Chapter 90Sage's POV"Ma'am, here are all the files you requested," Grace informed as she, with a lot of effort placed a pile of files on my desk."Thank you." I nodded as I stared up at the pile. There were many, but I needed to check them. Kian had called earlier and told me about the man who had attacked Violet, well at least her description of him, and according to her, the man ought to have been Hispanic. I've had a lot of Hispanic clients before, but the recent projects my company was about to embark on revolved around two Hispanic communities. One of them had been reluctant to evacuate the property and the other had verbally threatened to teach me a lesson.I hadn't thought of the possibility that someone from one of these communities could have done this, at all.And if it indeed were, they'd managed to pull through with their threat, but they didn't get me. Rather, they harmed my best friend, and things would get worse for them now.I had dared to feel bad for them when I fo
Chapter 91Sage's POV"Thank you, Mr. Walter. I'm glad you came despite yourself" I said, walking to meet him. Though most of the members of the board had been invited, Alex wasn't. I admit that it was unprofessional on my part, but I just couldn't bring myself to get him involved. He had done enough. But still, here he was with an annoying grin on his face that made me want to throw a punch."Why wouldn't I? I own the company after all" He mocked and my jaws tightened"Hm. Please come in" I said and turned, making to leave when his words made me halt"Where's your husband? I don't see him around. Isn't he supposed to be here by your side?" He snarked and a wave of anger washed over me. I had to take a deep breath to compose myself before turning to face him"Well, you're right. He's supposed to be by my side and will soon be. Things got delayed as he runs a working empire," I retorted calmly, and his grin faltered. And within me, I panicked, what if Diego doesn't come? It didn't even
Chapter 92Sage's POVVincent chuckled and wrapped his arms around me, gently patting my back. "Look who missed me!" He exclaimed as we disengaged from the hug."What are you doing here, Vincent?" I asked and then slapped a hand over my face, exasperated. "I don't mind but still...did Violet come along?"He laughed. "No, she didn't but she asked me to come on her behalf. Mind you, I arrived a few minutes ago," He replied, and a smile brightened my face. Vincent was Violet's older brother, a renowned lawyer who stayed in London.Technically, the whole of Violet's family had relocated to London but Vince's case was different. He had grown up there and rarely traveled out.It had been years since we saw each other. The last time we met was at mine and Violet's graduation party. He looked good in the black suit he was putting on that was tailored to perfection. He was face was sculptured to match his dashing physique. I knew with such a build, he was making the ladies go crazy.Vincent wa
Chapter 93Sage's POVI woke up feeling weary and my body ached most satisfyingly. Heat crept up to my cheeks as the memory of last night flashed through my mind. The passionate way Diego had taken me was still fresh in my mind. It was evident how much tension was between us and while I knew having sex didn't do much, I hoped it was a way for a fresh start.I buried my face in the pillow, biting my lip to stifle a smile.Instinctively, I reached out behind me but the bed was cold and empty beside me. It appeared like he had gotten out of bed for a while. My heart sank a little. Where was he?Sitting up, I wrapped the sheet around me, scanning the room. His absence left an odd void I didn't want to acknowledge. It wasn't unusual for Diego to retreat from me and go to his work, but I had hoped… hoped this morning might be different.Getting out of bed with the hope still firmly carved in my mind, I headed to the closet, threw on a baggy t-shirt, and then walked out of the room,m ignorin
Chapter 94Sage's POV"Sage?" Violet called, her eyes lighting up as she opened the door. A broad smile formed on my lips as she took in my appearance. After having one of the longest baths of my life, I thought of staying in and making breakfast, but I decided against it and chose to drop my Violet's place. Now, she was before me, her brows creased and a hint of surprise crossed her features.Chuckling, she pulled me into a hug. "What are you doing here?" "I came to check on you" I responded as we disengaged from the hug. She stepped aside, letting me into the room, and the mouthwatering smell of waffles filled my nostrils. My stomach grumbled in response to the smell and I blushed. I guess I did right by coming over."Where are the nurses? You shouldn't be the one answering the door," I said as she closed the door and moved past me, heading towards the kitchen. I followed her but halted midway when I saw Vincent walking out with a pan in his hand that had an omelet in it. He was he
Chapter 95Diego's POVStanding on the balcony of my penthouse in Vegas, my eyes are focused intently on the skyline of the city. Below me was a busy street, buzzing with the blaring of car horns and the unmoving traffic.I picked up my glass of scotch and took a deliberate sip as I thought back to the outcome of today's meeting. The meeting had lasted for about six hours but there was progress.Surprisingly, sitting in a boardroom for that long hadn't left me exhausted; rather, I was agile and trapped with my thoughts.With Sage the ever-dominant subject on my mind. But this time, thinking about her felt liberating. Recalling how her lush and smooth skin felt against mine last night seemed to clear out the tension there was in my shoulders.But it still stung to know that she wanted me to get rid of her urge and nothing more though momentarily, last night, I felt there was more between us. Sighing, I downed my drink and moved away from the balcony. I'd left her a note today before l
Chapter 96Sage's POVIt took a lot to send Vivian and Bella home. Vivian had been so shaken about Augusto being in the hospital that she began sobbing. She really loved that man.Augusto had a heart attack and it wasn't looking good for him. But after Dr. Warner did a checkup on him, he confirmed that the man would be fine after much rest and with supervision. I stayed back after Bella had taken Vivian home to speak with Warner who seemed to be hiding something. He didn't say a thing no matter how much I pushed which made me suspicious.I decided to speak to Diego about it when he returned. As I left Warner's office, Franklin approached me with a request that Augusto wanted to see me. Though it was odd, I was curious about what he had to say, so I agreed and followed Franklin to Augusto's room. Franklin remained by the door while I walked in.The man looked weaker than I'd ever seen him, a stark contrast to the commanding presence I'd known. His pale face and tired eyes tugged at som
Chapter 97Sage's POVAfter that conversation with Augusto, I left the hospital trying to put the thought that Diego had promised the man kids at the back of my mind but the more I did, the more my anger boiled.Even when I went to bed, my mind was still reeling with the thought that Augusto and probably the whole family expected of me. This wasn't the plan, goddamn it!Why would Diego go behind my back and make such an absurd agreement? I recalled the time he had told me that Augusto was still skeptical about our marriage and didn't trust our union. But suddenly, he had laid off, my face scrunched in annoyance as the realization dawned on me. Was this the reason why he had suddenly let us be?Oh God!This was never the plan.The next morning, I got dressed for work and as I left the room, I was startled to meet Diego in the living room. Placing my hand over my chest, I carefully examined him, eyes narrowing to see if he was the one."Sage, it's me. I just got back" Diego's voice cut
Chapter 120Diego's POVSage kept stealing glances at me throughout the ride back home. Once, I'd caught her and noticed there was a subtle blush across her face as she did. I couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden change of attitude. Usually, she would be bolder after we had sex or made out, but today, she was acting shy. I didn't mind the change, though, but it was new, and she looked fucking cute.I don't think she knew how cute she looked acting all shy. Watching her ride my fingers to find her release was one of the prettiest things I'd ever seen. And I know this was part of the reason she kept stealing glances at me. Had she felt embarrassed? Or was it because she wanted more? It had been there in her eyes when she stared at me but I couldn't take her now. Not when she was still recovering.I turned to look at her as she stared outside the window, frowning at the bandage wrapped around her head that had been replaced by a nurse before we left the hospital. I still wasn't comfor
Chapter 119Sage's POVDiego carried me to the restroom attached to my ward, and the moment he set me down, his lips crashed on mine, capturing them in a slow, sensual kiss that set shivers running through my body. My breath hitched as the warmth of his touch spread through my body, igniting my entire system.I sighed into his mouth, moving my lips desperately to match his pace. It was a rough and passionate kiss, different from the one we shared moments ago. His hands moved to the small of my back, rubbing his thumb in circles, and slowly, he pulled the knot that held the dress as a piece. I melted against him, moaning in pleasure, everything forgotten as that moment, it was just him and I.We broke from the kiss, both breathless but our bodies were ignited with the primal desire for each other. Diego stared deeply at me, his eyes holding a glint of dark desire as he rid my body of the hospital gown. He dipped his head, and kissed my shoulder blade, trailing up to my neck and chin.
Chapter 118Sage's POVWhen my eyes opened after what I believed to be an hour later, they fell on Kian's burly frame in the middle of the room, and before him was Diego, ruffling his hair.I blinked, my eyes taking in his angry expression as he ordered Kian to find someone. Who was he talking about that made him so angry? Kian looked equally agitated, I could see that with the way his shoulders tensed.What were they talking about?"Diego," I called out almost gagging as the scent of hospital seeped into my system, filling my lungs. Gosh! I can't stand the scent of the hospital anymore. I just want to go home.Diego turned to me and the angry expression on his face earlier wore off, replaced by that of worry as he covered the distance to me. My brows shut up, worry filling my system as I thought of what it could be that had been bothering him."Did we disturb your sleep?" He asked, gently as he took my hand. I motioned to my bed and he nodded in understanding, helping me sit up. I sm
Chapter 117Diego's POVSage's lips were moving but my mind was focused on the way her face was scrunched up in faux annoyance. A small smile twisted my lips, when last had I seen her this close and freely? I'd fucking missed her and heaven knows, I would have lost my mind if she wouldn't have survived this.This time, I wasn't going to let her go no matter how much she objected. But I doubted she would, she had said nothing but smile when I told her that. That fucking smile! It had stirred something within me that I hadn't felt in days. God, whatever she had done to me, I liked it. No, I loved it."Diego!" She snapped, her voice cracked but enough to get me out of the trance she'd trapped me in. I blinked, shaking my head slightly and giving her an inquisitive lookThe frown on her face deepened. "Did you hear what I just said?""No, sweetheart. I heard nothing, can you say that again?" I smirked, raising my brows and she gave me an eye roll that made my heart jump."Stop flirting wi
Chapter 116Sage's POVIt was all a daze.I thought I had heard Diego whispering to me but my brain couldn't process a thing. I only knew that somehow, I was safe and still breathing. Still alive.*****My eyelids felt heavy as I attempted to pull them apart. My whole body felt like I was being held down by weights that kept pulling me down no matter how much I tried breaking free. This left my system numb but for some reason, I kept pushing to open my eyes.And I did.I winced painfully as the bright light penetrated my sour and tired eyes. It was as if someone was pointing a flashlight directly at my face. I snapped my eyes shut, my entire system now adjusting to the environment and before I opened them again, my nose had picked up the strong smell of chlorine and bleach, a typical smell of the hospital.I almost gagged at how strongly it invaded my nose.My blurry gaze ran through the room and then to the IV drip inserted in my hand. My head felt heavy and from it came a pang of pa
Chapter 115Diego's POVAs I sped through the highway, my heart pounded in my chest, and my entire system burned with rage. If anything happened to Sage, I would lose it. It felt as though the car chose to drive at its pace and it was getting on my nerves.It was barely two minutes after the call with Sage, but it felt like an eternity, and all I could do while cursing my luck for not being fast enough was hope. Hope that she had fought Theodore. I had heard it when she gasped out his name. How had he gotten inside? How did he breach all that security I placed around her house?I clenched my jaws and my grip tightened on the wheel as a thought hit me. Could one of my men have betrayed me? I cursed under my breath, punching the steering wheel like it were his face. If it turned out that one of the guards helped in, he would have a companion on his way to hell.My mind reeled as I finally got to the estate, Sage's apartment was located and in a minute, I was pulling over roughly before
Chapter 114Sage's POVMy heart pounded in my chest, fear coursing through my being as I squinted in the direction of the figure to make out who it was. The statue looked like that of a man and, somehow, familiar, but I couldn't place out who it belonged to. However, knowing it was familiar, heightened my fear."W.. who are you?" I asked, taking a step back as I flickered my gaze to my phone on the floor. Diego was still on call and he could help me.The person chuckled and I froze on the spot, eyes widening as recognition flowed in. I opened my mouth to speak but he stepped forward, a predatory grin lingering on his lips as he stared at me.I scrunched my face in annoyance and disbelief, gasping. "Theodore!"He smirked, then picked up my phone, ending the call abruptly. My eyes widened as he tossed the phone across the room. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach when he looked back at me. He seemed different and it was terribly. There was an unhinged look in his eyes, like he could
Chapter 113Diego's POVI watched with an intense stare as one of my men tortured the man who had harmed Violet. His face was bloodied and so was part of his body. My lips twitched, satisfied as his screams of agony cut through the air.Initially, he wanted to play it cool like the sadist he thought he was but he had underestimated my men and their methods. They could break the strongest of men with the cruel way they tortured. Most of them had served in the army while others were the finest retirees from the most dangerous mafia families I had connections with.Most people who knew the kind of men I had hired thought of me as some maniac, hence my widespread reputation of being spineless. It wasn't a lie, but only those who crossed me encountered my wrath. But these men were only part of my crew because of my grandfather's close relationship with the mafia and I'd only salvaged this relationship to my benefit.I narrowed my eyes when the man lost consciousness and hung his head. He h
Chapter 112Sage's POVI spent the rest of the afternoon binging a series I found on TV. After the call with my father, I felt less suffocated and in need of alcohol, so the brandy had been set aside and replaced with four big bags of chips and yogurt.I meant to ditch the brandy after the second glass before the call anyway; that stuff was damn bitter. It made me wonder how Diego managed to drink it.‘Thinking about him again?’ The voice in my head treacherously snarked and I scrunched my face. The thought of him has been crossing my mind sparsely whenever a commercial came up and I was back to seriously feasting on my chips.I found it quite infuriating as I had decided to end things. Thinking about him – his hot and ripped body, lips, hands – everything, would just stick with me then. It was a great deal and it was fun while it lasted. However, despite my decision, I couldn't help the subtle tug in my chest that made me wince occasionally. Coming to that conclusion had been heart-w