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Chapter 316
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 317
The art district was far from the city center, and with it being peak rush hour, traffic was a mess.It wasn’t until nearly an hour later that Ivan finally saw a car slowly pulling up.The window rolled down, revealing Layla behind the wheel. She looked at Ivan, surprised. “Mr. Dixon? What are you doing here?”“Waiting for you,” he said casually, flashing a smug grin as he held up a set of keys. “The place you’re coming to see? It’s mine.”Layla blinked. “Seriously? What are the odds?”North City was starting to feel way too small. First, she had ended up at Kiera’s property, and now this?“You should’ve just come to me in the first place,” Ivan said, cocky as ever. “I know exactly where in North City is perfect for a photography studio. Come on, hop out. I’ll show you around.”He jingled a hefty ring of keys like a proud real estate agent. “If this one’s not a fit, I’ve got plenty of others to show you.”Seeing the ridiculous number of keys in his hand, Layla, for the
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 318
The day Layla signed the lease, she immediately had her assistant contact a renovation company, determined to get the place ready as quickly as possible.Once life got busy, time flew by.In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived. It wasn’t until Carter called her that morning that Layla remembered—it was Mrs. Young’s birthday banquet that evening.She hadn’t prepared a gift, so she rummaged through her personal collection and picked out a sapphire brooch she thought was tasteful. After wrapping it up nicely, she headed to the venue right on time, following the address on the invitation.As soon as she walked in, Levi spotted her and led Mrs. Young over. “Miss Xander, you made it.”“So this is Miss Xander…” Mrs. Young gave her a warm, appraising look. “You’re even more beautiful in person than in the photos. I can see the charm now. It’s no exaggeration at all!”Mrs. Young came from a respected family of doctors, and her gentle, nurturing presence gave off the comforting aur
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 319
Levi let out a sigh. “Mr. Perry Sr.’s condition really isn’t looking good. He insisted on leaving the hospital and going home. None of us could stop him.“He’s been strong-willed his whole life. To him, staying in a hospital means admitting he’s a patient. He just can’t accept that. But… everyone has to face aging eventually.”He looked troubled. “I even brought it up to William, hoping he could convince him. But it didn’t work. If you’re willing, maybe say something too. He might actually listen to you.”“Alright,” Layla nodded. “Send me his medical records when you get a chance. I’ll see if I can find someone to help.”“Will do.”Levi nodded in agreement.“Go on, then,” Layla said with a smile. “I’ll wander around on my own. You’ve got hosting to do.”After all, this was the Young family’s event. He couldn’t stay glued to her side all night.Still, Levi hesitated, not entirely at ease. “If you need anything, let me know right away.”“I will,” Layla said, smiling as she wa
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 320
“Miss Young,” Layla said with a cool, professional smile, “I have my own working principles. If you'd like to book a shoot, you'll need to schedule it at least six months in advance.”Quinn's face twisted with anger. “You're just a damn photographer. Who do you think you are? The Young family can hire any photographer we want! Six months in advance? Please—”“Quinn.”Ivan appeared beside her, casually slinging an arm around her shoulder with a teasing grin. “I leave you alone for five minutes and you’re already causing trouble?”He turned to Layla, still smiling. “Miss Xander, this is Quinn Young—Levi’s younger sister. Spoiled since birth, bit of a temper—don’t mind her.”“Who has a temper?” Quinn shot Ivan an irritated glare, but her ears turned red almost instantly—clear as day.Layla saw it and instantly understood. So that was it. The tension she had been holding onto quietly slipped away, her guard coming down.“Miss Young,” she said lightly, “I wasn’t trying to be diffi
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 321
Ivan didn’t suspect a thing. “Alright, I’ll come find you later then.”“Mm-hmm.” Layla gave him a polite nod and turned to leave, her heels clicking as she made her way toward the courtyard.It was still chilly in the early spring night. Most guests had gathered indoors, and only a few men lingered outside, smoking and chatting.Thanks to the lush landscaping and dense greenery, it was easy to move along the wallside paths without drawing attention.Layla entered the courtyard, scanning the area. There was no sign of Xena. After a moment’s thought, she put on a flustered expression and approached the men smoking nearby.“Excuse me, I’m looking for my friend,” she said, voice slightly anxious. “She’s wearing a pale yellow dress. Someone said they saw her head out here. Have you seen her?”They all shook their heads in unison. “Nope, haven’t seen anyone like that.”“Alright. Thanks anyway.” Layla offered a smile, though her gaze darkened slightly.If Xena really slipped
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 322
“Can you stop talking nonsense?” Sean said sharply. “This has nothing to do with Grandpa. It’s just… things aren’t like they were before. You and I—we're in a complicated situation now. Handling this pregnancy isn’t going to be easy.“Xena, trust me. I’m not going to abandon you like I did back then. Just give me some time. Let me figure it out, okay?”Sean’s voice softened with effort, trying his best to calm her down. The last thing he wanted was for her to lose control and run straight to Mr. Perry Sr.If that happened, it wouldn’t just be his grandfather who couldn’t take the shock. Kiera would probably faint on the spot. And the Perry family? It would fall into chaos.But Xena, satisfied with his promise, slipped right back into her sweet, clingy persona. “Okay,” she said softly. “I trust you.”The warm night breeze drifted through the sunroom, and the voices inside took on an increasingly intimate tone.As Layla turned to leave, her expression was unreadable—calm and col
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 323
Ivan could feel it—ever since Layla came back to the country, William had clearly gotten impatient.And who could blame him?For Layla, their reunion was still fresh. She had time. Everything could unfold slowly.But William had waited three whole years. Three years of silence, of holding back, of wearing down every last ounce of patience he had.If he didn’t start making bold moves now, when would he?The thought nearly made Ivan laugh out loud. He had to cover it with a quick cough to keep from giving himself away.Just then, the lights brightened as Mrs. Young began handing out slices of cake.Sean strolled in late and quietly slipped over to Kiera’s side, lowering his voice. “My stomach was acting up. I missed the best part.”Kiera immediately reached out to check his abdomen, her voice full of concern. “Do you want to go home and rest?”“No need,” he replied gently. “I just need a minute. You should go have fun with Quinn for a bit.”Kiera gave a soft laugh. “You a
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 324
The servant quickly retrieved the brooch and placed it gently into Mrs. Young’s hands.Her expression turned so solemn that the entire room fell silent.“Miss Xander…” she said, her voice trembling slightly as she carefully cradled the brooch. “Is this from the royal family in Yorona Empire?”Layla nodded. “Yes. Last year, I was invited to shoot a family portrait for the princess and her family. She was very pleased with the photos, and along with my payment, she gifted me this brooch.“I’ve always believed that only someone truly distinguished should wear it,” she continued with a calm smile. “So I kept it in my collection until today. I thought this would be a meaningful way to show my respect and hopefully bring you joy.”She then glanced meaningfully at Quinn. “Though it seems… Miss Young wasn’t too impressed with the gift.”A royal heirloom—and Quinn had trashed it like junk?Gasps rippled through the room. The murmuring began immediately.“Seriously? Quinn didn’t re
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 546
At the Lucas estate, Mr. Lucas Sr. stood in his study, staring absentmindedly at a landscape painting hanging on the wall.Lucien pushed the door open and walked over to his father’s side. He glanced at the painting. It was one of Zeppelin Mason’s works.Sensing that his father wasn’t speaking and that the atmosphere felt a little off, Lucien spoke cautiously. “Dad, you wanted to see me?”“I thought we should talk about the company. Since you’ve taken over, have you run into any problems?”Lucien shifted uncomfortably and hesitated before answering, “No problems...” He sneaked a look at Mr. Lucas Sr., then asked carefully, “Are you worried I can’t handle it?”“I trust your abilities,” Mr. Lucas Sr. said calmly. “It’s just that you haven’t really brought up much about the company lately, so I thought I’d check in. If anything does come up, you’d better not try to hide it from me.”He turned away from the painting and walked toward his desk, picking up his teacup and taking a sl
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 545
“You—” Susan was so furious that she couldn’t even get the words out.Kiera tugged lightly at her arm and whispered, “Mom, please, let’s just—”Felix finally noticed Kiera and sneered. “You’d better take your embarrassing mother-in-law and leave. Trust me, you’ll save yourself a lot of shame if you stop going out with her.”“Felix, please don't say any more,” Kiera said, frowning slightly, a hint of warning in her voice.But Susan snapped back impatiently, “Why are you even being polite to him? Didn’t you hear how disrespectful he was to me?”Kiera had no choice but to stay silent.Seeing Kiera so meek and obedient, Xena felt a surge of triumph. She pretended to speak up gently, “Felix, we still have to shop for the baby.”“Oh right! I almost forgot!” Felix said with a grin. “We still have a lot to buy. We can’t waste time on people who don’t matter.”He deliberately glanced at Kiera’s belly with a mocking smile. “Besides… it’s not like you’re going to need any of it.”With
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 544
After leaving the nursing home, on the way to the parking lot, Scarlett kept glancing suspiciously at Layla.Catching her gaze by chance, Layla didn’t get upset. Instead, she smiled politely and asked, “Mrs. Lucas, would you like to come to the art exhibition too?”“No,” Scarlett refused flatly, turning her head away with a huff. She muttered under her breath, “Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t need to tag along with you. Plenty of people invite me to gallery shows, and I haven't accepted a single one yet!”Layla glanced at William, and the two shared a knowing smile.Together, the group walked into the setting sun, their figures slowly fading into the distance.Under a nearby tree, Sean stood silently, his eyes reflecting the evening glow like tiny flames, burning holes into Layla’s retreating back.*Meanwhile, Kiera was shopping at the mall with her mother-in-law, Susan.Susan frowned at her phone. “Didn’t Sean say he was coming to have dinner with us? How come we haven’t hear
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 543
Just from that one look, Layla fully understood the things Scarlett had said to her in the restroom earlier.All the hostility Scarlett showed wasn’t because she hated her. It was because she loved her son too much.Thinking about it that way, Layla found herself feeling a little envious of William.“William’s lucky to have such an understanding mother like you,” Mr. Perry Sr. said with a warm smile. His eyes swept over Layla and William, carrying a deeper, knowing look.Clearly, he had misunderstood the situation.In his eyes, Scarlett’s willingness to come along to the nursing home meant she had accepted Layla.“No, I…” Scarlett started to explain but was cut off by William.“Grandpa Perry’s right,” William said without missing a beat.Mr. Perry Sr.’s smile grew even wider. “Good, that’s really good. If I can live long enough to see the two of you end up together, I’ll have no regrets.”With the conversation going this way, no one dared say anything to dampen Mr. Perry Sr.’s
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 542
Taking advantage of Sean’s momentary daze, Layla quickly pulled her hand free and ran straight toward William without hesitation.“Let’s go. There’s no need to waste any more time with him,” she said firmly.Layla naturally grabbed William’s hand and led him away.Sean chased after them for a few steps but could only watch helplessly as they disappeared into the distance. Frustrated, he slammed his fist hard against the wall.Why?After everything she had suffered, why would she still choose William Lucas?Was getting into the Lucas family really that important to her?Besides money and power, what else did that family have to offer? It was nothing but a pit of fire!William, sensing the hostile gaze burning into his back, said casually, “Looks like I’ll need to have a word with the staff here. From now on, no one from the Perry family should even be allowed past the gate.”“Yeah,” Layla replied without a second thought, not bothering to let it weigh on her mind.From a dista
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 541
“I used to think you were pretty smart too,” William said, mimicking Layla’s earlier tone. “Especially good at thinking you’re smarter than you really are.”Scarlett stared at him in disbelief. “Why did both of them sound exactly the same when they were being sarcastic?” she muttered.Without waiting for her response, William turned and walked away. Scarlett hurried after him, refusing to give up. “You’re just blinded by that woman. You can’t even see what’s really going on—”Their voices and footsteps faded into the distance.From around the corner, a figure quietly stepped out of the men's restroom.Layla was just exiting the hallway, drying her hands, when she caught sight of the familiar figure. She froze. “You? What are you doing here?”Sean turned around, his gaze unusually soft. “Layla. Long time no see.”“Let’s keep it that way,” Layla replied coldly, instantly on guard. “You’re not here to see Grandpa Perry, are you?”“Would they even let me?” Sean
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 540
Half an hour later, Mr. Perry Sr.'s rehabilitation session finally ended. Sweating profusely, he was helped back to his room by the aides for a shower.As Layla stepped out of the rehab room, she turned back and said lightly, “Mr. Lucas, you two wait here. I’m going to use the restroom.”Scarlett immediately jumped in, “Perfect! I was just about to go too. Let’s go together.”“Sure,” Layla agreed easily, turning to lead the way down the hallway.William instinctively reached out, wanting to stop Scarlett, but his hand closed on empty air. She was already striding after Layla at full speed.The restroom was located at the far end of the hallway. As they rounded the corner, Scarlett called out, “Miss Xander.”Layla paused and turned back without surprise, as if she had already guessed Scarlett would find a chance to speak privately.“What would you like to say, Mrs. Lucas?”Her calm, straightforward attitude caught Scarlett a little off guard.Scarlett drew in a breath, tryin
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 539
After thinking it over, Scarlett let out a quiet sigh.An hour later, they arrived safely at the nursing home. After checking with a nurse, they learned that Mr. Perry Sr. was in the rehabilitation room.Following the nurse’s lead, they walked to the glass-walled rehab room and peered inside. At a glance, they spotted Mr. Perry Sr. struggling to rise from his wheelchair.He gripped the armrests tightly, trembling as he slowly lowered one foot to the ground. Even such a simple movement seemed to take everything he had. After barely shifting his weight, he had to stop and catch his breath.Layla’s chest tightened painfully at the sight. The spirited Mr. Perry Sr. she remembered was gone.Then, with a loud thud, Mr. Perry Sr. collapsed onto the floor.Panicking, Layla rushed into the room, reaching out to help, only to have Mr. Perry Sr. slap her hand away.“I told you, I can do it myself!” He gritted his teeth, hands shaking against the floor as he tried to move his legs, but h
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 538
“If you’re getting involved with Layla at a time like this, aren’t you afraid William will skin you alive?” Lucien shot Zion a glare, growing even more convinced that his younger brother was seriously lacking in brainpower.“And from what you just said, it sounds like all of this is just your own speculation,” Lucien continued coldly. “Xavier and Layla had no connection before. The only overlap they had was the project with the small town.“Maybe Xavier meeting her for dinner had everything to do with that project. But by the time it came out of your mouth, you made it sound like they had some kind of shady relationship.“Listen—this kind of nonsense you can say to me in private, but don’t go blabbing it around. If word of this crap gets back to Xavier, we can forget about ever getting a chance to meet with him again.”Lucien paused for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh. “I really didn’t expect things to go the way they did tonight. Forget it. You keep trying to get in to
