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
After being rejected by Sage, Ian walked toward his car.Just before getting into the car, he glanced at the two carefully packaged cups of latte in his hands and got momentarily distracted.At this moment, a sweet voice rang out. "Mr. Holcomb?"Ian turned around to find Abby, who was holding a kitten."It's really you!" Abby exclaimed, somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here? Didn't you say you had something important to deal with and declined the dinner with my dad?"Ian briefly replied, "I just have something personal to attend to."Abby looked at the latte in his hand and said, "Mr. Holcomb, do you also like drinking latte? This is Haldon City's famous fruit latte. Usually, you have to wait in line for a long time to get it!"Ian didn't respond to her. "Ms. Sutton, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now.""Mr. Holcomb, since we've already run into each other. let's have a chat!" Abby blinked playfully. "I know you and Leo have been arguing because of our arran
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
Ian's expression was indifferent. "Sorry, I'm afraid I can't cooperate with you on this."Abby was slightly stunned, clearly not expecting Ian to refuse so bluntly."Ms. Sutton, please take your time to enjoy the meal. I will take my leave now," said Ian as he stood up.Abby didn't try to keep him. Instead, she spoke generously, "No worries, Mr. Holcomb. I'm friends with both you and Ms. Joyner."I won't stand by and watch the shareholders give you a hard time. I'll have a good talk with my dad soon and ask him to help you get out of this tough situation!"Ian didn't take Abby's words to heart and turned around to leave.…Another two days went by, and Sage's foot injury was mostly healed. There were only a few days left until the company's opening ceremony.With Shane's persistence, Shekdotter Inc.'s main assets had all been incorporated into "Breakthrough Investment".The company name "Breakthrough" was decided after careful consideration by Sage and Priscilla.It was also
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
"Since you're in such a hurry to die, why don't you just stab yourself and end it? Why go to the trouble of jumping off a building and causing a scene?" A man's voice rang out. It was filled with contempt."I wanted to stab—" Suddenly, Sage Joyner found that something was wrong with what Ian Holcomb had said. When had she jumped off a building?"You're finally awake, Mrs. Holcomb." The housekeeper, Wanda May, came over with a glass of water and some pills. "Does your head hurt? The doctor said you have minor symptoms of a concussion and prescribed some medication for you. Do you want to take it now?"Sage didn't answer. She found that she was lying on a bed in a spacious bedroom. From the furnishings, it seemed to be the master bedroom at the Holcomb residence.She hadn't seen the inside of this place since being sent to a mental institution two years ago. Could Ian have suddenly brought her home?No, something was wrong.Sage was certain she'd stabbed herself in the heart. Even
"Haven't you had enough of this, Sage? When will you stop causing trouble?" Ian snarled.Sage laughed silently. She was his wife, yet he treated her worse than he did an outsider.But before she could say anything, Ivy said, "Don't be so fierce toward Sage, Ian."She turned to Sage and explained, "Ian didn't drop by just to celebrate my birthday, Sage. It's just that my father invited him over for a meal because he hadn't seen Ian in ages."I didn't expect you to get the wrong idea about this and even get hurt. I feel terrible, which is why I came over to explain the situation to you. Please, don't be mad at Ian anymore. This is all my fault."Ivy's tone was soft and gentle, as was her smile. Her apology also sounded earnest.Sage could still remember how Ivy had also followed Ian home in her previous life. She'd given her the same explanation. But at the time, they'd been in the bedroom.Sage had listened to Ivy's explanation but had been enraged to see them looking so perfect
Sage's grandfather was the one person in this world who loved her the most. But in her previous life, she hadn't even had the chance to see him one last time when he'd passed away.This time, she swore to stay by his side until the end of his days and treat him well. She didn't want to disappoint him anymore.Because of her injuries, Sage didn't dare to visit her grandfather for the time being. She could only suppress her agitation and urgency. She told him she would drop by in a few days.After hanging up, Sage sat on the balcony and thought about the events of her previous life. When she'd been 18, she'd fallen in love with Ian because he'd rescued her like he was her knight in shining armor. From then on, she'd tried everything she could to win his heart, but to no avail.When she'd graduated from college, Ian's grandmother, Linda Johnson, had learned of her feelings for Ian. Linda had pushed for Sage and Ian to marry. From then on, she'd become his wife.Though Ian despised he