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
Marcus texted Sage that he had executed the mission against Shekdotter Inc. per her request. Sage had gotten the news from Shane earlier. However, she still thanked Marcus for the update."I should be thanking you instead. I heard from Elle that you've become good friends. She finally decided to focus on her career," said Marcus. "Before this, all she cared about was being a good wife to Shane. I'm surprised she's focused on work now. My parents will be glad to hear about this."Ms. Joyner, don't hesitate to ask for help if you ever need it.""Sure. Thank you in advance, Mr. Rosethorn." Sage simply offered some pleasantries without actually requesting his help.Marcus had lent Sage a hand to make up for the incident involving Giselle's housekeeper. Given his shrewdness, there was no way he didn't learn about the bad blood between Sage and Ivy. Sage wanted to put him through the trouble as a test. Now that he had proven his character, she had no reason to ask him for more help.
"Thorn's life matters too. I need to save it!" Abby struggled to break free so she could run back to the suite. As she barged forward, she nearly shoved Sage to the ground. Thankfully, Ian was quick to respond and grabbed both women, saving Sage from falling and stopping Abby from running back into danger."The firefighters are here. They will save the cat," he reminded Abby sternly.Sage turned around, and as expected, the firefighters had arrived at the scene. Abby immediately begged them through tears, "My cat is in there. Please save it first!"After the firefighters promised to save Thorn, Abby was guided to the emergency exit with Ian and Sage's help.The other hotel guests, who were warned of the fire, flooded into the emergency exit and descended the stairs. The emergency exit was fully packed, and there was a risk of a stampede.Ian, worried for Sage, hugged her tightly. As a result, she could not grab onto Abby. However, Abby had calmed down by now. "Don't worry
Sage turned to Abby. "What's wrong?""I'm sorry for all the trouble." Abby sounded apologetic. "I heard Mr. Holcomb was injured. It might not be the best idea for him to sleep on the floor. We can totally share a suite if you don't mind."Sage examined Abby's traumatized behavior while carrying Thorn, who purred weakly in her arms. She nodded at Abby. "Of course." She had initially decided to give Abby her suite because she worried that Abby might feel uneasy sharing a room with an unfamiliar acquaintance. Besides, Ian had offered to sleep on the floor. But since Abby did not mind sharing a bed, Sage went along with it, happy that she didn't have to share a room with Ian.After texting Ian, she said to Abby, "Ms. Sutton, why don't you take a shower again before going to bed? You should rest early tonight."Abby nodded. "Sure. Please hold Thorn for me. It is badly shocked."Sage accepted the cat from Abby. Thorn was curled up in lingering fear, but it slowly calmed down as Sa
Dale's classiness was reflected in the courteous attitude of his staff. They held Abby's belongings for her, and they walked out of the hotel. As they did so, Abby spotted Ian. She greeted him politely."Mr. Holcomb, what a coincidence! Did you come back from grabbing some snacks?"He asked her flatly, "Ms. Sutton, where are you headed to?"Abby briefly summed up Dale's arrangements. She added, "Mr. Holcomb, I'm really sorry about today. I gave you and Ms. Joyner trouble. "Just now, I was a little scared of spending the night alone, and I invited Ms. Joyner to share the room with me. I'm sorry if that affected your recovery." She was being adorably forthright. Ian cast a glance at Sage without a word. "Well, I shall leave now. Goodbye!" Abby waved at them and hopped into the backseat of the shiny car that came to pick her up.After Abby left, Sage blurted out, "Is Ms. Sutton's father a powerful figure?"Ian replied, "Dale Sutton is a capable heir of a distinguished family. H
Noticing that something was amiss with Sage, Ian reached out to steady her. "What's wrong?"She shook him off with a wary look. "Did you lie to me? Was the beer strong?"He calmly refuted her accusation. "The store owner who sold it to me clearly said it was a light, smooth beer popular among girls. Just check the label if you don't believe me."She reached out to grab a bottle, but she missed and clawed at the air instead. Ian, however, did not laugh at her. He showed her an empty bottle.Pointing at the alcohol content on the label, he patiently said, "Look, it says here. 10 to 15 percent alcohol content. It's not that high. You must be feeling sick because you drank too fast."That would explain why she felt tipsy. She had been drinking light beers like they were water. Still conscious, she rubbed her temples and said to him, "Go back to your room. I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."He insisted, "You're tipsy. I'll head back after you're done showering in case anythi