Ian didn't answer Calvin right away. He was lost in thought as his mind was replaying the dream he had that morning. Everything in it had felt so real.Dressed in the drab garb of an asylum, Sage was a mere shadow of her former self. Her once robust frame had withered away, leaving behind a gaunt and haggard visage. Her once-sparkling eyes were now hollow and filled with despair. A sardonic smile played on her lips as she swiftly and decisively plunged a knife into her chest. Sage was already lying in a pool of blood when he came to his senses. He felt a chill run through his veins as the reality of what had transpired settled in."Ian, what's wrong…" Calvin looked at him in disbelief. Surely, he must've been seeing things. There was no way that Ian's eyes had misted over.He had been friends with Ian for many years, but he had never seen him like this. Ian looked like a lone wolf who had lost its mate. He was filled with remorse, sorrow, and an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
He reasoned, "Just think about it, Ian. Mrs. Holcomb is tough as nails, and she always achieves what she sets her mind to. Also, she loves to doll herself up and live life to the fullest. How could someone like her commit suicide?"Ian didn't feel reassured at all. It was true that Sage loved life and all its beauty, but he couldn't imagine how hopeless someone who was as passionate about life as her must've felt to resort to committing suicide. "I thought you visited Ivy just now, Ian. How'd it go?" Noticing him slipping deeper into his thoughts, Calvin deliberately changed the subject. "Since you have incriminating evidence, why don't you just hand her over to the police and have her convicted? Why bother going through all this trouble to interrogate her?"Ian took a moment to gather his thoughts. "It just seems too much of a coincidence for these pieces of evidence to pop up. On the surface, everything appears to be in order, but I have a feeling that someone is orchestrating
It was also about Ivy. Sandra took Henry's belongings and found a video of his phone. It was footage of Henry and a few other men forcing themselves on Ivy. Henry probably recorded it out of vengeance or to gain leverage. The video was incredibly crude and disturbing. It'd be a devastating blow to Ivy. After watching it, Sandra didn't think that her son had done anything wrong. Instead, she had someone upload the video to the internet, and it went viral instantly."A lot of people have seen it, especially because the internet outside Haldon isn't as strictly regulated. Right now, the headlines on several websites in Toledon are all about this," Tiana said. "Even though the full video isn't viewable in Haldon, news like this spreads like wildfire. I bet plenty of people know about it. This time, Ivy is done for!"Sage wasn't as optimistic as Tiana. Ivy still had Leo backing her up. Who knows what would happen if Leo got involved? As expected, Sage learned that Leo and Ronald,
Tiana was never one to act impulsively. She always had her own plans. Both of them were alike. Once they made up their minds, they had to see it through.Sage was aware that she couldn't change Tiana's mind, so she said, "Alright then. Just be careful. Don't come crying to me if you get upset."Tiana didn't respond to her teasing and walked briskly out of the room as if she were confident she could make Ian regret his decisions.Sage sighed softly. Calvin had been urgently summoned back home by his mother earlier that morning, so she couldn't ask him to talk some sense into Tiana. Oh well, all she could do was let Tiana hit a brick wall.…Meanwhile, Tiana arrived at Ian's ward. The gunshot wound on his shoulder hadn't healed yet, and his face looked pale and sickly. He was sitting up in bed, reviewing some documents, and his assistant, Terry, was standing next to him.Terry recognized her and greeted her before tactfully leaving the room. Ian didn't seem surprised by her visit
His eyes darted to the thin sheet of paper in front of him, and his whole body froze as if he'd been nailed to the spot. Tiana let out another mirthless chuckle before she told Ian that on the day Sage miscarried, she had asked a colleague to collect a sample of his hair from the towel he used to dry his hair after a shower and use it to conduct a DNA test."I know that Sage still has feelings for you, even if she says otherwise!" Tiana raged. "I thought that if you could win her back one day, I'd tell you the truth so you'd know that Sage had never betrayed you! But you can forget about it now! "I can't believe you can forgive the person who harmed your wife and murdered your child. You don't deserve Sage's love, not now, not ever!"Tiana felt the urge to kick Ian as she thought about the unbearable pain and sadness Sage went through during the miscarriage. "Do you have any idea how much Sage cared about that baby? She kept fussing over how to be a good mother and how to raise
Tiana also told him that he once had the chance to save his marriage and find happiness, and she informed him that the person he had rescued by jumping into the pond was the very person who had murdered his child…Clutching the DNA test report, Ian stared at the words: "Biological parentage is established between samples A and B, with a probability of paternity/maternity of 99.99%" He then felt a metallic tang in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood."What's wrong, Mr. Holcomb?" Terry, who had just walked in, panicked and pressed the emergency button when he saw that. "Doctor!"…Meanwhile, Tiana returned to Sage's ward. Tiana wasn't much calmer now than she had been when she stormed out of her room. "How'd it go? I bet you hit a dead end, huh?" Sage asked knowingly. "Don't be upset. I'm not even mad. Let's calm down and get ready to go back home tomorrow. I'll treat you to a fancy dinner and a full-body massage."Tiana gazed at Sage for a moment and couldn't help but h
Her consciousness was hazy. Sage could only register that the unusually warm embrace made her weak and cold body feel comfortable. The person behind her carefully wrapped their arms around her before pressing their body tightly against her back and burying their face gently against her neck.The noticeable warmth against her skin made her uncomfortable, and she struggled and tried to move away. However, the person behind her remained still. In a daze, Sage could only feel that the person behind her was growing increasingly warm. She had a feeling that something was amiss, but she was too sluggish to come to her senses. Moments later, the person pulled her whole body into their arms and carefully placed a hand on her lower abdomen, as if they were struggling to contain themselves. Their body trembled. Sage finally realized something was wrong and jolted awake. She opened her eyes and tried to turn around, but she was held captive by the person against his chest."I'm sorry, Sa
Sage shook her head. "I have no idea. He showed up while I was half asleep."Then, she asked, "What did you say to him this afternoon? Why does he seem so shaken?""Nothing much," Tiana responded. "I just told him that you were pregnant with his child."Sage had told Ian that before she threatened to jump off the balcony to force him to get a divorce, but he didn't believe her. She couldn't help but wonder how Tiana had managed to convince him. Sage voiced her doubts, and Tiana told her what had happened in the afternoon."What? When did you help me get a paternity test done? Why don't I know about it?" Sage exclaimed. Tiana responded, "You were so devastated at the time, I couldn't bear to burden you with this information."Even though so much time had passed, Sage's heart still ached whenever she thought about the child she had lost. Back when Ian jumped into the lake to save Ivy, Sage had planned to tell him the truth after the divorce to make him regret his actions. But
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