Semua Bab Side Chick Era… Over: Bab 1381 - Bab 1390

Standing nearby, Sharon watched the unfolding drama and immediately understood what was happening."You arranged for Claire to come here?"Thomas smiled lightly. "Yes. The Kalen family wanted to drag things out, waiting for the heat to die down before dealing with Claire. Today, we make sure their plan fails."Thomas's move was ruthless. Not only did it completely shatter the Kalen family's hopes of downplaying the matter, it also exposed the issue in front of everyone.Today was supposed to be Asher Blakely's birthday celebration. After Rick and Ginny announced their engagement, the spotlight naturally belonged to them. But Thomas made Claire and Silas the center of attention, forcing Richard to commit to this marriage publicly.If Richard broke his promise, proving untrustworthy, who would dare arrange a marriage with the Kalen family in the future? Scott and Victoria's engagement plans would inevitably be affected.Sharon's gaze drifted to Jamie in the crowd. "His sources are

Yet somehow, this plan still sounded like it was targeting Jamie.Liam said, "Maybe something unexpected came up on Mr. Ferrero's side."Thomas's original plan had been to manipulate Lex into having an illegitimate child. Once Lex had a child, his position would inevitably be destabilized. He would face only two choices: acknowledge the child and marry them into the family, or risk his standing by refusing to recognize the child.Either way, his relationship with Victoria would fracture irreparably. If Victoria continued associating too closely with a married man, it would be no different from being a mistress, and public condemnation would follow. The Kalen family valued appearances, and Victoria was the society's number-one socialite. They would never allow their heiress to become a mistress.With Jamie out of the picture and Lex about to have an illegitimate child, Victoria's two greatest supports had been cut off. She could no longer marry into a powerful family and, within t

But now, Victoria had taken advantage of the Walton family's fall from grace to openly poach Johanna's love interest.If it had been anyone else, she could have brushed it off. But Victoria? They had shared years of friendship. And Victoria didn't even consider her feelings!A surge of hatred rose in Johanna's chest.Victoria's life had always been too smooth, too fortunate. Though they were all illegitimate children, Victoria had grown up in the spotlight, radiant and untouchable.She and Jamie, by contrast, were like rats scurrying through the streets—mocked, shunned, and hiding from the legitimate children. They didn't even dare appear openly.They had the same origins, yet Victoria lived like a goddess above them all. Why?At this moment, her resentment toward Sharon paled in comparison. No matter how much others provoked her, it could never match the sting of betrayal by someone so close.Johanna drew in a deep breath, forcing the gnawing hatred down, and forced a smile ont

Johanna asked, "Jamie, who are you emailing?"Jamie didn't answer until he had finished editing all his messages. "MK."Johanna's surprise deepened. She looked at him. "You found MK?"Jamie shook his head. "No. I just got MK's contact info and occasionally send emails. I can tell she—or he—doesn't like being disturbed."Johanna's gaze lingered on him, an unfamiliar feeling creeping in.Jamie had always been strong-willed. Once he fixed his mind on something, nothing could sway him. If he truly wanted to find MK, he would move heaven and earth to do it.Not long ago, he had even sent people to track MK's whereabouts, hoping MK would paint a portrait for Victoria.Now, having received a lead, he didn't immediately pursue it. Instead, he simply remarked that MK disliked being bothered.Since when, besides Victoria, had Jamie cared so much about anyone's feelings?She remembered him saying that MK could never be more important than Victoria.But looking at him now, waiting patien

Situations like this weren't entirely new. In the past, they had often sat together in a room, chatting, and Jamie had never done anything to her.But now…Victoria felt her chest tighten. The chances of Jamie doing something were far from low.The Walton family was in a precarious position, and Jamie's status was unstable. If the siblings decided to go all in, dragging her into their schemes to leverage the Kalen family's support and turn the tide…She would be in serious danger.Victoria's fingers instinctively tightened around her bag. Inside, she always carried self-defense tools—pepper spray, a stun baton, and other protective devices.Jamie was skilled, yes, but he only had one mechanical arm. If she resisted, he probably wouldn't succeed so easily.With that in mind, Victoria subtly began scanning the room, already searching for anything she could use.Jamie didn't seem to notice her change in demeanor. He pulled out his phone, intending to call someone to open the door—