Ronald was furious when he caught on. "Sage Joyner, you almost killed my daughter, and now you're slandering her and ruining her reputation? I'll take you on, right here, right now!" He then charged at Sage."How dare you!" Tiana wanted to stop him, but she felt Sage tug on her skirt. Tiana instantly understood what she was up to. She allowed Ronald to shove her and stumble sideways. Then, she clutched her waist and groaned in pain.Sage recoiled in fear and dodged him. Ronald was already simmering with anger, and when he noticed that Sage dared to dodge his attack, his anger boiled over. He grabbed her by the shoulder and intended to drag her over.While she cried out, a stern voice rang out from the door of the ward. "Hold it right there!"The people in the ward came to their senses and looked toward the door. The man who spoke was tall and well-built, clad in a tailored black suit. His features were sharp and cold, and he had an intimidating and commanding presence. "What br
Ian glanced at Ronald and asked, "What's got you so concerned, Uncle Ron?""I'm just curious. I'm not concerned!" Ronald puffed out his chest. "I have nothing to hide, Ian. Yes, I hired them, but I did it for Ivy's sake!"Ignoring him, Ian turned to the others and said apathetically, "I want you all to keep this to yourselves. I don't want to see any false reports."Even though his voice was quiet, his words carried a heavy weight. None of the people present dared to challenge him. All of them left the ward feeling disappointed. To their surprise, Ian's assistant and bodyguards were blocking their way outside, and they were told to delete all the footage they had taken that day. The reporters had no choice but to comply.It was only natural that Ronald, who was inside the ward, witnessed this scene as well. He was indignant. He had wanted to cause a scene and teach Sage a lesson, but it seemed like it wouldn't work now.Tiana had already risen to her feet. She ignored Ian and wa
"Could you step out for a moment, Uncle Ron?" Even though Ian was looking at Sage, his words were directed at Ronald.Despite his reluctance, Ronald was aware that he had already rubbed Ian the wrong way earlier. He would only make things worse if he stuck around. Hence, he nodded and said, "Alright.""Ian, I'm heading to Ivy's ward now. Could you swing by later when you've got a moment?"Ronald pleaded, "I heard she's been in the hospital for a few days, but you still haven't visited her in person. Ivy—""I'll drop by later. You can go now," Ian cut him off.Ronald glared at Sage and left the ward without saying another word.After he left, Ian turned to Tiana, who had been by Sage's side the whole time, and said, "Ms. Ford, I would appreciate it if you could step out for a moment too. I need to have a word with Sage, alone."Tiana eyed him warily. "Mr. Holcomb, what do you want to talk to Sage about? She just underwent surgery not too long ago, and she's very weak. Plus, she w
"Sage, I know you're upset because I jumped into the lake to save Ivy, but could you at least be a little reasonable?"Ian's tone was acrimonious. "How could I just stand there and watch someone die in a situation like yesterday's? Besides—""My bad. I forgot there's no point in reasoning with you!" Sage snapped.Then, she continued sarcastically, "You're probably going to tell me that even if it weren't Ivy yesterday, you would've jumped in to save them because your upbringing wouldn't allow you to stand by and watch, huh?"The logic was sound, but her tone was too snide. She made it sound like he was attempting to make an excuse for his behavior.Ian said through gritted teeth, "Ivy had an accident where she fell into water, and injured her lungs. It made her terrified of water. If she stays in the water for too long—""So what if she dies?" Her face twisted with hatred. "Aren't you tired, Ian? Why don't you just admit that you care about her a lot? Then, do us both a favor and
"Why would Ivy go after your baby, Sage? She had absolutely no reason to!" Ian continued, "Giselle is Shane's fiancée. It's clear that she couldn't let you bear his child and made a move. Why are you turning a blind eye to the evidence?"Also, it's been almost a day and a night since the incident, and Shane hasn't shown up yet. Why is that?" His expression became ice cold as he asked, "Are you hiding something from me?"Sage's heart skipped a beat. Ian was undoubtedly more perceptive when it didn't involve Ivy. She wasn't sure if he would blame Ivy if she told him that the baby was his, but one thing was for sure—it would be harder for her to divorce him.With that, she sneered, "What are you attempting to say? Shane hasn't come to the hospital because he doesn't know about the miscarriage yet. He has been so busy lately because of you. I don't want to add to his troubles."When Giselle came to see me yesterday, she threatened me to get rid of the baby. If she had already arranged
Who would want to help Ivy deal with her? Sage and Tiana discussed this for a while but couldn't come to any conclusions. After all, Sage had no idea who else she had offended besides Ivy."Oh, by the way, Sage." Tiana brought up another important matter. "Were you attempting to shift the blame onto Ivy in front of those reporters earlier? But Ian had his assistant delete all the footage from their cameras. Doesn't that mean all your efforts have gone to waste?"Tiana grumbled, "I swear that son of a bastard did it on purpose. He didn't even ask for your opinion before he ordered them to delete all the audio and video recordings!"Sage couldn't help but smile when she thought about how fitting that name was. "It wasn't all in vain."Tiana was taken aback for a moment. "Do you have another trick up your sleeve?""I wouldn't call it a trick, but I do have a backup plan." Sage pulled out her phone and toyed with it. "When Ivy's father walked in with those reporters, I secretly turned
Ivy froze for a moment. Then, she turned over and looked at Ian. Ivy looked pale and worn out, and her eyes were filled with tears. As if she couldn't believe what she had just heard, she croaked out, "What's the meaning of this, Ian?""Exactly, Ian. Why are you asking Ivy that?" Ronald chimed in. "Didn't I tell you that Ivy just happened to run into Sage while she was out for a stroll?"Ian ignored them and stared at Ivy. "Did you tell Sage that you were the one who made her lose her baby?"Ivy's heart skipped a beat, but she tried to maintain a calm and composed demeanor. She had already learned from her father that Ian had gone to Sage's ward, so she was mentally prepared for him to come and question her. However, she hadn't expected Sage to tell him about the threats she made yesterday. Ivy assumed that Sage would've resented Ian and not uttered a word since she was so devastated. Why would she tell Ian these things?"So, was it you?" Ian asked coldly once again after Ivy sta
Ivy suppressed her fear and sighed. "You might not believe this, Ian, but I did it for your sake."Then, she met his cold gaze and continued, "I thought it was a golden opportunity. If Sage had been rescued, her baby would still be alive. "Even though you've never said anything, I could tell that her pregnancy was eating you up inside. I don't want you to be unhappy, so I made that decision."Ian looked at Ivy. Her complexion was pallid, and her brows were knitted in pain. Yet, her expression was grim. It was clear that she had a hard time making that decision, but she didn't regret it."Don't you think that reason is a little far-fetched?" he asked lowly."It might sound crazy, but it's hard to explain a decision I made in the heat of the moment." Her eyes were filled with bitterness. "I admit that my motives weren't entirely pure. I've been in the hospital for days, but you've never visited me once. I know you've been having a hard time because of Sage."So I thought, if I cou