Sage bit into a croissant. It was crunchy and fragrant. When she saw that Shane wasn't eating, she said, "Hurry up and eat. Don't you have a meeting with the investment bankers at your office later?" Shane put a slice of chicken pie on her plate and said, "I already told my secretary to postpone the meeting to tomorrow.""Why?""Shekdotter Inc. is in serious trouble lately. The project you asked Henry to secure has gone south and dragged the whole company down with it. They're in chaos now and it's the perfect time to buy the company."Was Shekdotter Inc. really going to topple that easily? Hadn't Ian's dad been supporting them the whole time?Besides, hadn't Ivy done anything to save the situation even after knowing that something was wrong with the project? Sage was a little taken aback."This morning, I even received news that Ivy broke one of her fingers at the hospital last night. When they brought her in for surgery, they found that she was more than two weeks pregnant,
It was Giselle and Marcus. Giselle was dressed in a simple professional suit. She no longer looked like a pampered young lady and instead exuded the air of a professional businesswoman. Marcus, on the other hand, was dressed in a tailored, bespoke suit. His eyes were deep and calm, and his presence was overwhelming. Giselle's eyes widened in surprise when she noticed Sage and took the initiative to greet her. "Are you guys dining here as well, Sage? What a coincidence!"Sage smiled. "Yeah.""What are you doing here?" Shane asked, peeved."I had no idea you'd be here!" Giselle promptly responded. "My brother offered to take me out for dinner. I hadn't expected to run into you guys!""I chose this place, Shane. It has nothing to do with Elle," Marcus chimed in.Shane snorted and said nothing more."It's been a while, Ms. Joyner." Marcus then greeted Sage with a faint smile.Sage responded cordially, "It has indeed been a while, Mr. Rosethorn.""Since we've run into each othe
"Also, you had better help me explain to Sage that there's nothing between Giselle and me. That 'engagement' before was just a farce!"Sage shot Shane a look. "That's enough." She had never gotten the wrong idea about his relationship with Giselle. She could tell that he only emphasized that because he was worried that Giselle hadn't given up on him. Shane wasn't upset at all when she scolded him. Instead, he closed the distance between them and flashed her a devilish smile. "Yes, Ma'am. I'll zip it."He had been acting all high and mighty just moments ago, but he was now a meek lamb. This sudden shift caused both Giselle and Marcus to look away. Sage was rendered speechless.Dinner went relatively well. Shane would occasionally place food on Sage's plate like an attentive and devoted boyfriend. Halfway through dinner, Shane went to the restroom to wash his hands. Giselle, coincidentally, stepped out to find a waiter, leaving Sage and Marcus alone.Marcus smiled at Sage. "Ms.
Giselle glanced at Sage when she spotted Ian in the reception room. Ignoring Giselle's suggestive look, Sage's brows subtly drew together. It seemed that Shane was right. Ian was indeed planning to personally oversee this deal. Ian was anything but idle. He was engrossed in reviewing the documents that Terry handed him as he sat in the reception area of CureX Pharmaceuticals. "Welcome, Ms. Joyner. The conference room is ready. You may proceed to the conference hall," an employee at the research institution told Sage.Upon hearing this, Ian looked up. His dark eyes were deep, his handsome face was stern, and his presence was intimidating, probably because he was working. When he noticed her, his gaze flickered, but he didn't utter a word."Mrs- Ms. Joyner." Terry corrected himself and addressed her as the employee did. Sage nodded at him before she headed to the conference room with Giselle. As soon as she reached the door, Abby walked toward her cheerfully. "Ms. Joyner!"S
There was still some time before dinner, so Sage decided to drop Giselle off at the office first. "Sage, your ex-husband still has feelings for you. I can't believe he's even personally overseeing a small project like this," Giselle teased."Oh? And how do you know that?" Sage inquired."Of course, I know! Even though he acts all aloof and cold, his eyes were on you the whole time you spoke. He looked so smitten," Giselle said. "If we weren't in such a serious setting, I would've recorded it and sent it to Shane."Sage couldn't help but roll her eyes at Giselle. "You know the two of them don't get along. Don't make things worse.""How am I making things worse? It'll stop Shane from feeling overconfident!" Giselle then asked, "Wait… Does that mean you know why they don't get along?"Sage nodded. "Shane took me to his mother's grave the other day."Giselle was momentarily taken aback when she heard that. Then, she leaned back in her car seat, as if she were intrigued. "Shane wa
Shortly after, a housekeeper's voice sounded. "Welcome back, Mr. Holcomb."Sage's brows knitted. Why was Leo here? She hadn't run into Leo during her previous visits to Holcomb Manor, and she assumed he wasn't on good terms with Matilda, so he wouldn't come over. But here he was."Let's take a picture, Sage!" Sandy called out cheerily. Sage didn't want to dampen Sandy's mood, so she joined her with a smile.About half an hour later, Matilda came out to look for them and brought Sandy some water and her medications. Sandy obediently took them but was still in high spirits and suggested playing hide-and-seek with Sage.Sage hadn't expected her to suggest such a childish game. After all, the last time she played it was in elementary school.With a smile, Matilda explained, "A few of the housekeepers here treat Sandy like a child and have played hide-and-seek with her when she was feeling well. She probably thinks it's fun and wants to play it with you."Sage was willing to play
Steadying herself using the drawer, Sage couldn't help but feel a little silly. She had gone to such lengths to win a game of hide-and-seek. It would've been extremely embarrassing if she had tripped and fallen.Fortunately, no one else was there. Sage sighed in relief and reached out to close the drawer. But then she noticed a wooden box inside with its lid half-open. Inside, she spotted something that looked familiar—a crescent-shaped, light purple crystal hair clip.When she was in high school, she enjoyed wearing all kinds of hairbands, hair accessories, and hair clips. On her 18th birthday, her grandfather had commissioned a designer to create a custom set of crystal hair accessories for her, and one of the clips looked similar to this one.However, she often misplaced things and lost quite a few of them. This crescent-shaped hair clip had been missing for years. Was this her hair clip? Or had someone else purchased a similar one and left it here?Matilda and Linda would n
Sage was bewildered. Leo wanted Ian and Abby to get married? But it kind of made sense. Ian had mentioned that the Suttons were powerful and had a strong background. The union between these two families would definitely bring them to new heights."No matter how long it's been since I've been divorced, she's the only one I've ever truly cared about." Ian's cold voice sounded again. "I wouldn't mind collaborating with the Suttons, but if marriage is part of the deal, then it's off the table.""Do you really think you're all grown up now, Ian Holcomb? How dare you speak to me in that tone?" Leo was furious. "A real man should seize every opportunity to expand the family business. Indulging in romantic relationships will lead you nowhere!""So, you want me to expand our family business through marriage?" Ian said coldly. "Don't you find it disgraceful to use marriage as a weapon?""Watch your mouth!" Leo snarled. "I'm your father, Ian. How could you disrespect me like this? I've turn
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