Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 271 - Chapitre 280

“So... you knew William had taken Layla away this whole time?”“Yeah.”Sean leaned into the crook of Kiera’s neck, breathing in her scent like he was trying to fill some empty space inside himself.But no matter how tightly he held her, he couldn’t shake the image of William sliding a ring onto Layla’s finger.And then, as if on cue, Layla’s voice echoed in his mind—clear as day.“Sean Perry, I don’t love you anymore. I haven’t loved you in a long time!”A sudden surge of rage and jealousy crashed over him, swallowing him whole. How could she say that so easily? How could she just turn around and promise herself to someone else?He couldn’t accept it. And for a brief, terrifying moment, an awful thought crossed his mind. Maybe it would be better if she died in William’s hands. If he couldn’t have her, no one should.Kiera felt his arms tightening around her and let out a soft gasp. “Sean… you’re holding me too tight.”Snapped out of it, Sean quickly let go. “

“Things are way better this year without her, aren’t they? Before Layla came back to the Xander family, this is exactly how we used to celebrate.”In Shane’s mind, Layla had always been a bug in the system—a glitch in the Xander family. Now that the bug was finally “fixed,” everything felt back to how it was supposed to be.Feeling good, he knocked back three more drinks in a row.The alcohol made him even more fired up.“I hope she never comes back! She’s seriously ill anyway, probably won’t make it much longer...”“That’s enough,” Mrs. Xander cut in, frowning. “Don’t say such unlucky things on a holiday.”“Come on, Mom, drop the act. We all should. Who at this table actually wants Layla to survive?”Shane let out a loud belch. “Sure, we’re related by blood, but she’s never truly been one of us—not once.“If she dies, it’ll be just like it was fourteen years ago. Back when Xena was twelve. We were doing just fine.”“You’re drunk.”Chris snapped, clearly annoyed, and shot

The tide of public opinion turned instantly.Once again, the Xander family found themselves dragged to the center of a media firestorm.Xena almost couldn’t keep the corners of her lips from curling. The script was all too familiar. Once again, the Xander family had been outplayed by Layla.Who would have thought? Even in death, Layla was still protecting William.Xena sniffled softly, glancing around at the others with glassy eyes. “She never forgave us… not even at the end.”The implication was clear that this farewell letter wasn’t just a farewell, it was Layla’s final strike against the family.The storm brewing online? Exactly what she intended.The mood in the room shifted immediately. Grief gave way to anger.“She’s still coming after us—even in death!” Shane snarled, jaw clenched. “Why should we feel bad for her?”“But she’s gone…” Mrs. Xander murmured, wiping away her tears.“Mom, don’t kid yourself. She never cared about us. She only cared about William.” Shane s

“Let’s go back...” Kiera said through her tears as she looked at Sean. “You promised me you wouldn’t get involved with the Xander family again. Have you forgotten?”Kiera muttered softly, “Layla is already gone. Can’t you let it go?”She didn’t dare say that part out loud. She was afraid if Sean hesitated, that would be her answer.She gripped his hand tightly. “Let’s go home.”Seeing how anxious she looked, the anger in Sean’s eyes slowly faded. After a long silence, he finally said, “Okay.”As the two of them turned to leave hand in hand, Shane let out a mocking laugh. “Haha! Pretending to be some heartbroken lover when you’re nothing but a two-faced jerk.”“Shut up.” Chris snapped and shot Shane a warning glare.Kiera paused and looked back at Chris. “I’ll cover his medical bills. Just… please don’t come to Sean about this again.”“There’s no need,” Chris replied. “My brother was out of line. He deserved to be hit. Let’s just call it even.”He could tell what Kiera was t

“Today’s basically the final deadline,” Maggie Lowe said. “Your grandfather was fuming over breakfast. He yelled that William gave everything up for a dead woman, and if that’s what he wants, he’s going to let him have it.”She looked Carter up and down and scowled. “Which is exactly why you cannot let your grandfather see you looking like this—or you’ll be next on the chopping block.”Carter nodded quickly. “Thanks, Mom. You literally saved my life.”Maggie sighed and gently patted his head. “I get it. From the way you talked about her on the phone, I could tell you and that Miss Xander were really close.“I just came back too late…” she said with a tinge of regret. “If I’d been here sooner, I would’ve loved to meet her and see what kind of woman could make William care so much.”When Maggie married into the Lucas family, William was just a boy in elementary school but he was already more composed and mature than most adults. She had watched him grow up over the years, step by st