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Chapter 370
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 374
“Miss Xander, could you come take a look?”The call snapped Layla out of her drifting thoughts. The memory that had seemed so close—right at her fingertips—vanished without a trace.She furrowed her brows. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall where she had seen that ring before.Then again… how could she have seen it?Shaking off the thought, Layla returned Mrs. Jackson’s phone with a polite smile. “You’re welcome to head out now. Once we finish up and organize the raw shots, someone will contact you to come by the studio and select your images.”“Perfect,” Mrs. Jackson said cheerfully. “Watching you work has been a treat. I know I’m in good hands!”After seeing her off, Layla threw herself back into the shoot.Before they knew it, the sun had dipped below the horizon. The day’s work was finally done.When the team returned to the studio, they assumed everyone else had already gone home. But to their surprise, the lights were still on and a delicious smell lingered
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 375
The rest of the team raised their glasses as well. “Cheers!”Caught off guard by their enthusiasm, Carly hesitated, her lips pressed into a thin line, not quite sure what to do.Lily simply shoved a drink into her hand, then grabbed her wrist and raised both their glasses high. “We’re a team now!”Laughter and cheers filled the room as everyone took a sip.Carly followed along, taking a small drink. Her heart was unexpectedly full. These bright, energetic faces were the ones who helped Begonia bring every masterpiece to life.And in that moment, for the first time, she felt a real desire to be part of this team—not just in name, but in spirit.The joyful atmosphere didn’t last long. As the night grew late, team members began to trickle out.Carly volunteered to stay behind and help clean up. Carrying out a bag of trash, she paused on her way back and noticed that the light in Layla’s upstairs office was still on.After tossing the trash, she made her way upstairs and knocked on
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 376
From Ivan, Layla learned the full story behind Shane’s so-called “pursuit” of Carly.It had always been one-sided—Shane clinging like a persistent shadow, while Carly avoided him at all costs. And yet, she still hadn’t managed to shake him off.After hanging up, Layla couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy. “Of all people, why did Carly have to be the one to catch his attention?” she thought.And Shane? He was absolutely delusional. Even if he somehow “won” Carly’s heart, did he really think the Lucas family would let their heiress marry into the Xander family?The gap between the two families was a canyon—wide and impossible to cross.Without meaning to, her mind wandered to William’s face.Now that she thought about it, it had been a long time since she had seen him.She had been so busy lately—out early, back late—that she hadn’t even had the time to glance next door. She didn’t even know if he had already moved out.Her gaze drifted to the corner of her laptop screen.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 377
“Alright, wait for me.”Layla quickly made a U-turn at the next light and entered the address Jenny had sent her into the GPS.Less than twenty minutes later, she arrived at the venue and followed a staff member who offered to guide her.This tea gathering had been arranged by Jenny herself—not only to thank their friends for showing up in support of Layla, but also to help Layla build deeper connections within the circle.Through the door of the private room, Layla could already hear the cheerful chatter and laughter. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing to apologize for being late.That was when a cold voice rang out behind her.“What are you doing here?”Layla paused mid-step and turned around—only to see Gwen standing arm-in-arm with Scarlett. The two of them looked like the perfect mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo.Scarlett frowned, sizing Layla up from head to toe. “Even a no-name photographer can get into this place now? The bar’s really dropped. Maybe next ti
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 378
Gwen looked visibly embarrassed. “Mrs. Lucas, I’m sure Miss Jasper didn’t mean it like that…”“She absolutely did!”Scarlett, still fuming, made a move to march over and bang on the door again—only for Gwen to quickly grab her arm and stop her.“Mrs. Lucas, don’t you have another gathering to attend? It's getting late. You really shouldn’t waste your time getting worked up over something like this.”Her voice was gentle and coaxing as she slowly guided Scarlett toward their reserved private room.Once inside, Scarlett still looked furious. She sat stiffly in the main seat and didn’t say a word for a long while.One of the other ladies leaned over and whispered to Gwen, “What’s wrong with Mrs. Lucas?”“It’s nothing, really. She’ll be fine in a bit,” Gwen replied with a polite smile. “You all go ahead and eat, chat as you like.”Seeing she didn’t want to elaborate, the women exchanged subtle glances but didn’t press further. The conversation eventually turned toward Gwen.“I hea
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 511
“Who exactly was hiding something?” Kiera only muttered the words in her heart. On the surface, she kept her tone casual and said, “I was watching a promotional video Miss Xander produced. I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea if you saw it.“If you don’t believe me, take a look for yourself.”As she spoke, Kiera handed her phone to Sean, her expression calm and composed.Sean frowned slightly. “Layla Xander? Isn’t her studio the one Mr. Lucas Sr. basically shut down?”“You seem pretty up to date on her situation,” Kiera said with a half-smile. “Here I thought you didn’t know anything.”“I just... heard about it. Everyone in the circle has,” Sean said, clearly uncomfortable, avoiding her gaze. “She crossed the Lucas family. Of course she was going to end up like this. When she first came back, everyone was talking about her, but in the end, all it took was one word from Mr. Lucas Sr. and her studio couldn’t land a single project.”“Is that so?” Kiera tightened her grip on
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 510
Kiera had always played the part of the gentle, obedient wife.But right now, the cold sarcasm in her eyes made Sean feel like he was looking at a stranger.Sean sobered up a little in an instant. “What the hell are you talking about?” he snapped. “All I did was ask you to play the harp. Do you really have to twist it into something so ugly?”He huffed and continued, “Mr. Zimmer has sent us quite a few projects over the years. I know he’s into classical music, so I thought bringing you tonight might give you two something to talk about.“How was I supposed to know that asking you to play one song would feel like pulling teeth? You refused to drink, which was fine, but then you just sat there with that sour face. Who would even dare start a conversation with you like that? Anyone watching would have thought I treat you like garbage at home.”Grumbling, Sean let go of her arm and leaned back against the car door, putting distance between them.To his surprise, Kiera didn’t move clo
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 509
“I’ve heard Mrs. Perry plays the harp,” someone across the round table suddenly said. It was Mr. Zimmer, one of the business partners. “There happens to be one here tonight. Mrs. Perry, would you mind playing a piece for us?”“This…” Kiera hesitated, but before she could reply, Sean jumped in with a smile, “Of course not. My wife plays beautifully. Tonight’s the perfect chance for everyone to enjoy it.”Hearing that, Kiera’s heart sank.It was rare for Sean to ask her to attend a business dinner. In all their time married, this was the first time he had willingly brought her into one of his work events.If she didn’t already know better, she might have been flattered, maybe even excited to join him.But she knew too much. She could see right through him. When something felt this out of the ordinary, there was always a hidden reason. Still, she smiled and nodded. “Sure, I’d be happy to.”A few minutes later, the restaurant staff wheeled in a harp and set it up in the private di
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 508
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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 507
“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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 506
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
