"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

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

"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

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

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.