Henry was more on Sage's side, but he had concerns. Ivy saved him from the consequences the time he had seriously injured someone in a fight. She had told him clearly that she could send him to jail any time she wanted. "I'll help you solve this issue, but not now. Let her keep her hold over you for now," said Sage. Henry did not object and asked, "Ivy already knows that we've been in contact. What should I do if she says that she'll only have me if I go against you?""Give me a heads-up earlier and I'll play along with you." Then, Sage warned, "Don't try to eat out of both our hands or you'll lose your chance at redemption."Henry shuddered. Sage had guessed his intentions. He had underestimated her. Sage wasn't a foolish and lonely rich woman. She was even smarter than him. After the call ended, Henry lit a cigarette. Sandra said, "Can we trust that Joyner woman? Wasn't she the one who got the company into trouble? So why is she trying to make us side with her? Is she tryin

There was a fire exit door at the top of the stairwell that led to the hotel's corridor. Sage wanted to swing the door open and call for help. However, she discovered that the door was locked from the inside of the corridor and that she couldn't open it at all. Just then, the two men who were covered in retardant caught up with her and cornered her. "Who are you people, and who sent you here?" she questioned anxiously. "This is a hotel. There are surveillance cameras everywhere. You can't possibly get away. If you back off right now, I won't hold you accountable!""Shut your trap!" the thin man snapped. "We were paid to get rid of you! Of course, we wouldn't let you go. If you know what's good for you, you'll come with us quietly!" He then lunged at Sage, who screamed."Hold it right there!" Right as she was about to kick the man, a cold, stern voice rang out from above. Sage looked up and spotted Ian. The men in masks were rattled as they noticed Ian, who was dressed to th

Sage immediately lowered her head and peeked into Shane's car when she heard that. Then, she raised her head and asked, "What's with the act? Giselle isn't here."Shane remained silent as he inched closer to Sage. Instinctively, she took a step back and was about to speak up when he swiftly reached out and pinned her against his car. "Do you really think I'm just putting on an act, Sage?" he asked lowly. His action caused her to frown in confusion. Sage looked up and noticed that his handsome face had a mischievous smirk, and his eyes were filled with tenderness. "Shane, could you—" she was about to tell him to cut it out when a loud bang echoed from behind them. Ian had closed his car door, and his driver had hopped into the driver's seat and revved up the engine. As his car zoomed past them, Sage caught a glimpse of Ian, who was sitting upright in the backseat. His profile was cold and stern as he looked straight ahead."Tsk. I was expecting him to get out of his car to b

After what felt like an eternity, the doors to the emergency room swung open, and Ian walked out. He was tall, athletic, and had long, muscular legs. He had taken his suit jacket off, leaving him in a white shirt with bloodstains around his shoulder. Even in such a disheveled state, he still looked elegant. His sharp features were highlighted by the corridor lights. His aloof and indifferent demeanor gave off an air of superiority. His eyes briefly flickered when he spotted Sage, but it dimmed in the blink of an eye when he noticed the white jacket she was wearing."Well? Is your shoulder alright?" she asked, rising to her feet. Ian had no intention of answering her and walked away with a stoic face."Are you the patient's family? He had quite a deep cut on his shoulder blade. We've stitched it up. Fortunately, his bones weren't affected. But he'll have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days to prevent inflammation and swelling," said the doctor, who had also walked out o

"People change, Ian," Sage said. "I used to put your safety above my own, and seeing you hurt me more than seeing myself hurt. "But I'm more concerned about my own well-being now, and I just don't dare to jump in front of danger for you anymore. So please don't attempt to test me like this again."She clearly warned Ian when the scrawny man whipped out his switchblade. Ian could've dodged it, but he still ended up getting injured. Sage figured that he was testing her based on his reaction after being injured and the words he had just said. "What you're doing is pointless," she said. Ian's chest felt stuffy when he looked at her stoic face and unwavering eyes. He hadn't dodged the man's attack on purpose because he wanted to see if Sage would grow anxious and rush over to him like she did in the past.Of course, he wouldn't let anything happen to Sage. He would've pushed her away if she had come running. He just wanted to know if he still mattered to her. However, Sage didn'