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
"Oh, you silly child, please don't do anything like that again. Nothing is more important than your life," Linda chided. "You're still so young, and you have so many loved ones who care about you. It was very dangerous and foolish of you to risk your life for an uncertain outcome.""I know." Sage then apologized. "I'm sorry, Grandma Holcomb. Madam Matilda had to return to the country because of this, and I know I've put you through so much worry.""There's no need to apologize." Linda sighed softly. "I was also at fault. I knew you were determined to get a divorce. Yet, I kept hoping Ian could persuade you to stay, which ultimately led you to such a desperate act."The elderly woman continued, "If it weren't for my insistence, you guys would've divorced long ago, and none of this would've happened.""It's not your fault, Grandma Holcomb," Sage reassured Linda. After all, who would want their grandson and granddaughter-in-law to divorce? Even Matilda might not have genuinely wante
Linda added, "You're kind and brave, and I genuinely like you. I feel responsible for the pain you've endured in this marriage, and I'd like to sincerely apologize to you."Her voice was filled with tenderness as she said, "But I hope you won't lose hope in love and life. Bad things only take up a small portion of life."A wave of warmth washed over Sage again. Even if Linda had set them up for Ian's sake, her kindness toward her, spanning both this life and her previous one, was genuine. No matter what, Linda would always stand up for her and defend her. Even after the divorce, she was still worried that Sage might lose hope in life and tried to comfort her. Tilting her head up, Sage smiled and said, "Thank you, Grandma Holcomb. I won't."…While chatting with Linda, Sage received a call from Henry. He wanted to meet up and said he had something important to discuss. Sage agreed. After escorting Linda back to the ward, Ian's dark eyes immediately locked onto Sage, as if plea
If not, those videos and photos would be used to blackmail Layla.Sage felt a shiver run down her spine as she listened to Ivy's plan. Ivy was truly ruthless! If Layla was raped by those thugs, and Henry had that leverage on her, her life would basically be ruined. Sage figured that Ivy despised her because of Ian. But why was she so determined to ruin her family? What did Ivy have against her family?"What should I do now?" Henry asked. "You told me to inform you in advance if anything came up, and you'd cooperate with me. So, what's the plan?"Sage remained silent for a moment. She thought Ivy would have Henry deal with her once she found out about her relationship with him. But Ivy's target was still Layla. "If I fail, Ivy will never let me off the hook, and I'll lose any shot at joining the Shekdotter family's company," he added."I understand. I'll contact Layla and persuade her to go along with your plan." Then, she warned, "Do what you need to do, but you mustn't harm La
"What do you want me to cooperate with?""I want you to pretend to be Henry's girlfriend."Layla was taken aback. "Didn't you tell me that he comes from a poor family and that his persona was fake? Plus, he's disgusting in private. How could I possibly date him?""I told you to pretend to date him," Sage reiterated. "You don't actually have to date him. Just show up when I need you to. Go about your day as usual. He won't bother you."Sage feared that Ivy would find other ways to deal with Layla if she didn't cooperate with Henry. Instead of leaving Layla in danger, it was probably better to fulfill Ivy's wishes. Layla would be in the clear once Ivy brought about her own downfall. It would be a long-term solution."How'd you get involved with Henry? What's going on?" Layla asked with a frown.Sage couldn't explain everything to Layla right away, but she wouldn't be able to convince Layla to do as she said if she didn't say a thing. Besides, Layla was already 20 years old. It
Sage chuckled when she heard what Layla had said. Then, she teased, "Not bad. My cousin knows how to care about people now." "I don't care about you!" Layla grumbled, "I just don't want to be dragged down by you.""Alright. I'll do my best not to drag you down."After ending the call with Layla, Sage contacted Henry again to go over the details.…The next day, his plan was set. Meanwhile, Sage received a call from Priscilla, who said it had been a while since they had seen each other and invited her and Tiana out for a little get-together. It had indeed been a while since she had seen Priscilla. Besides, she also needed her help, so Sage readily agreed to the invitation. The place Priscilla chose was a castle-themed restaurant.The restaurant not only looked like an ancient castle on the outside, but the interior decorations were also strikingly similar. The main hall was resplendent with gold and silver, and the waiters were all dressed like ancient palace maids and guards.
Sage responded, "Of course, he's not 100% reliable. But he's a greedy man. For the sake of big bucks, he won't betray me for the time being."Priscilla wasn't familiar with the details, so she didn't participate in the conversation. However, she shared some news with Sage."Benjamin's trial is around the corner. I heard that Mr. Holcomb has pulled some strings, so his sentence won't be light."Sage couldn't help but feel uneasy when she thought about the time Benjamin kidnapped her."Benjamin had someone tell me that he wanted to see me," Priscilla continued. "He probably wants me to plead his case with Mr. Holcomb or something. But I can't be bothered to listen to his nonsense.""I've got to hand it to you, Priscilla. I admire how you can just move on after being married to Benjamin for so many years," Tiana exclaimed.Sage chuckled. "Priscilla's a tough cookie, unlike some of us who hang on to dead-end relationships. But I've already mustered up the courage to let go. Tiana, we
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