Sage figured that he was talking about how she got drunk to help Mimosa gain exposure last night. "It's alright. I'm sure it's normal for people like you from prestigious families to look down on others.""Why do you sound like you've gone through a lot of hardships?" Shane clicked his tongue. "To be honest, it's because you look too much like a vase," he added bluntly.Sage was rendered speechless by his bluntness. "You sure have a very special way of complimenting someone, Mr. Morrison.""You deserve to be complimented." Unfazed by Sage's response, Shane curled his lips into a smile. "So… regarding last night's drama, were you about to be abandoned by Ian, or was it just an excuse to call him out?"Sage wasn't going to satisfy his curiosity because she knew he was just being nosy. "My apologies, but that's quite personal. I'd rather not talk about it."Shane didn't seem too bothered. He leaned back in his chair lazily and smirked. "It looks like you're serious about taking down
Sage read the message several times before concluding that the message was from Ian. Did he have a screw loose? Why did he ask her about it when he knew she was mocking him? Since he asked, she didn't hold back. "The doctor said your condition is too serious. He suggests that you see a neurologist first."Even though she noticed he was typing, she didn't receive any messages for a while. Just then, Michael sent her the address for the barbecue. Sage then turned off her phone.After saying goodbye to Priscilla, Sage drove to the address Michael had sent her. When she arrived, she saw Michael and his friends already there.The group had spread blankets on the field and set up makeshift tables and chairs. A variety of beverages and snacks were on the table, and a barbecue grill was set up not far off. Someone was eagerly tending to the fire.The lads were all young and full of energy, even when doing such tedious tasks. Everyone was laughing and chatting away."Ms. Joyner! Over her
Sage couldn't help but sneak a peek when she heard that name. As she craned her head, she saw Henry York. He was dressed in a tracksuit with his hair slicked back. He was hanging out with two other shady-looking men while smoking cigarettes.Instinctively, she hid behind the bamboo grove."That woman and a few of her classmates will snap some photos here. Of course, I have to stick around." He took a puff and exhaled. "Relax! You're free to leave after you help me with something. I'll even foot the bill for a night out at the bar!""What do we have to do?" one of them asked."Shove that Layla chick into the lake.""Whoa! What are you up to, Henry? Murder is illegal!""What the hell are you talking about?" Henry kicked the guy. "I'm only asking you guys to push her into the lake. I'll save her right away!""Ooh, I see what you're up to, Henry. You're going to be her knight in shining armor, huh? Then, you'll be able to give her CPR, take her to a hotel, help her change into a fre
"Hello? Ms. Joyner, are you in there?" Just then, Michael's voice came from outside. Sage walked out of the restroom and smiled at him.He awkwardly explained, "You've been in there for a while. I was worried you couldn't find your way back, so I came over to check on you.""I just got caught up on a call, that's all. Let's go," she responded casually.Sage didn't run into Henry and Layla on their way back to the barbecue area as they were in different locations.Kai and the gang were working the grill when they got back. Some of them munched on snacks and sipped on beer, and someone was also strumming a guitar. The atmosphere was laid-back and chill."Would you like a beer, Ms. Joyner?" Michael asked.Sage shook her head. "No thanks. I still have to drive."Besides, she had already drunk too much last night, so she needed to take it easy today.Nodding his head, he passed her a juice box. He also took one for himself, and they settled down on the field."It must be nice to be
The man got out of the car. He was tall, handsome, and clad in a smart suit. His chiseled features appeared stern under the light. It was Ian! Terry, donning a similar suit, was walking with him toward the restaurant.Ian glanced over at Sage as he noticed her gaze. Terry saw her, too, and nodded politely at her.She assumed that they had an appointment here. Sage smiled at Terry but ignored Ian. Then, she said goodbye to her new friends before walking away."No way! He's walking toward me! Do you think he's going to talk to me?" the woman beside Sage whispered nervously to her companion.Sage took a look and noticed that he was walking toward them. The man came to a halt in front of her."Did you drink again?" he asked lowly.Sage pouted. "What's it to you?"Ian looked at her without saying a word. The woman who had exclaimed earlier heard their conversation and realized Ian hadn't noticed her. Hence, she reluctantly left with her companion.Sage scoffed internally as she coul
"Ooh, I guess someone knows her very well, huh?" one teased."Let's not joke about her anymore," Michael said solemnly. "After all, she's a girl. Some jokes might be harmless to us but could cause her trouble."The others quieted down when they noticed the usually good-tempered Michael getting visibly upset.…Meanwhile, Sage had her back to Ian in the car. She didn't want to talk to him. Ian, too, remained silent. His handsome face was hard-set, and his jaw muscles were clenched. He seemed to be holding back his temper.He was probably waiting for her to explain why she had gone to dinner with Michael and his friends.Even if they weren't getting a divorce, he still didn't have the right to dictate who she could and couldn't be friends with. Hence, she didn't feel the need to explain herself to him.Not long after, the car pulled up to Solaris Estate. Ignoring Ian, Sage exited the car and stormed into the house.Wanda breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her. "Mrs. Holcomb,
Ian jumped upon hearing Sage's words, and his expression darkened. "Sage Joyner, are you just bringing up the divorce because you think you can use it to threaten me?""Well, are you feeling threatened?" Sage retorted."Don't be ridiculous!" he snapped. "I'll sign the divorce papers tomorrow! I'll even accompany you to the courthouse!" He threw the documents aside and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.Sage was stunned for a moment. She took a minute to compose herself before settling into bed. Ian had finally agreed to a divorce. She was finally free!Sage unlocked her phone to share the good news with Tiana. However, when she opened Instagram, she noticed a flood of likes and comments on her recent post. She clicked on it and noticed that, besides some friends and Michael, Shane had also liked it.Shane had even left a comment. "Congratulations on finding your way back to the right path."Sage understood he was implying that loving herself rather than Ian was the "right
"Hello? Earth to Sage. Please don't tell me you're feeling sad again because you were thinking about how Ian was panicking about another woman," Tiana teased when she noticed Sage had spaced out.Sage rolled her eyes at Tiana. "Do you seriously think a 5-star hotel would have a random safety hiccup?""Logically speaking, no," Tiana answered. "Do you think there's something fishy about Ivy getting injured?"Of course, it was suspicious. But Ian must've looked into it. Ivy must've covered her tracks well if even he couldn't find anything. Even if she tried to look into it, she would probably find nothing. But even if she did find something, Ian would probably get the wrong idea and suspect her of scheming again. He might assume she could not move on from him, which was why she was harping on the issue. Anyway, Ivy was the one in pain. This little scheme of hers would not affect Sage as long as she didn't care about Ian's opinion."Let's not talk about this anymore. I have good ne
Ian said calmly, "I just got back from a business trip and came by to check on Sage."Giselle didn't ask more questions. She explained to Sage, "I just saw Selena over there. I went to her and clarified that this was my idea. Selena said it was okay."Seeing Selena's calm and relaxed demeanor, Sage didn't have the energy to pretend to be friendly with her.She said to Giselle, "I'm going back to the ward," and then headed to the elevator.Ian was at her heels. "Sage, if you're too tired, just lean on me."Sage stayed silent and didn't respond to Ian, just staring blankly at the numbers on the elevator panel.In the hospital room, Tiana had been waiting for Sage for a while.Seeing Ian, Tiana was equally surprised and asked, "What are you doing at the hospital? Weren't you on a business trip away from town?"Ian succinctly said, "I came back once the task was done."Tiana looked at Sage. "How did it go?"Sage nodded numbly. "Pretty good."Tiana could tell from Sage's expressi
Sage paused slightly in her steps and turned to look at Shane. Her voice was slightly hoarse as she asked, "Is there anything else?"Shane felt an indescribable discomfort as he watched Sage's unsteady appearance.But he didn't know why he had to call out to Sage, especially since he didn't remember anything about her."Since you say we are good friends, and I got hurt because of you, why can't you visit me more often?" Shane questioned, finding a reason.“Sorry, she won't be available.”As soon as Shane finished speaking, the door to the hospital room was suddenly pushed open.Sage turned her head and saw Ian's tall, upright figure.He was wearing a custom-tailored black suit, looking like he had rushed over from somewhere, carrying an air of exhaustion.Ian had been on a business trip for the past two days. Why did he suddenly show up now?Sage glanced toward the doorway but didn't see any signs of Giselle.Sage had a faint guess about who was behind this. She gave a self-d
Shane's thought process was quite logical.Sage calmly replied, "You were worried that she was only momentarily taking a step back, so you couldn't fully trust her and wanted to observe for a while."Shane also mentioned that when Sage came to the hospital room two days ago, the way she spoke to him was very familiar. It wasn't like how typical business partners would interact.Sage admitted that they were not just business partners but had become good friends through their interactions."But I wouldn't take a good friend to my mother's grave," Shane suddenly said.Sage was taken aback upon hearing this. Had Giselle told Shane about this, too?Seeing Shane looking at her, Sage calmed herself. "You were deceiving Giselle."It's not just this, but also some of our daily interactions. You embellished the details and even went out of your way to act nice to me in front of her."Shane indeed did that before. Sage wasn't at all diffident to talk about it.Shane could see it, too. "S
Taking a deep breath, Sage knocked on the hospital room door.Giselle walked over, glanced down the hallway, and asked with a puzzled expression, "What took you so long? Where did you go?"Sage forced a smile. "There were a lot of people waiting for the elevator."Giselle saw how broken and fragile Sage looked. Thinking she was worried about meeting Shane alone, she couldn't help but gently pat her on the shoulder."It's okay. Take your time talking with Shane. If Selena returns, I'll tell her that everything was my idea."Sage didn't have the energy to explain further to Giselle. She simply said thank you and then walked into the hospital room.Shane sat upright at the head of his bed, dressed in a hospital gown, with bandages still on his head.His handsome face looked a bit thinner than before. Under the hospital room's lighting, he had the delicate appearance of a frail young nobleman.Shane was also quietly observing Sage as she walked over.She had a slender and delicate
Selena nodded. "It's understandable, Ms. Joyner. However, before you go to see Shane, could you take a moment to hear me out?"Sage was aware that Selena had been deliberately waiting for her.Sage sent a message to Giselle saying she would be a few minutes late, and then followed Selena to the stairwell beyond the emergency exit.The stairwell was brightly lit, with gleaming floors and an overall quietness that inexplicably added a sense of oppression.Sage asked, "Ms. Morrison, what do you want to talk to me about?"As soon as she finished speaking, Selena suddenly knelt down in front of her."Ms. Morrison, what are you doing?"Sage hurriedly went to help Selena, but the injuries on her back hadn’t fully healed yet. The movement caused her wounds to hurt, and she winced in pain, furrowing her brow."Ms. Joyner, please don't help me up. Let me finish speaking."Selena's face showed determination, and her almond-shaped eyes, similar to Shane's, had a hint of tears."I know Sh
Since Giselle already knew, Sage didn't deny it. She asked directly, "So what do you think? Are you planning to go abroad with Shane?""Do you even need to ask? Of course I'm not going!"Giselle was somewhat annoyed. "Nothing's going on between Shane and me! Why would they suddenly want me to go abroad with him?""But your brother thinks this is a good opportunity for Shane to develop feelings for you," Tiana said.Sage also shared Marcus' analysis with Giselle. "Your brother hopes that you and Shane will end up together in the end. If you still have some feelings for Shane, this could be a good opportunity.""I couldn't care less about such an opportunity!" Giselle said. "No matter how much I liked Shane, that's all in the past now."I'm not a martyr. I would never degrade myself just to win a man's affection. Besides, even if I gave him everything, what I might get in return could be resentment, not love.""Giselle, you are truly wise and perceptive!" Tiana couldn't help but s
"However, Elle has become more thoughtful and no longer acts willfully now. I believe that Shane will change his opinion of her."With them spending so much time together, there's a high chance that Shane will develop feelings for Elle."Sage fell silent. People were naturally fragile when they were alone and were easily moved by the care and warmth shown by others, especially considering they would be in a foreign country.Therefore, it seemed highly likely that what Marcus mentioned could happen."Even though my parents agreed to dissolve Elle's engagement, they are quite satisfied with Shane. They watched Shane grow up and know him well."If our two families could be united through marriage, it would be a joyous occasion for everyone."Ms. Joyner, I know that Shane likes you, but he has currently forgotten you. You also understand that it is very difficult for the two of you to be together."Even if Elle didn't accompany him for the treatment abroad, Mr. Morrison Senior would
Marcus put down the gift he was holding and said tactfully, "I've heard about your situation from Elle. I just visited Shane, and I thought I'd drop by to see you as well."Sage thanked Marcus and invited him to sit down. Then, unable to hold back, Sage asked, "How is Shane doing? Is he okay?"Because Shane didn't remember her, and the Morrison family wouldn't allow her to visit, Sage hadn't been able to see Shane in person for the past couple of days.Marcus said, "He's doing okay, more or less. He has multiple injuries, and his hand and leg are not very functional. On top of that, he frequently gets headaches, and his mood is quite unstable.""He probably remembered you, right?" Sage asked intentionally.She could definitely guess that Shane remembered Marcus. However, she wanted to know if Shane still harbored the same hostility toward Marcus.Instead of asking directly because it didn't seem appropriate, she decided to ask a different question instead.Marcus knew what Sage
George acknowledged her with a slight nod, while Simon asked bluntly, "What are you here for?""I heard Shane has woken up and came to check on him," Sage said honestly.Simon's tone was stern as he said, "Ms. Joyner, you should be aware of the current situation with Shane.""We won't hold what happened between you and Shane against you anymore, but we hope you'll stop bothering him in the future and completely cut ties with him."Before Sage could speak, Giselle's voice rang out. "Mr. George, Simon!"Seeing Giselle, Simon's attitude softened a bit.George also had a kind smile on his face. "Have you come to see Shane, Elle?"You see, even though Shane has forgotten so many things, he remembers everything about you very clearly. That shows he still cares about you," joked George.Giselle glanced at Sage and replied with a hint of playfulness, "Mr. George, you really shouldn't joke with me like this."Shane hasn't completely lost his memory, so it's perfectly normal for him to