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
“I’ll go get Levi,” William said, turning to leave. But before he could step away, Layla reached out and grabbed his wrist. “No…don’t.” She swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “This is normal. The nausea, the vomiting…it’ll pass after a few more rounds.” William stared at the forced smile on her pale, exhausted face. His chest tightened, as though something sharp was gripping his heart. For a split second, he wished he could take her place—to bear the pain for her. “Damn it, why her?” William silently remarked.After a long, tense silence, William gently pulled his wrist free. “I’ll have someone get you something sweet to ease the nausea.” Just then, the door swung open, and Carter strolled in, carrying a shopping bag. His usual carefree attitude was on full display. “Uncle William, those Xander family idiots are still hanging around outside,” he said, shaking his head. “No idea who they’re trying to fool with that act.” He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed
Layla stopped five steps away, her eyes sweeping across the group in front of her. Without exception, every face reflected guilt. The sight made her laugh. Her lips twisted into a mocking smile. “What’s with the crocodile tears?“If I die, shouldn’t you be happy? Isn’t that what you’ve all been waiting for?” Her voice turned sharper, each word laced with sarcasm. “When I’m gone, the Xander family will finally have one daughter, one precious little sister. Just one. Isn’t that exactly what you wanted?” “No…it’s not like that…” Mrs. Xander burst into tears and took a shaky step forward, only to be stopped by the bodyguards forming a wall in front of Layla. She stretched out a trembling hand toward her daughter. “Layla, please…come home with me, okay? I was wrong. I swear I’ll make it up to you.” Chris stepped beside his mother, his tone low and conciliatory. “Layla, no matter what’s happened, we’re still family. We should face this together.“The past is the past.
“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
“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
“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
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
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
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
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
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.
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