Lahat ng Kabanata ng Side Chick Era… Over: Kabanata 1531 - Kabanata 1540

One of Lex's cousins nodded in agreement. "You have a point. The Ferrero family has always kept a low profile and never involved themselves in family feuds. We've had little to no interaction with them. It makes no sense for them to suddenly target us for no reason."The discussion went around in circles, yet no solution emerged.They had already injected some capital to stabilize the stock price, but none of them intended to burn money head‑to‑head with the Ferrero family. That would be suicidal. Rather than pouring money down the drain for a momentary clash, they would rather endure the losses.A nephew of Lex suggested, "Why don't we send a representative to talk to the Ferrero family? If they have demands, they can state them outright. If this continues, both sides will suffer losses."The others quickly voiced their agreement. They didn't see initiating talks as humiliating or a loss of face. At their age and position, they were long past acting on impulse. Fighting against mo

After all, they were part of the same web of interests—and still one family.Seeing Lex so confident, the others gradually relaxed."Fine, if you're so sure, we'll trust you this once.""We can hold out for a year, maybe a year and a half, but don't let us wait too long—otherwise, we might really lose any chance of turning things around."Lex remained composed, his tone calm and assured. "Don't worry. Within three months, I'll make sure you see results."…Sharon had gone on this vacation purely to relax, almost completely ignoring work. She only learned about the crisis at the Malcolm Group after returning.Scrolling through the news on her phone, she fell into thought.'The Ferrero Group… is deliberately targeting the Malcolm Group?'If any family could challenge the Malcolms, it would only be the Ferrero family. But why target them?A memory of what Julliard had said suddenly resurfaced."Thomas isn't just a simple bodyguard. He's the head of the Ferrero family!"Because

Jamie let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Do you really think he has unlimited energy, that he can handle everything at once? Johanna, don't forget—he's human, not a god."Johanna fell silent. Thomas was indeed too formidable, and she had instinctively assumed that no matter what happened, everything would be under his control. She realized now, as Jamie had said, that she had been holding him to impossible standards—expecting him to be flawless, unbeatable, always victorious.She had forgotten that Thomas was human, and his energy was limited.Jamie continued, his tone edged with scorn. "Do you think the head of the family is that easy to manipulate? If it were really that simple for him to take me and Lex down, why not just swallow both our families outright? Why go through all these motions? "He could crush us and make us his prisoners—then he could exact revenge however he pleased. Especially with Lex, who is always weighing pros and cons, assessing the moment, using every trick i

Being able to find that person surely gave Thomas some satisfaction, but in truth, it was little more than a form of emotional anchor. The so-called "savior" was really just a term he used almost mockingly.The more Sharon understood Thomas, the clearer it became: a man so composed and rational would never be easily moved by someone he had met only once. In other words, he was almost incapable of falling in love at first sight.The person he considered important wasn't inherently special—it was because he had never truly had anyone important in his life. He simply needed a reason to keep going, a reason to survive. Thinking of this, Sharon felt a faint pang of sympathy. She had so many friends who cared for her and helped her, yet even they nearly broke under pressure. And here was Thomas, with no one to lean on—how had he managed to endure so long?Her thoughts were interrupted by Carter's voice."After that, everything Kelly did—the car accident, finding witnesses, cleaning up

Sharon said calmly, "Julliard, you've deceived me more than just once or twice."Julliard understood the implication immediately. He no longer had any standing to accuse Thomas of anything. In an instant, every word he might have said died on his lips. His face drained of color, turning deathly pale.That was precisely why he had handed Kelly over to Carter—because he knew Sharon would never trust him again. Even if, this time, he hadn't lied.Carter glanced at Julliard, then said to Sharon, "Sharon, Kelly is inside. Let's go in and see her."Sharon didn't look at Julliard again. She followed Carter into the room.Sunlight streamed in through the spotless glass window, spilling across the room in a wash of warm gold. Kelly sat propped against the headboard, staring blankly out the window.Her once delicate, pretty face was now covered in twisted scars, winding across her skin like centipedes. Even with mental preparation, Sharon could hardly believe that the person before her was