Once again, Sage felt the change in Ian. Not once had he forcefully dragged her home at the airport, on the flight, or at the hotel lobby, even though he was upset to see her with Shane.Moreover, not only did he promise to win her back, but he also promised to treat her right, something he had never done before. He seemed determined to do so too, judging from the earnest look in his eyes.She would have hesitated and reconsidered getting back with him in her past life, or at the beginning of her rebirth. However, this time, she simply rejected him numbly. "No."His eyes were filled with disappointment. "Dear Sage, why do you have to be so determined?""Stop addressing me that way like we're close," she jeered at him. "Ian Holcomb, do you know what upsets me the most?"He replied with a tinge of guilt in his tone, "I know, Sage. I'll give you an explanation."No. He couldn't possibly know. Shaking her head, she remarked, "I don't need an explanation from you. Just stay away from
Shane irritably snapped, "It's all thanks to that little bitch Ian Holcomb! He wanted to send me home!"Sage guessed that Shane must have received a call from his dad and had to go home.She offered, "I'll book a car for you. You go to the airport on your own. I'm not tagging along.""Would you want to exchange two days of peace and quiet for a two-hour ride? Or do you want me to pester you for the next two days?" Shane challenged her.That was a nonquestion. Of course, Sage would go for the first. After Shane left today and Ian the day after, she could finally enjoy some peace.As Shane was busy getting his secretary to book a flight home, Sage wandered out of their lounge and found Abby playing with the cat by the potted plants. The energetic cat tried to gnaw her hand, but she patiently guided it to bite the pen she was holding instead.Abby looked attractive with her dark hair cascading down her shoulder as she crouched and gently coaxed the tiny cat.Suddenly, the cat flu
Shane's question was pointless. Of course, Sage wouldn't know. She even asked him a few times about his hostility toward Ian, but he skilfully dodged her question. Did he plan to tell her now?Curious, she questioned, "Why?""If you're curious, come sit at the back of the car. It'll be easier to talk," Shane suggested nonchalantly.Without hesitation, she joined him at the back of the car, as she was very curious about the beef between the two men.Besides, there was a chauffeur present. Shane wouldn't dare pull anything funny on her. Anyway, even without the chauffeur, she knew him well enough to understand that he wouldn't lay a finger on her.Soon, Shane joined her in the backseat. He closed the car door and snapped a photo of her. Then, he sent the photo to someone along with a voice message. "See, Mr. Holcomb? Sage is seeing me off at the airport. She's even sitting beside me in the car. You lost to me!"Sage finally realized the reason Shane brought up his grudge against
"Ian Holcomb will be very disappointed if you leave in the middle of This carefully planned trip," Shane mused.Sage merely rolled her eyes. "Ian is here to see a doctor. We have different itineraries. I'm not going home yet."Shane let out a scoff. "Yeah, sure. Sage Joyner, keep lying to yourself."Then, he entered the departure hall without looking back. It might have been an illusion, but Sage sensed a hint of dejection when he walked away.She shook off the thought, cautioning herself not to attach too much meaning to that drama queen's actions.Later, she instructed the chauffeur to send her to the hotel. Before returning to her room, she reminded the front desk not to permit access to her room to anyone. Ian might appear to have turned over a new leaf, but she no longer trusted him.Back in her room, she made sure to secure all the locks. Sage enjoyed a good night's sleep. The next morning, she woke up early, got dressed, and headed to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast.
Sage instinctively reached out for her phone, prompted by the ringtone. She stopped midway when she recalled she had changed her ringtone some time ago.At the same time, she saw Ian calmly unlock his phone to answer a call. Puzzled, she wondered why he'd use her old ringtone, which was a recording of her voice. She thought he'd long deleted it. But to her surprise, he had set it as his ringtone.She couldn't help but note the irony in his actions. She had to beg him to use the ringtone in the past, but he couldn't be bothered. He only started using the ringtone when she had moved on.After taking the brief call, he joined her. She ordered, "Delete that ringtone."He responded with defiant silence."Ian Holcomb, what do you want? Do you think you could change my mind by calling me 'My Sage' and changing your ringtone to my voice?" She snorted at him. "Didn't I warn you not to waste your time on such nonsense? I will not feel touched.""I can address you however I like and use wha
Despite all the trouble Sage had to go through, she was excited to touch the soft panda cubs. When she placed a piece of apple in its paw, it munched on it docilely.Sage was utterly delighted at the sight of the cub's cuteness. She couldn't help but caress its soft fur.All the while, Ian had been taking photos and videos of her. Though half of her lovely face was hidden behind a mask, he could tell she was beaming brightly from her eyes.Her eyes twinkled with happiness when she admired the panda cub. Affected by her cheeriness, he felt a sense of satisfaction.Soon, her 10 minutes were up. Sage reluctantly returned the panda cub to its handler and left the inner compound of the Panda World. "The panda cubs are so cute!" Sage couldn't contain her eagerness as she shared her thoughts with Ian. She elaborated, "It's so cute when it's eating the apple. A bite on the left, and a bite on the right. That's how it ate the apple."Ian had witnessed the panda cub munching the apple and
Sage had claimed she wanted a glamorous name for the panda, but she failed to think of any. Finally, she went with her heart and named it "Apple"."It's the apple of my eye. The name I gave it might not sound special, but it's simple, easy to remember, and suitable for a female!" she explained with seriousness.Ian nodded along. "That's a good one. Let's go with it.""Ms. Joyner, I think it's a nice name! Just like 'Thorn'!" Abby agreed.The staff went along with Sage's choice. They awarded Sage the certificate after confirming the name. Apart from that, they informed her of the privileges that came with the adoption. For example, the handler would keep her updated on the panda's growth. She also had the right to visit the panda at any time. Sage was excited at the thought of a panda adopted and named by herself."Ms. Joyner, Mr. Holcomb, why don't we follow each other on Instagram? That way, I'll also be able to send you the videos and photos I took for you," Abby suggested.
Ian seemed a little dispirited, making Sage wonder if he had overheard her remark to Tiana. She neither accepted the bottle of water nor confronted him about the lucky draw setup.She walked to a quiet corner, where she inquired about Wilson. "Has Wilson contacted you during his conference trip?"Tiana replied, "He called me yesterday but I was too busy to answer.""And?" Sage pressed on."Nothing happened. I didn't call him back, and he didn't contact me again.""How's your thoughts on the divorce?"After a short pause, Tiana confessed, "I still want a divorce, but I feel a little empty at the thought of going no contact with him."Still, there's no point pushing through. I've been busy with work for a few days, and it makes me think that perhaps marriage is not everything in my life. I should focus on my career."Without a doubt, Sage was supportive of Tiana's decision. After the call, she turned around and found Ian still standing at the same spot, waiting for her with a bot
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