Ian was unwilling to let her go yet. "Beg me properly one more time."Sage was both frustrated and confused. She was wondering why she hadn't noticed so many annoying traits in Ian before. What sort of weird hobby was this?Just then, Sage's phone stopped ringing.Ian was about to pull her even closer. He said, "Perfect. Now, you don't have to—"At the same time, Sage was ready to use violence when the partition suddenly lowered.Terry kept his eyes down as he informed in a business-like tone, "Mr. Holcomb, Ms. Shekdotter says her calls aren't getting through to you. She needs to speak with you."Ian furrowed his brows slightly and took Terry's phone.Annoyed, Sage pushed Ian away and sat back in her seat. She grabbed her own phone. It turned out that she had missed Ivy's phone call as well.Ivy seemed to be well aware of Ian's whereabouts, considering that she had looked for Sage directly."What's the matter?" Ian loosened his collar and asked in a husky voice."What's with
It was a message from Delilah.Sage hadn't contacted Delilah since she went to Ivy's place. She had blocked Delilah's messages on WhatsApp as well.Now that Delilah had sent her a photo on Telegram, it was probably not good news. Sage immediately deleted the message and blocked her number."Please, you must accept it," Michael sent another message after the money transfer.To maintain his dignity, Sage decided to accept the payment.Michael then asked, "Are you very busy? I haven't seen you at the sports complex."For the past few days, Sage had been occupied with drafting the investment plan. Thus, she didn't have the time to attend the lessons she had applied for. She replied, "I'm busy with work matters."Following that, Michael sent her a bunch of encouraging cute gifs. Sage found them amusing, so she saved a few.She then checked Michael's social media feed and found that his life was rich and full of positivity. Apart from part-time work updates, there were posts about mu
Sage responded, "Okay, send me the address."The location Shane provided turned out to be a bar. It seemed like private clubs or bars were his regular hangouts.If Sage hadn't known from her past life that he had a business mindset and performed reasonably well, she might have thought of him as an idle playboy.Sage drove to the bar and located Shane in a secluded corner on the second floor.The bar played soft music, and with no one else on the second floor, the noise was well-contained in the soundproofed booth. It created an unexpectedly tranquil atmosphere.Shane was lounging with his legs propped on the coffee table. He retained his usual carefree demeanor. However, this time he was without the company of beautiful women. Instead, he was engrossed in a phone call.On the table were beverages and snacks. Sage decided not to disturb him and settled on the couch. She casually picked up a piece of apple and popped it into her mouth."Alright, that's settled. Let me know as soon
"Even if there are risks, one must seek fortune amidst danger. In our line of work, aren't some risks worth taking?"Seeing Shane's nonchalant smirk, Sage chuckled. "So, you never considered seeking my opinion."Shane adjusted himself into a more comfortable position and said, "Ms. Joyner, you've got it wrong. I informed you of the outcome. I'm showing considerable respect, I'd say."Sage observed Shane's relaxed and playful expression. She knew that the matter was already decided.Since she proposed the partnership, Shane seemed more interested in her actions than the collaboration itself.Now that he could secure Mimosa on his own, her presence was even less meaningful."Well then, let's just pretend my proposal never existed," Sage said."I thought, despite being a businessman, you wouldn't blindly blur the lines between right and wrong just for money. But turns out, you're just as immoral. In that case, we don't need to work together!"With that, Sage stood up to leave.Ho
Shane's laughter was cold and malicious. "You had the guts to mess with me. I'll teach you a lesson, even if it means breaking the law!"When she saw Shane's fearless attitude and the approaching bodyguard, Sage felt a tinge of regret. She had been too presumptuous. She had thought that her knowledge from her past life could be leveraged to negotiate with Shane.She never considered investigating what kind of person he was.Now, with him turning hostile, she wouldn't be able to escape if he decided to tie her up.With Ian's apparent dislike toward her, she doubted he would intervene. Even if he did, she didn't want to owe him any favors."Hide if you can. Let's see where you can escape to!" Shane stalked toward her. His voice was menacing.The second floor seemed to have been cleared by Shane, and there was no one around to help. Sage's scream for help was rendered useless.Sage contemplated whether it would be more effective to smash a wine bottle and threaten to hurt herself o
Ian ignored Shane.Downstairs, Terry was cleaning up. They walked out of the bar.Sage hastily shook off Ian's hand.Ian's expression shifted a little. Then, he said in a cold voice, "Give your car keys to the driver. You're getting in my car."Sage was puzzled. "How did you know that I drove here?"Ian said in an unfriendly tone, "Anyone with eyes will notice the striking color and license plate of your car!"Sage fell silent.Her Maserati was one of the wedding gifts from her grandfather.The color of the car was a bright red, and the license plate was a combination of her initials and birthday.It wasn't low-profile, but it definitely wasn't as flashy as Ian had described it to be.The driver had already gotten out of the car. Without thinking too much about it, Sage handed the car keys to him. Then, she tactfully got into the passenger seat of Ian's car.After Ian started the car, Sage couldn't help but ask, "Why were you in the area at this hour?"This place was quite
Ian could barely suppress his anger. He said in a cold voice, "If I could afford to let others tarnish your identity as Mrs. Holcomb, do you think I'd spend my time bothering about your business?"Sage knew it.That must also be why he had such a concerned look in his eyes when he arrived at the second floor.Fortunately, Sage wasn't as presumptuous as she used to be. If not, Ian would be leading her by the nose again.Sage retorted carelessly, "If you don't want to bother about my business, hurry up and sign the divorce agreement. I've said before that you'll regret it if you don't sign the agreement!""You…" Ian's expression turned foul when he heard those words. Then, he slammed the brakes!Sage grabbed her bag. Ian didn't even have to say anything before she got out of the car.In the end, Ian got out of the car as well. With a dark expression on his face, he disregarded her shouts as he stuffed her into the driver's seat. Then, he fastened the seat belt around her."Go str
There was a distant look in Ian's eyes.He even frowned a little.Ivy was stunned when she saw that reaction.She began to feel a little awkward.Still, Ivy didn't reveal her emotions on her face. She straightened herself as she apologized gently."Ian, no matter what, I'm the one at fault for what happened today. I'm willing to take any punishment or reprimand."With the explanations so far, Ivy's actions seemed excusable.Ian didn't probe further. He said in a cold voice, "We can't afford any mistakes in this matter. Get someone to look into Benjamin. If he wasn't framed, cancel the investment plans."Ivy hastily said, "Don't worry, I've already asked someone to look into it. If there really is something off with him, you don't even have to say the word. I won't dare to partner with him."Ian's expression relaxed a little. He rubbed his temples for a bit. "If there's nothing else, you can leave now."Ivy could see that Ian was experiencing discomfort. She asked gingerly, "I
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