From her understanding, Mister Paul had not reached the age of retirement. On top of that, the Yuriels had always been kind and generous when it came to paying their maids and servants. A servant with a high position as Mister Paul would definitely be treated well in their old age.Retiring back home did sound like a decent decision. However, it was just the equivalent of a company asking its employee to tender resignation to preserve the employee's dignity.Mister Paul was an honest man, but he could also be cunning, especially considering his close relationship with the Zeldas. The fact that Sienna was able to move into the Yuriel Mansion so easily was partially because of Mister Paul.However, how could Jace get rid of Mister Paul so easily, the same man who was partially the reason Jace and Sienna got together? Could it be that Jace really had no feelings for Sienna anymore?Sage laughed to herself internally, and she could not be bothered with any of it anyway.Those things h
Melody kneeled on the carpet in the living room before the side table. She would occasionally sneak a glance or two at her father, aunt, and uncle, who were all glaring at her from the sofa.It was as if there were three tall mountains about to fall on her, making her breathless.Yoel stood behind Melody. The scene before him had stunned him speechless.Even though he did not do anything wrong, he felt like the anger coming from Ross, Sage, and Luther was partially directed toward him…The surrounding air was getting thinner when Ross finally parted his lips to utter, "You're all grown up now, are you? How dare you do such a heinous thing to your uncle? Apologize to him now."Ross was referring to the pistachios that were spiked with the Happy Pill and given to Luther.That was indeed Melody's fault. She turned her knees to face Luther and apologized with her heart. "I'm so sorry, Uncle Luther, I shouldn't have given you the pistachios. You must've suffered, laughing, right? Wh
'Guess I'll be protecting you from now on.'Melody was still deep in her fantasy when Sage called out to her, "Melody."Melody raised her arm up mischievously and said, "Present!"Sage looked up at her coldly and said, "Is that all from you?"Melody blinked her eyes and looked over at Ross' sunken face and was reminded that there were things unsettled.Sigh, it seemed that the good ol' Ross was actually angry, seeing that his expression had not softened, as if someone had owed him a million dollars."Ross," she called out.No one answered."Daddy," she called out again.No one answered."My dearest father.""Yes." Ross answered.Finally.Melody muttered, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have run away from home again and again. Making you, Aunt Sage, and all the uncles worried. I shouldn't have done that. From now on, I'll never run away from home ever again. Since I'm almost of age now, I should act more like an adult. If father could be so forgiving and kind as to allow Brother Ri
Sage and Luther were about to bring Melody up to the car when Jace chased after them from behind."Sage…"Jace was about to say something when Sage responded, "It's okay, Mister Jace, we've booked a hotel room already. We'll drive there ourselves."The hotel Jace booked for them, Emerald Bay Inn, was under the Yuriel Group. However, Wayne chose to stay with Mendoza, and Sage and the others did not want to accept the benefit by themselves.On top of that, Emerald Bay Inn was the hotel where Jace and Sienna had their wedding, and Sage felt that it was a sign of bad luck."If you don't like Emerald Bay Inn's environment, I can arrange for another hotel for you to stay in…" Jace said hurriedly.Sage cut him off heartlessly and said, "There's no need for that, Mister Jace. I have my own property in Nadeem City."The sentence alone was enough to shut Jace up completely.Sage looked at his expression and added ruthlessly, "I bought a place here in the first year of our marriage. Parti
He could not be trying to kill him right…Of course, Ross would not try to take Yoel's life, but he was definitely furious.When he decided to adopt Melody, he had prepared to raise Melody as his own and was aware that she would eventually be married off somewhere when she grew up.As Melody started maturing, Ross knew the day would come when he had to have a man-to-man talk with a stranger.Ross did not expect the day to come so soon.Generally speaking, Melody was seventeen years old and was way past the age of puberty. However, she was actually considered to be a late bloomer.Having a crush on a person was more than normal for her age.It also didn't help that the old lady at home always talked about early marriage. It was bound to affect Melody's views when it came to marriage, thinking that it was normal to fall in love early, get married young, and bear children young.Ross had thought about entrusting that little troublemaker to a reliable man, but he did not expect Mel
Sage's place was not far from the Yuriel Mansion.It was only two blocks away.Looming District was an old district in Nadeem City, and it was also an area for the wealthy. It was quiet and private, with a library nearby and a police station just around the corner. It was also where Nadeem City's biggest antique shop was located.It was not the first time Luther had gone to the place. The house was actually bought with his name, but Tim was the one who paid for it.There were no installments nor a mortgage, as it was paid in full.Which meant that the house was chosen by Sage, under Luther's name, and paid for by Tim.Jace was oblivious to all of it, of course.However, what Sage said to him was not entirely made up to hurt him.They said home is where you feel the safest, and when Sage could not go home during the three years in Nadeem City, she decided to find a temporary shelter.The first year of her marriage with Jace was the toughest.During that time, Jace's health was
Jace knew he was far from a good husband, but he never knew how horrible he was.After sending off Ross, Yoel should have felt relieved. However, he felt oddly bitter, as if someone had just punched him in the face. Even though it was not painful, it sure did not feel pleasant.Yoel put a stick of cigarette in his mouth and raised his brows at Jace. "Wanna go get a drink?"Melody was about to sit down when Sage ordered, "Stand up."Melody immediately stood up straight.Sage raised her brow and asked coldly, "Did you learn from your mistake?Melody's head hung low. "Yes.""Pick your head up!" Sage growled.Melody looked up instantly and looked fearfully at Sage, "Aunt Sage…"Melody had always been good at getting her way since she had been spoiled all her life. However, she knew when to be serious when someone actually got angry with her. She was aware that when it came to serious matters, the adults were not there to fool around.Sage said with a cold expression, "We saved yo
When Ross returned, Sage had just come out from the master bedroom.Luther had boiled a pot of water and made some tea. He looked at Ross and asked surprisingly, "That was quick. How did it go?""Nothing much." Ross said coldly as he turned to Sage, "Where's the little one?"Sage responded, "She was just scolded by me and is reflecting on her mistakes in the room. Leave her be for now.""Alright."Since Sage had already lectured her once, there was no point for Ross to do it all over again. He understood what kind of person Melody was. She had to figure things out by herself, or else you would just be wasting your energy on her."How was Yoel like?" Sage asked Ross.Ross sat at the corner of the sofa. He took the tea given by Luther and took a sip. "He said plenty, but in conclusion, he said he's not going to reject, nor is he going to be held responsible for it.""B*stard!"Luther was furious as he growled, "What sort of statement is that!"Sage was not surprised at all. She
Sage heard of the saying, 'Marriage is for happiness, and so does divorce.'Based on Wikipedia, the definition of marriage was, 'Marriage is a long-term contractual relationship between a man and a woman based on equal consent.'Someone once said, 'Marriage is like a siege. Those outside wanted to break in, while people inside wanted to break out of the siege.'Sage and Jace had been through marriage once. In their first marriage, they were both losers. This time, they were both determined to win. They wanted to live their lives well. Even if their passion were to fade in the future, they would never leave each other. There were eight couples in line ahead of them. Sage and Jace were the ninth.Jace was eager for their turn. He counted carefully and then said with a smile, "It's nine again. It's a good day for this number."Jace suddenly came up with a good idea, "Let's have a daughter and call her Little Nine, okay?"'Did he just come up with that? How brave,' Sage thought and
The ninth of September arrived quickly.Sage was worried that Jace would not be able to get up on time, but Sage turned out to be the one who overslept. Sage had not slept all night because of a certain someone. She was so sleepy, while Jace was full of energy.Jace carried Sage to the bathroom to wash up and brush her teeth. "Open your mouth. Ah…"Sage squinted as she saw the terrible dark circles under her eyes. She turned around in anger and bumped Jace's head.Jace was caught off guard and felt dizzy from the impact. He rubbed his head. "Dear, aren't you hurting yourself by doing this…""Look at my dark circles. They're so ugly. How am I supposed to take pictures? Sage complained in anger.Jace squinted and rubbed his eyes. "Let me see. What's ugly?"He held Sage's face and observed it. "What's ugly? It's not ugly. My wife is the prettiest in the world!"Jace did not care about the toothpaste foam all over Sage's mouth and kissed her anyway.Primrose opened the door and
Jace made Sage stay up all night. Sage was so sleepy that her eyes were closing."Sleep. I'll wake you up later."Jace leaned down and kissed her forehead. As he closed his eyes, he remembered something and sat up sharply."By the way, we have to wear white shirts for tomorrow's photo session. We haven't prepared the shirt…"Jace rolled over and jumped off the bed right after saying that. Sage could not stop him in time, so she turned on the lamp helplessly. She leaned over the bed and waited for Jace in silence.Shortly after, Jace came back with two shirts. His eyes were shining. "Dear, you've prepared for us?""Yeah." Sage nodded weakly. "I've got them ready. I've had Zamora iron them for me."Jace could finally put his mind at ease. "What about the documents and identifications…"Sage pulled open the drawer of the bedside table and took out the papers and documents she had prepared ahead. "It's all here."Sage looked at Jace. "Everything is ready. You've checked three time
Sage spread out the notebook and looked at the blurred handwriting. She slowly read it out loud, "Step one, conquer her with sweet talking. Use sweeter and flirtatious words that would make people blush. Forget about modesty and shame in bed. It's best to whisper them into her ears…"Sage read the notes with a straight face, making Jace so embarrassed that he could hardly keep his feet on the ground.Jace strode forward with a stiff face and tried to snatch the notebook away. Sage was quick to dodge and continued reading with her head down."Step two, be aggressive at your offense. Focus and remember this, being rough yet gentle. You can use props such as blindfolds, ties, handcuffs, and so on…"Sage's face turned red while reading it. As the images popped into her mind, she had to stop reading.Jace was about to go crazy. He buried his face in his hands, unable to look up at Sage."Where did you learn all these?" Sage threw the notebook at Jace. "Rough yet gentle? Are you seriou
'Electric drill? Seriously?!' Jace thought and got a headache.Seeing that Sage was about to open her mouth again, he panicked and kissed her directly to shut her up.Dean was stunned by Jace's quick action. When he saw the couple kissing in the light, he suddenly raised his hand and hit his head.'I must be on the set… Who else would be so shameless as to kiss in public like that?' Dean thought.Sage finally calmed down after a long kiss. Jace breathed a sigh of relief and picked her up. He told Logan, "I'll leave the other guy to you!""Oh," Logan responded. Then he picked Dean up like a kid and walked out the door.Jace was tired and sweaty by the time he arrived at the hotel. Sage was already soundly asleep. Jace put her to bed and took off her shoes, socks, pants, and clothes. He stripped her clean.Sage drank a lot and was reeking of alcohol. Jace did not want to wake her up, so he did not carry her to the bathroom and bathe her. Instead, he wet the towel with hot water to
In the words of the commentators, the basketball game was very smooth. The national team played well! At last, the national team defeated the opponent team by a score of 106-73.The crowd was thrilled that the national team had won the game. The internet was buzzing with excitement too. There were several hot searches about the national team's victory. The topic #RisingStarJim made the headlines too.Sage had lost her usual composure. She was following the fans and shouting wildly, cheering for the victory.Perhaps this was the power of sports. It made the audience exhilarated and trembling with excitement. Jace looked calm on the outside, but he was actually quite excited on the inside.Sage was cheering in excitement. She jumped up and down like a child while hugging Jace. Jace followed and laughed with her too.They were planning to leave after the game, but Sage was really happy and stayed for the team's celebration party. Sage even asked Jim for his teammates' shoe sizes and
"Is that so?" A trace of interest flashed in Jace's eyes.Sage did not understand, so she asked, "What does a small forward do?"Jace explained, "The small forwards are typically the tallest and most athletic of all players. They are responsible for scoring points and defending. The main goal of strong shooters is to score and create opportunities for teammates. In other cases, they would operate as off-ball specialists. They would wait for teammates to pass the ball, catch the ball, and shoot to score."Seeing Sage's confused look, Jace added, "James and Durant, for example, are playing as small forwards.""Oh!" Sage immediately understood after hearing the name of these famous basketball stars. Her eyes lit up. "Isn't that amazing?"Jace saw the sparkle in her eyes and found her really adorable. He said, smiling, "It is. Basketball is all about teamwork. Small forward is probably the most versatile of the five main basketball positions and carries multiple functions in the game.
The next morning, Sage, Jace, and Dean went to the basketball arena for the World Championships after breakfast.It was the men's basketball world championship, where their country's basketball team was up against another country. By the time they got to the arena, many people were in the audience.The staff guided Sage and the group to their designated seat in the family section.As soon as Dean sat down, someone next to him called out his name. Dean seemed unsurprised by this. He even smiled and waved at them. After that, he gestured for them to be polite and silent. It was not Dean's first time watching his younger brother's basketball game live. Many of his fans knew that Dean's younger brother was playing on the national team. They especially came over to get closer to him. Some were Jim's fans too. They knew Dean was Jim's brother, so they would greet him.After listening to Dean's explanation, Sage's businessman side as the owner of Norah Entertainment appeared again."If
Jace muffled his laughs and relaxed in the night light. He said, "I have to work harder, or someone will call me old.""Hey." Sage knew he would get back at her.She rolled over and lay on top of Jace. She played with his chest and said in a muffled voice, "I have a new nickname for you."Jace responded, "Hm?"Sage looked up at him. "Vengeance."Jace was stunned and soon broke into a peal of laughter. Sage leaned on him and felt the rise and fall of his breathing. As his chest resonated with his laughter, Sage followed along with his laughter. Both of them were laughing like fools. Sage and Jace lay flat on the bed after laughing nonstop. They opened up and improved their intimacy so much. As a result, their whole body and mind were very relaxed tonight. "Hey..." The two spoke in unison, exchanged a glance, and smiled again.Sage said, "Go ahead."Jace looked at Sage and muttered, "I'll say something, but don't get mad at it.""Just say it." Sage looked at him.Jace though