Sage's heart skipped a beat when she heard that. All of a sudden, she recalled the huge order Delilah had mentioned. Previously, her grandfather had warned her uncle about it. But because she had been accompanying her grandfather in Colville for the past few days, she had forgotten about it. Could Layla be referring to the order from the Strombergs? Sage rose to her feet abruptly and told Layla, "Let's talk about your matters later. I need to find Uncle Owen now."With that, she went and found Owen. He was engaged in a lively conversation with Ian's relatives, and he had a smug look on his face. Sage apologized for interrupting them before pulling her uncle aside."What on earth are you doing, Sage? This is not how we do things." Owen was displeased.Sage asked, "Uncle Owen, did the Strombergs introduce you to a big business deal recently?"Owen's face lit up when he heard that. "Oh, so you've heard about it! Lovell's such a nice guy. He still remembers the favors our family di
Sage felt a little awkward. She wasn't afraid that others would find out about their divorce. However, it was Linda's birthday after all. It was a joyous occasion, and she didn't want to ruin it for everyone. Moreover, her uncle and aunt had always been against the idea, so she didn't want to cause any more problems. Moreover, she had just snapped at Leo a few hours ago, stating that she would get a divorce with Ian soon. However, her aunt unexpectedly started talking about having children in front of him. Sage figured she must've seemed hypocritical in Leo's eyes."Dad, didn't I tell you that Sage just blurted that out in the heat of the moment?" Ian said calmly before Sage could respond."As their elder, shouldn't you encourage them to reconcile when they disagree? How could you say something like that?" Linda added reproachfully."Grandma, I—""Don't mind him, Sage. He's always been this annoying," Linda cut Sage off.Leo didn't utter a single word after that. After all, it
"No way. As long as you don't find me annoying, Grandma, I'll definitely drop by more often to see you."It was just one night, anyway. Sage didn't mind staying one last night. Plus, she meant it when she said she would come to see Linda in the future. However, Linda wasn't pleased when she heard that. She asked as if she had already known, "Did Leo give you a hard time again this afternoon? I know you're a well-mannered young lady, and that you wouldn't have shut him down."Sage was touched when she realized just how much Linda understood and trusted her. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving Linda behind. "I wouldn't exactly call it a hard time. After all, I was at fault, too," she said.Linda didn't press any further and asked Sage to accompany her to her bedroom. Josephine took out a box from the safe and handed it to Linda before she left the room. Linda opened it and took out a necklace. It was made of platinum and had a beautiful emerald pendant."Sage, I wanted you t
Sage turned over and realized Ian had walked up to her at some point and was currently pointing out the flaws in the contract. His long arm almost touched her nose as he gestured at the computer screen. She couldn't help but catch a whiff of the cedarwood and alcohol on him."Don't look at me. Look at the contract." Ian turned her head with his hand. Sage rolled her eyes when she noticed his tone and actions were like those of a teacher teaching his apprentice. However, she didn't protest and turned her attention back to the contract.The problems he pointed out made her feel as if a light bulb had been switched on in her head. They were all difficult issues to spot, but he was able to point them out at a glance. No wonder he was able to manage Holcomb Corporation so well. Ian really was capable.Sage was able to identify and correct the problems in the contract under Ian's guidance. She then sent the revised contract to her uncle. Sage stretched after she was done. She was exha
However, Ian was nowhere to be found when she reached downstairs. Sage called him, assuming that he was at the office, but his phone was powered off. She also couldn't get through to Terry's phone.She eventually called the secretary's office at Holcomb Corporation and learned that Ian and Terry had gone on a business trip to deal with an emergency. Even the secretary had no idea when they would return.Sage thought it was a huge coincidence that Ian was away on business on the day they were supposed to get the divorce certificate. She couldn't help but feel like Ian had done it on purpose, but she also knew that Ian wasn't the kind of person who would come up with an excuse like that just to avoid getting a divorce.Mulling it over, she decided to unblock Ian and send him a message. "Why'd you go on a business trip all of a sudden, Ian? Please don't tell me you're going back on your word.""When will you be back? Why didn't you tell me in advance?"Sage was aware that she would
Shane was a pain to deal with, and Sage didn't want to waste her breath on him. Hence, she cut to the chase and asked, "Fine. When are you free?"Shane responded, "How about tomorrow? I'll give you two days to deal with the contract and work.""You're not going to embarrass me in public or set me up for something, are you?" she couldn't help but ask she noticed Shane's mischievous smile.He grinned. "Anyhow, you've agreed to it, so you'll have to jump even if there's a trap ahead."In the afternoon, Sage swung by Collin's research institution to sign the contract. Then, she headed back to Farsight Investment to meet up with Shane."Alright, since we're all done, let's get celebrating!" He appeared to be in a good mood.Sage politely turned him down. "It's alright. We'll have plenty of opportunities to celebrate in the future.""But that's that, and this is this," he said. "I've already canceled all my plans for the day. You're coming with me, whether you like it or not.""Are y
It turned out that he wanted to join in on the fun. Sage rolled her eyes at him and ignored him. The pair arrived at an exotic restaurant that was quite remote. It took them almost an hour to get there.Sage grumbled, "Seriously? We came all this way just to eat this kind of food? Why didn't we just go abroad at this point?""Good point." Shane then asked, "Do you have your passport on you? Let me book a flight now." Sage was rendered speechless. The restaurant might've been far, but its environment more than made up for it. The decor was truly one of a kind. The pair walked upstairs, and Shane chose a spot in the courtyard. It was adorned with all sorts of strange flowers and exotic plants, and it was surrounded by a fence. The restaurant seemed like a peaceful retreat amidst the bustling city. The duo placed their orders, and Shane got up to take a call outside, leaving Sage to fiddle with her phone. Ian had yet to respond to her messages. She tried calling him, but it went s
Sage rose to her feet and walked over to the side before answering the phone. "What's the meaning of this, Ian Holcomb? Why'd you go on a business trip all of a sudden? Weren't we supposed to get the divorce certificate today?"Ian sounded as indifferent as ever. "Something came up.""When are you coming back?" she asked.He responded, "It depends. If everything goes well, I'll be back in two weeks.""TWO WEEKS?" Her sudden increase in volume caused nearby customers to look over. Sage dropped her voice to barely more than a whisper. "Why is it taking so long? You're not purposefully dragging out the divorce, are you?"Divorce, divorce, divorce. Ian was getting tired of that phrase. "I've been on a plane for over ten hours, Sage. I haven't even had time to rest since I landed. Can't you just give me a break?"Sage was frustrated as well. "Well, who asked you to just up and leave? I couldn't find you anywhere. I'm the one who can't catch a break!""Oh, so you're going to die just