"Oh, you silly child, please don't do anything like that again. Nothing is more important than your life," Linda chided. "You're still so young, and you have so many loved ones who care about you. It was very dangerous and foolish of you to risk your life for an uncertain outcome.""I know." Sage then apologized. "I'm sorry, Grandma Holcomb. Madam Matilda had to return to the country because of this, and I know I've put you through so much worry.""There's no need to apologize." Linda sighed softly. "I was also at fault. I knew you were determined to get a divorce. Yet, I kept hoping Ian could persuade you to stay, which ultimately led you to such a desperate act."The elderly woman continued, "If it weren't for my insistence, you guys would've divorced long ago, and none of this would've happened.""It's not your fault, Grandma Holcomb," Sage reassured Linda. After all, who would want their grandson and granddaughter-in-law to divorce? Even Matilda might not have genuinely wante
Linda added, "You're kind and brave, and I genuinely like you. I feel responsible for the pain you've endured in this marriage, and I'd like to sincerely apologize to you."Her voice was filled with tenderness as she said, "But I hope you won't lose hope in love and life. Bad things only take up a small portion of life."A wave of warmth washed over Sage again. Even if Linda had set them up for Ian's sake, her kindness toward her, spanning both this life and her previous one, was genuine. No matter what, Linda would always stand up for her and defend her. Even after the divorce, she was still worried that Sage might lose hope in life and tried to comfort her. Tilting her head up, Sage smiled and said, "Thank you, Grandma Holcomb. I won't."…While chatting with Linda, Sage received a call from Henry. He wanted to meet up and said he had something important to discuss. Sage agreed. After escorting Linda back to the ward, Ian's dark eyes immediately locked onto Sage, as if plea
If not, those videos and photos would be used to blackmail Layla.Sage felt a shiver run down her spine as she listened to Ivy's plan. Ivy was truly ruthless! If Layla was raped by those thugs, and Henry had that leverage on her, her life would basically be ruined. Sage figured that Ivy despised her because of Ian. But why was she so determined to ruin her family? What did Ivy have against her family?"What should I do now?" Henry asked. "You told me to inform you in advance if anything came up, and you'd cooperate with me. So, what's the plan?"Sage remained silent for a moment. She thought Ivy would have Henry deal with her once she found out about her relationship with him. But Ivy's target was still Layla. "If I fail, Ivy will never let me off the hook, and I'll lose any shot at joining the Shekdotter family's company," he added."I understand. I'll contact Layla and persuade her to go along with your plan." Then, she warned, "Do what you need to do, but you mustn't harm La
"What do you want me to cooperate with?""I want you to pretend to be Henry's girlfriend."Layla was taken aback. "Didn't you tell me that he comes from a poor family and that his persona was fake? Plus, he's disgusting in private. How could I possibly date him?""I told you to pretend to date him," Sage reiterated. "You don't actually have to date him. Just show up when I need you to. Go about your day as usual. He won't bother you."Sage feared that Ivy would find other ways to deal with Layla if she didn't cooperate with Henry. Instead of leaving Layla in danger, it was probably better to fulfill Ivy's wishes. Layla would be in the clear once Ivy brought about her own downfall. It would be a long-term solution."How'd you get involved with Henry? What's going on?" Layla asked with a frown.Sage couldn't explain everything to Layla right away, but she wouldn't be able to convince Layla to do as she said if she didn't say a thing. Besides, Layla was already 20 years old. It
Sage chuckled when she heard what Layla had said. Then, she teased, "Not bad. My cousin knows how to care about people now." "I don't care about you!" Layla grumbled, "I just don't want to be dragged down by you.""Alright. I'll do my best not to drag you down."After ending the call with Layla, Sage contacted Henry again to go over the details.…The next day, his plan was set. Meanwhile, Sage received a call from Priscilla, who said it had been a while since they had seen each other and invited her and Tiana out for a little get-together. It had indeed been a while since she had seen Priscilla. Besides, she also needed her help, so Sage readily agreed to the invitation. The place Priscilla chose was a castle-themed restaurant.The restaurant not only looked like an ancient castle on the outside, but the interior decorations were also strikingly similar. The main hall was resplendent with gold and silver, and the waiters were all dressed like ancient palace maids and guards.
Sage responded, "Of course, he's not 100% reliable. But he's a greedy man. For the sake of big bucks, he won't betray me for the time being."Priscilla wasn't familiar with the details, so she didn't participate in the conversation. However, she shared some news with Sage."Benjamin's trial is around the corner. I heard that Mr. Holcomb has pulled some strings, so his sentence won't be light."Sage couldn't help but feel uneasy when she thought about the time Benjamin kidnapped her."Benjamin had someone tell me that he wanted to see me," Priscilla continued. "He probably wants me to plead his case with Mr. Holcomb or something. But I can't be bothered to listen to his nonsense.""I've got to hand it to you, Priscilla. I admire how you can just move on after being married to Benjamin for so many years," Tiana exclaimed.Sage chuckled. "Priscilla's a tough cookie, unlike some of us who hang on to dead-end relationships. But I've already mustered up the courage to let go. Tiana, we
The post contained not only group photos but also individual photos of them. Ian clicked on Sage's picture. In the picture, she was wearing a light pink brocade gown with a low neckline. Her large, jet-black eyes were crystal clear, and her cherry lips were soft and plump. With her sculpted cheekbones and delicate rosy cheeks, she looked as if she had walked straight out of a painting. "Ian, Mrs. Holcomb must be in a good mood right now. Why don't you give her a call and ask her if she wants to see the panda cubs?" Calvin asked, leaning over.Ian forwarded Sage's photo to himself before returning the phone to Calvin. "I'm busy.""Ian, do you have other plans in mind?"Ignoring Calvin, Ian shifted his attention back to his documents and returned to his cold and distant demeanor. Calvin was at a loss for words.…Meanwhile, Sage and her friends enjoyed their time together in the restaurant. The atmosphere in their private dining room was harmonious. Amid their gathering, Prisc
Tiana explained, "Wilson usually doesn't eat much at night. He said he had lost his appetite after taking a few bites of the burger, so he handed the food I made over to Lana."Sage could feel her anger simmering. "Wilson sure is generous. But I can't believe he could give away the food his wife made to someone else. Also, that bitch is so shameless! Why are all these homewreckers so shameless?" "Ivy's fucking shameless, and so is Lana!" she cursed inwardly.Tiana continued, "I was upset. But when he returned home from work, he seemed oblivious to my feelings and went straight to his study to review his academic report. I was so mad that I waited until he was in the shower and poured coffee all over his report."Sage couldn't help but commend Tiana. "Well done! Did he not get mad at you?"Tiana told him it was an accident, and he didn't say much. But he spent the entire evening in his study doing who knew what.This morning, she had gone for a jog. On her way back home, she boug