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Chapter 409
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 410
Layla took a steady breath. “I just spoke with the old lady downstairs. She said the family across from her in Unit 802 hasn’t been around for over two weeks.“Before I came, I also talked to the landlord. He said the apartment was rented by a family of three. The husband worked as a security guard for one of the Lucas Corporation’s subsidiaries, the wife stayed home full-time to care for their child, and the kid apparently has some health issues and goes to the hospital frequently.”She pulled a folded sheet of paper from her pocket and held it out to William. “Here’s their information. You can track their whereabouts by checking which hospital the child visited most recently.“Since you’re already here, why don’t you go talk to Dr. Young and look into the kid’s medical records? That should lead you to them pretty quickly.”Despite the intensity of William’s stare, Layla remained composed, meeting his eyes with calm certainty.When he didn’t respond, she raised a brow slightly. “
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“I’m guessing the reason that driver refused to say anything was all because of his kid. Whoever’s behind this must’ve used the promise of sending his wife and child overseas as leverage. That’s his biggest weakness,” Levi added.“Yeah.” William lifted his gaze toward the night sky, his voice calm and deliberate. “I’ve decided to go back to the Lucas estate to recover.”Levi was caught off guard. “Why all of a sudden? You—”Halfway through his sentence, a chilling thought hit him. His stomach dropped. “Wait... you think someone in your own family is involved?”William didn’t respond.But when he really thought about it, who would have the most to lose if he went through with marrying Gwen? And who had the ability to quietly reach someone working for the Lucas Corporation?The answer was almost painfully obvious. However, it was just a guess without proof.At this point, there was only one way to get to the bottom of it. He had to step right into the game himself.After all,
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 412
An hour later, Mr. Lucas Sr. and the rest of the family walked into the living room.Scarlett was the first to speak. “William, your father and both your brothers came to see you!”William was sitting on the couch, casually flipping through some documents with one hand. It wasn’t until he heard the commotion that he finally looked up. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his sharp eyes showed no emotion whatsoever.Mr. Lucas Sr. stepped closer and glanced at the papers in William’s hand. “You just got out of the hospital. Shouldn’t you be resting instead of working?”“There was some work piling up while I was admitted. I figured I’d try to clear as much of it as I can over the next few days.”William gestured for them to sit before setting the file aside.“You don’t have to push yourself so hard,” Mr. Lucas Sr. said as he sat across from him. “Your health should come first.”Zion and Lucien each took a seat on the nearby armchairs.Scarlett, seizing the moment, sat down next to Will
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 413
Just as Scarlett was finally winding down her rant, William reached over and pressed her arm, signaling her with a look to stop talking.But at this point, it was already too late. Everything that should have been said and plenty that shouldn’t, had already come spilling out of her mouth.For a moment, an awkward silence settled over the room.Mr. Lucas Sr. cleared his throat a few times before speaking. “All I said was one sentence, and you fired back with a whole speech. Was that really necessary?“You always have to have the last word, huh? Must be nice to always think you’re right.”Scarlett scoffed, clearly still not backing down. “William didn’t stay away from home because he was rebellious. He stayed away because he was working his tail off for Lucas Corporation. I’m proud of him.“And now that he’s finally back home, it just shows he’s filial and still cares about family. I’m just as happy about that.”In Scarlett’s mind, William could do no wrong. No matter what the sit
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 414
Ever since William moved back into the Lucas family estate, the atmosphere around the house had felt complicated.The only person who seemed genuinely happy about it was Scarlett. She was completely in her element, busy every day fussing over William, making soups and cooking up all kinds of dishes to help him recover.In front of her, William would play along and take a few polite sips. But the moment she left the room, the rest of the soup always ended up in Carter’s stomach.Carter groaned, practically on the verge of tears. “Uncle William, if I keep drinking like this, my manager’s seriously going to lose it. I’ve got a photoshoot next week for new promo pictures. There’s no way I can keep helping you with this.“Oh, speaking of the shoot,” Carter squinted at William, a little too knowingly, “I’m actually having Layla do it this time.”Then, as if remembering something important, Carter narrowed his eyes. “By the way, you didn’t tell her you moved back home, did you?”William
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 415
Lately, Carter had made a habit of secretly snapping photos of William’s daily life and sending them to Layla.Even though Layla’s replies were always short and half-hearted, Carter didn’t mind one bit. In fact, he was starting to understand why paparazzi loved their jobs. There was just something about sneaking around snapping secret photos that felt dangerously exciting.“Why are you so invested in getting Layla and Uncle William together anyway?” Carly asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.Carter blinked, then answered without hesitation. “Isn’t it obvious? I just think they’re a perfect match.”Carly frowned, her gaze drifting toward William’s room, her expression complicated. “Shouldn’t Gwen be the better match? In terms of family background, education, she and Uncle William are on the same level.“She can offer him way more than Layla ever could.“Layla doesn’t even come close to Gwen. Her own family didn’t even want her. She—”“She’s the one who walked away from them
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Not long after Gwen left the Lucas estate, Carter strolled right into William’s room.“Uncle William, what were you two talking about just now? Why did Gwen leave after barely twenty minutes?” Carter asked curiously.“Nothing at all,” William replied.Then, as if casually, he glanced over at Carter. “Did you send those photos to Layla?”Carter froze for half a second before immediately playing dumb. “Uh... what photos? What are you talking about?”William didn’t answer. He just looked at Carter, calm and steady, like he could see right through every bit of his terrible acting.Carter lasted all of three seconds before raising both hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I admit it! I snuck some pictures. If you’re mad, go ahead — yell at me, ground me, take my phone.”“Let me see them.”“Huh?”When William extended his hand, Carter finally realized he wasn’t joking and reluctantly handed over his phone. “I sent them to her already but she didn’t reply.“That’s pretty normal for her.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 417
“You’re already discouraged and the show hasn’t even aired yet? That’s so not like you.” As Layla spoke, something else occurred to her. “By the way, why didn’t you and the Best Actor shoot your promo photos together?”Carter’s expression darkened immediately at the mention of it. “He wanted to hire Eason Lopez.”Just saying the name had Carter grumbling under his breath. “His whole pitch was that this drama’s supposed to be a huge hit, so of course the promo photos had to be done by some big-shot photographer to set the tone right from the start.“Everyone knows I don’t get along with Eason, so of course I didn’t agree. After a few rounds of meetings, the producers finally compromised and let us shoot separately.”Layla nodded thoughtfully. “I see.”Carter frowned. “Sis, how are you not mad about this at all? They were basically looking down on your studio.”“Everyone has their own choices,” Layla replied calmly. “Maybe he just thinks Eason’s style suits him better.”She smil
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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
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“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
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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
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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 CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 504
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
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 502
“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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 501
“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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 500
“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
