Ian looked at Sage, who was eager to draw a line between them. He thought she was still mad about what happened earlier."I'll have Terry investigate their company and force them out of this industry. They won't be able to cause trouble for you anymore."Sage replied, "Don't. They'll just think that I'm just a useless woman who uses my connections and social status to oppress them."Ian thought those words seemed familiar. Then, he remembered having made the same remark about Sage in the past. Only then did he realize that Sage was actually mad at him.He pursed his lips together before switching the topic. "What's your purpose for inviting Ms. Davis to this banquet?""Why can't I invite her?" Sage shot back. "She's not the one at fault now, is she? In fact, she's the heroine who stepped up to carry the burden known as Mimosa after enduring her husband's betrayal. Not many people possess her courage. What's wrong with me wanting to help her out?"Ian just stared at Sage. "Do you
But Ian outright ignored Sage's provocative outfit. Instead, he chased her out of his study.Sage didn't want to recall the dumb things she had done in the past. At the same time, she had no intention to argue with Ian over them.There were only a dozen or so days left till Linda's birthday. When that day came, Ian would find out how determined Sage was in divorcing his ass.As they danced, Sage noticed Ivy dancing with another man. Ivy was wearing an ankle-length gown, so she looked exceptionally graceful while dancing. She seemed to share a pretty good chemistry with the man as well.The man said something to her, causing her to flash him a radiant smile.When Ian noticed Sage staring in a particular direction as though she was spacing out, he turned to glance in the same direction, too."Oh? You must be feeling uncomfortable, right? After all, your best female friend is dancing with another man intimately." Sage pointed out, clearly relishing in Ian's distress.Ian turned b
Priscilla could guess why Sage was feeling blue. Hence, she nodded without hesitation. "Alright, let's drink to our heart's content!"The girls sat in a corner, sipping their wine. The banquet hall, which had been bustling with activity just a moment ago, only had a few employees cleaning up now. This made them look lonely.Priscilla couldn't help but feel bad for Sage, who was struggling to keep her tears at bay. "If you want to cry, Sage, just let it out. Don't hold it in."Sage, who was clutching the wine bottle to her bosom, shed a few tears as soon as she heard Priscilla. Priscilla found Sage's demeanor both beautiful and pitiable. How could Ian leave behind his stunning wife and rush to the hospital with another woman in his arms?"It's getting late, Sage. Let me drive you home," she offered after finishing her bottle.Sage obediently accepted, allowing Priscilla to help her into the car."Do you want to crash at my place for the night, Sage? I'll have someone get you hom
Ian came to a halt and looked at his assistant. Terry handed his phone to him. "Mrs. Holcomb is trending on Twitter."Ian took the device and scanned the screen. Besides the news of the accident at Holcomb Corporation's party, there were multiple articles about Mrs. Holcomb getting drunk. He clicked on one of them and was greeted with a series of images. The first photo was of Sage standing alone on the dance floor, dressed in a gown. The second image showed her holding a bottle of wine and chugging it with her head thrown back. In the third photo, she was holding an empty bottle with teary eyes. The person who shared these photos included the following caption: "There was an accident at Holcomb Corporation's party. Mr. Holcomb rushed to the hospital with the injured beauty, leaving Mrs. Holcomb alone in tears and inebriated. The couple seems to be in a marital crisis."In the first photo, Sage stood alone on the dance floor, her once-radiant face and bright eyes showing only lon
The timeline of events, the angle of the photos, the timing of the netizen's discovery of the wine bottle, and Mimosa's feminist statement all seemed to be too perfect to be explained by coincidence.…Sage was fast asleep on the bed when Ian walked into the bedroom. There was half a glass of water on the nightstand, and her phone lay next to her pillow.Her face was flushed, and she didn't seem to be sleeping very well. Her brows were knitted together, and she still smelled faintly of alcohol.His frustration boiled over as he looked at the state of her and recalled her actions earlier that evening. He yanked Sage out of bed and demanded, "Get up! Stop pretending to be asleep!"Sage opened her eyes grogily, her gaze unfocused and confused. Her lips puckered, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared blankly at Ian's stern expression for a moment. "W-Why are you so mean to me even in my dreams? You're such a jerk, Ian! You're a big jerk…"Then, she buried her head in the p
Ian's expression hardened on hearing her words. "I dare you to!"However, Sage couldn't comprehend his words at all. Hugging the pillow, she started sobbing. "I forgot… I can't even use his money. He's so stingy… he wouldn't even give me a million dollars…"Ian couldn't be bothered to talk to Sage anymore. He retrieved a towel from the bathroom and wiped her face roughly. He then sat her up, picked up the half glass of water from the bedside table, and placed it near her mouth. "Drink up," he ordered.Sage was much more docile after her previous outbursts. She lowered her head and took a sip. However, she started coughing and spat out the water as soon as she swallowed, wetting Ian's clothes."Sage Joyner!" he snapped. "Are you doing this on purpose?"Tears instantly welled up in her eyes after being scolded by him. "I don't want to drink water. I want hot chocolate…" she sobbed. "I waited in line for over an hour to get it. Why did you throw it away? Give me back my hot chocola
"Ian Holcomb? Seriously, don't you ever get tired of this?" Sage asked.Ian raised his head, his frown deepening. "Are you seriously picking a fight first thing in the morning?"Sage ignored him and got out of bed. "From now on, don't sleep in this room. I'm not interested in acting like a normal couple with you.""Do you think I wanted to sleep here?" Ian sat up urgently. "Remind me, who was it that messed up my clothes last night? Who was it that insisted on me paying them back with my body?""You're not going to give it back to me, huh? Fine, then let's settle it with your body!"Her cheeks burned as she remembered that line from the night before. She must've been watching too many corny videos lately to come up with such a cringe-worthy line."I was wasted. I don't remember a thing." Sage tried to maintain her composure. "None of this would've happened if you hadn't woken me up in the middle of the night!""Isn't it obvious why I woke you up?" he asked coldly.Sage figured
What was she on about? Realization dawned on Sage the next moment. Wanda must've misunderstood because she cried and made a scene last night."Wanda, we didn't…" Sage started with a slight blush. "I caused a ruckus last night because I was drunk."The middle-aged woman assumed she was just shy, so she said softly, "Mrs. Holcomb, you should've shared a room with Mr. Holcomb a long time ago! It's good for your relationship!""Well, what are you waiting for? Get over here and eat," Ian said indifferently, ignoring Sage's awkwardness. "That's right, Mrs. Holcomb. Hurry up and grab a bite. I'll head to the kitchen first."Sage glared at Ian after Wanda left. "Why didn't you help me clear things up?"He glanced at her. "I'm useless, remember? So what's there to say?"She thought about what a jerk he was, frustrated that he'd used her drunken words against her.Sage was so embarrassed when she thought about what she whispered in Ian's ear last night that she wanted the ground to swal
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