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Chapter 432
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 433
“How thoughtful of you.” Mrs. Harris Sr. gave a polite nod, then turned to Layla. “Your camera’s here. You can get to work now.” Her tone was casual, almost dismissive, like she was giving orders to a servant rather than speaking to a guest. There wasn’t the slightest trace of respect in it.Layla’s assistant instantly bristled. But knowing full well these were not people she could afford to offend, she forced herself to swallow her irritation.Instead, she pulled out her iPad and switched to full professional mode. “Since this was a last-minute request, we had to cancel two pre-booked shoots to accommodate today,” the assistant said evenly. “Miss Xander’s schedule is fully packed, so rescheduling wasn’t an option. We’ll have to pay a cancellation fee which I’m sure you don’t expect us to cover out of pocket.“On top of that, Miss Xander’s rate for on-location shoots is not cheap. If you really want her to handle this personally, we’ll need to sign a contract and collect a
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 434
Layla let out a faint, almost amused laugh. “Mr. Zion Lucas, you sound awfully sure of yourself. What is it? Did you plant a camera on me, or did you put one on Mr. William Lucas?”She turned slightly, her gaze cool. “I’ve been in the kitchen this whole time with Mrs. Maggie Lucas, helping her with the pastries. Even Miss Harris stopped by for a while. Why don’t you ask her if she happened to see Mr. William anywhere?”All eyes immediately shifted to Gwen. She hesitated for half a second, then shook her head. “I didn’t see him.”Layla smiled, calm and unbothered. “If one person’s word isn’t enough, Mrs. Maggie should be here soon too. I’m sure she can confirm it for you.”She looked right at Zion, meeting his gaze head-on, completely at ease.Zion stiffened, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected Layla to push back like this, especially not here on the Lucas family’s turf.Lucien stepped in, his voice calm but edged. “Miss Xander, my brother was only asking if you’d seen William. T
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 435
Layla pulled out her camera and began attaching the lens with practiced ease. “Wouldn’t that mean we wasted the whole morning for nothing?”She glanced at her assistant, her tone calm. “You can head back first if you want. I’ll be fine handling the rest on my own.”“But...” The assistant hesitated, clearly worried.Before she could say anything else, Layla gave her a reassuring look. The assistant paused, then finally nodded. “Alright. I understand.”Layla gave a small smile and patted her shoulder lightly before stepping past her. With her camera in hand, she made her way down the stone steps, starting to search for the best angle to capture the peaceful, harmonious scene around the pavilion.After what her assistant had just pulled, Layla decided to treat this like any other job. As long as she told herself everyone in front of her was just another client, it became easy to shut off her personal feelings and slip into full professional mode.Or at least, that was the plan.B
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 436
Led by the servant, Layla stepped into the room and immediately spotted Mr. Lucas Sr. standing out on the balcony.Even though she had mentally prepared herself for this, standing here alone with him still made her feel a little tense.As the door quietly clicked shut behind her, Layla steadied herself, walked toward the balcony, and spoke calmly. “Mr. Lucas Sr., you wanted to see me?”“You really don’t know why I called you here?” His voice was low, edged with impatience.Layla suppressed a sigh. “Seriously? He wanted to play guessing games now?” she muttered to herself.“If you have something to say, Mr. Lucas Sr., I’d appreciate it if you’d just say it directly. I honestly don’t know why you asked to see me.”Mr. Lucas Sr. finally turned to face her, his sharp eyes narrowing. “At this point, are you really still going to play dumb with me? Mrs. Harris Sr. brought you all the way here. You expect me to believe you can’t guess what that means?”His voice turned colder.
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 437
But William ignored Mr. Lucas Sr. completely, never once looking back as he pulled Layla out of the room.“William Lucas!” Mr. Lucas Sr.’s furious shout echoed through the house, followed by the sharp crack of his hand slamming down on the balcony railing.“Grandpa, don’t get so worked up! I’ll go talk to him.” Carter blurted out.He then quickly slipped out after them, not forgetting to shut the door behind him on his way out.Mr. Lucas Sr. clenched his fists tightly, his expression stormy. Fine. He would give Layla the benefit of the doubt this once. But if he found out she had lied tonight, she wouldn’t get off easy.*“Mr. Lucas, let me go!” Layla called out, struggling against William’s grip.She called him a few more times, but the man in front of her didn’t even flinch.Frustrated, Layla finally raised her voice. “William Lucas, what exactly are you trying to do?”Suddenly, William stopped in his tracks. Layla, caught off guard, bumped straight into his back.“Where
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 438
William arrived five minutes late, only to find that Layla was nowhere to be seen.Mike immediately stepped forward. “I’ll go look for Miss Xander.”William gave a slight nod.As soon as Mike left, Scarlett came over and slipped her arm through William’s.“William,” she began gently, “I noticed you barely said a word to Gwen in front of Mrs. Harris Sr. tonight. Are you still upset?“I know what Mrs. Harris Sr. did today was a little over the top, but for my sake, and out of respect for her as an elder, could you not take it to heart?“She’s only doing all this because she wants what’s best for Gwen. What parent or grandparent doesn’t want to see their children and grandchildren happy?”As she spoke, Scarlett handed him a glass of wine. “Why don’t you go over, have a drink with Mrs. Harris Sr., and chat for a bit? After all, you’re the younger one here. It’s only right for you to take the first step.”William lowered his gaze to her hand but made no move to take the glass.“If
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 439
The spring night was damp and chilly, but Layla stood there under the freezing water, her face still flushed bright red.Noticing something wasn’t right, William grabbed a towel and strode over to her. He caught her wrist in one hand and yanked her out from under the showerhead, wrapping the towel firmly around her.She stumbled right into his chest. Through her hazy, fevered state, a little clarity returned to her eyes. “Mr. Lucas… you finally came…” Her whole body was burning from the inside out, while the icy water on her skin only made the contrast feel unbearable. It was like fire and ice colliding.When she drank that cocktail, she hadn’t expected it to hit her this hard. If she had known, she would have only taken half a glass.“It was Lucien,” she bit down on her lip, shivering uncontrollably while feeling like she might combust from the heat. “He… he told someone to send me to your room…”Layla looked up at William. Her tear-bright eyes glimmered with a hint of seduct
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 440
The villa was brightly lit as Gwen slowly made her way up the stairs to the fourth floor.She had been here many times as a child, always tagging along with Carter and the others to catch fish by the lake. William, though, was never one to join them. He would sit quietly beneath a tree by the shore, reading a book.Every time she popped her head out of the water, she would catch sight of that picture-perfect scene of William sitting in the sunlight like he was glowing. Even after all these years, that image still shone in her memory.She still remembered clearly that William's room was always at the very end of the fourth-floor hallway. Back then, without his permission, she never dared step inside. All she could do was wait quietly outside for him to come out.As Gwen slowly approached the door, for a brief moment, it felt like she had stepped back in time. It felt just like those days when she was a young girl, heart pounding nervously, taking one hesitant step after another to
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 520
“The first time I watched the promotional video, I was blown away by the scenery. The second time, I realized there was a deeper meaning. Layla Xander filmed those children who had been left behind, showing their everyday lives. She clearly wanted to draw attention to their reality!” “I grew up as a left-behind kid myself. I know exactly how hard it is. Thank you, Miss Xander, for letting people see them! From now on, if anyone dares to bash her, I'll be the first to stand up and fight back!” “If it weren't for how beautifully she shot the promotional video, YT Corporation would never have noticed the town or the children. Layla truly did something incredible.” “Beauty, kindness, and talent—Layla Xander is the full package!” At the top of the trending page, an account called “LittleDianaHere” (who claimed to be a local) shared another piece of information:“Miss Xander is personally sponsoring every child who appeared in the promotional video, covering their education all
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 519
“Mr. Zion, Mr. Lucien is getting impatient...” the secretary reminded him quietly.Zion snapped back to attention, scowling. “Fine. Let’s go.”When they arrived outside the CEO’s office, Zion knocked lightly on the door. A sharp, furious voice came from inside.“Get in here!”Zion hurriedly pushed the door open. “Lucien, what happened? Who got you so worked up?”“You mean you still don't know?”Lucien’s temper flared even hotter. He slammed his palm against the desk several times, making the whole table shake.“I told you to get in touch with Xavier Taylor. Did you handle it?”Zion panicked. “I... I'm still working on it. His side keeps giving excuses, saying he's too busy lately. I didn’t want to bother him...”“Busy?”Lucien waved him closer with an icy smile. “Come here. Take a good look at what he’s so busy with.”Zion did as he was told and stepped closer.The next second, Lucien grabbed him by the back of the neck and forced him to bend over, his hands instinctively b
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 518
“I’m talking to you about something serious, and you’re still glued to your phone?” Zion’s voice was full of irritation.Only then did Carly finally put her phone away, looking at him with a hint of impatience.“You've repeated yourself three times already. I’m not stupid.”“I just don’t want you brushing it off,” Zion said, frowning. He then narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the pocket where Carly had stashed her phone. “Don't tell me you're still thinking about Layla Xander’s studio.” Carly's heart sank. “How did you know?” “Your mom told me.” Zion stepped closer, his expression serious. “Look, Carly, I'm willing to chalk up what you did before to immaturity. But if you even think about pulling something like that again—” “You’re spying on me?” Carly’s face turned cold. “I’m an adult. Can’t I even have a little privacy?” “You’re our daughter. As your parents, we have every right to know what you’re up to! It's a good thing you realized you were heading down
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 517
Everyone was both shocked and thrilled. They kept asking Layla over and over, needing to be sure it was really true.“Wow! Things are finally turning around! Who cares about those commercial gigs? A commission from a legendary artist is the real prize!”“Who would’ve thought? Just last month, we didn’t have a single job, and now we’ve been personally invited by Mr. Zeppelin Mason. Not even in our wildest dreams!”“It’s all thanks to Layla’s connections! Back when we first opened, so many big names showed up to support her. How did we not think to reach out to them last month?”The chatter kept going until Layla cleared her throat and spoke up firmly.“We didn’t get here because of connections. We got here through hard work. Step by step. There were no shortcuts. Every opportunity we have now, we earned.”She paused, her voice steady. “And for every project going forward, I want us to put in the same heart and effort we did with the small-town promotional video. Let’s aim to deliv
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 516
Thanks to the rising popularity of the small-town promotional video, the studio had been flooded with appointment requests over the past week. Although they still had not secured any major commercial contracts yet, the overall atmosphere in the studio had lifted significantly. Some team members even started dreaming big, vowing to create the best city promotional videos in the world and put every hidden gem on the global map.However, shooting city promotional videos meant a lot of traveling and a lot more manpower. After the previous wave of departures, the studio was seriously understaffed, and the HR department had to scramble to start emergency hiring.Seeing the studio slowly getting back on its feet, Layla found herself busier than ever, to the point where she wished she could clone herself just to keep up.In the middle of the chaos, she received a phone call.“Layla, have you had time to think about the offer I mentioned last time?” The voice on the other end wa
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 515
Before long, Mrs. Jenkins reached Kiera's side. Only then did she notice Layla standing at the end of the hall. Her expression immediately darkened.“What are you two doing here?” she demanded.“Nothing,” Kiera said quickly, grabbing her mother’s arm. “We just ran into each other and chatted for a bit.”“What could you possibly have to talk about?” Mrs. Jenkins shot Layla a look of pure disdain, but her warning was directed sharply at Kiera. “You stay away from her. That woman is nothing but shameless—”“Mom!” Kiera cut her off in a panic, rushing to say goodbye to Layla. “Miss Xander, sorry to bother you. We'll be going now.”Before Layla could even respond, Kiera tugged her mother away.As she watched the mother and daughter disappear down the hallway, Layla couldn't help but feel puzzled. “What was going on with Kiera?” Layla wondered.Outside the private dining room, Mrs. Jenkins yanked her hand free and turned on Kiera, her face thunderous.“Why didn’t you let
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
