Lahat ng Kabanata ng Side Chick Era… Over: Kabanata 1881 - Kabanata 1890

Uriah cast a weary glance at Thomas, then at Cole, and let out a heavy sigh that seemed to age him several years in an instant.He waved a hand at his family. "If there's nothing more, you may leave. Stop shouting and quarrelling here. I'm old now—I don't have the energy for this."With that, he shook his head and walked away from the crowd. He didn't look back at his family, and he didn't spare Sharon a single glance.After the argument ended in deadlock, the Malcolm family departed in a long line of murmurs and discontent. Cole's resentment lingered, but Grant pulled him along. They needed to verify whether Cole had truly abducted Lex.Sharon watched Uriah's stooped figure recede into the distance, a knot of unease tightening in her chest. She knew that he would no longer pursue the matter—but from this day forward, the bond between them would never be the same.A twinge of sadness settled over her. Aside from her mother, the only elder who had ever truly cared for her was Uriah

On the way back, Sharon hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Thomas… do you know where Lex is?"Thomas's hand on the steering wheel paused almost imperceptibly, then he replied calmly, "I don't know."She pressed on, "Do you know who kidnapped him?""He's made enemies with so many people. It could be anyone," Thomas said.Sharon lowered her long lashes. Silence fell between them.…Meanwhile, at the Kalen residence, when Victoria received Cole's call about Lex's disappearance, her face, already pale, went even whiter.Lex was gone. The head of the Malcolm family—vanished without a trace.Almost instantly, Victoria suspected Thomas."This has to be Thomas's doing!"Cole let out a slow breath and recounted everything that had happened at Uriah's residence, leaving nothing out.Victoria listened quietly, her mind chilling with dread.She had just handed Lex the investigation files on Thomas, and now Lex was gone. The coincidence was too glaring to ignore.Thomas… ha

Any woman could bear a child, but Victoria's blemish was not so easily erased.No matter how much they opposed it, Callum was determined to take responsibility for the child in Victoria's womb. After all, it was a small life, and the Blakely family was not entirely driven by profit. In the end, they had no choice but to relent.Yet, hosting a grand wedding as before was nearly impossible. Not only was it out of the question, but it would also have to be a secret marriage.On Richard's side, seeing that the Blakely family was willing to accept Victoria, nearly all of his non-negotiable demands were set aside.At the family dinner, members of the Kalen and Blakely families exchanged polite, meaningless pleasantries. Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning the scandal from the engagement party.Throughout the meal, Callum was extremely attentive toward Victoria—pouring her water, even serving her food. Victoria thanked him softly, and the two looked genuinely affectionate.After most of

Sharon asked, "Carmen, what are you doing here?"Carmen's tone was calm. "I happened to come here for lunch. When I saw you, I thought I'd stop by and say hello."Sharon smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying her explanation. "What a coincidence."Carmen continued, "I've sent some collaboration materials to your email. When you have time, you can take a look. If there's interest, you can contact me anytime."Having said that, Carmen didn't linger. She turned and left.Sharon watched her retreating figure, her eyes deepening for a moment before returning to the private dining room to rejoin the others.After lunch, Thomas had work to handle and left directly. Sharon, meanwhile, took John and Ginny to explore the city.It wasn't their first meeting, and the two already had some understanding of each other. Their interactions were smooth and natural, free from awkwardness. Perhaps because of this familiarity, John didn't even realize that Sharon was subtly playing matchmake

John's mother had died early, and life had always been a struggle for him. Although Sharon's mother helped support him, John didn't want to rely entirely on others' charity to live.After entering university, he paid for his tuition and living expenses entirely through part-time jobs. Sharon and Wendy had offered multiple times to lend him money, to be repaid after graduation, but he had refused every offer.During those years, quite a few girls confessed their feelings to John, but he rejected them all."Love is a luxury," he had said. "Given my situation, it's not the right time for a relationship. I need to take care of myself first before I can be responsible for anyone else."Later, he threw himself into building his career and making money. Just when he thought he could finally breathe, the Westin family would call with another request or responsibility. Reflecting on it, John's life had been relentlessly demanding—there had been no room to relax and enjoy himself.Thomas li