Chapter 74Sage's POVI woke up feeling like my body was burning from the inside. My skin was drenched with sweat, and my body trembled uncontrollably, despite the covers that covered me up. My head throbbed with a dull ache, and my throat felt parched and scratchy.I didn't need a physician to tell me that I had caught a fever.I stirred on the spot uneasily and heaved a sigh when I couldn't bring myself to shuffle over. It was frustrating as fuck!I blinked to clear the haze clouding my eyes and as I did, I slowly came to. The memories of the previous day's event came flooding back leaving an even more bitter taste in my mouth compared to the one that accompanied the fever. My parents' betrayal, Alex's smug triumph, and the helpless feeling that had consumed me. It all came crashing down on me like a ton of bricks.My chest constricted, and tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. But I bit them back just because I couldn't bear the headache that would come along with crying in this
Chapter 75Sage's POVOh God.What would he think of me now?No, wait... what was he thinking now?My mind raced with multiple questions as Diego worked in silence, his hands were firm yet gentle as he washed me up. He had watched me cry ugly without saying a thing. Rather, when I felt like I couldn't breathe, he held me in his arms to soothe me. It should've been comforting. And it was. But now, all I could focus on was how much of a mess I must've seemed.Did he think I was pathetic? Weak?God, I hoped not.I don't know what came over me. I don't cry in front of people– ever. Something must've come over me. Maybe some kind of witchcraft. I cringed at myself and let out a shaky exhale as the hot water rinsed the soap on my body awayDiego smirked as he moved behind me and then he began washing my hair. His fingers worked through my scalp kneading away tension I hadn't even realized I was holding. A soft, involuntary moan escaped my lips and I froze for a second, embarrassed by how ea
Chapter 76 Diego's POV "Mr. Ivanovna, we have reviewed every security footage around the company building and the results remain the same. The victim was involved in a hit-and-run accident that cost his life. It's quite unfortunate" Inspector Ross said, his eyes darting from me to Nick like he was searching for a reaction. While there was none on my part, Nick snickered bitterly as he shook his head. "What have you found on the driver of that vehicle?" Ross heaved a sigh that was filled with resignation before shaking his head. "We found nothing. However, my men are still on it. I've asked the IT unit to track the car's previous routes. Hopefully, if that is found out, we'll know who the driver was," He responded, but I had a feeling they – on their own – would never find out any more about the incident as it had been cleverly crafted. I had to put my men on this mission as well. After a few words from Nick to the inspector asking him to keep up with the investigation, we walked
Chapter 77 Sage's POV I sat in the living room, surrounded by the faint scent of roses that Tina had thoughtfully arranged in every corner. But the calming fragrance did little to soothe my frazzled nerves. My eyes scanned the company's performance reports, the numbers, and graphs blurring together as my anxiety spiked. The decline was worse than I'd expected. Stocks were plummeting, and our brand reputation was taking a hit. This was a result of Alex's ruined reputation. No one could trust and do business with a man who had his company in shambles already, and now due to that, my company was paying the price. Every downward trend reminded me of my father's decision to hand it out to Alex. I bet he was also viewing the stocks, maybe this would finally make him happy and content. I ground my teeth together as my grip on my tablet tightened. This was unbearable to look at, yet my eyes couldn't stare away. My phone buzzed, jolting me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the device on t
Chapter 78Sage's POVAn hour had passed since the call with Violet and as I sat on the couch, I couldn't focus on the papers in front of me. My mind kept drifting to the clock, willing the hands to move faster. I was waiting for Diego, and I couldn't deny it. But why? When had I become so attached to him?Frustration flared inside me as I pushed the thoughts aside. I rose from the chair, intending to retreat to the bedroom. But just as I turned, the door creaked open. My breath hitched as Diego stepped into the room.He was on a call; his deep voice sounded low and controlled, and he was trying to keep it down. Very thoughtful. I looked him up, his hair was a ruffled mess, and the sleeves of the white shirt he wore were folded up to his elbows. His disheveled appearance, however, only added to his attractiveness, and I felt a pang of irritation. Why did he have to look like that? It wasn't fair, not when I was a mess inside.When our eyes met, time seemed to freeze. For a moment, it
Chapter 79Diego's POVAs I closed the door behind me, I paused, gripping the doorknob. A heavy weight settled on my chest and I let out a measured breath.She didn't want my help. She didn't think she needed it. But I could see through her anger – she was scared and vulnerable, though she would never admit it. Sage was always trying to prove something and to stand on her own which she had succeeded in doing. It was one of the things I respected most about her. Hell, I admired it but it also infuriated me.How could someone so fiercely independent not see that leaning on someone wasn't a sign of weakness?Walking towards my car, I tried to push the doubt out of my mind. Filing those lawsuits was the right move. I didn't regret doing so. Alex deserved to pay. But maybe I should've told her first. Maybe she wouldn't have felt like I was trying to take over her fight. Then she wouldn't have looked at me like that—angry, betrayed. The look was now conveniently etched in my mind; it would
Chapter 80Sage's POVDiego had kept to his words and returned later that night. He had met me asleep on the couch and taken me to the bedroom. The next day, I woke up feeling mortified but fell back when I saw him watching me from the door. When he was sure I was alright, he left me to Tina who took good care of me.She might have noticed a strain between us but she didn't ask questions about it. I'm better and more resolved at heart but Diego and I had not spoken a proper statement to each other since that night. As much as I loved the space, I was beginning to feel suffocated by the silence on my part. I wondered if he felt the same.But I couldn't guess as I barely saw him. He left early before I got up and returned when I was deeply asleep. He was avoiding me. The thought stung me the way I felt it would. The last time he did that was a month ago, and I couldn't keep my head leveled; this time around, it had been three days and seven hours already, and I had become very attached
Chapter 81Sage's POVWhen I stepped into the familiar structure of my company's building, a small smile framed my face. I had missed this place. It had always been my haven. I wondered what I would have done if I had completely lost it. Go crazy? Whatever it could have been would have been terrible. This was the more reason I had to fight for it. I had to take back what was mine.Determination surged through me as I walked further into the building, the hum of the buzzing room settling around me. My employees were ecstatic to see me, and I noticed a few relieved faces amongst the crowd as I headed to the elevator. It must have felt like a nightmare for leadership to be changed overnight to them. I wasn't bragging, but I was a good boss– never difficult, just straightforward, and my employees were here because they shared the same values as me. However, if Alex had taken over, I had a feeling he would have made things difficult for them – some might've been sent off and replaced with
EPILOGUE( Two Years Later... )Sage stretched out in exhaustion after she had finished cleaning up Zara's mess. Zara was the last of hers and Diego's triplets, and recently, she wasn't feeling too well."You feel better, now don't you?" She asked, smiling at her daughter who smiled back as though agreeing to her words. The triplets – two girls and a boy – were turning two years old in three months, but they could understand and even say a few words, well, except for Zara, who seemingly wasn't that fast to catch up, but she was smart in her way.Casting them one last glance to be sure they were all set, Sage headed to her closet to put on the evening gown she had picked out earlier. Her parents had called, insisting that she come to dinner, leaving no room for argument. They'd even asked her to dress up but she wasn't going to put much effort. It was just dinner, and she couldn't afford to stay out with Zara for long.Normally, she would if Diego was around, but he wasn't, as he trave
Chapter 144Sage's POV( Two months later... )I stood before the mirror rubbing my small baby bump tenderly with a pout on my lips. I'd just finished eating a carrot cake but I was still craving more. I wished Diego were here to sneak some food for me.But that wasn't possible because he was with the guys getting ready for our wedding. Yes, today was the day of the wedding and I was dressed in my stunning wedding dress that was specially designed for me. Vivian had set an appointment with one of the best designers in the world just to get this dress made."You look gorgeous, bestie," Violet said as she walked into the room with Bella by her side. Bella had been busy running around to get everything done properly so I hadn't seen her a lot in the past days."She's right. You look super hot, and this dress is fucking stunning," Bella complimented, and my cheeks flushed as I muttered a thank you to both of them. What would I do without them? Violet especially.She was working with Dad a
Chapter 143Author's POVIt was around eight in the evening when Theodore stormed into Emily's apartment. He was seething with fury after learning of the preparations being made for Sage and Diego's wedding. He found it hard to believe that in the end, he didn't get Sage back. Instead, he was left prowling in the dark out of fear.Diego's men were still out there haunting him. He knew because he hung around bars where a lot of information was shared.He wasn't happy about this arrangement but what could he do? He had no plans and he was out of cash.The only reason he was back here was to sweet-talk Emily into giving him some money like he had done the last time.He walked into the living room, quietly putting an ear out in case someone else was present since sometimes, her cousins would drop by out of courtesy.He relaxed, however, when he saw her in the kitchen, chopping some vegetables. He took her in, frowning when he recalled the first time they met. She looked prettier then, and
Chapter 142Sage's POVI coughed as the cloth that was shoved into my mouth was pulled out. My eyes were open but I couldn't see anything. It was dark due to the blindfold covering my eyes.My breathing was labored and when I calmed down, I spoke. "Who are you? Why have you kidnapped me?!" I could feel someone's presence but couldn't tell where he was standing exactly. And now, that all my senses came back to track, my nose scrunched up. This place stinks. I tried to move my arms, but they were tied to the back of the chair, and so were my legs."What do you want from me?!" I called out again, breathing heavily as I thought of the only person psychotic enough to do such a thing. Theodore!My stomach sank and I swallowed hard."I'm talking to you, answer me!!" I yelled, "What do you want from me? Money? I have money, I can give it to you. Let me go!!" I heard someone snicker, and I bit my lips tightly, almost drawing blood. What had I gotten myself into? I should have stayed in the su
Chapter 141Diego's POVMy brows furrowed when the call ended abruptly. I took the device away from my ears and stared at the dark screen.I tried calling her again but this time, there was no response. The call didn't even go through. Something was off. I was standing in our bedroom and had been there for half an hour. Initially, I felt she went for a walk down the beach but after checking security, I was told that she left the hotel in a taxi.Anxious, I called her. She couldn't be out there on her own. Not when Dean had suddenly flown out of New York, last night. His destination had been Vegas but I still didn't want to trust that he'd let things slide without a fight.I took off my jacket and plopped on the couch, dialing her number again but it was still the same response. It was switched off.Something was wrong but then I hoped my hunch was inaccurate. I hoped that I was just overreacting and she was safe.Getting up, I grabbed my jacket and headed out of the house while asking
Chapter 140Sage's POV"I wish we could stay here forever. It's so comforting over here" I said with a sigh as we ate. Diego had placed the orders for our meals to match my food preferences lately.I had no idea he had been watching my dietary habits closely and knowing he had made my heart swell with many emotions."We can always come back if you want." He said in response, staring at me and I smiled."This definitely tops the list of my favorite places for vacation. I thought Berlin would remain special but I guess not." I muttered mostly to myself but I knew he heard me.The rest of dinner continued with us having light conversations about the food and place. He promised to take me to Italy just to taste a special wine because I'd complimented the one he ordered.I'd always wanted to visit Italy so I bought that idea. Besides, my flying anxiety reduced drastically when he was with me."When did you realize that you were in love with me?" I asked after a while, breaking the silence
Chapter 139Sage's POV( One Week Later...)"Why didn't you come when you heard someone scream? That could've been me." I snapped at Diego who was chuckling as I angrily rummaged through my bag for my credit card."I didn't come because I know what you sound like when you scream," He said, and my face flushed. I turned to look around the room, checking if anyone heard us; thankfully, there was no one around except a few ladies standing at the end of the hall, staring at Diego like he was some kind of snack.The stares were what caused this argument in the first place. A few ladies I'd met in the closet while checking out the dresses seemed confident about Diego checking them out and running to the closet when he heard a scream, but that didn't happen.And he wasn't wrong, I hadn't screamed.Clearing my throat, shoved my bag aside and placed my hands on my waist. "Where's my credit card?""You're not paying for your dresses while I'm here, sweetheart. Come here." He pulled me against h
Chapter 138Sage's POV"You knew about it, Violet, why didn't you tell me?""He asked me not to and truthfully, I thought it was for the best. I didn't want the two of you together. It was going to be awkward in many ways," Violet explained. I sighed, staring out of the window and watching as the houses and trees moved.I was on my way to my parent's place. They were back from their vacation a few days ago, and Mom insisted that I come to visit soon."Well, I don't think you have to worry about that anymore. He left, and I'm sure that's the last interaction we'll ever have," I said, shaking my head, and she just scoffed."Nah, he'll get over it. He did this to himself" She said dismissively."You sound like Diego right now." I pouted and she chuckled."That just shows you how amazing I am." She praised herself, and I rolled my eyes. After we bade our goodbyes, I hung up, counting seconds in my head as the car neared my parent's estate.Mom sounded so excited to learn that I was on my
Chapter 137Sage's POV"This is fucking delicious" I moaned as I bit into my hamburger. The food Diego had ordered was here and I couldn't contain my excitement as I bit into every meal present.Diego was watching me, fascinated and ready with a glass of water in hand in case I choked on something. How considerate of him.Suddenly, I turned to him and caught him staring, seemingly intrigued and awestruck."What?" I asked, swallowing hard"You look so cute that I can't help but stare" He smirked and handed me the glass of water he was holding.My face flushed and I rolled my eyes as I took the glass to my lips. After drinking, I continued eating till I was done with everything that had been ordered and damn, that was satisfying.I rested back on the couch, throwing my head back as I let the feeling of satisfaction wash over me. A while back, I felt like I would die from hunger which was weird considering the huge breakfast I had in the morning.Diego quietly cleared the plates from the