“My friends keep saying that Xena Xander is some innocent sweetheart. What a joke! What kind of innocent girl gets pregnant out of nowhere?”“Did you guys see the news? Xena was photographed at the hospital yesterday for a check-up. Even our hospital made it to the trending list!” *Hearing this, Layla stopped listening. She pulled out her phone, glanced at the trending topics, and headed outside to buy breakfast. Just like the nurses said, the top trending topic was “Xena Xander Pregnant.” The second was “St. North Hospital.”The internet was in an uproar. The headlines were everywhere, and the discussion was unstoppable. This was the biggest wave of attention Xena had received since entering the entertainment industry. Layla frowned slightly. She was certain someone was pushing this story behind the scenes. And she had no doubt that Xena was enjoying every bit of it. She had underestimated her sister. Xena would clearly stop at nothing to achieve her goa
For three days, there wasn’t a single trace of Xena.Just as everyone was busy speculating about her whereabouts, a message popped up on everyone’s phone: the address of St. North Hospital.Given the circumstances, no one wanted to ignore a potential lead. They immediately rushed to the hospital.A large crowd arrived together, only to see Mr. Perry Sr. standing in the middle of the lobby, a few bodyguards behind him.Sean spoke without thinking. “Grandpa? What are you doing here?”Mr. Perry Sr. shot him a glare. “I’m here to clean up your mess.”“I…”Sean’s heart sank. This was bad. If his grandfather knew, then it was all over.Meanwhile, the Xander family was still completely in the dark. What was this whole scene supposed to mean?Just then, Layla walked in, slightly late. She took one look around the room, quickly piecing things together, and let out a quiet sigh of relief.When Mr. Perry Sr. had called her and asked her to come to the hospital, she had worried somethi
Moral guilt-tripping? Seriously? Layla rolled her eyes and didn’t bother holding back. “Funny how you didn’t remember I was your sister when you were having the time of your life in what was supposed to be mine and Sean's bed.“But now that there’s a mess to clean up, you suddenly care about sisterhood?”Xena froze, completely blindsided. She hadn’t expected Layla to come at her so directly—let alone bring up the humiliating fact about the bed. “What?” Mr. Perry Sr.’s expression darkened. “Layla, you knew that they were…?” He didn’t even finish the sentence. It was too shameful to say out loud.Mr. Perry Sr. had seen plenty in his life, but even he felt his face burn with embarrassment. His fury immediately shifted toward Sean. “You disgraceful idiot!“That baby’s almost two months along! And when I asked you to earn Layla’s forgiveness, you swore you would! Turns out you were…you were…” His chest tightened, leaving him momentarily speechless. Layla quickly reached o
Mr. Perry Sr.’s expression darkened. “What exactly are you trying to say?” “I’m just speaking as a father, trying to fight for what’s fair for my daughter.” Mr. Xander’s voice was firm and righteous, a stark contrast to the man who had been stunned just days ago when he first heard about Xena’s pregnancy. The Xander family stared at him in surprise. Chris furrowed his brows, already guessing what his father was getting at. The situation was an absolute mess, but the baby Xena was carrying was now the only remaining tie between the Xander and Perry families. Unlike Layla, who was unpredictable and independent, Mr. Xander saw this as a chance to secure that connection. “When Layla was engaged to Sean, he didn’t cherish her, and the engagement was called off. Now people laugh at my daughter whenever they talk about it. “And now Xena’s pregnant. If Sean doesn’t take responsibility, she’ll have lost a child before she’s even had her first real relationship. How is she s
“Are you blind?” Mr. Perry Sr. stepped in front of Layla protectively. “It was her mother who hit her first!” Mrs. Xander broke down, tears streaming down her face. Her hand trembled as she pointed at Layla. “How did I end up with a daughter like you? I must've been cursed a thousand times over to give birth to someone like you!“You’ve got no loyalty to your family, just jealousy and spite! You’re nothing but a cold-hearted monster!” “Shut up!” Mr. Perry Sr.’s eyes blazed with fury. “The real tragedy here is that Layla has to call people like you her family.” “Grandpa Perry…” Layla called out softly, trying to say something, but the world around her tilted. Her vision blurred, and the words got stuck in her throat. Alarm flashed across Mr. Perry Sr.’s face. “Layla? What’s wrong?” Suddenly, a figure swept in like a cold gust of wind. Before anyone could react, Layla was lifted into someone's arms. Only when the shock wore off did everyone realize who it was—Wil
Inside the consultation room, Xena held a pair of scissors to her neck, her eyes wild with desperation. “Don’t you dare touch my baby!” she screamed. “Where’s Sean? I want to see him! This is his child too. He can’t just abandon us like this!” The blade’s tip pressed into her skin, drawing a thin line of blood. Mrs. Xander forgot all about the pain in her swollen face. Her eyes reddened as she pleaded, “Xena, sweetheart, please—put the scissors down, okay? You’re scaring me.” Mr. Xander’s voice hardened. “Put it down! We can talk this through.” Shane stepped forward, voice tight with worry. “Xena, you’re risking your life for nothing. Don’t do this. Sean isn’t worth it.” But Xena wasn’t listening. Tears streamed down her face as she cried, “No! I want to see Sean!” As if on cue, Sean walked into the room. Her eyes lit up instantly. “Sean! I knew you wouldn’t just sit back and let them hurt our baby!” Sean’s jaw tightened. “I told you from the start to get
Chris hadn’t fully understood the situation until now. But after watching everything unfold, the pieces started clicking into place. His gaze shifted to Xena, the disgust unmistakable in his eyes. “You know exactly how this baby came to be,” he said coldly. “And whether you keep it or not isn’t just up to you.” Then his eyes swept across the other Xander family members. “And what about Layla? None of you knew what was going on with her?” Silence. Shane instinctively looked away but wasn’t quick enough. Chris caught him immediately. “You. Speak. What the hell’s going on?” Shane winced and mumbled under his breath, “Sean mentioned that Layla had a brain tumor and she might not have much time left.” “What?” Chris's voice shot up in disbelief. “And you still let her live out there on her own? Why the hell didn’t anyone tell me?” “Well…” Shane’s head dropped lower. His voice was barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz. “We all thought she was faking it.” “Unbelievabl
The door to the consultation room swung open, and Mr. Perry Sr. stepped out. His back was slightly hunched with age, but in that moment, he stood as solid and unyielding as a mountain, blocking Sean's path.“You’ve got some nerve showing up here,” he said coldly.“Grandpa, I know I messed up…” Sean’s voice cracked with anguish. “I never should’ve doubted you. Please—just let me see Layla.”“It’s not me stopping you. It’s Layla. She doesn’t want to see you.”Mr. Perry Sr.’s expression darkened, his tone laced with disappointment. “When I first discovered the truth, I told you to go and beg for her forgiveness. I thought you’d step up. But instead? You got someone else pregnant.”He slammed his cane against the tiled floor with a sharp crack. “You’ve gone from bad to worse, Sean. Because of you, I don’t even have the dignity to face her.”Mr. Perry Sr. turned away, his breath unsteady with suppressed rage.Sean panicked and reached out to grab his arm. “Grandpa, please! Don’t just
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
“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
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
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 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
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
“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
“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
“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