Side Chick Era Over (Sharon and Carter) novel Chapter 969

Silas’s expression darkened and he started forward, but Scott caught his arm.

“They’re trying to provoke you. Tonight’s banquet is important. Don’t let your anger get in the way. One rash move, and you’ll hand them exactly what they want.”

Silas drew in a long breath, forcing himself to calm down.

“Silas,” Scott added gently, “why don’t you step away for a bit? I’ll handle things here.”

With so many distinguished guests present, a public scene would only make the Kalen family a laughingstock. And now, more than ever, they couldn’t afford to fan the flames of gossip.

Silas understood this, yet every word scraped against his pride.

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go check on Victoria,” he muttered.

If he himself was enduring such mockery, then Victoria’s situation had to be far worse.

Scott nodded.

But before Silas left, he cast a cold look over his shoulder.

“This is all Sharon’s fault. If she hadn’t been so willful, running away from home back then, we wouldn’t be standing here as targets of ridicule.” 1

Since the scandal of Victoria’s illegitimacy had broken, Silas and Scott had borne the brunt of endless jibes and whispered taunts. Never in their lives had they suffered such humiliation.

And all of it–every sneer, every whispered slight–was because of Sharon. 1

For her own selfish ends, she had dragged Victoria down from her pedestal, exposed her as an illegitimate child, and brought shame not only to the family name but also to the company’s reputation. (1

Why their father and elder brother still allowed such a calamity to return home, Silas could not

fathom.

On Victoria’s side of the hall, things were different. Johanna stayed by her side, and no one dared cause her trouble outright.

After all, this was the Kalen family’s banquet. Guests might snicker openly at Scott and Silas, but to attack Victoria would be crossing a dangerous line.

The stain of illegitimacy had chipped away at her perfection, but she remained the unattainable dream of countless debutantes and heiresses. Her suitors had not abandoned her–in fact, many still

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Chapter 969

hovered, undeterred.

+25 BONUS

The moment Victoria and Johanna stepped into the banquet hall, every gaze turned toward them.

Renowned as society’s premier heiress and pursued by household heads of the highest rank, Victoria was breathtaking in her own right. Her beauty was no accident; it was the perfect fusion of her father Richard’s striking presence and her late mother’s elegance. (1)

Many had heard her name whispered like a legend, but few had seen her in person. Now, as she appeared before them, the envious daughters of noble houses clenched their hands behind jeweled fans, their pride stung.

What sort of young woman could be called a goddess, adored by men of such standing?

One glance, and the answer was clear: Victoria earned the title.

Her attire tonight was understated, almost austere. No dazzling jewels, no ostentatious gowns. A pair of delicate pearl earrings graced her ears, and at her throat hung a simple necklace, unremarkable at first glance.

But that was the point. The simpler the adornment, the more it demanded of the woman herself.

And Victoria shone.

Her beauty was bold enough to leave one breathless, yet it carried no trace of vulgarity. Instead, it was like the moon reflected in a deep, still pool—pure, luminous, and untouchably remote.

Her steps were measured, her gown trailing with the grace of a drifting cloud, never tipping into frivolity. Her eyes, clear and bright as starlight, held the faintest veil, a soft mist that kept her true emotions hidden.

And her bearing–oh, her bearing–was steeped in nobility, poised and dignified, yet effortless.

As she entered, the noise of the hall dimmed, conversations faltering in her wake.

Victoria was long accustomed to such scrutiny. She betrayed no pride, no smug delight at the attention she commanded.

She simply smiled, nodding politely to those who met her gaze.