"Why else would I be here? I was worried about you, of course," he said nonchalantly.Sage couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. "Could you stop being so twisted? Stop using me as a tool to get a rise out of Ian."There was a glint in his eyes as he looked at her lazily. "No can do. It's just too effective. But if there ever comes a time when I can't get a rise out of him anymore, I might just consider your request."She was rendered speechless.…Meanwhile, the driver waited for a while before cautiously asking Ian, who had been rooted to spot outside the police station, "Mr. Holcomb, shall we head back to the office or the hospital?""The office." Ian got into the car. The shadows of the trees danced in the sunlight outside the car. His mind drifted back to the scene of Sage being accused by Delilah earlier. Her face was stoic, and her eyes were devoid of any emotion as if she had grown accustomed to such treatment. Sage had done nothing wrong. Yet, Delilah resented her.
"Since Mrs. Holcomb likes pandas, why don't you take her to the most famous panda base?" Calvin suggested. "You can book a session to pet the panda cubs. It might be expensive and has time restrictions, but I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem for you."Just think about it, Ian. Not only will you get to spend quality time together on the trip, but it'll also allow her to hold her favorite animal. How wonderful would that be?" He continued, "It's a wish she couldn't realize when she was younger, so you'd be indirectly helping her achieve it. Mrs. Holcomb would be so grateful to you. Then, you'd get a chance to ask her to reconcile with you when she's in a good mood!"Ian fell silent when he heard that. It was a good idea, but Sage would never go out with him. "I've given you an idea, Ian, but how you get Mrs. Holcomb on board is on you," Calvin said. "Remember, don't be too pushy. She prefers a gentle approach. Be soft-spoken and accommodating, and I bet she'll agree to go with y
Sage was rendered speechless. "Mr. Morrison, could you please stop bringing up Ian in every other sentence? I'm starting to wonder if you've developed feelings for him!""You're grossing me out again, Sage!" Shane reached out to smack her head, but she dodged to the side. As a result, his hand landed on her slender shoulder."Get off of me!" Sage pushed his hand away in disgust. However, Shane took two steps forward and cornered her."I've warned you, Sage. If you keep annoying me, I won't go easy on you. Tell me, should I give you a beating or two?" He then lifted her chin and asked with a smirk, "Or would you like to give me a kiss?""Get lost!" Sage immediately kicked his knee. What was his problem? Why did he keep harassing her?"Have you lost your mind, Sage?" He bent over and massaged his knee. "I'm such a handsome guy. How could you not get embarrassed or blush when I corner you? I can't believe you'd just kick me!"She rolled her eyes at him. "I was already being very len
Tiana then told Sage about Calvin's call. "You guys are divorced, and you don't even want to give him the time of day. Yet, Ian is still planning to win you back. Why does he think he still stands a chance?" she asked. There was no chance. Sage recounted last night's events to Tiana."Tsk, tsk, tsk. So a knight in shining armor came to your aid, and he even got injured for you. Aren't you even a little touched?"Sage responded truthfully, "I'd be grateful to anyone who came to my aid in a dangerous situation like that. But I wouldn't confuse that with love."Tiana stopped teasing her when she heard that. After all, Ian's past actions had deeply hurt Sage. There was no way Sage would forgive him that easily. "Fine. I was just curious. I won't meddle in your affairs," Tiana said. "That's more like it." Sage then asked her how things were going with Wilson. Tiana told her that things were pretty much the same as before. Wilson was still working long hours, performing surgerie
"I'm craving buffalo chicken wings, escabeche, lutefisk, and for the main course, spaghetti aglio e olio," Sage said.Ian was incredibly picky when it came to food. He would avoid anything spicy and had a strong stench. He wouldn't eat anything that wasn't fresh or healthy, either. "Since you wanted to dine with me, let's see if you can stomach those dishes!" she brooded.Ian didn't object to her requests at all. He even patiently said, "I'll have them prepared. I'll wait for you to come over so we can dine together."Sage then hung up the phone. When she arrived at the hospital and saw the food she had ordered earlier on the table in the ward, she was a little surprised because Ian hadn't ordered anything he liked."Well, what are you waiting for? Come over and eat," he said casually.Sage looked at him. "Are you sure you can eat these?"Ian responded calmly, "Why can't I eat these?"He sure was as stubborn as a mule. Sage couldn't be bothered to argue with him. She went to w
Sage continued, "We've always been worlds apart. Our interests, habits, and upbringings are all different. "For example, you hate the food I like, and I've changed my habits to accommodate you. Over time, I've felt stifled and resentful. But now that I've thought about it, you've done nothing wrong. I was just trying too hard to please you."Similarly, you don't have to force yourself to change for me. It'd be pointless because I won't be moved by such an act either."Ian lifted his gaze after listening to her lengthy speech. "I was telling Delilah the truth this morning, Sage. I didn't marry you because I was forced to. Before you, Grandma had also urged me to get married, but I had no intention of marrying anyone else."Sage couldn't help but sneer. "What's your point? Do you think that still matters?"He responded, "I know I've neglected you and hadn't considered your feelings in the past. I'll learn to do better in the future. Can't you give me a chance to prove myself?"Sag
Ian could tell she was mad and might leave in a huff. He pulled her into his arms, held her close, and whispered, "Sage, you used every trick in the book to marry me, and you said you'd love me forever. "But now, you're treating me like I'm something you found upon the bottom of your shoe, and you won't even give me a chance to explain myself. You're not being fair."His voice was low and filled with a hint of grief and vulnerability. His embrace was warm and broad, and although it was permeated with the smell of disinfectant in the hospital, he still smelled faintly of cedarwood. The Ian in front of her was someone Sage could only dream of in her previous life.From his perspective, she was the one who had suddenly fallen out of love and insisted on a divorce. But with all the pain and hardships she had been through in her previous life, how could she not have reservations?"Ian, if you didn't marry me because you were forced to, then why did you treat me coldly and with disdai
His stomach sure was sensitive. She had eaten several pieces of lutefisk, and consumed a lot of spicy food, but turned out fine. She couldn't believe that a single piece of lutefisk was enough to give him enteritis. But how could she not have noticed anything at all? Did she actually sleep that soundly?Sage asked the nurse for Ian's ward number and went to see him.Sage knocked on the door and found Ian lying on the hospital bed. Perhaps due to his lack of sleep, his complexion appeared more haggard than the previous night. His lips were drained of color too. Besides Ian, she spotted Linda, whom she hadn't seen in a while, and Josephine, who was slicing an apple.Upon hearing the sound of the door cracking open, all three of them turned to look at Sage. Ian's eyes visibly lit up. Ignoring him, Sage greeted Linda with a smile. "Good morning, Grandma Holcomb!""Good morning, Sage!" Linda responded with a smile.Sage felt a little embarrassed. As Ian's caregiver, she had no id