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Chapter 85
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 86
Mrs. Xander stood behind Scarlett, her voice tentative and uneasy. “Layla, I made some chicken soup for you.” “No need,” Layla replied coldly, not even sparing the thermos a glance. “Layla, I…” Mrs. Xander’s voice trailed off as her eyes fell on Layla’s knitted hat, covering her bare scalp with not a strand of hair in sight. Her heart ached, and she found herself unable to continue. “Just go back,” Layla said flatly, her expression emotionless. Seeing Layla's cold and emotionless dismissal, Scarlett immediately stepped in, indignant on Mrs. Xander’s behalf.“How can you talk to your mother like that?” she snapped. “She went through all that trouble to make you chicken soup. Not only do you refuse to drink it, but you will not even let her through the door!”Layla frowned. “Mrs. Lucas, this is not your concern.”“Why shouldn’t it be?” Scarlett retorted, her tone sharp with irritation. “I am a mother too. No one understands a mother’s heart better than I do!”She co
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 87
“Mom, how did you manage to see Layla today? Didn’t Mr. Lucas order that we weren’t allowed inside?” Xena asked curiously.“I ran into William’s mother at the gate. She was the one who brought me in,” Mrs. Xander replied.Thinking of Scarlett’s demeanor, Mrs. Xander frowned. “That woman from the Lucas family is certainly a tough one.”In the social circle of wealthy wives, Scarlett was notorious.The youngest in her generation of the Dixon family, she had been spoiled from birth, growing up willful and arrogant.Years ago, she had fallen head over heels for Mr. Lucas Sr.—a man more than twenty years her senior. Ignoring her family’s objections, she pursued him with fiery passion and ultimately married into the Lucas family. Her story became something of a society legend.Despite the large age gap, Mr. Lucas Sr. adored his young wife. And once she gave birth to their brilliant son, who later became the head of the Lucas family, Scarlett’s status soared even higher.With her husba
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 88
When Sean awoke from the general anesthesia, it was already evening. Xena was by his bedside. The moment his eyes opened, she quickly stood up. “Sean, how are you feeling? Does your stomach still hurt?” A voice suddenly called out. “Sean!” Susan rushed over, her face filled with concern. “How did you end up in the hospital like this?” she cried, her heart aching at the sight of him. Sean furrowed his brows and tried to speak, but his throat felt like it was being slashed with razors. Xena stepped in to explain, “Aunt Susan, Sean just had an endoscopy. He probably can’t speak much right now…” But Susan cut her off, her voice sharp and cold. “Why are you here!” she snapped, her expression darkening. “This is all your fault! Get out!” Xena’s face fell in shock. “Aunt Susan, I rushed over as soon as I heard Sean was in the hospital. How can you say this is because of me?” “It is because of you!” Susan spat, her eyes burning with fury as she pointed st
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 89
Sean’s hands trembled slightly as he gripped Susan’s. Layla still cared about him. She had gone to Susan on purpose to push her into targeting Xena. It was a petty trick. She was jealous. There was no way she could simply stop loving him overnight. “Mom…” Sean’s voice was filled with desperate hope as he looked at Susan. “She’s being so cruel to me. Is it because she knows she’s sick and doesn’t want to drag me down?“She’s pushing me away… so I’ll give up on her. That way, she can leave without regrets. Is that it?” His voice cracked, and his chest felt like it was being ripped apart. Layla loved him so much that she would leave him in the most painful way possible. “Mom… I’m such a bastard.” His eyes reddened, and suddenly—SMACK! He slapped himself across the face, the sound sharp and harsh. Susan gasped and rushed to grab his hand. “Sean! Stop this! This… this is all just your guess, isn’t it?” But Sean’s voice was firm, his eyes burning wi
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 90
“What are your plans for this weekend?” William asked. Layla paused for a second before replying, “I don’t really have anything in mind.” For years, her life had revolved around just one person—Sean.Her days had long since grown dull, but she never minded it. She was happy in her own quiet way and never felt anything was wrong. It wasn’t until she let go of Sean that she realized how much of herself she had lost. After circling around him for so long, she hadn’t just drifted from friends. She had almost lost herself, her own voice, and her sense of direction.Suddenly, she remembered something she had seen online a few days ago—a bucket list with a hundred little things to do. Most of them didn’t stick with her, but one did: watching the sunrise. “Camping on the mountain to watch the sunrise would be nice,” she said casually. But William took her words seriously. He nodded without hesitation. “Sure. Let’s go this weekend.” “Huh?” Layla was caught off guard. “You’re
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 91
“Exactly!” Layla flashed a bright smile. “Just the two of us might get boring, don’t you think? With Carter along, it'll be much livelier.”William was rendered speechless and a vein twitched subtly on his temple. He had imagined countless versions of their sunrise trip—quiet, peaceful, just the two of them. Never, not once, did he picture Carter crashing the scene. For the first time, William found Carter genuinely annoying. Bathed in the golden sunlight, Carter felt a sudden chill prickle up his spine. Goosebumps rose on his arms, and an unexplained sense of dread crawled up his back. He swallowed nervously, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He didn’t dare meet William’s eyes. Instead, he forced an awkward smile at Layla. “Uh… Layla, how about I sit this one out?” Layla frowned, puzzled. “Why?” “I just, uh… something came up—” But before he could finish, he caught sight of William’s icy glare. The unspoken warning hit him like a slap, and he instantly clammed up, his
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 92
In the end, Layla couldn’t even reach the halfway point. She had to ride up the mountain in the small trail shuttle that William had arranged in advance, the cool breeze brushing against her face as they climbed higher.There was a hint of regret, but she knew she had to accept reality. Her body simply could not handle the strain anymore. Just a few extra steps had her swaying on her feet, barely holding herself up. When they reached the campsite, two large tents stood proudly on the open platform. The mouthwatering aroma of noodles wafted through the air from where Mike was cooking over a portable stove. The fatigue and disappointment that had weighed on Layla vanished instantly. She lit up with curiosity, taking a quick tour of the spacious tents before returning to Mike’s side with wide-eyed amazement. “You set all this up by yourself?”“Yeah,” Mike replied, stirring the pot. “That’s incredible!” Layla’s praise was genuine. The tents weren’t small. They were practic
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 93
Carter’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Uncle William, are you… are you planning to come clean to Grandpa?” “He’s going to find out sooner or later,” William replied calmly, rising to his feet. “I’m tired.” “Wait, wait—” Carter sounded exasperated. “Uncle William, you can’t just drop a bomb like that and walk off! At least explain it to me first!” But William was already walking away. Carter rubbed his temples with a long, defeated sigh. “Great… The Lucas family’s about to be turned upside down.” *That night, everyone turned in early. Carter, exhausted from the climb, barely lasted a minute before sleep started pulling him under. Between yawns, he muttered to William, “Uncle William, wake me up in the morning, okay? I want to see the sunrise too.” He didn’t even wait for a reply before he drifted off into a deep sleep. Lying on his air mattress, William picked up his phone and sent a message to Layla. “I forgot to ask—do you want me to wake you up for the sunr
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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
