Seeing Shane's hesitation, Sage said, "If what you need to handle isn't very urgent, why don't you stay and have a meal before leaving?"Shane had some matters to attend to, but he had not seen Sage for several days and was reluctant to leave.Just as he was about to nod, Sage spoke up again, "Didn't you brag at the hospital last time that your cooking is really good? How about showing us what you've got?"The taunting strengthened Shane's resolve to stay. Rolling up his sleeves, he decided to prove right then and there that he wasn't just talking big.But Shane was a guest, so Wanda didn't make him do all the cooking. Apart from asking him to make his specialty dish, she prepared the rest of the food herself.After being busy in the kitchen for quite some time, Shane served them a dish of pan-seared lemon butter sole.Giselle tactfully went to the kitchen to help as Shane placed the food in front of Sage.The flounder was pan-fried to a golden brown color and drizzled with lemo

Ian wasn't interested in the cat's name, but Abby seemed quite eager to share, so he politely asked, "Why?""Because it was like a hedgehog at the time, all bristly and fluffed up! When I tried to treat its wound, it even bit me!" Abby said as she laughed to herself.Seeing that Ian wasn't saying much, Abby felt embarrassed and apologized, "Sorry, Mr. Holcomb. I can't seem to stop talking whenever I mention Thorn."Ian was somewhat distracted, thinking about Sage.She loved bunnies and pandas, and every time she saw a hedgehog, she just had to pet it."Maybe it's just in our nature as girls," Abby said with a charming smile. "Ms. Joyner likes animals too, right? I heard Mr. Morrison catered to her interests and even bought her a zoo…"Before she could finish her sentence, Abby realized she had spoken too quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring this up and upset you.""There's nothing to be upset about. It's just a fact." Ian's tone was neutral, giving no hint of his emotions

When Sage heard the name Ian from Priscilla, she was quite surprised.She didn't mention anything about Damsburg to Ian. How did he find out?At that time, Ian was probably still in the process of building trust with Ivy. Why would he choose to help Sage?Priscilla could tell what Sage was thinking. "It was just a guess at first, but later that night when Benjamin attempted suicide and ended up in the hospital, I asked Mr. Holcomb and confirmed it was him."Mr. Holcomb probably suspected Ms. Shekdotter before then but didn't tell you."Priscilla added, "Sage, this house you're living in was also arranged for you by Mr. Holcomb through me."Sage was taken aback once more. No wonder Ian was so familiar with her home's layout. It turned out that this place actually belonged to him!"Is Ian the friend you mentioned before?" Sage asked."Mr. Holcomb was worried that if you knew it was him, you wouldn't accept his help, so he asked me to assist him instead."You weren't satisfied wi

Priscilla and several politicians escorted Dale to his seat.Then, an employee came to ask Sage something, so Sage planned to walk with him to the side to talk.Suddenly, a rough male voice rang out. "You'll pay for this, Sage Joyner!"As Sage turned, she saw a man pulling out a bottle of red liquid from his coat and throwing it toward her.He was moving too fast for Sage to react or evade in time."Watch out!"Just when Sage thought she was about to get splashed with something dirty, a dark gray figure appeared in front of her to shield her.Almost at the same moment, the man who threw the bottle was kicked away and cried out in pain. The bottle fell to the ground with a loud noise.A strong smell of paint filled the air as Sage lifted her head in surprise. She discovered that it was Marcus who had stepped in front of her.The paint was splashed onto his back, leaving bright red marks on his collar and neck. Some of it even got into his hair and onto his cheeks, making him lo

Shane could ignore Marcus, but Sage felt it wouldn't be right. She turned back to look at Marcus and asked, "Mr. Rosethorn, would you like to come with us?"Marcus calmly nodded. "Alright."On her way inside, Sage learned from Shane that the person who ordered someone to splash paint on her today was Delilah's father, Lovell.Because Delilah was imprisoned and had offended Ian, Lovell found it impossible to keep their already struggling business afloat.This not only led to mounting debts but also prompted various investigations and inquiries from the tax authorities and other departments.Knowing Sage's company was opening today, Lovell grew increasingly resentful and decided to send someone over to disrupt her opening ceremony.The perpetrator was just following orders for money. After being brought to the police station, they couldn't hold out under questioning and confessed.Currently, Lovell was taken to the police station and admitted to the facts.Sage saw him very soon.