Yesterday afternoon he had hung up on her angrily and said that they would get a divorce the second he came back. He even warned her not to regret it. Logically speaking, there should've been no interaction between them until he came back. So why did he contact her? Sage picked up the phone and greeted him, but there was only silence on the line. "Ian?" Sage asked hesitantly. He remained silent. "Is there no signal on your side? I'm going to hang up on you if you don't say anything," Sage said as she prepared to hang up. The sound of Ian's coughs rang out on the other end. Following that, she heard Ian's hoarse voice. "Sage, I'm hungry." When she thought of what he had posted on Instagram, Sage was speechless. "Why are you calling me when you're hungry instead of buying food for yourself?" Ian let out two more coughs before saying hoarsely, "You bragged about your secret porridge recipe." Bragging? She had just been sharing information with him. "So?" "Tell me the recip
Sage was entertained by Michael and decided to give him a call. "So you're working hard to make money just to pay off your debt to me?" "Of course not!" Michael explained rather nervously, "I'm just…" Halfway through his explanation, Michael realized he didn't know what to say next. Thus, he changed the topic entirely. "Sage, I heard the production team say that there'll be a formal dinner if we get into the top 30. I will be able to bring a friend. If I manage to get in, will you come?" Sage laughed. "Of course." Seeing a normal person transform into an idol right before her eyes was a unique experience. She couldn't pass up the opportunity!…The next day, as Sage climbed lazily out of bed, she saw that Josephine and Linda had each given her a call. She had put her phone on silent last night, so she hadn't heard it ring. Sage hastily returned Linda's call. "Grandma, are you looking for me?" Linda asked her to make a trip to Holcolm Manor in hurried tones. Not knowing what
Ten hours later, Sage arrived at the airport in Morita. Terry must've received the news from Linda. When she walked out of the arrival hall with her bags, he was already waiting for her. Terry said politely, "Mr. Holcomb is feeling unwell and resting in the hotel. I was worried that there would be a change in your travel plans, so I didn't tell him that you would be coming over." What changes in her travel plans? He was just worried that she'd change her mind and not come. Sage ignored his remark and asked, "How's Ian? Has he gone to the doctor?" "He has a bit of a fever and a cough. He's had some medicine, but hasn't been to see a doctor." Terry explained, "The main issue is that the weather here is cold, and Mr. Holcomb didn't wear enough layers. He caught a cold but refused to rest. Instead, he continued working. In addition, he hasn't had a good meal in ages, which is why it became so serious." Sage couldn't help but roll her eyes at him internally. What a perfect model o
Seeing his feeble movements, Sage didn't continue pissing him off and said, "Why are you getting up if you're feeling unwell? Lay back down." "Come help me over," Ian said. Sage didn't say refuse. She walked over to help him back into bed. A computer was placed by his bedside table. He probably worked in bed too. "I'm thirsty," said Ian. Considering that he was sick, Sage went outside to get some water for him. However, the water here was all refrigerated. There wasn't even room-temperature water, let alone warm water. Sage therefore boiled some water with a kettle. The suite was equipped with a simple kitchen. However, it was spotless. Clearly, no one had ever touched it. Did that mean that Ian didn't even make the porridge after calling her to ask for the recipe? After the water boiled, Sage poured Ian a glass of it. When she brought it into the room, she saw Ian typing away on his computer. Sage complained, "It's not like you can finish your work now. Why don't you res
Ian's innate nobility made people feel inferior easily. The other man didn't say anything else. He simply apologized and walked away bitterly. Ian reached out and grabbed Sage's slender waist without giving her a chance to escape. Sage tried to struggle out of his grasp, and Ian's darkened eyes glared at her. "Do you still want to be hit on?" "Ian, can't you just stay in your room and rest? Why did you have to go out with me?" complained Sage. Ian ignored her. He continued holding onto her arrogantly as they walked to the open-air parking lot. The atmosphere at the restaurant was decent, and the dishes were authentic. The only drawback was that it took a long time for the dishes to be prepared, served, and eaten. By the time they finished their meal, a few hours had already passed and the sky outside had darkened. Sage had taken a long flight and had run around for hours afterward. Once she got into the car back to the hotel, she couldn't help but fall asleep with a full st
Anger surged within her. Sage felt angry and frustrated. Although Ian was sick, his strength still wasn't something that Sage could compete with. In addition, it was as though Ian had been provoked by something. He held her so hard it felt like her bones were going to shatter, and her lips were swollen from his biting. It was clear that continuing to struggle wouldn't benefit Sage. She could only give up and allow Ian to do whatever he wanted. Initially, she thought that Ian would let her go immediately. However, he must have wanted to punish her. In addition to kissing her lips, he caught hold of her tongue and sucked it furiously. "Ouch!" Sage hissed in pain and tears fell from her eyes. She punched Ian, and he finally let go of her lips. Sage panted loudly and glared at him furiously. Ian also stared at her, breathing heavily. His eyes were bright as he asked hoarsely, "Does it hurt?" Scared that he would continue his rampage, Sage suppressed her frustration. She didn't
Ian knew what was on her mind. He tilted her chin and said softly, "If I'm in a good mood, I work more efficiently. Maybe it'll take less than a month." Sage was puzzled. "What puts you in a good mood then?"Ian's tightened his grip on her waist. He reached the hand he used to tilt her chin up to caress her face. His breath seemed to turn heavier as he said, "What do you think a woman can do to please a man?" In a fit of anger, Sage swatted away his hand and spat, "In your dreams!" She had been drugged and lost all rationality last time. She would never be so intimate with him again. Besides, the more entangled they became, the tougher it was for her to get a divorce. "You just don't have enough time and energy to handle it for now," she said. "Stop being a jerk and trying to take advantage of me in this situation." Seeing the distant expression and look of resistance on her face, Ian howled with laughter and said, "What were you thinking? I'll recover much quicker and be in
Maybe he was afraid that Sage would wake up if he was too rough with her, so the mark wasn't too dark. Apparently, Tiana was right. Ian had taken advantage of her again. It happened twice when Sage was taking a rest at the chaise longue. It happened again when she fell asleep on the bed. Those marks she got were most probably his handiwork. Indeed, a man's physical strength and his mind were two different things that could be controlled at will. He didn't have much feelings for her, but he still yearned for her touch. After showering and removing her makeup, she found that the water she boiled earlier was now just warm enough to be consumed with the medicine. She took two fever pills and a glass of water before returning to the bedroom. Ian was still in the position he had been in when he fell asleep earlier. He was frowning a little, and there was a hint of red on his chapped lips from her lipstick. Sage felt like pouring the glass of water over his face when she remembered