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Chapter 436
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 441
Layla pressed her hands against William’s back, struggling to catch her breath. Her face was so red, it looked like she might just burst into flames. She was gasping for air, barely able to speak.“Put me down,” she panted softly. “I can walk on my own...”William didn’t even slow down. “I’m worried you won’t be fast enough.”By the time William carried her down the stairs, the entire Lucas family was already gathered in the living room. There was no sign of Mrs. Harris Sr. or Gwen.Mr. Lucas Sr.'s face darkened with fury. “William Lucas! What on earth do you think you’re doing?!”Scarlett was so shocked by the scene in front of her, she nearly fainted on the spot. If Maggie hadn’t reached out to steady her in time, she probably would have.Maggie didn’t dare look or speak. In her mind, it felt like the sky above the Lucas family was about to cave in.Even Carter stood frozen, staring blankly as William strode toward the front door with Layla slung over his shoulder. Deep down,
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 442
Back at the Harris estate, the moment Gwen stepped into her room, she locked the door behind her with a sharp click. No matter how many times Mrs. Harris Sr. called out to her from the hallway, Gwen refused to open the door.The commotion woke Wilson, who stepped out of his room, yawning. “Weren’t you guys supposed to stay over at the Lucas place tonight? What—”“Shut up!” Mrs. Harris Sr. snapped, her voice sharp enough to jolt him fully awake.“From now on, I don’t want to hear another word about the Lucas family! Not a single one of them is any good!” She was livid, her voice rising with every word. “And you! I don’t want you going anywhere near William Lucas again. He... that bastard!”Her furious yelling echoed down the entire hallway.Wilson blinked, stunned. “Wait... can someone tell me what happened first? At least let me hear both sides. If William really did something wrong, of course I’ll stand up for Gwen.”Mrs. Harris Sr.’s face twisted, like she didn’t even know wher
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 443
Levi struggled for a long moment before finally forcing out a response. His voice was low and a little awkward. “Well… let’s just say Gwen might’ve walked in on something highly inappropriate and definitely not suitable for kids.”“What?” Wilson’s voice shot up an octave. Without thinking, he grabbed Levi by the collar. “Where’s William?” “Right here.” William’s calm voice cut through the tension. Wilson turned sharply, stalking over with long, furious strides. “I know you don’t like Gwen, but you didn’t have to hurt her like that!” Wilson’s chest rose and fell heavily, anger practically rolling off him in waves. “What you did last night… that was just cruel.” He jabbed a finger in William’s face. “I always thought you’d at least have boundaries. That’s why I never interfered between you and Gwen. But this—this is crossing the line.” Wilson clenched his jaw, words choking in his throat. “If anything happens to Gwen because of this, you and I are done. I
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 444
“What?” Layla whipped around to face William, staring at him in shock. She practically blurted out, “Your plan was to ruin the engagement, hand over your position at the company, and let Lucien get exactly what he wanted?” For some reason, William thought she looked incredibly cute when she was angry like this. Suppressing a smile, he gave a casual nod. “Yeah.” Layla was practically fuming. “Are you out of your mind, or did I just hear that wrong? Do you even know what you’re saying right now?” “I do.” William slowly walked toward her. “This morning, my dad went straight to the company and announced that Lucien would be taking over as acting CEO. Starting today, I’m officially out of a job.” Layla stared at him, dumbfounded. For a second, she seriously considered pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. William’s voice dropped lower, his eyes steady on her. “So, Miss Xander, now that I’m unemployed... would you be willing to take me in?” “Take you
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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
