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Chapter 87
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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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 94
A sudden flutter of wings broke the silence as a flock of birds took off from the trees. Layla flinched, startled by the noise. When she looked back at William, the tenderness in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a calm, unreadable gaze. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Nothing…” Layla turned her face away, her eyes returning to the morning sun on the horizon. A small frown tugged at her brows. “It must be the sunlight,” she told herself. “That’s the only reason I thought I saw something in his eyes.”William followed her gaze, his fingers curling into a subtle fist. So close... Just a moment ago, the urge to pull her into his arms had been almost impossible to resist. *“You can’t be serious, Uncle William! How could you not wake me up? I climbed that mountain for the sunrise!” Carter’s voice was loud and full of frustration. “I did call you,” William replied evenly. “No, you definitely didn’t! There’s no way I would’ve slept through it!” “Are you question
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 95
Hearing this, Mr. Lucas Sr.'s face flushed red with anger. “You… Are you threatening me?” “It’s just a reminder,” William replied calmly. His eyes swept over both of them, and he added slowly, “You both know my temperament well enough. There’s no need to test my limits.” “You… you—” Mr. Lucas Sr. was so furious that he could not find his voice. He had never imagined that the son he trusted the most, the one who had always been his greatest source of pride, would defy him so completely. And it was all because of a woman who was utterly ordinary, painfully insignificant, and cursed with misfortune. “William,” Scarlett’s voice softened as she reached out to tug his arm, “Don’t provoke your father anymore.” But before her hand could land on his sleeve, she faltered, shrinking back from the sheer force of his presence. Scarlett, spoiled and domineering for most of her life, feared no one—except her only son. Now, caught between her husband and William, she stood froz
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The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 520
“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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 519
“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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 518
“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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 517
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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 516
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
The CEO’s Obsession: Layla, You’re Not Allowed to Die Chapter 515
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
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
