Ian remained close to her. He trapped her with an arm and said, "You have agreed to accept me as one of your suitors. Yet, you are still hostile to me, unlike how you treated Shane."He recalled the way Shane had unabashedly left the company in Sage's car. When Sage left the Tate family, she made Shane drive her and Tiana home. On top of that, their chemistry in the lounge pissed him off.Looking up, she glared at him. "I'm being nice by not kicking you out!"Holding his temper in, he couldn't help but hug her. "My Sage, I promise that nothing from your dream would actually happen. Don't hate me, please."She was surprised by his words. Even if the past events did not reoccur in this life, the trauma wouldn't go away. Just as she opened her mouth, she heard Giselle shouting at her. "Sage Joyner!" She turned around and met Giselle's eyes. Giselle gasped. "Oh, is this why you've been away forever? You're hanging out with Mr. Holcomb?"Sage shoved Ian away in frustration and shame.

Michael remained popular and in demand after his recent win. Sage dared not make him pick her up to avoid media attention and any subsequent scandals.She changed into a slightly formal evening dress. She didn't pay much attention to her attire, thinking that her attendance at the charity dinner was merely to fill seats. After she put on some simple makeup and styled her hair into a bun, she drove to the event venue from Donald's place.Upon arrival, she realized that Michael had understated the scale of the event. The grand charity dinner was graced by the presence of some celebrities and notable figures in Haldon City, alongside multiple media outlets.Feeling like a fish out of water, she nonetheless thought she should at least meet up with Michael and offer him some words of encouragement since she was already there.She presented her invitation card and wandered into the venue. Right when she planned to call Michael, she noticed a handsome figure approaching her. "Ms. Joyn

Sage nodded. "Sure."Some guests approached Dale for a chat. Seeing that, Sage excused herself and made her way to the balcony.The sky had darkened, and the city's skyline was lit up brightly. Holding the railing, she enjoyed the brilliant night view.Soon, Michael found her on the balcony and joined her. He first apologized for leaving her alone, but she stopped him. Then, he brought up his bandmates, who had been talking nonstop about meeting Sage.Sage readily agreed. "Of course. Let's meet up. By the way, I was thinking of recommending you as a brand ambassador for my friend's distillery.""Mimosa Cellar?" Michael blurted out before blushing shyly. "I remember that brand because you once went viral on Twitter because of how you downed their vodka."Surprised by his memory of such a distant incident, she nodded. "Yeah. I have some stocks in Mimosa. The company is applying for an IPO, which is why it's looking for a suitable brand ambassador to promote the brand."Michael imm

"You don't remember?" Sage found the notion incredulous. "Ian Holcomb, are you denying what you've done?"She rattled off, "You spent our 5th anniversary celebrating Ivy Shekdotter's birthday. Did you not buy her flowers? You rushed to the hospital at night to visit her when she was injured by a falling lamp. Didn't you buy two pairs of identical earrings, one for her and one for me?"Ian found her accusations ridiculous. "Uncle Ron called me to their place on that day. I had no idea it was Ivy's birthday, so I couldn't have bought her flowers."As for the diamond earrings, I have not bought anything of that sort. The diamond earrings I gave you were from Ivy. "I admit I was wrong to give you a gift from her, but I thought it'd make your day because you seemed moody that day. That's why I accepted the earrings Ivy prepared."Sage was stunned by Ian's revelation. Did Ivy stage the photo with the flowers and add the caption to annoy her?What about the earrings? Sage thought, "Did

The hall was abuzz with speculation and shock at Ian's bid. Previously, the bidders had merely increased their bids by small increments, but Ian had immediately doubled Abby's.Someone surmised, "Why would Mr. Holcomb attempt to outbid Ms. Sutton, especially knowing her interest in the brooch? Is he planning to win the bid and gift her the brooch to woo her?""I heard the Suttons are interested in a project in Haldon City, and they intend to discuss a partnership with Holcomb Corporation. It makes sense for Mr. Holcomb to display his earnestness toward his potential business partners."Were the Suttons debating on a business partnership with the Holcombs? Sage could not recall this event happening in her past life.Observing her silence, Michael leaned in and whispered, "Ms. Joyner, please disregard the speculations. I think he bid on the brooch for you."Sage smiled gratefully at him. "That's kind of you, but you don't have to comfort me. He has the freedom to give the brooch to