With nothing left to hold in his hand, Shane casually started fiddling with the cigarette box.After he slowly exhaled the smoke, Shane asked in a hoarse voice, "Sage, were you disappointed in me that night?""No," Sage said firmly, shaking her head. "I know you're not someone who loses control because of alcohol."Shane had an ambiguous smile on his face. "You saw me lying naked on the same bed with another woman, yet you didn't show any anger or lose your composure at all. Is that because you trust me?"Sage felt that Shane's smile seemed a bit strange, but she still nodded and said, "Yeah."Upon hearing this, Shane smiled faintly with a sense of self-mockery. "If the same situation happened to Ian, how would you respond?"How would she have responded? Sage was left speechless by the question.When she imagined Ian sharing a bed with a woman, with scratches on his chest made by her and lipstick stains on his lips…She felt her chest tightening at the thought of it.As for he
Sage looked at him strangely and said, "Are you stupid? When I said I trusted you, I meant it. Why would I change my opinion of you because of something like that?""Yes, I'm stupid," Shane shamelessly admitted again. "Sage, go ahead and scold me a few more times!"Sage was speechless. She crossed her arms and said, "There's no rush. First, explain why you've been avoiding me these past few days. If you've decided to give up, then why didn't you just tell me bluntly?"Shane explained nervously, "I'm afraid you would mind, and I care about it too. I kept telling myself not to bother you anymore, but I couldn't help it… I just wanted to hold on for one more day. Maybe if you couldn't take it anymore, you would naturally be disappointed and stop paying attention to me."Sage rolled her eyes at him again and said, "Your way of handling things is truly considerate and special.""Sage, I'm really sorry," Shane apologized sincerely, his eyes seemingly filled with regret. "I won't do it a
There was clear anticipation in Shane's expression, but Sage's initial boldness had faded. She no longer dared to act as she did before.She knew that Shane would be disappointed. Sage lowered her gaze. "Shane, I'm sorry.""Why apologize? It's all because of those two eyesores who showed up right then and there."Shane kissed her forehead and said, "Remember this debt. You'll pay me back double in the future."Sage felt a gentle warmth touch her forehead. It made her look up, only to see Shane quickly avert his gaze inexplicably."I'm suddenly feeling a bit hungry. Let's get something to eat!" He walked toward the elevator, one step ahead of her.Sage was speechless. Shane couldn't possibly be embarrassed, right?He was quite the playboy after all, often seen surrounded by women and enjoying their company.…Meanwhile, in the private room, the atmosphere was quite lively with people drinking.Because Ian never refused anyone, he drank all the toasts offered to him. And althou
Marcus smiled helplessly. He felt a headache as he asked, "Mr. Holcomb, did you and Shane plan this together to doubt me?"Marcus had stated that he was the strictest with Giselle in the entire family and would never do anything impulsive or illegal to protect her."Mr. Holcomb, I'm just an ordinary businessman. I came to Haldon City merely to expand my business, but I can't stand you and Shane constantly questioning me every few days."Marcus put down his wine glass and said, "Mr. Holcomb, if there's anything you want to know in the future or if you need my assistance with something, you can ask me directly. "I assure you I will tell you everything I know. However, I hope there won't be a next time for any baseless accusations or groundless suspicions."Sorry, Mr. Holcomb. I have some other matters to attend to today, so I need to leave early."Marcus calmly departed after he finished speaking.Shortly after that, Ian received a message from Terry."Mr. Holcomb, after I finis
Sage had purposefully mentioned slapping him, thinking that Shane would be speechless and then tell her that he wouldn't bring up Ian again.As a result, Shane listened and surprisingly brought his face close to hers. "Go ahead and hit me," he said.Sage was rendered speechless by his action."Do you think the left side of my face looks too good to hit?" Seeing that Sage didn't move, Shane immediately switched sides and said, "Then hit the right side instead."Sage pushed his head away, saying, "Forget it, you're too shameless. I'm afraid that hitting you will hurt my hand."Shane extended his hand and suggested, "How about I lend you mine so your hand won't hurt?"Sage helplessly thought that this was expected from Shane, someone who never played by the rules.In the end, she never slapped him. Sage decided to "temporarily keep" it, waiting to see what would happen next.After finishing their pasta, Shane drove Sage to the entrance of Bayview. He said he was sending her home,
There was anger, jealousy, pain, and annoyance, all mixed in a surging wave that could come crashing down.Sage felt a faint sense of unease.When Ian showed this kind of expression, it meant that his emotions were on the verge of exploding.Ian saw her trying to kiss Shane earlier at the clubhouse. Just now, Ian also saw Shane's message saying "Missing you". Which meant that right now, Ian was in a really bad mood.Sage calmly took a small step back and said, "Ian, you've had too much to drink. How about I ask Terry to send a driver to pick you up?"Ian remained silent, his expression stern. His thin lips pressed into a straight line, and his deep eyes seemed to be holding back something.Based on Sage's understanding of Ian's demeanor, Ian would definitely lash out at her if she were to say or do anything provocative toward him.When she considered their strength and speed, she could never match Ian.Sage moved back a little, preparing to persuade gently, "Ian—"Just as she
When he saw Sage's guarded expression, the emotions in Ian's eyes seemed to become as tumultuous as a stormy sea, constantly surging.He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately chose to hold back all the words he wished to say.With a wary expression on Sage's face, Ian emotionlessly handed her a document.Only when Sage took it did she realize that Ian wasn't empty-handed. He had been holding this document all along. She was so focused on looking at Shane's message while she was getting off the elevator that she didn't notice Ian at all, let alone what he was holding in his hand.Although Sage was curious about what the information Ian provided was about, she did not ask.At this moment, the atmosphere around Ian still seemed very tense, so Sage remained on high alert.Perhaps he had noticed what she was thinking, but Ian gave a faint, subtle smile. Without saying anything, he reached out to open the fire escape door and left.Sage stood there motionless, ga
Sage was somewhat convinced by Tiana's reasoning, but she still felt a bit worried and said, "If Shane goes against his family because of me and I'm still not sure if I want to be with him, I can't help but feel guilty.""Don't feel guilty. Even if Shane goes against his family, that's his choice. No one expects you to repay him for everything he's done."Tiana, sounding like a relationship expert, said, "Even though I personally support Shane, the final choice is still up to you.""If being with him makes you happy, then say yes. If you're hesitant, take more time to think. After all, love shouldn't be based on emotionally touching feelings or guilt."Sage nodded after hearing this. Then, she remembered to ask, "Have you and Calvin been having some issues lately? I haven't seen you making calls or video chatting in the past few days."Tiana replied, "We fought."Sage asked for the reason and found out that they had been arguing over what happened with Shane a few days ago.Calv