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Chapter 365
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 366
“I’ve made my stance clear for a long time,” William replied calmly, meeting Mr. Lucas Sr.’s gaze without a flicker of emotion. “Aside from Layla Xander, no other woman has the right to stand beside me.“This thing with Gwen Harris—it's been your plan from the very start. Not mine.”“You—” Mr. Lucas Sr.’s face clouded over. “Didn’t you go to pick her up at the airport?”William remained composed. “Only because Wilson couldn’t make it, so I stepped in. We’ve known each other since we were kids. It was just a small favor. Nothing more.”At that, Mr. Lucas Sr. finally lost it. He slammed his palm down on the chessboard, scattering black and white pieces across the table.“I don’t care what history you two have! The only woman you’re allowed to marry is Gwen Harris!“A marriage alliance with the Harris family is your ticket to power—secure, unshakable! I’ve laid out the best path for you, and you’d better stop sabotaging yourself by chasing dead ends!”William rose slowly from his s
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 367
“So what?”William followed Mike’s gaze out the window. His eyes, half-hidden in the shadows, grew darker, colder.“If they want it, let them come and try. Let’s see how much they’ve actually grown over the past three years.”Mike glanced back at him. The car’s interior was dim, and he couldn’t quite make out William’s expression but the commanding aura was unmistakable. Even in silence, William exuded that quiet force of control.Over the past three years, he hadn’t stayed still. Behind the scenes, he had grown rapidly—amassing power and resources no one had expected. He had been preparing for this moment for a long time, fully ready to give up everything that came with being part of the Lucas family. He was willing to walk away from it all and choose Layla without hesitation.But no matter how determined a person might be, the Lucas legacy wasn’t something one could just toss aside without feeling the weight of it. When it came time to truly let go, it was only natural to
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 368
“Friday night, the elders from the Lucas and Harris families are meeting,” Carter said casually over the phone. “Pretty sure they’ll be discussing Uncle William’s engagement to Gwen.“Who would've thought—even my brilliant and invincible uncle couldn’t escape a classic rich-family marriage arrangement.“Everyone on the outside thinks he’s the one running the Lucas family, but honestly? The real decision-maker is still my grandpa. Look at this—he’s got Uncle William’s future all mapped out.”He paused, then added with a grin, “Don’t you think so, sis?“Sis?”Carter called her several times before Layla finally responded, “Yeah. I heard you.”“What are you doing?” he asked curiously.“I have a shoot tomorrow. Just reviewing the materials the client sent over.”Layla flipped through the documents on her desk as she spoke, trying to cover up the fact that she had been totally distracted just moments earlier.“Oh, I see…”Carter glanced at Ivan, who was sitting next to him, clearl
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 369
But no matter how hard she tried to brush it off, Layla’s mind still felt messy—like something was brewing deep inside, a feeling she couldn’t name or explain.She lowered her gaze, reining her thoughts back in. “I can’t let myself get pulled into this,” she muttered to herself.As the car rolled to a stop, her expression had already cleared. Right now, staying focused on work was the only thing that mattered.This shoot wasn’t particularly difficult, but it required extra care. The plan had been laid out in advance. They just needed to follow it step by step.Once the team got started, they worked with seamless coordination. To any outsider, the whole setup looked like a perfectly synchronized production.Carly, the newest member of the team, trailed behind Layla the entire time. Her only tasks were to wipe lenses and hand over equipment—a pure assistant role.Watching everyone rush around, fully engaged in their work, Carly felt an itch to jump in herself. But she had no openin
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 370
“I was actually planning to bid on those rings as an anniversary gift,” Mrs. Jackson said, lifting her chin slightly. “But when I saw how determined William Lucas was, I gave up and let him have them. Painful decision, really.”She let out a light sigh. “But it’s been three years, and I’ve never once seen that woman’s ring. Only the men’s ring—on William’s hand.”As she spoke, something seemed to click. Mrs. Jackson suddenly remembered the rumors from back then. Her brows lifted slightly, and her smile took on a deeper meaning.“Miss Xander, weren’t you and William… together at the time?”“Mrs. Jackson.” Layla cut her off firmly. “He and I were just friends. We were never together. Those rumors back then had no basis and shouldn’t be taken seriously.”“But didn’t William publicly—”Confess?Before she could finish, Layla’s assistant gently tugged her arm.“Mrs. Jackson, since you’ve brought an additional piece for the shoot, let’s go over the setup real quick. We’ll need to adj
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 371
When Layla instinctively took a step back, Xena’s expression froze with embarrassment.“Layla, I really am happy to see you…” she said, stopping awkwardly. “Last time, we didn’t even get a proper chance to talk.”Her voice was soft and cautious, each word carefully delivered with that oh-so-innocent look on her face. “Layla, it’s a miracle you came back alive. I really believe it’s heaven giving me a chance to make things right. From now on—”“There’s no ‘from now on’ between us.”Annoyance flickered across Layla’s face. She hadn’t expected it, but somehow, Xena’s fake sweetness had only gotten worse after three years.“Layla, I know you’re still angry with me, and with the family.”Xena lowered her gaze slightly, looking even more pitiful. “What we did back then really was too cruel. After we thought you were gone, we’ve been living in guilt ever since…”“Oh?” Layla let out a cold laugh. “And how exactly have you been repenting? I’d love to hear the details.”Xena went quiet.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 372
“I—I didn’t! How could I be following you?” Shane stammered, quickly thinking on his feet. He gave her an awkward smile. “I was just dropping Xena off. She came to borrow some jewelry from Mrs. Jackson for an event. Then I got word that Layla was here.“I saw you nearby, and you didn’t look happy… so naturally, I thought maybe you’d run into her. You’ve told me more than once that you can’t stand her.“With all those coincidences lining up, of course that was my first thought.”Carly stared at him for a long moment, skeptical, but eventually relented. “Fine. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt—just this once.”Shane quietly let out a breath of relief, then pushed on, “So… I was right, wasn’t I? She upset you? What happened exactly?”Carly’s expression remained cold. “Even if you're right, it’s none of your business. Shane, I’ve said it before—I’m not interested in you. Can you please leave me alone?”“Carly, don’t always shut people out like this!”He reached for her hand,
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 373
“You’d better mean that,” Carly said sharply before turning on her heel.Her footsteps picked up speed with every stride, a silent reminder to Shane of just how badly she wanted to get away from him.As soon as she disappeared, Xena appeared behind him.“She’s already gone. What are you still staring after her for?”“None of your business,” Shane snapped, shooting her a glare. “Is Layla still upstairs?”“Yeah. Didn’t Carly just join her studio? Strange she’s not by her side,” Xena said with a tilt of her head.“Keep your voice down!” Shane immediately reached out and clamped a hand over her mouth, lowering his voice. “Carly can’t know that we all know she’s working at Layla Studio. If she starts digging into that night, she’ll find out I was the one who called those thugs to trash the place!“If she finds out, I’m done. She’ll never give me another chance.”Xena pulled his hand off her face and blinked innocently. “So, Shane… are you really going to just let her stay at Layla S
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 558
“I got it. Just send me the address.”Kiera’s voice came through flat and hollow, barely audible over the background noise.Sean didn’t sense anything unusual. “No need. I’ll come pick you up.”She didn’t answer. She simply ended the call, letting her phone drop weakly to her side.Noticing how pale her daughter looked, Mrs. Jenkins asked with concern, “Kiera, what’s wrong? Who was that on the phone?”Kiera forced a faint smile. “It was Sean. He wants me to join him at a dinner tonight.”“Well, isn’t that a good thing? It means he values you. He wants everyone to know what a wonderful wife he has.”She reached for Kiera’s hand. The moment their skin touched, she frowned. “Kiera, your hand is freezing. Are you feeling sick? I bet it’s that jinx Layla—just seeing her—”“Mom.”Kiera cut her off gently. “You heard what Grandpa said earlier. What happened between Sean and Miss Xander was Sean’s fault. She had nothing to do with it.“And honestly, Grandpa seems so much better with
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 557
As soon as Layla finished speaking, the reporters rushed back to her, voices overlapping.“I’ll schedule one!”“Count me in!”Just like that, Mr. Lucas Sr. and Lucien were quietly edged out of the crowd.Although Layla had, in a few short sentences, deflected the attention away from them, Mr. Lucas Sr. was seething.“What was that woman trying to pull? That wasn’t helping us. She was clearly showing off!“As if we need her help! Even if I had admitted right there that we tried to suppress her, so what? You think any of those reporters would dare run their mouths online?”Fearing they would attract more media attention, Lucien quickly guided his father away from the commotion.“Dad, it’s Mr. Mason’s exhibition today. Let’s not make a scene. No matter what’s going on, we owe him that much respect.”Lucien looked genuinely troubled.“I just didn’t expect Mr. Mason to be so publicly supportive of Layla. Wasn’t he always known for keeping out of personal drama?”“God knows what t
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 556
“That must be Mr. Mason,” William said calmly, using the moment to push the wheelchair forward.He had no intention of wasting time dealing with Mr. Lucas Sr., and he would rather not let Mr. Perry Sr. get dragged into unnecessary tension either.Watching them walk away without so much as a backward glance, Mr. Lucas Sr. clenched his fists, furious.“That ungrateful brat didn’t even bother to say hello!” he thought bitterly.“Dad, don’t get upset. William, he just—”“Don’t you defend him!”Mr. Lucas Sr. shot Lucien a fierce glare.“You shouldn’t have called out to him in the first place! He was cast out of the Lucas family and that makes him a stranger now!”“It’s not that serious, he—”Lucien stopped himself the moment he caught his father’s icy stare.He lowered his head without another word, just in time to hide the faint flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.From a distance, flashes from the media’s cameras lit up the front entrance. Mr. Lucas Sr. took a deep breath to st
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 555
“Are you blaming me?” Mrs. Jenkins asked softly. “I...”“I’m not,” Kiera said with a light smile.“I just don’t want you worrying about my life anymore. After all, I’m married now.”Mrs. Jenkins opened her mouth to respond, then let out a sigh instead.“I’ve only made things harder for you in the end.”*Elsewhere in the gallery, William was pushing Mr. Perry Sr.’s wheelchair, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere.Mr. Perry Sr. noticed and chuckled.“If you want to go find Layla, just go. I can manage on my own.”“How could I leave you alone?” William replied. “I brought you out of the nursing home today. If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to face the Perry family.”Mr. Perry Sr. let out a laugh.“You don’t strike me as someone who cares much about what the Perry family thinks.”He smiled knowingly.“Just now, the way you spoke sounded like anyone who touches Layla is getting kicked out of North City. Even the Perry family’s heir was just a ‘disgraced illeg
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 554
“Tsk.”Layla slowly crossed her arms over her chest, her voice unhurried and cool.“So what if I had a past with Sean Perry? That seems to be everyone’s favorite excuse to stir up drama.“I figured the Jenkins family would be the last people who’d want to bring it up, but clearly you’ve all been holding onto it. Fine. Since you want to talk about it, let’s clear the air.“Back then, Sean cheated on me first with Xena Xander, no less. If your family was willing to take him in after that, I really have to admire how generous you all are.“I don’t know if Sean ever felt lucky to break things off with me, but I can tell you I was very glad he let go. Honestly, I should be thanking the Jenkins family for saving me the trouble.”Color drained from Mrs. Jenkins’s face, then came rushing back in angry red.“You—your mouth is as sharp as ever! Sean simply came to his senses early and saw that Kiera was a thousand times better than you!“You’re just jealous she married him! A woman like
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 553
The setting sun streamed through the car window, casting warm golden light across William's face.The play of shadow and light outlined his already defined features like a painting drawn in bold, deliberate strokes.Layla rested her chin on one hand, watching William with amused curiosity, as if waiting for him to come clean on his own.But William pretended not to notice. He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, calm and unwavering — like a man about to be sworn into office.As the car pulled into the underground parking garage, Layla smirked to herself, “Alright then. If you won’t admit it, I’ll pretend I don’t know either.”*Time passed. April had come and gone.Zeppelin Mason’s art exhibition opened as scheduled and luckily, the day was bright and clear.There had already been rumors swirling that this would be his final show, marking his official retirement from painting.So reporters from every outlet arrived early, waiting eagerly to catch his appearance and grab the fir
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 552
After hanging up the phone, Layla returned to the couch.Carter looked up curiously.“Who was that, Sis?”“The service center,” Layla replied with a hint of frustration.“They said one of my car’s parts is damaged and needs to be ordered from the manufacturer. It'll take about two weeks before I can get the car back.”She frowned slightly.“It’s strange. The car was working just fine when I dropped it off. How could a part suddenly be broken?”“Totally normal,” Carter said casually, pulling out his phone. “Some issues only show up during inspection.”As he spoke, he started typing quickly. “Perfect timing! I’ll text Uncle William and ask him to pick you up after work today. No need for you to take a cab.”“I can drive her—” Seth offered.“No need,” Carter cut in without even looking up.“They live together. No point in bothering Director Mason.”After a moment, Carter looked back up with a grin.“Uncle William said yes!”Layla said nothing. Instead, she just looked at him
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 551
Little by little, Layla found herself drawn in, her thoughts swept along by Seth’s rhythm as she unconsciously stepped into his world.Seth might look laid-back and a little rough around the edges, but the moment he started talking about film, he became sharp, articulate, and deeply professional.As a director, he had the ability to oversee everything on set — exactly the kind of big-picture thinking Layla was still learning to master.His arrival, she had to admit, couldn’t have come at a better time.Before she realized it, admiration quietly bloomed in her heart.She had to give him credit. Seth Mason’s billion-dollar box office success wasn’t luck. He had truly earned it.“Director Mason, I—” she began.But a knock at the door cut her off.Layla gave a small, apologetic smile, then turned toward the door.“Come in.”A moment later, a head poked through the doorway. It was Carter, grinning ear to ear.“Hey, Sis! You’ve got company, huh…?”As his eyes landed on Seth, Carte
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 550
“Pretty good,” Layla said seriously after thinking it over for a moment. “But it would've been even better if he wasn’t quite so enthusiastic.”Seth really was a little too friendly, pushing past the social distance Layla was used to.If he had been a complete stranger, she probably would have thought he was some kind of weirdo. But since he was Zeppelin’s grandson, that connection naturally made him feel a little more familiar, a little easier to trust.“Maybe that’s just the way he is,” Layla said with a small smile. “It’s actually pretty rare for someone in their thirties to keep that kind of pure, genuine enthusiasm.“When it comes to relationships, you have to be willing to take the first step or nothing ever happens. Besides, if you’re still timid at this age, you’ll never get anywhere.”Because the evening had been so relaxed and pleasant, Layla was completely at ease, speaking whatever came to mind without filtering herself.But William, sitting silently beside h
