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
Her fierce demeanor and tone immediately put Ian on guard. He arched his brow and asked, "Are you attempting to murder your own husband?"For a moment, she wondered if he was just pretending to be ill. How could he be so lucid if he had a fever?"Yes! I'll be able to inherit all your riches and become a gleeful widow after I murder you!" Sage impatiently held the glass of water to his lips. "Quit stalling. Drink up and swallow your medicine."Ian remained silent, probably because of how harsh her tone was. He simply gazed at her as he took a few gulps of water.As Ian swallowed, she set down the glass of water and said, "Alright. Let's go see—" But before she could finish her sentence, a sharp pain shot through her wrist. Ian had grabbed her and pinned her beneath him. "I-Ian… Mmm…" He sealed her lips while she was speaking and slipped something into her mouth. As the bitter pill slid into her mouth, realization dawned on Sage. It was the aspirin she had just given him.Not only
Her face turned crimson as she hastily covered her chest and retreated into the room. Her pajamas were done up perfectly fine when she went to bed last night. How had the buttons come undone? Her pajamas were of an ordinary and conservative style, and the buttons couldn't have come undone on their own. Even if Ian hadn't unbuttoned them, they must've come undone while he was carrying her to bed!Sage buried her face in her hands as she thought about how she had just opened the door in such a state. She was mortified. She changed her clothes, freshened up, and put on some light makeup before cautiously cracking the door open just a bit to take a look outside.The doctor had already put away his medical instruments and was speaking sternly to Ian. "Your fever has gone down, but you're still quite weak. You need to rest. Be sure to avoid alcohol while you're taking your medication. You got lucky this time because you're healthy. Who knows what will happen next time if you aren't car
Terry froze when he walked in on Ian and Sage embracing each other. Instinctively, he hastily raised his head. "Ouch! I think a mosquito just flew into my eye! I can't see a thing. The doctor shouldn't have gone far yet. With that, he bolted off. Sage was rendered speechless. After all, it was cold out. There were no mosquitoes to fly into his eye. She couldn't believe Terry would come up with such a lame excuse. "When are you going to let go of me? Or do you actually want to test it out?" Ian's husky voice echoed in her ear as she slandered Terry inwardly. Her cheeks heated up when she realized that she still had her arms around Ian's neck and that he was supporting her body with his hands. Sage hastily let go of him and landed on the ground. "It was your fault! I almost spilled the whole bowl of eggs because you deliberately scared me!"He looked at the pan on the ground and decided not to waste his breath on Sage. Instead, he picked it up and asked, "What should I do?" Sa
"If you've got something to tell me, just spit it out. There's no need to go to a restaurant for that." Ian sunk into the couch.Sage wasn't the least bit surprised to hear that. She simply smiled and said, "Alright." Then, she disappeared into the room. Soon, she returned, holding two folders. Ian recognized them right away. His forehead creased as he said, "Did I not make myself clear that night? Or are you hinting at me to do something with you because I've been neglecting you recently?"Sage wondered how the CEO of a company could utter such things without feeling embarrassed. She placed the documents in front of Ian and said, "I'm not here to argue with you, nor am I acting up. I just haven't had a chance to talk to you about this because you were sick and swamped with work."She continued solemnly, "The other day, you said you'd go to the court with me and explain everything to our families after you finished this project, and I agreed. "I know you wouldn't come up with ex
Sage chose a well-known shopping mall in Morita. It was a shopping haven with a dizzying array of luxury brands. She picked out some fashionable outfits, shoes, and bags for herself. Then, she remembered that Tiana liked skincare products, so she picked up two sets of luxury skincare products for her.Sage spent hours shopping on her own and didn't leave until the mall closed. She left laden with the bags of her purchases. The street outside the mall was no longer as lively as it was when she first arrived. It was now quiet and deserted. The only people around were a few homeless men huddled together under some blankets on the sidewalk. They looked up at her as she walked past them with her shopping bags.Sage was used to the safety of home, so she was a little uneasy when she noticed the homeless men on the street. There was a row of taxis ahead, and she hastened her pace toward them. But as she did, a homeless man, who was close to the side of the street, abruptly rose to his
"Tsk, you're such an ugly crier," Shane remarked disdainfully. "Weren't you acting all tough just now? You even bashed his head. What happened to that?"Sage had been scared the whole time! Wait... "You saw that? Why didn't you show up earlier to help me?" she asked through her sobs. She had been scared out of her wits and thought she was done for!"That guy was huge! I can't take on a bear. Obviously, I had to wait for the police to show up," he answered matter-of-factly. Sage was at a loss for words. All she could do was stare at him with tear-filled eyes. "Stop staring. Your eyeballs are going to pop out of your sockets." Shane impatiently helped her up from the ground. "Come on, get up. I'm busy."Sage felt a jolt of pain in her ankle as she stood up. She figured she had sprained her ankle, so she shifted her weight onto her other foot and let go of his arm. Puzzled, she inquired, "What are you doing in Morita?" There was no way this was a coincidence. There was a glin
Shane snorted before walking to the hot chick. Coincidentally, the cops had also apprehended the homeless man and brought him to them. Sage instinctively took a step back when she noticed the man's blood-stained hair. Ian tightened his grip on her hand and told the police that their lawyer would arrive soon and handle the situation on their behalf. Sage briefly recounted the incident to the cops. Then, Terry arrived with their lawyer. After a brief exchange, the couple left the issue to Terry and the lawyer.Sage and Ian walked over to the car. He held Sage up by the waist when he noticed she was limping. Sage was in no state to argue with Ian after such a frightening ordeal, so she let him carry her into the car. Ian called the doctor once they were inside the car. Neither of them spoke, probably because of their argument earlier. Hence, the couple rode in silence to the hotel. The doctor was already waiting for them when they arrived. After a thorough examination, he found 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