Sage whimpered in agony as a sharp pain shot through her body. Ian, on the other hand, was consumed by an intense fervor and began to suck and nibble on her long neck. His ragged, hot breath tickled her ears. It made her feel like a helpless prey that had been ensnared by a ravenous predator that was licking and biting her. Ian had shed all traces of his usual composure at that moment. His mouth, hands, and body were scorching hot. Sage was afraid that she would awaken his primal instincts further. She neither dared to nor had the strength to resist or squirm away. She could only watch him as he ravaged her.Soon, Ian was no longer content with just kissing her. His hands started to knead and caress the small of her back. The slightly rough pads of his fingers pressed against her skin, sending waves of tingling sensations through her body as if she were being jolted with electricity. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, as though he wanted to fuse her into his very bein
Sage panted heavily as she gazed at Ian coldly. "Tell me. Do you want to be on top of me or beneath me?" Ian swiftly stripped off her pants and pressed his hard member against her through his trousers.Sage was mortified by the humiliating position they were in and the lust on his face. She couldn't contain her anger any longer and shouted, "Ian Holcomb, stop pretending to be drunk! You know damn well you can hold your liquor!"He didn't even flinch when he drank with Shane the other night. How could he be this drunk tonight?"Since you won't tell me which position you want to be in, I'll decide for you!" Ian pinned her down mercilessly with one hand and unfastened his belt with the other. Sage noticed the madness and obsession in his eyes. "If you lay a finger on me tonight, I'll despise you for the rest of my life!""Then so be it. After all, you never planned to spend the rest of your life with me anyway!" His eyes glinted coldly as he discarded his belt and closed in on her
Tiana didn't insist either. She set down the cream and said, "The nurse on duty told me that Ian came here in the middle of the night. "He said he was going to accompany you and didn't want anyone to disturb you guys. Then, he came out from your ward about an hour later and asked for a hospital gown and some ointment."Tiana couldn't help but grumble, "Luckily, he didn't do anything to you. Otherwise, your bun in the oven would've been toast!"Sage said through gritted teeth, "If he had done anything to me, I would've reported him to the police!" Then, she realized something. "But how do you know we didn't…"Tiana responded, "Ian was afraid that I'd drag you off for a full-body check-up, so he didn't hide it from me."Realization dawned on Sage. She was in no state to get a full-body check-up, after all. "Ian is such a strange man. If he cared about you, he wouldn't have come over in the middle of the night to disturb your rest. "But if he didn't care about you, he wouldn't h
Sage and Tiana hadn't expected Ivy to come over. Sage frowned, adjusted her clothes, and said curtly, "No, you can't. You're not welcome here."Ivy didn't seem the least bit offended. She motioned for the caregiver to wheel her into the room anyway and smiled gently as she said, "Mrs. Holcomb, I've been suffering from severe back pain for the past few days, so I couldn't get out of bed to visit you. How're you feeling?"Tiana couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Wow, you've got some nerve. Sage clearly said you weren't welcome here.""Ms. Shekdotter, I heard you got injured because you tried to save Mrs. Holcomb." The caregiver beside Ivy asked softly, "So why aren't they grateful to you? Why are they treating you so poorly?"Ivy felt a little awkward about the caregiver's sudden interjection, but she graciously thanked her. "Could you please step out for a moment? I need to speak with Mrs. Holcomb.""Sage has nothing to say to you. Get out of our sights right this instant!" Tiana co
"Okay!"…That afternoon, after Tiana applied the ointment for Sage, she had something to do and left. Sage then received a call from Shane. He said he'd found a lawyer for her and asked if they could meet at a café near the hospital tomorrow morning. Sage readily agreed.Sage called Zachary since she still had plenty of time. She hadn't been in touch with him ever since they had dinner at her grandfather's place the other day. Also, she wondered how he was faring at Maven Corporation."What's up, Sage? Why are you calling me at this hour?" Zachary sounded a little surprised. "Well, I was wondering how things are going for you at Maven Corporation lately."Zachary smiled warmly and said, "It's going quite well. Mr. Joyner seems to trust me, and the people at the company are also cooperative.""That's good to hear." Sage was relieved."However, there's something I should probably let you know." He continued, "I've learned about the situation at Maven Corporation recently. Whi
She had no idea if it was because he didn't sleep well last night or if he was worn out from too much work, but Ian was not as energetic as usual. The madness and passion in his eyes from the previous night had vanished. His gaze was calm and deep again. "Why are you here again? Haven't you done enough last night?" Her gaze remained cold as she stared at him warily. The events of the previous night resurfaced in his mind as he remained silent. Sage's body was supple, and her skin was fair. Under the warm yellow light, she looked like a delicate porcelain doll. He couldn't control his desire. He wanted to have her and mark every inch of her body as his own. Even though she was brought to tears by his advances, she refused to submit to him. Sage glared at him angrily, fueling his desire to dominate her and force her to surrender herself.Ian's Adam's apple unconsciously bobbed, and he said coldly, "You kept provoking me last night. You should've seen it coming, Sage."Sage was as
Ian's gaze darkened. "You cheated on me, Sage. I'm giving you the chance to correct your mistake. Yet, you're going to insist on giving birth to it?"What nonsense. Sage couldn't contain her annoyance. "Could you stop deluding yourself, Ian? I've never needed a 'chance'. The baby is mine, and I intend to keep it."Ian was at a loss for words. He stared at Sage for a while before asking lowly, "In the private room, when you were injured and feeling unwell, you refused to let me touch you. Yet, you repeatedly asked Shane to take you to the hospital. Why is that?"Why else? It was obvious that he wouldn't prioritize saving her when Ivy was around. So, she immediately turned to Shane for help. Later on, she was simply afraid that he would find out that she was pregnant. However, she couldn't tell him the truth, so she asked with a sneer, "What do you think?"Before Ian could respond, she continued, "Ian, you must've noticed something between Shane and I, no? I helped him sign Mimosa,
Shane sounded serious for once. "Our men got into a heated argument with them, and it escalated into a fight. Now, everyone involved has been taken to the police station. "Professor Braun's research institute caught wind of it and used this as an excuse to pull the plug on our second round of investments. The institute is also doubting our company's strength and has asked us to reconsider the agreement."Sage frowned. Although these incidents seemed like accidents, she was aware that they were most likely Ian's doing. After all, he said he would never let her go last night. This meant that he was starting with Farsight. Collin had given her the distribution rights because of Ian. If Farsight couldn't resolve this situation, he would most likely revoke them. "I've already been to the police station to get the lowdown. The hospital is playing hardball and refusing to accept any settlements. I'm pretty sure Ian's behind this." Shane snorted. "He's always been this low." He also fig
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