Sage responded, "But I have no idea why Ivy was taken away for investigation."Shane snorted disdainfully. "It's obvious that Ian Holcomb is attempting to win your favor by going after Ivy!"She rolled her eyes at Shane, refusing to believe it. Ian had indeed said he would win her back and had turned a blind eye to Ivy's affairs several times, but he wasn't someone who took his work lightly."Something must've happened for him to act this way," she thought."Anyway, who cares about the reasons? All that matters is that it ends up how you want it." Annoyed, he continued, "I've been out of the office for a few days, Sage. Shouldn't you ask me where I've been?"Sage responded, "I don't think that was any of my concern, Mr. Morrison.""Tsk, you're such a cold-hearted woman!" he exclaimed. "I've taken over the zoo in Haldon. The paperwork's almost sorted out. "All I have to do now is contact Southbend County to bring over the panda cub you named and its mother. Then, I'll take you t
Meanwhile, Ian looked at Ivy indifferently in the police station's interrogation room. "What do you want to see me for?"Ivy responded, "You're the CEO of Holcomb Corporation, Ian. I've been brought here to assist with the investigation. Of course, I need to let you know and ask you to come here to testify for me."He remained silent. His gaze was ice-cold, and his handsome face was stoic.Noticing his reaction, her voice was laced with anger for the first time. "What's the meaning of this, Ian? Why's the company accusing me of abusing my power and colluding with Benjamin? My previous interactions with him were strictly business-related."She paused before continuing, "Bolton Investment did suffer losses on the Mimosa project, but how can that be pinned on me? I only helped Benjamin because I was deceived by him. I thought he was innocent!"Ian responded, "In that case, all you have to do is explain yourself to the police."Ivy chuckled dryly when she heard that. "It's been ages
"That's exactly why I can't accept it," Sage said. "To be honest, turning the zoo into an investment project for Farsight Investment isn't such a bad idea. "I've done my research. It's a decent-sized zoo with an amusement park. If we invest in some new equipment and market it, we could double the revenue.""He's pouring his heart out for you, and you're giving him a business proposal?" Tiana asked.Sage sighed. "What else can I do? How could I possibly accept such a lavish gift when I'm not interested in him?"Tiana sighed as well. "That's true. But wouldn't he be disappointed if you turned him down?"Sage thought about how Shane had approached her with a mischievous grin on his face and asked her to accept his gift, and how he seemed annoyed after she pushed him away mercilessly. "I've made it clear to him that we're just business partners. Whether he's disheartened or not is none of my concern.""Your love life is really something, huh? Apart from your ex-husband, Ian, the
Ian gazed at the determination and resentment etched on her face and said, "There is more than meets the eye, Sage. Let me help you. Consider it my way of making it up to you."Making it up to her? Sage mulled over his words and found them rather ironic. In her previous life, he favored Ivy and treated her with disdain. But in this lifetime, he didn't trust her, and he made her lose their baby. How could he possibly wipe away all the resentment she held toward him by "making it up to her"? Besides, she didn't need him to make up for anything."Your belated affection is worthless, Ian. Some things can't be undone. As far as I'm concerned, the best way you could make things up for me is to stay away from me and stop bothering me!"As he listened to her barbed words, Ian realized Sage was attempting to provoke him again so that he'd stay out of her life for good. Hence, he didn't succumb to his anger. He was aware that it wasn't easy for Sage to agree not to ignore him and to int
In the face of Ian's cold stare, Calvin continued, "Even if it was a dream, she must've felt really hurt and neglected by you to dream of you in such a despicable manner."Ian's stern gaze dimmed. If there were any other issues, he might've been able to find a solution. But this was Sage's nightmare, and he was completely at a loss.Calvin noticed his despondency. After a moment of thought, he comforted Ian. "Ian, since Mrs. Holcomb's problems stem from this nightmare, why don't you show her through your actions that the events in her nightmare will never come true? Maybe it'll rekindle her trust in you then."You handled the Shekdotter family's incident very well this time, and you even suspended Ivy from her position," he affirmed. "Whoever Mrs. Holcomb dislikes, no matter who they are, you should stand against them with her."…The next day, Sage and Giselle spent the majority of the day attending a meeting at CureX Pharmaceuticals. After returning to Farsight Investment, b
The voice belonged to Ian. Sage turned around and saw him walking toward her. He was dressed in a black tailor-made suit as usual and was looking very handsome. He strode toward her like a model.Sage's colleagues at Farsight Investment had spotted him and most of them knew who he was. Everyone looked thrilled. Shane gifting Sage flowers in front of everyone was already very much of a spectacle. But now, even Ian had shown up! They never expected to witness such drama on a normal day after work.While her colleagues felt thrilled, Sage just felt weary. Ian and Shane coming face to face with one another was just fuel for gossip. She already knew she was going to become a "celebrity" at the office."Mr. Holcomb, what brings you to a humble place like this?" asked Shane. Ian glanced at the bouquet of roses Shane was holding and frowned. He looked at Sage and said, "Sage, I'm here to pick you up after work." Had Ian hit his head? Why had he come to pick her up?"I drove here to
"Wilson is so exhausted from work every day, but nobody cooks him a warm meal. Yet, here you are enjoying life with some guy!" spat Wendy. Wendy was very rude, but Tiana didn't want to argue with her, so she said to Calvin. "Let's go somewhere else." Calvin nodded. "Tiana, what's with that attitude? Do you think I'm rude? But am I wrong? Did you even care about Wilson recently? Do you even remember that you have a husband?" Wendy interrogated Tiana angrily."Aunt Wendy, don't be mad. Maybe Tiana is just busy with work," said Lana."How busy could she possibly be?" retorted Wendy. She then grew even angrier. "You're just some stupid nurse. You earn so little, but you have the worst temper among us! It's fine if you don't take care of Wilson, but you won't even answer my calls. Did your parents teach you nothing?" "Excuse me, madam. This is a public space. If your parents taught you manners, then you should be aware that you shouldn't be shouting here," said Calvin mildly. "A
Tiana immediately teared up when she saw Sage. She shook her head and asked, "Why are you here?"Sage replied, "Calvin called me."Then, Sage looked up to find that they weren't the only ones in the house. Wilson's father, Larry Tate, was sitting on the couch with a stormy expression.Sage instinctively tightened her grip on Tiana. By then, Wilson had come inside."Mom, what are you doing? Didn't you promise me that you would talk to Tiana nicely? We're a family. Why did you summon her home by yourself?" said Wilson.Wendy got even angrier when someone came to help Tiana. But when her own son walked in blaming her, she stumbled backward and nearly fainted. Larry quickly rushed to her side and demanded sternly, "Wilson, is this how you should be talking to your mother? What's wrong with her bringing Tiana home to ask her some questions?"Sage couldn't help but say, "Wilson, your parents don't seem like they're asking Tiana normal questions. It's more like they're interrogating h
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