"Why else would I be here? I was worried about you, of course," he said nonchalantly.Sage couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. "Could you stop being so twisted? Stop using me as a tool to get a rise out of Ian."There was a glint in his eyes as he looked at her lazily. "No can do. It's just too effective. But if there ever comes a time when I can't get a rise out of him anymore, I might just consider your request."She was rendered speechless.…Meanwhile, the driver waited for a while before cautiously asking Ian, who had been rooted to spot outside the police station, "Mr. Holcomb, shall we head back to the office or the hospital?""The office." Ian got into the car. The shadows of the trees danced in the sunlight outside the car. His mind drifted back to the scene of Sage being accused by Delilah earlier. Her face was stoic, and her eyes were devoid of any emotion as if she had grown accustomed to such treatment. Sage had done nothing wrong. Yet, Delilah resented her.
"Since Mrs. Holcomb likes pandas, why don't you take her to the most famous panda base?" Calvin suggested. "You can book a session to pet the panda cubs. It might be expensive and has time restrictions, but I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem for you."Just think about it, Ian. Not only will you get to spend quality time together on the trip, but it'll also allow her to hold her favorite animal. How wonderful would that be?" He continued, "It's a wish she couldn't realize when she was younger, so you'd be indirectly helping her achieve it. Mrs. Holcomb would be so grateful to you. Then, you'd get a chance to ask her to reconcile with you when she's in a good mood!"Ian fell silent when he heard that. It was a good idea, but Sage would never go out with him. "I've given you an idea, Ian, but how you get Mrs. Holcomb on board is on you," Calvin said. "Remember, don't be too pushy. She prefers a gentle approach. Be soft-spoken and accommodating, and I bet she'll agree to go with y
Sage was rendered speechless. "Mr. Morrison, could you please stop bringing up Ian in every other sentence? I'm starting to wonder if you've developed feelings for him!""You're grossing me out again, Sage!" Shane reached out to smack her head, but she dodged to the side. As a result, his hand landed on her slender shoulder."Get off of me!" Sage pushed his hand away in disgust. However, Shane took two steps forward and cornered her."I've warned you, Sage. If you keep annoying me, I won't go easy on you. Tell me, should I give you a beating or two?" He then lifted her chin and asked with a smirk, "Or would you like to give me a kiss?""Get lost!" Sage immediately kicked his knee. What was his problem? Why did he keep harassing her?"Have you lost your mind, Sage?" He bent over and massaged his knee. "I'm such a handsome guy. How could you not get embarrassed or blush when I corner you? I can't believe you'd just kick me!"She rolled her eyes at him. "I was already being very len
Tiana then told Sage about Calvin's call. "You guys are divorced, and you don't even want to give him the time of day. Yet, Ian is still planning to win you back. Why does he think he still stands a chance?" she asked. There was no chance. Sage recounted last night's events to Tiana."Tsk, tsk, tsk. So a knight in shining armor came to your aid, and he even got injured for you. Aren't you even a little touched?"Sage responded truthfully, "I'd be grateful to anyone who came to my aid in a dangerous situation like that. But I wouldn't confuse that with love."Tiana stopped teasing her when she heard that. After all, Ian's past actions had deeply hurt Sage. There was no way Sage would forgive him that easily. "Fine. I was just curious. I won't meddle in your affairs," Tiana said. "That's more like it." Sage then asked her how things were going with Wilson. Tiana told her that things were pretty much the same as before. Wilson was still working long hours, performing surgerie
"I'm craving buffalo chicken wings, escabeche, lutefisk, and for the main course, spaghetti aglio e olio," Sage said.Ian was incredibly picky when it came to food. He would avoid anything spicy and had a strong stench. He wouldn't eat anything that wasn't fresh or healthy, either. "Since you wanted to dine with me, let's see if you can stomach those dishes!" she brooded.Ian didn't object to her requests at all. He even patiently said, "I'll have them prepared. I'll wait for you to come over so we can dine together."Sage then hung up the phone. When she arrived at the hospital and saw the food she had ordered earlier on the table in the ward, she was a little surprised because Ian hadn't ordered anything he liked."Well, what are you waiting for? Come over and eat," he said casually.Sage looked at him. "Are you sure you can eat these?"Ian responded calmly, "Why can't I eat these?"He sure was as stubborn as a mule. Sage couldn't be bothered to argue with him. She went to w
Sage continued, "We've always been worlds apart. Our interests, habits, and upbringings are all different. "For example, you hate the food I like, and I've changed my habits to accommodate you. Over time, I've felt stifled and resentful. But now that I've thought about it, you've done nothing wrong. I was just trying too hard to please you."Similarly, you don't have to force yourself to change for me. It'd be pointless because I won't be moved by such an act either."Ian lifted his gaze after listening to her lengthy speech. "I was telling Delilah the truth this morning, Sage. I didn't marry you because I was forced to. Before you, Grandma had also urged me to get married, but I had no intention of marrying anyone else."Sage couldn't help but sneer. "What's your point? Do you think that still matters?"He responded, "I know I've neglected you and hadn't considered your feelings in the past. I'll learn to do better in the future. Can't you give me a chance to prove myself?"Sag
Ian could tell she was mad and might leave in a huff. He pulled her into his arms, held her close, and whispered, "Sage, you used every trick in the book to marry me, and you said you'd love me forever. "But now, you're treating me like I'm something you found upon the bottom of your shoe, and you won't even give me a chance to explain myself. You're not being fair."His voice was low and filled with a hint of grief and vulnerability. His embrace was warm and broad, and although it was permeated with the smell of disinfectant in the hospital, he still smelled faintly of cedarwood. The Ian in front of her was someone Sage could only dream of in her previous life.From his perspective, she was the one who had suddenly fallen out of love and insisted on a divorce. But with all the pain and hardships she had been through in her previous life, how could she not have reservations?"Ian, if you didn't marry me because you were forced to, then why did you treat me coldly and with disdai
His stomach sure was sensitive. She had eaten several pieces of lutefisk, and consumed a lot of spicy food, but turned out fine. She couldn't believe that a single piece of lutefisk was enough to give him enteritis. But how could she not have noticed anything at all? Did she actually sleep that soundly?Sage asked the nurse for Ian's ward number and went to see him.Sage knocked on the door and found Ian lying on the hospital bed. Perhaps due to his lack of sleep, his complexion appeared more haggard than the previous night. His lips were drained of color too. Besides Ian, she spotted Linda, whom she hadn't seen in a while, and Josephine, who was slicing an apple.Upon hearing the sound of the door cracking open, all three of them turned to look at Sage. Ian's eyes visibly lit up. Ignoring him, Sage greeted Linda with a smile. "Good morning, Grandma Holcomb!""Good morning, Sage!" Linda responded with a smile.Sage felt a little embarrassed. As Ian's caregiver, she had no id
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