"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
"Do you have magnifying glasses for eyes or something? I can't believe you spotted him when there's barely a hint of his face."Tiana continued, "He's good-looking, especially when he's looking at you like that. Ooooh, I see that twinkle in his eyes.""Oh, hush. Don't make stuff up."Sage zoomed in on the photo again. Michael was sitting next to her. Even though only half of his face was visible in the picture, one could still see his chiseled features and the way he looked at her. His bright eyes were filled with warmth."So… did you chow down all that seafood and wine with that hunk?" she asked.Sage clarified, "No, we weren't alone. There were a handful of people there. Oh, and you've met him before. Remember the last time we went shopping? He was the one I helped pick out the suit for at the mall. His name's Michael.""No way! Him? What a small world. Is he the one Ian was rude to?" she asked."Yep.""I'm guessing he only agreed to the divorce after you two fought?""What
Even though it was highly unlikely that Wanda had told Linda about the divorce last time, Sage still wanted to keep it a secret. After breakfast, Sage left for Holcomb Corporation and breezed into the CEO's office. She was about to walk in when she saw that Owen and Susan were in the office with Ian.She furrowed her brows and wondered why her relatives were here. Did Ian call them over? Sage looked at Ian questioningly, but he just glanced at her before looking away. Not wanting to be rude, she knocked gently.The middle-aged couple, who were sitting on the couch, heard her knock on the door and turned to look at her. "What brings you here, Sage?" Susan asked.Her expression and tone suggested that Ian hadn't told them about the divorce. Sage breathed a sigh of relief and asked them the same question."We're here to thank Ian, of course. He introduced us to the CEO of Pacific Group last time, so we brought a little something for Ian as a token of our appreciation! We're also hav
His skin was ice cold on Sage's lips, carrying the subtle scent of his aftershave. Her heart skipped a beat, and she hastily took a step back. As she did so, she realized that her red lipstick had stained his handsome face. "Sage, what are you up to? Why'd you start kissing Ian all of a sudden?" Susan asked.Sage had no idea he would suddenly turn his head! Ian rose from the couch just as she was about to explain herself. "Uncle Owen, Aunt Susan, please excuse me for a moment."He then took a tissue and disappeared into the lounge. Sage followed suit as she couldn't be bothered to waste her breath on them.Ian was wiping his face with a tissue when she walked in. His gaze was dark and unreadable. Sage closed the door and cleared her throat. "I didn't mean to… I just—""Just spit it out and get it over with," he growled, interrupting her.Sage didn't beat around the bush either. "Have you signed the divorce agreement?"Ian looked down at her when he heard that. Sage was much sho
Susan started berating Sage as soon as she stepped outside. Sage was in a good mood, so she let it slide. She even comforted Owen. "Calm down, Uncle Owen. Don't you think it'll be better for us if we can seal a deal without Ian's help?""Don't pull that crap on me. I'm not your grandfather. It won't work on me!" Owen snorted. "Do you think it's easy to run a business? In this day and age, connections are everything! Why should I disregard what we have with Ian and make things harder for myself?"Sage was about to respond when the elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. An employee rushed out, his arms laden with files. Even though she tried to step aside to avoid him, she still bumped into his shoulder. The employee's files and her folder both fell to the ground."I'm so sorry!" the young boy apologized profusely.Sage ignored the pain in her shoulder and rushed to pick up her folder."Let me see what's in the folder." Susan snatched it away before she could reach it.Sage rush
"Ian, did you agree to the divorce?" Owen asked.Ian sat on the couch with a poker face. "I don't make a habit of forcing others. I'm not going to stop her since she's so eager to be rid of me.""No! You're not allowed to get a divorce!" Susan was so furious that she tore up the divorce agreement."Hold on! That's mine!" Sage lunged for the paper, but Susan simply shredded the divorce agreement that she had worked so hard to get in the blink of an eye.Susan tossed the scraps into the trash and dragged Sage out of the office. "Let's go find your grandfather. I'd like to see if he'll allow you to do as you please this time!""I'm not going!" Sage struggled with all her might. "Stay out of this! I'll tell Grandpa myself."Owen rose to his feet. "You're coming with us, whether you like it or not! I've turned a blind eye to your antics in the past, but I can't believe you're seriously considering a divorce! How could you treat your marriage so lightly? I can't let you get away with t
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