Share

Chapter 467

Aвтор: Eli Sole
On second thought, maybe bringing William along wasn’t such a bad idea after all. He might actually end up being helpful.

Besides, people who wanted to gossip would always find something to talk about. No matter how careful she tried to be, it wouldn’t stop the rumors. Instead of tiptoeing around awkwardly, it was probably better to just get along naturally and save them both the unnecessary awkwardness.

Not to mention, things between them had already gotten to this point. There really wasn’t much reason to keep dancing around it anymore.

With that thought, Layla stopped overthinking it. She might not have said it out loud, but in her heart, she had already agreed to let William tag along.

*

Meanwhile, over at the Xander family dinner table, the atmosphere couldn’t have been more tense.

Mr. Xander barely touched his food before slamming his chopsticks down in frustration. “Forget it. I’ve lost my appetite.”

Earlier that day, both Chris and Shane had come home and told him everyt
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Заблокированная глава

Related chapter

  • The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die   Chapter 468

    The next day, after flying from North City down to the southern region, Layla stepped out of the airport still wondering how they were going to get to the small town.Before she could even ask, she saw William walking toward a black Range Rover parked by the curb.The driver quickly got out, handed him the keys, and stepped aside.William turned to her. “Come on.”Layla walked over, just in time to hear him calmly explain, “I had someone rent the car last night.”She chuckled awkwardly. “Looks like you really do think of everything, Mr. Lucas.”“Get in. I'll be your driver for the next few days.”With that, William loaded their luggage into the trunk, got into the driver’s seat, and smoothly pulled away from the airport.Sitting in the front passenger seat, Layla glanced sideways at him and couldn’t help but feel that letting him tag along might have actually been the smartest decision she made.It was a two-hour drive from the airport to the town.William drove steadily, his

  • The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die   Chapter 469

    The next second, the door swung open. Layla looked up at William with a small smile. “You hungry too?”“Come on.” William didn’t waste any time. He walked ahead while Layla shut the door behind her and quickly caught up.The town was small, with half of it made up of farmland and the other half a quiet residential area. A narrow stream wound its way through the middle, with trees lining both sides, their leaves swaying gently in the evening breeze.The air was cool and damp, carrying the faint scent of grass and earth. It felt clean and calming, like it could quietly wash away all the noise and pressure of city life.Layla stretched her arms overhead with a relaxed sigh. “Feels like a vacation more than work. Honestly, I could get used to this.”William glanced sideways at her. “You like it here?”Layla answered without hesitation. “I do. It’s rare to find a place this peaceful. Feels like the perfect spot to slow down... maybe even reset.”Halfway through her thought, her ey

  • The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die   Chapter 470

    Williama and Layla left the restaurant and followed the noise toward the other side of the town. From a distance, Layla could see a crowd gathered near a fish pond. Even through the night air, Mrs. Lawson’s heart-wrenching sobs cut sharply through the noise.Layla instinctively quickened her pace. Pushing her way through the crowd, she quickly knelt down beside Mrs. Lawson.Lying motionless on the ground was their chubby little boy, his face pale, eyes shut tight, not moving an inch. His school uniform was still dripping wet. It looked like he had just been pulled out of the pond.“Step back,” Layla instructed without hesitation, immediately beginning CPR.She had learned first aid while she was abroad, but she never imagined the first time she would actually use it would be on a child.The mountain air was damp and cold, but Layla quickly broke into a sweat. Flashes of the family's happy photos on the restaurant wall played in her mind. She couldn’t bear to imagine what life woul

  • The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die   Chapter 471

    Layla paused for a moment, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. “Too bad my luck wasn’t as good as that little kid’s. Even though I survived, my family’s gone. Then again, maybe that’s for the best.”Just thinking about her two brothers showing up the other day made that smile turn even more self-deprecating. What was the point of having a family like that?William watched her quietly. In his mind, all he could see was the way she had just thrown herself into saving that boy’s life. She was exactly like the girl he remembered — standing in the middle of that storm, fearless and unshaken, willing to risk everything to save someone else.Years had gone by. She had gone through so much chaos and suffered so many betrayals. But somehow, Layla had not changed one bit.Sitting here now, William knew without a doubt that the girl he had been holding onto in his heart had always been her.After everything. After all the wrong turns and all the time lost. She was still right here, stan

  • The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die   Chapter 472

    Half an hour later, Layla, fresh-faced without a trace of makeup, found William waiting outside.“Where exactly are you taking me?” she asked.“You’ll see.” William started walking.As they stepped out of the guesthouse, they happened to run into Fabian and Diana.“Miss Xander, Mr. Lucas, heading somewhere?” Fabian asked curiously.Diana, on the other hand, was practically beaming at Layla. “Miss Xander, I heard you saved Mrs. Lawson’s son last night! That’s amazing!”Layla chuckled lightly. “It really wasn’t a big deal. Just did what anyone would.”“Oh, come on, you literally saved his life! That’s huge! You have no idea how much Mrs. Lawson adores that kid.”Once Diana started talking, there was no stopping her.“A lot of the young couples around here actually work out of town most of the year,” she explained. “Mr. and Mrs. Lawson used to do the same thing. It wasn’t until Paul turned three that they decided to come back and stay for good.“They told us that sure, you can m

  • The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die   Chapter 473

    After getting a clear idea of what was going on, Layla nodded for Diana to lead the way.They walked through the trees, and it wasn’t until they reached the little house that Layla could really take it all in. The place looked old and worn, every corner showing signs of disrepair.From inside, Mrs. Lawson’s furious voice rang out.“That little punk! Where the hell did he run off to? Don’t think you can hide him from me! I’ll tear this whole place apart if I have to. I’m dragging him out no matter what!“If he had the guts to hurt my son, then he better have the guts to show his face! And if I catch him, I swear I’ll skin him alive and boil his bones for soup!”Her words got harsher and uglier by the second. Even Mr. Lawson, standing beside her, kept tugging nervously at her sleeve, trying to calm her down.“What’s going on here?” Layla finally spoke up, her voice steady.Mrs. Lawson spun around in surprise. “Miss, you... what are you doing here?”“We just happened to be nearby,

  • The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die   Chapter 474

    “My son Paul said it himself!” Mrs. Lawson stood with her hands on her hips, furious. “You think he’d lie to us?“That little brat Ryan’s been bullying him forever. You all know that! He’s just jealous Paul has parents who love him.“You kept telling me not to stoop to a kid’s level, and I listened. I let it go again and again. And now look what happened! He pushed my Paul into a pond!“This time, I’m not backing down. I don’t care what you say. That kid’s not getting away with this.”Fabian hesitated. Ryan was indeed wild and hard to handle but pushing another kid into a pond? That didn’t sound like him.Still, with Paul saying it and Mrs. Lawson fired up, nothing he said would change her mind now.“Alright,” Fabian said carefully. “Let me find Ryan first. For now, I’ll go to the hospital with you and talk to Paul myself. Let me hear what he says directly. Is that okay?”Mrs. Lawson didn’t even blink. “Fine. But if you hear anything about that little brat, you tell me first thi

  • The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die   Chapter 475

    “Mister?” Layla blinked, confused, as a few of the kids came running over and pulled her into the small house. And that was when she saw William. He was completely surrounded by the kids, like he was their favorite person in the world.So this was where he had disappeared to.Neither of them had said a word about their plans. But somehow, they had both ended up in the exact same place, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.“Pretty lady, why did you buy so much stuff?” A little girl tilted her head up, her big round eyes blinking curiously at Layla. Layla smiled, finally snapping out of her thoughts. “These are for you guys. Go ahead and share them.” “Wow! You’re the best, pretty lady!” “Thank you, miss!” One by one, the kids swarmed her like bees to honey. In no time at all, the snacks and toys she brought were divided up and gone. As the kids scattered, Layla watched William walk over. She couldn’t help but laugh softly. “I have to admit, I didn’t p

Latest chapter

  • 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

  • The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die   Chapter 505

    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

  • The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die   Chapter 503

    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

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status