The Perry family is demanding we repay the birthday gift compensation immediately!“We’re already struggling enough. Where are we supposed to get that kind of money?” Mr. Xander’s expression darkened, though he forced a smile as he turned to Felix. “Is this your grandfat
Xena recoiled as if she had just been dealt the greatest insult, shoving Felix away with all her strength. Her tear-filled eyes burned with fury as she glared at him. Felix, however, was utterly amused. He liked her best when she acted like a feisty little wildcat. Mrs. Xander quickly scolded, “Xena, you can’t be so rude to Mr. Perry!” “It’s fine, Mrs. Xander,” Felix said smoothly, turning to face Mr. Xander. “She’s just upset. I understand why she wouldn’t want anyone getting too close.” Then, as if he had all the time in the world, Felix added, “I’ve delivered my grandfather’s message. How you choose to handle the repayment is up to you. That’s your family’s problem, not mine. And with that, I’ll take my leave.” Before leaving, he cast one last lingering look at Xena—his expression brimming with arrogant certainty, as if she were already his. A shudder ran down Xena’s spine. Her hands clenched into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms. For the first time
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
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 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
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
“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
“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
“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