Lahat ng Kabanata ng Side Chick Era… Over: Kabanata 971 - Kabanata 980

Carol glanced around at the guests showering Victoria with praise. "And you're telling me that's not deliberate?"Ginny gave a faint laugh. "Of course not. If Victoria ever truly decided to take things seriously, her brilliance would crush everyone in sight. That's the only way she'd be worthy of her title as society's number one heiress."Melanie couldn't help but shoot her a curious look. "Ginny, have you actually seen Victoria when she's serious?"Ginny's expression turned thoughtful. "It was years ago. Back then, there was another well-known heiress in our circle, Helena Morgan. She had a childhood sweetheart who was also her fiancé. They were close, and the families were preparing for an engagement."But everything changed the day Helena invited Victoria to her birthday banquet. From that moment on, her fiancé fell for Victoria instead—so deeply he even demanded to break off the engagement. It caused a scandal. What should have been a picture-perfect love story collapsed into

"Our family is no small household," Rick said coldly. "We're hardly so destitute that we can't even provide basic living expenses or pocket money."The day after she returned home, we gave her a bank card. It wasn't an astronomical amount, but it carried a monthly allowance of 100,000 dollars. That money was solely for her personal use—clothes, cosmetics, jewelry, handbags, even her car and travel expenses were all covered by the family."If she needed a large sum beyond that allowance, all she had to do was ask. We never restricted her finances. Even after she ran away, we didn't freeze her card."And you say she fainted from exhaustion because she was working part-time jobs?"Rick let out a sharp, derisive laugh. "A monthly allowance of 100,000 dollars is enough, even for Victoria. Do you truly believe Sharon could possibly spend it all? Tell me, was this story about her working and fainting something she told you?"Ginny's expression cooled at his tone. It carried the implicati

A pair of delicate pearl studs gleamed on Sharon's earlobes, catching the light each time she inclined her head, shimmering with a soft, refined glow.Her face was breathtaking.Moments ago, the crowd had mocked Sharon as a country bumpkin. Now their jaws hung slack as they stared at the woman descending the stairs.In looks, she was no less striking than Victoria.But her beauty was different. It wasn't the dazzling brilliance Victoria commanded; instead, it carried a classical elegance that felt more rarefied, more aristocratic.And her bearing—there was nothing provincial about it. Every movement was graceful, every gesture brimming with poise.True beauty lies in the bone, not merely the skin. And hers was the kind of allure that stood among the finest of their entire circle.Even Victoria, the socialite raised from childhood with the most meticulous grooming of the Kalen family, could not suppress her radiance.No one knew how long the silence lasted before a voice finally

Previously, those who sought out Victoria for conversation were mostly wealthy wives and pampered daughters from prominent families, along with a handful of men dazzled by her beauty. Few of them were true business elites.But tonight, the people approaching Sharon were almost all high-level businessmen.Whether their motives were to explore cooperation or to test her in subtle ways, the fact remained—there were far more of them circling her than Victoria.To these men, no matter how flawlessly the Kalen family had polished Victoria's image, in the end, Victoria was still a woman trading on beauty. And she wasn't like the women outside who could be casually played with—she was a Kalen heiress. To touch her carelessly was to risk disaster. After all, the suitors surrounding Victoria were anything but harmless.So, ironically, many men kept their distance.Johanna's expression shifted as she watched the throng gathered around Sharon. Her breath caught when she spotted Thomas standin

Jamie spoke with leisurely composure."The Walton family is a partner of the Kalens. How could we possibly be absent from such an important occasion?"His gaze flicked toward Thomas, seated quietly nearby. He was certain—this was the man who had infiltrated the hospital that night.But what he couldn't understand was why Thomas had chosen to help Sharon. Judging from her expression, she didn't seem to know his true identity. Jamie, of course, had no intention of enlightening her. Once a woman as calculating as Sharon discovered who Thomas really was, she would cling to him as though he were her greatest shield.Sharon's expression darkened, her silence heavy as her eyes locked on him.Jamie moved closer, leaning down until only she could hear his voice."Sharon, so what if I destroyed your hand? Do you think the Kalen family would ever hold me accountable? On the contrary, they would welcome me as an honored guest. No one will fight for your justice. No one will even treat it a