Lahat ng Kabanata ng Side Chick Era… Over: Kabanata 2221 - Kabanata 2230

Carmen wasn't concerned with any of that. Her gaze settled instead on Sharon's visibly exhausted face."Sharon, you look really exhausted. Do you want to go back and rest for a while?"Sharon's complexion was indeed poor, her condition far from ideal. After days of poor rest compounded by intense emotional upheaval, she was clearly running on empty.But she couldn't rest. Because Jamie had kidnapped Marina because of her.Whether it was because Marina had once protected her, or because Thomas needed that marriage alliance to resolve certain matters, she couldn't just stand by and do nothing.Sharon shook her head. "I'm fine. How is Thomas doing right now?"Carmen replied, "No major emotional fluctuations… that's just how he's always been."Sharon recalled Thomas's anxious expression when she had once been kidnapped. A dull ache tightened in her chest."Choosing Marina… might have been the right decision after all."Carmen also thought back to the incident when Sharon had been

The drive took over an hour.By the time Sharon and the others arrived, the plane had already taken off.Carmen sent people to investigate and quickly confirmed that Marina had been transported away on a private jet an hour earlier.As for its destination, it was still unknown.Marina was already in the air—there was no way to intercept her now.After all that effort, they came up empty-handed.By then, night had begun to fall.They didn't return to Marina's home. Instead, they went back to the church.The exterior was still decorated for a wedding, yet in the fading light, it looked almost cruel—almost ironic.Now that Marina had been flown away, calling Jamie for answers would change nothing.Carmen said, "At this point, our only option is to help Thomas get through this crisis. At the very least, we need to secure his position as head of the family. That means there's only one solution—he has to marry someone. However…"Sharon asked, "However, what?""There are plenty of

The staff handling the on-site marriage registration had not left either and were still waiting.By the time Sharon and Thomas finished signing the agreement and were ready to formally proceed with the marriage registration, it was already close to eleven at night.Most of the elders from the Ferrero family were elderly. Older people were usually accustomed to early nights and early mornings. Having waited until this hour, the Ferrero family elders were visibly exhausted—eyelids drooping, spirits drained, all of them looking worn out and listless. It was, in truth, rather difficult for them to be kept waiting this long.Among the Ferrero representatives, Felix was the youngest. Seeing many of the elders drifting in and out of sleep, he naturally stepped forward as their representative and confronted Thomas."Thomas, didn't you say you'd bring the princess back? It's almost midnight now—where is she?!"Thomas replied calmly, "The princess won't be returning for now. However, I've

Carmen asked, "Why would Marina escape halfway? Wouldn't staying and going through with the act make the kidnapping look more convincing?"Chris replied, "Think about it. If Marina really got kidnapped by Jamie, Sharon would definitely go demand her release. In the end, Jamie probably wouldn't be able to hold his ground against Sharon and would actually let her go."Once Marina came back, how could Sharon still go through with marrying Thomas? That's why it's way better for Marina to escape halfway. She can spin the story however she wants afterward, accuse Jamie of whatever she likes—they control the whole narrative."Jamie would have no way to defend himself. Gotta admit, it's a pretty brutal move.""As for those Ferrero family elders, they were probably just extras Thomas arranged. You don't really know how much power Thomas has in the Ferrero family, but I do. Anyone who ever stood up to him is probably six feet under by now."Besides, he's been running the Ferrero family for

Sharon recognized Wendy's voice and asked, "Yes… is it very late where you are?""It's not that late," Wendy replied, pausing briefly. "It's just that you rarely wake up this late."Then, more cautiously, she added, "Did you… sleep very late last night?"Sharon yawned lightly. "Mm. It was quite late. I haven't slept this late in a long time."Wendy's voice softened further. "Then you must've been very tired last night?""Mhm," Sharon responded vaguely. She had just woken up and was still groggy, not catching the deeper meaning behind Wendy's tone.Wendy continued carefully, "So… you and Thomas… are you two living together now?""Yes. He's staying at my place temporarily," Sharon replied without thinking—then suddenly froze. "Wendy, how do you know about this?"After returning home with Thomas the previous night, she had arranged for him to stay in the guest room.After showering, she had gone straight to sleep.They had arrived home very late—how could Wendy possibly know?W