Chapter 16
At the Perry family estate, Sean instinctively adjusted his shirt collar as he walked through the door, trying to hide the marks left from the previous night.
His thoughts lingered on Xena, who was still at the villa. Before leaving, he had promised her he would return early to take her back home.
Without wasting time, he got straight to the point. “Grandpa, what did you need? If it’s about Layla again, there’s no point in discussing it. Between her and me…”
A teacup came flying toward him.
Sean startled and dodged instinctively. The cup shattered on the floor behind him, pieces scattering everywhere. With that kind of force, it would have left him with a bleeding head if it had hit.
Frowning, Sean spoke up, “Grandpa, I’m your actual grandson. Layla hasn’t even married into the family yet- she’s still an outsider. Why do you always take her side over mine?”
“Shut your mouth!”
Mr. Perry Sr. was furious, not sparing Sean a glance despite the visible injuries on his face.
“Layla must have been blind to ever fall for someone like you!”
He grabbed a medical report from the table and waved it angrily. “Do you realize how desperate she must have been to break off the engagement at a time like this?
“You don’t deserve her! You don’t deserve to share her burdens!”
With that, Mr. Perry Sr. threw the report at Sean. “Take a good look for yourself!”
Confused, Sean bent down and picked up the report. His chest tightened as soon as he saw Layla’s name on the document.
His heart sank.
Then his eyes landed on the test results, and his mind went blank
“No…”
He quickly shut the file, shaking his head in denial. “No, this can’t be true. It’s impossible.”
“I spoke with Layla’s doctor,” Mr. Perry Sr. said, his voice heavy with pain. “He said the chances of a successful surgery are very low. And if Layla refuses to cooperate with chemotherapy, she won’t have much time left.”
Mr. Perry Sr.’s heart ached unbearably. Layla was such a foolish child, carrying such a heavy burden all on her own without telling anyone.
“I’ve already looked into it. Layla went to Luxe Villa. You need to find her immediately. No matter what, you have to bring her back and make her agree to the treatment. Whatever it takes, the Perry family will handle the cost.”
By the time he finished speaking, Mr. Perry Sr.’s eyes were misty, and his voice cracked with emotion. “Layla can’t just leave us like this…”
Sean clutched the medical report tightly, the flimsy sheets of paper suddenly feeling unbearably heavy.
Regret clawed at him, sharp and relentless.
+28 BONUS
Chapter 16
The date on the report was etched into his mind. It was the day before Layla had asked to end their engagement.
It all made sense now. That day, she had gone to the hospital, picked up the report, and then immediately saw him holding Xena in his arms at the clinic.
The realization hit Sean like a punch to the gut. He slapped himself hard across the face. What a fool he had been!
Why hadn’t he taken the time to investigate Layla’s sudden change in behavior?
If he had known, he would never have treated her like that!
But now, it was too late for regrets.
Meanwhile, in his study, William was on the phone with his close friend, Levi Young
“Have you made contact yet?” William asked, his voice steakly but tense.
“Not yet,” Levi replied, sounding exhausted. He had just finished a long surgery and was massaging his temples to stay alert. “If it were that easy to reach them, they wouldn’t be called a mysterious organization.
Recently, William had sent him a report, asking him to contact the best medical experts and ensure the surgery would be foolproof.
Levi had carefully reviewed the scans, and the surgery was no small feat. Globally, not a single doctor could guarantee a 100% success rate.
Having known William for years, Levi understood his personality all too well. Once William set his sights on something, there was no room for negotiation.
Left with no choice, Levi had started reaching out to the elusive organization known as “Q” for help.
Chapter 17
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William was silent for a moment before responding. Un
After hanging up, William finally noticed the commotion
nstairs. It was Carter, yelling as mat
He stood up, made his way downstairs, and followed the nose to the kitchen, where he saw Carter buzzing around Layla like an excited monkey
Layla was wearing an apron, expertly stir frying ingredients in the pan, a faint smile lingering on her face. She seemed to genuinely enjoy cooking
William found himself momentarily entranced. Suddenly, aflame leapt up from the pan, startling him. “Careful!”
Before Layla could react, William had already taken the pan from her hands and tossed it into the sink, where it sent up a burst of steam.
He grabbed Layla’s hands to check them. “Are you hurt?”
For a brief moment, the atmosphere grew awkward.
Carter weakly chimed in, “Uncle William, Layla said the high heat is what gives the dish its flavor. Why did you throw the pan out?”
William was speechless and his lips twitched slightly as he heard Layla chuckle softly. He quickly let go of her hands and tried to maintain his composure. “I’ve never cooked before.”
Layla suppressed a smile. “I can tell.”
“Uncle William, you should’ve seen it! Layla’s cooking skills are amazing–totally on par with a top chef at a five- star hotel!”
Carter began enthusiastically describing the process of Layla preparing and cooking the dishes, making her ears
turn red
“Okay, I’m not as great as you’re saying,” she said modestly. “I only know how to make a few signature dishes.”
Carter protested seriously, “For a lady of your background to know how to cook at all is already impressive!”
Layla just smiled, choosing not to explain that she had honed her cooking skills for Sean’s sake.
Back then, she always thought that with how picky Sean was, he would starve if she didn’t cook for him. Looking at it now, Sean was living just fine without eating her food
All along, it had been her own wishful thinking, creating unecessary burdens for herself.
At least she still enjoyed cooking. It hadn’t been a waste to learn
