《A Farewell After Being Reborn》 Chapter 1 ¡°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¡ª¡± Suddenly, Sage Joyner found that something was wrong with what Ian Hob had said. When had she jumped off a building? ¡°You¡¯re finally awake, Mrs. Hob.¡± The housekeeper, Wanda May, came over with a ss 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 Hob residence. She hadn¡¯t seen the inside of this ce 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 if she¡¯d made it out alive, there was no way she hadn¡¯t undergone surgery. She looked down at herself. There weren¡¯t any injuries on her chest! Instead, her head and wrist had been wrapped in gauze. Ian frowned at her, taking in her expression as it morphed from suffering to shock. His patience ran out. ¡°Find yourself a taller ce next time if you still wanna jump off buildings. Throwing yourself off the second floor isn¡¯t gonna kill you!¡± With that, he strode out of the room. Sage couldn¡¯t be bothered about him. She continued to check the rest of her body. After spending two years at the mental institution, she¡¯d be gaunt and haggard. But now, her skin was wless, smooth, and supple. Her arms and body were also free from the wounds and bruises the carers and patients at the mental institution had inflicted on her. ¡°Mrs. Hob, Mr. Hob was only saying that because he was angry.¡± Wanda thought she was saddened by Ian¡¯s words and tried to console her. ¡°Couples don¡¯t bear grudges against each other. As long as you talk to him properly, Mr. Hob¡ª¡± ¡°What day is it today, Wanda?¡± Sage interrupted urgently. She was still reeling from what had happened. Wanda gave her a confused look. ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Shekdotter¡¯s birthday. You heard about Mr. Hob celebrating her birthday for her, so you called him toe home ¡­¡± Sage didn¡¯t have time to exin despite knowing Wanda had misunderstood her. She quickly nced around and grabbed her phone from the bedside table. The date was three years ago! Suddenly, she recalled something. She shot out of bed and ran to the conservatory. As expected, it was a mess. There¡¯d been all sorts of expensive flowers inside, but now, all that was left of them were bald stems. Three years ago, Sage had been enraged upon hearing that Ian wanted to celebrate Ivy Shekdotter¡¯s birthday with her. And when she¡¯d heard about him buying flowers for Ivy, she¡¯d trashed the conservatory in a fit of rage. The shards of ceramic had cut her on the wrist. She¡¯d ignored the pain and jumped from the second- floor balcony. Though the bushes beneath had cushioned her fall and prevented her from breaking any limbs, she¡¯d still knocked her head against the bricks around the bushes and had fainted on the spot. So ¡­ she¡¯d gone back three years in time? Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why are you in the conservatory again, Mrs. Hob? There are ceramic shards everywhere; please, don¡¯t do anything rash again!¡± Wanda was afraid of Sage kicking up a fuss again and followed her, wanting to talk some sense into her. ¡°Mr. Hob cares about you. That¡¯s why he returned after hearing that you were injured ¡­ Mr. Hob!¡± Sage looked up when Wanda¡¯s tone turned nervous. Ian wasn¡¯t the only one walking toward them. Ivy, dressed demurely, was with him. They stood shoulder to shoulder before her, looking like a match made in heaven. Chapter 2 ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough of this, Sage? When will you stop causing trouble?¡± Ian snarled. Sageughed 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 exined, ¡°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 exin 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 exnation. But at the time, they¡¯d been in the bedroom. Sage had listened to Ivy¡¯s exnation but had been enraged to see them looking so perfect standing side by side. In a fit of rage, she¡¯d screamed at Ivy to get lost and had grabbed a vase from the bedside table and flung it at Ivy. The vase had hit Ivy in the head, making her bleed and faint. Ian had been furious. He¡¯d immediately lifted Ivy into his arms and taken her to the hospital. Then, he¡¯d stayed there to take care of her for a few days. From that day onward, they grew closer to each other ¡­ The words that had enraged Sage in her previous life no longer affected her in this life. She even smiled nonchntly. ¡°Thanks for exining everything to me, Ms. Shekdotter. I¡¯m not mad. Your father wanted to have a meal with Ian, right? You guys should get going. Don¡¯t keep him waiting!¡± Ivy was taken aback, obviously not expecting Sage to react like that. Even Ian frowned. What was she ying at now? She wasn¡¯t kicking up a fuss despite him reprimanding her. She was even telling him and Ivy to go have a meal together. Just two hours earlier, she¡¯d jumped off the balcony because she¡¯d failed to force him to return home. Did she think she could win his heart by pretending to back down? Now that Ian understood what Sage was up to, he sneered. Then, he turned to Ivy and said, ¡°Since she¡¯s given the green light, let¡¯s go.¡± With that, he turned and left without another look back. Ivy hesitated, told Sage to rest well, and ran after Ian. Wanda was worried when she saw this. ¡°Mrs. Hob, you can¡¯t let Mr. Hob leave with Ms. Shekdotter no matter how mad you are ¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Sage said calmly. Now that she was sure she¡¯d traveled three years back in time, she wouldn¡¯t make the same mistakes anymore. She wouldn¡¯t remain madly in love with Ian, nor would she wait for him to respond to her. He could do whatever he wanted and be with whoever he wanted. It no longer had anything to do with her. From now on, she only wanted to live for herself and her family! N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°I¡¯m starving, Wanda. Could you make me something good to eat?¡± Sage said. Throughout her time in the mental institution, she¡¯d only been given a watery bowl of oats daily alongside her medication. It had resulted in her getting stomach cancer. Now, she wanted a delicious meal topensate herself for everything she¡¯d gone through. Wanda was surprised. ¡°¡­ Of course. I¡¯ll get on it right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Sage followed Wanda to the kitchen. Neither of them noticed Ian standing not too far away. He¡¯d turned back and was watching them with a deep frown. He thought he¡¯d catch Sage throwing a crazed fit upon suddenly turning back. He¡¯d even thought about how he was going to teach her a lesson. Yet when he returned, he found that Sage wasn¡¯t throwing a tantrum at all. She¡¯d even asked Wanda to cook her something! Why was she suddenly acting so out of character? This had to be a new scheme of hers! The thought irritated Ian to no end. He turned and left again. ¡­ After filling her stomach with a scrumptious meal, Sage patted her belly in satisfaction. God, it was the best feeling in the world to be able to have a proper meal! Even before being starved in the mental institution, Sage hadn¡¯t dared to eat until she was full when she¡¯d lived at the Hob residence¡ªshe wanted to maintain a perfect figure so that Ian would like her. ¡°Ian, I¡¯m five feet and five inches, and I weigh 90 pounds. I checked online¡ªeveryone says this is the perfect figure that all models have!¡± Sage had been proud of this, but Ian had only given her a cold nce. ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Indeed, what did it have to do with him? The thought of her starving herself for the sake of a man-made her realize how dumb she¡¯d been. From today onward, she would eat whatever she wanted and as much as she wanted. She wouldn¡¯t mistreat herself anymore! When Sage returned to her room, she called her grandfather. Chapter 3 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 onest 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 be his wife. Though Ian despised her, Sage had still dreamed of winning his heart one day. This all changed when Ivy had returned to the country and joined Ian¡¯spany half a year after Sage and Ian married. The special bond between Ian and Ivy had awakened Sage¡¯s fear of having Ian taken away. She¡¯d started getting anxious and throwing fits. She¡¯d wanted Ian to give her a guarantee. But nothing she¡¯d done had changed the situation. On the contrary, the fits Sage had thrown and her throwing herself off buildings had only pushed Ian further into Ivy¡¯s arms. He¡¯d spent less and less time at home. In her despair, Sage had given it onest shot. She¡¯d begged Linda to create an opportunity for her and Ian to spend some time alone abroad. Unfortunately, right before they¡¯d left the country, Ivy had be the victim of a robbery and arson case. She¡¯d almost lost her life. After the perpetrator had been caught, he¡¯d told the world that Sage had ordered him to do it. Ian had been thoroughly enraged by this. No matter how Sage had tried to exin, he¡¯d insisted on throwing her behind bars. He¡¯d only relented after Sage¡¯s grandfather and Linda had intervened. Still, Ian had insisted on sending her to a mental institution to be ¡°treated¡± for her mental problems. Then, she¡¯d spent two years there. Tears streamed down Sage¡¯s face as she thought about her previous life. Everything that had happened¡ªfrom her twisted personality to the jealousy, madness, and suffering she¡¯d been through¡ª had all stemmed from her craziness over Ian. It had ruined her life. Perhaps the heavens had taken pity on her after seeing everything she¡¯d been through and given her another chance at life. At this point in time, Ian and Ivy had yet to get together, and Sage had yet to go mad. None of those irritational things she¡¯d done had yet to happen. As long as Sage steered clear of them, she wouldn¡¯t end up in the mental institution. She wouldn¡¯t get cancer! She could start her life afresh! ¡­ Sage spent the next three days recuperating at home. The wounds she¡¯d gotten from jumping off the balcony had pretty much healedpletely, and she had a steady mental state. Ian hadn¡¯t shown up since leaving with Ivy three days ago. Surprisingly enough, he¡¯d still stay away from home in this life despite Ivy not getting hurt. Not that Sage cared. She¡¯d already decided to cut Ian out of her life and put an end to this awful marriage. Once everything was taken care of, they would take their respective paths and live their respective lives. Sage dug out Ian¡¯s phone number and called him. It rang for ages, but no one answered. Then, it hit her. She¡¯d almost forgotten about how Ian almost never answered her calls because he didn¡¯t want her to bother him. And so, she texted him. ¡°Are you free now? Bring your identification and the necessary documents so we can head to City Hall and get divorced.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ian didn¡¯t reply to her message. Sage thought he hadn¡¯t read it, so she sent it again. Just like before, it went unanswered. She thought about it and decided to seek him out at Hob Corporation. The receptionist recognized her. After all, after marrying Ian, Sage had made a point of announcing their marriage at thepany to ward off any women who were interested in him. Now, when the receptionist saw Sage, she couldn¡¯t help smiling with a hint of mockery. ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to make an appointment if you want to see Mr. Hob.¡± Everyone knew Ian couldn¡¯t care less about her and even despised her. Sage didn¡¯t let the receptionist¡¯s attitude bother her. Instead, she pulled out an envelope. ¡°Please pass this to Ian, then.¡± With that, she turned to leave. She¡¯d only taken a few steps when she heard the receptionist say mockingly, ¡°I bet it¡¯s yet another disgusting love letter. God, she doesn¡¯t even know how embarrassing she is!¡± Then, she threw the envelope into the trash can. Chapter 4 Sage turned around. ¡°Who gave you permission to throw that away? Pick it back up!¡± The receptionist wasn¡¯t afraid of her. ¡°Why waste time on that? Mr. Hob¡¯s not gonna read it anyway. He¡¯s told us to throw everything that you¡¯ve left here for him!¡± In the past, Sage worried that Ian would push himself too hard. She would always drop by and deliver little trinkets and snacks to help him destress. She¡¯d even written him letters to convey her feelings to him. So, this was how he¡¯d treated her care and concern. Even a mere receptionist dared to do whatever she wanted with the things Sage had left! Sage red at the receptionist. ¡°Regardless of whether Ian looks at the things I bring, you still don¡¯t have the right to throw them away. Now, pick the envelope up!¡± The receptionist curled her lip, saying scornfully, ¡°Fine. What¡¯s the point of pretending to be the president¡¯s wife when you¡¯re just clinging to him like the sorry woman you are?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Sage was about to make the receptionist apologize when a man¡¯s stern voice rang out. She turned to see it was Ian¡¯s assistant, Terry Zane. And beside him was Ian, who wore a ck tailor-made suit. He was handsome, and hisplexion was wless. Even with an icy expression, he was charismatic. In the past, Sage¡¯s heart would always race, and she would blush when she saw him. She would speak to him shyly and tenderly. Now, she didn¡¯t even want to say a word to him. ¡°Mrs. Hob,¡± Terry greeted her politely. Sage didn¡¯t respond to him gleefully as she¡¯d done in the past. From beginning to end, Ian had never acknowledged her as his wife. The fact that Terry had addressed her as ¡°Mrs. Hob¡± was only him being polite. ¡°What¡¯s happened here?¡± Terry didn¡¯t know what Sage was thinking. He repeated his question. The receptionist nced at Ian and said in grievance, ¡°Mr. Hob instructed us not to ept anything that Mrs. Hob brought, but she kept forcing me to deliver an envelope to him. I didn¡¯t dare to go against her, so ¡­¡± At that, Ian scowled. He turned to Sage and snarled, ¡°Who gave you the right to boss people around like this?¡± Sage said truthfully, ¡°I did nothing of the sort, and I didn¡¯t force her to do anything. She threw my things away, so I¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Ian interrupted her impatiently. ¡°You¡¯re the one in the wrong, yet you keep trying to shift the me. You¡¯re beyond rescue, Sage!¡± He hadn¡¯t even bothered to find out the whole truth before deciding that she was in the wrong. It was no wonder the receptionist had the nerve to frame her. She supposed that in Ian¡¯s eyes, she had and always would be a horrendous person. Sage couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin any further. She smiled faintly. ¡°You won¡¯t need to bear with me for much longer.¡± She picked the envelope up from the trash can and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve drawn up a divorce agreement. Let¡¯s go get the divorce settled before City Hall closes for the day.¡± When Terry heard this, he surreptitiously waved the receptionist away and backed away from them. ¡°I called and messaged you, but you never answered or replied. That¡¯s why I came to thepany.¡± Sage handed the envelope to him. Ian didn¡¯t ept it. He sneered. ¡°Is this all that you¡¯vee up with afterying low for a few days? Is this some new trick?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Sage¡¯s smile remained in ce. ¡°You won¡¯t believe me no matter what I say, anyway. The best way to prove my innocence is for us to go to City Hall right now.¡± Ian¡¯s brows furrowed even tighter when he saw her faint smile and emotionless gaze. He¡¯d never seen her like this before. Sage had shamelessly chased after him for years. She¡¯d pulled all sorts of tricks to marry him. Now, she was demanding a divorce? It was the biggest joke of the century! He bet this was yet another way to attract his attention. ¡°Since you¡¯re in such a rush to head to City Hall, you must have something else lying in wait there for me,¡± Ian said coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to do other than clinging to me and harassing me?¡± To Ian, all of Sage¡¯s love and care was nothing more than harassment and trouble. Once again, Sage was d that she¡¯d woken up from her dream. She pulled the divorce agreement out of the envelope. ¡°Look, you can sign the divorce papers now. At least that¡¯ll prove that I¡¯m not harassing you.¡± Ian¡¯s patience ran out as he looked at the divorce agreement. Since Sage wanted to throw a tantrum by demanding a divorce, he would make her wishe true! Chapter 5 ¡°Get me a pen!¡± Ian barked. ¡°Mr. Hob, Mr. Jones and the others are still waiting for you to sign the contract. It¡¯s almost time.¡± Just then, Terry walked over to remind Ian in a low voice. This was regarding an important business deal Hob Corporation had been negotiating for a while. Sage¡¯s sudden appearance was causing them to almost bete. Ian immediately forgot about Sage. He and Terry hurried out of the building. ¡°Ian!¡± Sage ran after him. ¡°Drag her away!¡± On Ian¡¯s orders, a few security guards surrounded Sage. She knew he was a workaholic; it seemed like there wouldn¡¯t be time for them to get the divorce over with today. Sage had no choice but to shout, ¡°I¡¯ll see you at City Hall at 9:00 am tomorrow!¡± Ian got into the waiting car with a poker face, then sped off without a word. Did this mean he would be there or not? Sage bet he would. He couldn¡¯t wait to be free of her, after all. She rxed. When Sage returned to the vi, she logged in to her email ount, which she¡¯d abandoned for some time. There were a few job offers from some investment firms. Instead of deleting them like she normally did, she opened them one by one and read them. All of the offers had already expired. Some of them were from renowned investment firms that many elites in the finance industry would die to get into. She couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d missed out on these opportunities for the sake of a scumbag like Ian! The mere thought of it made her realize how much she¡¯d lost. In this life, she had to n her life properly. She couldn¡¯t ruin it by losing her mind over a man anymore. After emailing her r¨¦sum¨¦ out to a fewpanies, Sage thought about her and Ian¡¯s impending divorce. This time tomorrow, they¡¯d be done. She couldn¡¯t help feeling rxed. She turned theputer off and started packing her stuff. That way, once she had the divorce certificate, she could leave immediately. Sage was energetically packing her things when Wanda walked into the room. ¡°Why are you packing your things, Mrs. Hob? Are you going on a trip somewhere?¡± Wanda was a temporary housekeeper that Ian had hired. To prevent the household staff from spying on them and passing messages to Linda, he¡¯d refused to have household staff from Hob Manor work for them. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. In her previous life, Sage had been bad-tempered and had constantly caused trouble. Wanda had still treated her rtively well, though. It was just that her best friend had told her Ivy had bought Wanda over. She¡¯d believed it and had made life hard for Wanda on several asions. ¡°I¡¯m moving out tomorrow, Wanda,¡± Sage said. She added apologetically, ¡°You¡¯ve had to bear with my temper while caring for me. I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Wanda was surprised. Sage had always been filled with resentment and was quick to fly into a rage. Why was she apologizing so calmly all of a sudden? She couldn¡¯t help feeling like Sage had changed a lot since waking up from her jumping stunt. ¡°You¡¯re being too kind, Mrs. Hob. I haven¡¯t taken anything to heart. But why are you suddenly moving out?¡± she asked. Sage said truthfully, ¡°Ian and I are getting divorced. We¡¯re gonna get it settled tomorrow morning.¡± Wanda was stunned. She¡¯d spent less than a year caring for Sage, but she knew very well how Sage felt about Ian. Every day, Sage would rack her brains, thinking of ways to please Ian. Since Ian liked paintings, Sage had filled the house with famous paintings. And since Ian liked to read, Sage had ced books everywhere in the house, even in the garden. Everything she ate, wore, and used was tailored to suit Ian¡¯s tastes. Yet now, Sage was telling her they were getting divorced? ¡°You love Mr. Hob deeply, don¡¯t you, Mrs. Hob? Why are you suddenly getting a divorce?¡± Wanda couldn¡¯t understand it. Sage chuckled lowly. ¡°I don¡¯t have the energy to love him anymore. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve chosen to let us both off the hook.¡± Wanda was still baffled by the whole thing. She was about to try to persuade Sage to change her mind when she saw Ian standing in the corridor outside. ¡°Mr. Hob, you¡¯re back. Have you eaten? I¡¯ll whip you up something right now.¡± Ian said mildly, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I only came back to collect some documents.¡± With that, he turned to head to the study. Sage called out to him. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Wanda hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Hob, Mrs. Hob, I should get to work. I¡¯ll leave you two to it.¡± Once she was gone, Ian looked at Sage coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯m busy, so you¡¯d better have something serious to talk about.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not exactly free either. I don¡¯t have the time to talk about rubbish with you.¡± Sage dug out the divorce agreement from under a pile of things on the table. She walked over to Ian with it. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to take up a minute of your time¡ªsign this. This way, we can get the divorce certificate first thing tomorrow morning.¡± Ian nced at her. Earlier, whening upstairs, he¡¯d overheard Wanda asking Sage why she wanted a divorce. Right from the beginning, he hadn¡¯t believed for a second that Sage was serious. But when Sage had answered Wanda, her tone had been rxed. It hadn¡¯t seemed like an act. Even now, as she held the divorce agreement out, her delicate face was bare of makeup, and her clothes were loose and casual. It waspletely different from her usual perfectly put-together image. Had she reallye to her senses? Ian took the divorce agreement doubtfully. Its contents were simple¡ªbasically, Sage didn¡¯t want anything. She would leave the marriage without a penny to her name. She¡¯d already signed the agreement. She urged, ¡°Hurry up and sign it if you don¡¯t have any objections.¡± Ian nced at her again. ¡°Are you really willing to get divorced?¡± ¡°Of course. The faster, the better! Do you have a pen? I can get you one!¡± Ian didn¡¯t nod or shake his head. Instead, he handed the divorce agreement back to her. ¡°What¡¯s this supposed to mean? Is there something wrong?¡± Sage asked. Chapter 6 ¡°The Hob family isn¡¯t poor enough to make you leave this marriage without a penny to your name,¡± Ian said in response to Sage¡¯s confusion. ¡°I¡¯ll have Terry draw up another agreement so that you receive appropriatepensation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Sage said firmly. ¡°I didn¡¯t marry you for your money.¡± It wasn¡¯t like she was short on cash. Setting aside the fact that her grandfather had left her some shares, she was plenty capable of earning her own money. She¡¯d only been so insistent on marrying Ian because she¡¯d lost her mind and wanted to chase after her so-called love. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you want to get out of this,¡± Ian said domineeringly. ¡°I¡¯m still going to draw up the agreement based on my terms so that things don¡¯t look too ugly.¡± Oh. So, he was afraid of being humiliated if people were to hear about him allowing his ex-wife to leave without a penny to her name. Sage gave up on arguing with him. ¡°Whatever. You decide. I¡¯ll see you at City Hall tomorrow morning.¡± With that, she backed away and shut the door. She continued packing her things. Ian stood outside the room with a frown. Had she really stopped him just to talk about the divorce? She¡¯d shut the door without hesitation once they were done talking about the agreement. She hadn¡¯t even bothered to say another word. In the past, when he returned home, Sage would circle him and chatter away like a sparrow. One minute, she¡¯d ask him to apany her on a stroll. In the next, she would ask him to enjoy the flowers with her. She also liked using all sorts of excuses to hang around him when he was working. If only she¡¯d been this quiet and sensible throughout their marriage, he wouldn¡¯t despise the thought of coming home so much. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t matter what she was plotting. As long as she could genuinely agree to a divorce tomorrow, he¡¯d have one less burden off his shoulders. ¡­ ¡°Ian, I only want to go to my grandfather¡¯s grave. I¡¯ll only be out for a day! I swear with my life that I won¡¯t ruin your and Ivy¡¯s wedding! If you don¡¯t believe me, I can do whatever you want!¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°You¡¯ll never change, Sage! Since you have a death wish, you should just go to hell. I won¡¯t give you yet another chance to harm Ivy!¡± Ian¡¯s gaze was cold and filled with hatred as he watched Sage stab herself in the heart. Warm blood gushed out and slowly became cold ¡­ Sage woke up with a scream. She shot up in bed. As she looked around at the familiar yet strange surroundings, she sighed in relief. It had been a few days since she¡¯d been reborn, but she still couldn¡¯t stop dreaming about the events of her previous life. The torment and despair she¡¯d experienced prior to her death were smothering. No matter what, she swore not to end up like that anymore. With that thought, Sage got out of bed. She freshened up before leaving the house and heading to City Hall. It wasn¡¯t 9:00 am yet, so City Hall had yet to open. Ian had yet to arrive, too. There were several young couples waiting outside, excited to get married. Sage couldn¡¯t help thinking about how she and Ian had been in the past as she took in the happy, blissful looks on the couples¡¯ faces. At the time, she¡¯d been so excited that she¡¯d arrived early in the morning to wait in line. She¡¯d had to wait until noon for Ian to arrive, though. He¡¯d been cold and distant, but that hadn¡¯t affected her happiness. She thought that was the start of a happy marriage, but it had actually turned out to be the start of her descent to hell ¡­ Meanwhile, Ian sat in the car and stared straight ahead emotionlessly. He still didn¡¯t believe Sage would go through with the divorce. After all, he¡¯d seen the various tricks she¡¯d pulled. To avoid being pranked, he¡¯d sent some men to check on the surrounding environment and the inside of the building. He¡¯d also had someone look into Sage¡¯s recent whereabouts. Yet his subordinates merely reported that there wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary. Now, as he saw the self-deprecation and vague bitterness that flitted past Sage¡¯s face, a trace of unease flickered in his heart. It was only for a split second, though. The one thing Ian hated the most was someone trying to control and threaten him. Sage had done both. She¡¯d brought this divorce upon herself! City Hall¡¯s doors had opened. Sage looked down at her phone and sent a message before walking into the building. ¡°I¡¯ve already arrived. Hurry up and get over here.¡± When Ian saw this message, he took the divorce agreement that Terry had printed and got out of the car. As soon as Sage took a seat, she heard a City Hall employee say in greeting, ¡°Mr. Hob.¡± She looked up. Sure enough, Ian had arrived. That was fast. To think he was so punctual when it came to their divorce¡ªhe¡¯d kept her waiting for the whole morning when they¡¯d gotten married. Ian wore a dark purple shirt, which entuated his features and temperament. The lights shone down on him, forming a halo around him. It made him seem like a god who¡¯d descended from the heavens. Even if Sage had already given up on him, she couldn¡¯t help admitting that he had a wless appearance. It was one of the reasons that she¡¯d been so crazy about him in the past. ¡°Have you seen enough?¡± Ian frowned. He thought she¡¯d changed, yet here she was, staring at him so greedily! Sage didn¡¯t blush nor exin herself. ¡°You brought the agreement, right? Give it here so I can sign it.¡± Ian¡¯s frown deepened as he flung the divorce agreement at her. The City Hall employees waited outside as Sage casually flipped through the agreement. Ian would be giving her ten million dors in alimony. It was only a tiny portion of his fortune, but it was already pretty generous. After all, he¡¯d been forced into this marriage, and he despised her. ¡°You¡¯d better watch your tongue after the divorce. If you use this to spread all sorts of rumors, don¡¯t me me for getting nasty,¡± Ian warned coldly. Chapter 7 Sage found thisughable. When had Ian ever been nice to her? He still didn¡¯t believe she was serious and thought she wanted to use the divorce to smear his reputation. It wasn¡¯t as if getting divorced after a year of marriage was something to be proud of. Why would she go around announcing it to the world? ¡°I swear I won¡¯t mention a word about this. If you don¡¯t trust me, you can add it to the divorce agreement as an additional use,¡± Sage said with a mocking smile. For some reason, her smile irked Ian. ¡°Stop dragging things out. Sign the agreement!¡± He made it sound like she was the one dying things on purpose. Sage couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. She signed the agreement without hesitation. ¡°Here, your turn.¡± She threw the pen and agreement at Ian, who sat at the other end of the table. Since he¡¯d already had someone print the agreement, why hadn¡¯t he signed it beforehand? He was wasting her time! Ian could sense Sage rolling her eyes at him. He suppressed his rage. They wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with each other soon; he would bear with her for a few more minutes! Ian picked up the pen. He was about to sign the agreement when his phone rang. He nced at it to see it was a call from Josephine Hall, the housekeeper who served Linda. As soon as he answered it, Josephine cried anxiously, ¡°Mr. Hob, Mrs. Hob Senior suddenly fainted! I¡¯ve already called a doctor. Hurry up ande over here!¡± Ian shot to his feet when he heard that. He strode out of the room. ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± Sage cried. ¡°Sign the agreement!¡± Something suddenly urred to Ian. He red at her coldly. ¡°Are you behind this?¡± Sage looked baffled. ¡°What are you talking about? Who was that phone call from?¡± She¡¯d deliberately chosen a seat far away from him, so she only knew the person on the other end of the line sounded anxious. She hadn¡¯t heard what had happened. Seeing that Sage didn¡¯t look like she was putting on an act, Ian didn¡¯t press her further. ¡°You¡¯d better not be pulling any tricks over anything to do with Grandma, Sage!¡± With that, he hurried off. From his reaction and words, Sage could tell this had to do with Linda. She hurriedly called Josephine to find out more. When Josephine told her about Linda fainting, she ran out of the building. Linda had always treated her well. Not only had she thought of a way for Sage to marry Ian, but she¡¯d also always spoken up for Sage whenever Sage was aggrieved. Linda was the main reason for Sage and Ian remaining married for so long. However, in Sage¡¯s previous life, she¡¯d let Linda down. Later, after she¡¯d been admitted to the mental institution, she¡¯d heard about Linda¡¯s health deteriorating. It was why Linda hadn¡¯t had time to ask about her. In this life, though Sage would no longer be Linda¡¯s granddaughter-inw, she still wouldn¡¯t forget everything Linda had done for her. Ian¡¯s car was no longer in the parking lot outside. Sage had no choice but to hail a cab. She urged the driver to take her to Hob Manor at top speed. When she ran into the living room, things weren¡¯t as she imagined¡ªthere weren¡¯t any doctors or household staff bustling around urgently. Linda sat in her usual chair; she didn¡¯t look the slightest bit unhealthy. On the contrary, she was ring at Ian. ¡°You¡¯ve grown a pair now, haven¡¯t you? How dare you get a divorce with Sage behind my back!¡± ¡°Grandma, Sage is the one¡ª¡± Ian was about to retort when Linda smacked him with her walking cane. ¡°You¡¯re still trying to argue with me! How could Sage possibly ask for a divorce when she loves you so? Are you trying to give me an aneurysm?¡± Linda was so aggravated that she started coughing. ¡°Grandma!¡± Sage ran over to her. Linda was pleased to see her. ¡°Perfect timing, Sage. Tell me whether this brat¡¯s the one who forced you into getting a divorce!¡± Sage nced at Ian. The fury in his eyes was apparent. If not for Linda being around, he probably would¡¯ve sliced her to pieces. ¡°Why are you ring at Sage?¡± Linda smacked Ian again. Then, she said to Sage, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Sage. Be frank with me. I¡¯ll help you out!¡± Sage was warmed by this. She held Linda¡¯s hand and said gently, ¡°Ian doesn¡¯t have anything to do with this, Grandma. I¡¯m the one who wants to get a divorce.¡± Linda patted her hand consolingly. ¡°You can always let me know if you¡¯ve suffered any sort of grievance, Sage. I¡¯ll make Ian apologize to you, and I¡¯ll smack him if necessary! Don¡¯t joke around about things like divorce, my dear.¡± Linda still didn¡¯t believe her. Sage felt rather helpless. ¡°I know you dote on me, Grandma, but I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯m not acting rashly, either. I¡¯ve thought this through. I want a divorce.¡± Linda¡¯s expression turned serious when she saw how resolute Sage looked. ¡°Come to the chapel with me.¡± ¡­ Half an hourter, Sage helped Linda back to the living room. Her eyes were slightly red. Linda red at Ian with exasperation. ¡°Take Sage home! If I hear about you two secretly getting a divorce again, I¡¯ll show you some tough love!¡± Ian wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised by this. He snorted and got up to leave. ¡°You brat!¡± Linda snarled. Then, she held Sage¡¯s hand, looking like she felt sorry for Sage. ¡°Remember what you promised me, okay?¡± ¡°You have to promise me, too, Grandma. You can¡¯t stop me and Ian from getting divorced after your birthday next month,¡± Sage said. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°What if Ian is in love with you by then?¡± Linda asked. Chapter 8 Sageughed to herself. In her previous life, she¡¯d waited for eight years to receive a divorce certificate and news of him marrying Ivy. How could he fall for her in a month in this life? ¡°I just want to know whether you¡¯d still want to get a divorce if Ian realizes how great you are and falls for you,¡± Linda said. Sage met her hopeful gaze and nodded resolutely. ¡°Yes.¡± No matter how this life turned out, she still didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Ian anymore. She¡¯d had enough of the bitterness of love. She wanted to stay away from Ian and start a new life! ¡­ After walking out of Hob Manor, Sage saw Ian sitting in the car with a dark expression. Despite all the trouble they¡¯d gone to, the divorce had still fallen through. She bet Ian thought she and Linda had schemed to pull this off. She could already foresee Ian humiliating and interrogating her once she got into the car, so she decided to ignore him and hail a cab herself. ¡°Get in the car!¡± Ian ordered coldly when he saw what she was up to. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. We¡¯re going in different directions,¡± Sage said huffily. She was annoyed that they hadn¡¯t managed to go through with the divorce. Why would she be dumb enough to serve herself on a silver tter for Ian to humiliate and insult her? ¡°Sage Joyner!¡± Ian¡¯s tone carried a hint of warning. ¡°Stop fucking calling me! If you¡¯re all that, go get the divorce over with right now!¡± Sage retorted angrily. It was her first time speaking to Ian in such a tone. It was also her first time rebuking him like this. Ian¡¯s expression morphed into one of rage. He snorted. ¡°Fine, then!¡± Before Sage could process what he meant by that, she saw him get out of the car and storm toward her. When she returned to her senses and turned to run, he¡¯d already grabbed hold of her. ¡°Let me go!¡± In her anxiety, she turned and bit him hard on the arm. Ian winced but didn¡¯t let her go. Instead, he lifted her up like she was a cat and threw her into the car. ¡°Drive!¡± hemanded Terry. The car had already been started; there was no way Sage could escape. She quickly pulled out her phone and aimed the camera at Ian. She warned, ¡°If you darey a hand on me, I¡¯ll call the cops and expose you!¡± ¡°Call the cops?¡± Ian looked like he¡¯d just heard a joke. He leaned close to her. As his tall stature closed the distance between them, it made Sage feel oppressed. She couldn¡¯t help retracting her phone a little. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be better than this? Why are you so nervous?¡± He scoffed and held his wrist up, revealing the bite mark on it. ¡°Look at how hard you bit me. Even if I were toy a hand on you, it¡¯d be in self-defense!¡± At this, Sage calmed down. In her previous life, no matter how deeply Ian had hated her, he hadn¡¯tid a hand on her. He probably wasn¡¯t the type to hit women. With how closely Ian was leaning toward her, she could smell the faint scent of pinewood on him. It made her feel ufortable, so she shoved him away. Ian was caught off guard; he hadn¡¯t expected her to get physical with him. He was shoved backward so abruptly that he almost knocked his head on the window. He raged, ¡°Are you addicted to causing trouble, Sage?¡± Sage retorted, ¡°It¡¯s not my problem that a simple shove is enough to make you fall back like that! You¡¯re the weak one!¡± Ian was lost for words. Sage had never been this tough with him, nor had she ever said such mocking things. Now, she was as prickly as a porcupine. He couldn¡¯t help barking out a derisiveugh. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, Sage. Have you finally grown a brain? You¡¯ve learned how to distract me because you know you can¡¯t exin away everything that¡¯s happened today!¡± ¡°What would I need to exin?¡± Sage detested Ian¡¯s tone. ¡°I want the divorce more than you do! Grandma¡¯s the one who¡¯s making me wait until after her birthday!¡± Prior to marrying Ian, Sage had promised Linda that she would do her best as his wife and keep their marriage going. She would do her best to make him fall for her. It had only been a year since then, but she was already breaking her promise to Linda. When Linda had asked Sage to follow her to the chapel earlier, she¡¯d confirmed with Sage how determined thetter was to get divorced. When she was sure there was no changing Sage¡¯s mind, she¡¯d asked Sage to postpone the divorce. She¡¯d told Sage sadly that she didn¡¯t want to be without a granddaughter-inw on her birthday. Sage had no choice but to agree. ¡°You¡¯re a pro at lying through your teeth.¡± Ian sneered. ¡°If you really wanted to get a divorce, why bother letting Grandma know about this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! I have no idea how she found out!¡± ¡°No one would know better than you what happened. I couldn¡¯t possibly have told Grandma about this!¡± When Sage saw the mocking and hateful look on Ian¡¯s face, she suddenly didn¡¯t want to argue with him anymore. She said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go to City Hall to get the divorce over with now. We can keep this from Grandma for now and announce it after her birthday.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop acting!¡± Ian had run out of patience. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have no idea that Grandma already had someone collect our divorce agreement from City Hall! Stop pretending like you want to get things over with now¡ªyou just want Grandma to get mad at me again!¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Sage was taken aback. She hadn¡¯t expected Linda to act so quickly. The fact that Linda could have someone retrieve the divorce agreement meant that she probably had people watching their every move. It looked like secretly getting a divorce wouldn¡¯t work. Sage didn¡¯t insist. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s just bear with each other for another month. I guarantee I¡¯ll go through with the divorce once Grandma¡¯s birthday is over.¡± Ian snorted. He wanted to say something else but was interrupted by his phone ringing. Chapter 9 Ian¡¯s expression softened when he saw who the caller was. He answered it. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ian, it¡¯s almost time for the meeting at Bolton Investment. How long will it take to get here?¡± The car was so silent that Sage heard every word that Ivy said over the phone despite her voice being soft and gentle. Ian had recently acquired Bolton Investment. Ivy had been appointed as its director. In Sage¡¯s previous life, Ivy had contributed much to Bolton Investment and had produced excellent results. It had won her the nickname of ¡°Queen of the Workce¡±. At the time, Sage had been indignant. She¡¯d told Ian that she wanted to get a job at Hob Corporation to prove her capabilities. But all she¡¯d received was Ian¡¯s mockery. ¡°You, work at Hob Corporation? Do you even know how to survive in the workce? Ivy put in so much time and effort to gain the board of directors¡¯ approval. Do you think you can do the same with just a few words? ¡°Ivy may note from as good a background as you, but she¡¯s hardworking, ambitious, and well- mannered. She¡¯s theplete opposite of you¡ªall you know how to do is boss people around. You can¡¯t do anything else!¡± Sage absent-mindedly recalled the events of her previous life. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for now.¡± Ian hung up. Sage was pulled out of her reverie. The Ian from her previous life ovepped with the Ian who sat before her now. Suddenly, she felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Could you pull over here, Mr. Zane? I wanna get out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy to hail a cab here, Mrs. Hob. How about I drop you off at home after taking Mr. Hob to thepany?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary. Just let me off here.¡± Sage didn¡¯t want to spend another second with Ian. Terry didn¡¯t stop the car. He looked at Ian in the rearview mirror and waited for hismand. Ian¡¯s blood boiled when he saw how Sage looked like she couldn¡¯t stand to be in his presence. ¡°Stop the car so she can get out!¡± Terry pulled the car over. Sage got out without hesitance and mmed the door shut. ¡°If you dare pull Grandma into your schemes again, Sage, I won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡± Sage ignored Ian¡¯s warning and walked ahead without a look back. Ian was furious. He turned to look at Terry and barked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you driving? Are you waiting for the sun to set?¡± Terry was lost for words. ¡­ Sage hired an Uber. She had to pay extra because of the distance, but at least it improved her mood. She went to the hospital to get a full-body checkup with a focus on her stomach. Having stomach cancer was much too torturous; in this life, she had to take good care of her health and eradicate all possibility of getting cancer. The results of the checkup would only be out after a few days, so Sage returned to Sris Estate. Wanda had already put some of the things she¡¯d packed into her suitcase yesterday back where they belonged. She asked carefully, ¡°Will Mr. Hob be home tonight, Mrs. Hob? Should we put some things into the suitcase again?¡± Sage was speechless. So, Wanda thought she¡¯d been putting on an act when packing her things yesterday? She thought this whole divorce debacle was all just a show because she knew Ian would be back yesterday? Amidst her speechlessness, Sage crossed Wanda¡¯s name off the list of people she suspected had told Linda about the divorce. Honestly, who was the culprit? She wanted to give that person a good beating. She¡¯d been so close to severing ties with Ian! Now that Sage had promised Linda she wouldn¡¯t move out of Sris Estate before the divorce, she had no choice but to remain there for the time being. ¡­ When Sage woke up the next morning, she decided to go practice her driving. She¡¯d gotten her driver¡¯s license after graduating from high school. It had been a few years since she¡¯dst touched a steering wheel¡ªher skills were rusty. To make her future life more convenient, she had to pick driving up again. There was a Maserati parked in the corner of the garage. Her grandfather had bought it for her as a wedding gift, but she couldn¡¯t bear to drive her own car. Judging from her current skill level, leaving scratches seemed unavoidable. Her heart ached at the thought of damaging the Maserati in any way. And so, Sage picked one of Ian¡¯s cars. She started it and drove out of the garage based on whatever she remembered of driving. When she finally got on the road, she didn¡¯t drive toward the city center, where there were many cars. Instead, she drove slowly along a rtively deserted road. When she drove out again that afternoon, she felt that things were picking up quite well. She drove faster than she had that morning. Sage was approaching a bend in the road. She was about to turn when a dog suddenly shot out of nowhere. It shocked her, making her swerve. With a bang, she rammed right into a car turning in from the main road. When she saw the other car¡¯s wless paint job and gleaming logo, her eyelids twitched. Damn it, she¡¯d been unlucky enough to ram into an expensive car. Thank goodness she¡¯d had the foresight not to drive her own car. Otherwise, her Maserati would be the damaged one now. The driver of the other car had already gotten out. Sage hurriedly did the same. ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying ¡ª¡± The other party ignored her apology. He swiftly took photos of the damage done as evidence and called the cops. It seemed like he¡¯d done this a thousand times before. ¡°Why¡¯s it taking so long?¡± A slightly impatient voice rang out from inside the car. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Morrison. I¡¯ll be done soon,¡± the driver said tremulously. He turned to Sage and said, ¡°Could I take a photo of your ID and have your number, please? I¡¯ll have awyer follow up with youter.¡± Were all wealthy people so efficient when it came to dealing with these things nowadays? Sage collected a driver¡¯s license from the car and handed it to the driver. ¡°The car belongs to Ian Hob. So, this isn¡¯t your car?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my husband¡¯s. This is my phone number.¡± Sage handed him a note with her phone number written on it. ¡°This is thewyer¡¯s business card. He¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Sage was about to ept the business card when the back seat door opened. A tall man got out of the car. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The man was handsome. He wore a casual white suit. If the average Joe were to wear something like that, it¡¯d be a disaster. But on the man, the white Sult entuated the natural nobility andziness in his temperament. He was devilish. Sage couldn¡¯t help feeling like she¡¯d seen him somewhere before but couldn¡¯t remember where. ¡°Mr. Morrison,¡± the driver said nervously. The man looked at Sage. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dying you. I¡¯ll take full responsibility for this,¡± Sage said earnestly. The man smiled devilishly. ¡°Aside from the cost of fixing the car, you¡¯ll also have topensate me for the mental distress you¡¯ve caused me and the cost of dying my business. ¡°I have a deal worth ten billion dors that I need to sign the contract for. Now that you¡¯ve dyed me, you¡¯re gonna have to bear responsibility for all of that.¡± Sage smiled faintly at his preposterous demands. ¡°You look like a proper gentleman, sir, and an affluent one to boot. I didn¡¯t expect you to make a living through extortion.¡± It was no wonder the driver had been so familiar when taking photos of the damage done. The man didn¡¯t get mad. His expression remained devilish as he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I do for a living. If you can¡¯t afford topensate me, have your car¡¯s owner deal with me.¡± Sage understood now. The man¡¯s target was actually Ian. At the same time, lightbulb lit up in her mind. She remembered who the man was now- Shane Morrison, Ian¡¯s biggest competitor. In her previous life, she¡¯d nevere into direct contact with Shane. But when she¡¯d been in the mental institution, she¡¯d seen him on the news before. At the time, Shane¡¯s worth was almost equivalent to Ian¡¯s. Thepany he¡¯d established had also been second only to Hob Corporation. ¡°Mr. Hob, there¡¯s a woman here who ims to be your wife. She rammed into my car while driving your car. What do you think we should do about this?¡± Sage was still taking a trip down memoryne when Shane had already called Ian. ¡°Here, talk to your husband.¡± He handed the phone to her. Sage was speechless. Then, she epted the phone and said, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Did you drive out alone?¡± Ian sounded impatient, but his tone wasn¡¯t too nasty. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Are you injured?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Stay there.¡± He hung up after that. ¡°I¡¯ve long since heard about Mr. Hob having a gorgeous wife. Today, I¡¯ve finally gotten to see you in person. It looks like the rumors are all true!¡± Shaneplimented. But who knew whether he was being sincere? To hell with him and his rumors. Ian hadn¡¯t thrown her a wedding when marrying her. Only those closest to him knew he was married. Sage put on a perfunctory smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve long since heard about you being good at raking in the dors, Mr. Morrison. It¡¯s admirable and an honor to meet you in person.¡± 2/4 As she spoke, she used Shane¡¯s phone to dial her number. He watched her with interest. ¡°I hope that you won¡¯t hold out on me if I ever get the chance to learn a thing or two from you in the future.¡± She returned his phone. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Let¡¯s see how things go.¡± Soon, the traffic police and Shane¡¯swyer arrived. Ian was right behind them in his Maybach. Sage was surprised to see Ian get out of the car. It was good enough if he could send Terry to deal with something like this. What was he doing here in person? Terry spoke to the police andwyer while Ian walked over to her and Shane. He wore a ck shirt which entuated his handsome features. His sharp suit and wless figure made him exude a natural regality and dominance. 2 Earlier, Sage had felt that no one could hold a candle to Shane¡¯s devilishly handsome looks. Now that Ian was here, she couldn¡¯t help thinking that Ian was a tad bit better than Ian. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Hob.¡± Shane held out a hand. Ian ignored him. He nced at Sage instead. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It was just a normal ident at first, but he wanted to extort you.¡± Sage pointed at Shane, pushing the me on him. ¡°Now, now. There¡¯s a little bit of an issue with what you¡¯ve just said, Mrs. Hob. I¡¯m not extorting¨CI¡¯m robbing.¡± Shane didn¡¯t get mad. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. On the contrary, he gave Ian a challenging look. ¡°I heard Bolton Investment is thinking of investing in Mimosa, Mr. Hob. Just so you know, I¡¯m taking that away from you. Think of it as my first gift to you upon returning to the country.¡± Ian snorted almost inaudibly. ¡°Can you handle it?¡± 3/4 +15 BONUS ¡°How about we make a little bet, Mr. Hob? If I bag the deal, you¡¯ll have to give me the piece ofnd for the Green City.¡± Ian snorted again. ¡°You¡¯ve got a big appetite.¡± Shaneughed as well. ¡°I¡¯ll take it that you¡¯ve agreed to the bet, then.¡± Ian ignored him. He said to Sage, ¡°Get in the car. Then, he strode toward the Maybach. Sage didn¡¯t want to leave with him, but he¡¯de in person to deal with the ident she¡¯d caused while driving his car. She couldn¡¯t be too rude, so she followed him. As she got ready to open the back seat door, Ian said coldly, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m your driver?¡± Sage had nothing to say in return. She got into the front passenger seat. Ian didn¡¯t look too pleased as he drove. In the past, Sage would thank him gratefully and tell him every minute detail of what had happened. Now, she didn¡¯t think there was anything for them to talk about. She scrolled on her phone instead. They made the journey in silence. Suddenly, a car behind them honked and shed its lights incessantly. Sage looked at it in the rearview mirror. It was Shane¨Che was following them in his dented car. Ian saw him as well. He didn¡¯t speed up or slow down, merely continuing to drive at his own pace. There was a red light ahead. Shane stopped the car in thene to Sage¡¯s right. He waved a hand at her, indicating that he had something to say. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Shane said, ¡°I have a question that I forgot to ask you, Mrs. Hob.¡± A question for Sage? ¡°What is it?¡± He waved his phone gleefully. ¡°Who do you think will win the bet? Will it be me or Mr. Hob?¡± From the way he waved his phone around, Sage understood what he meant. The fact that she¡¯d left his number and said that she wanted to learn from him meant that she thought he was better than Ian. Shane was trying to achieve two things by asking her this¨Che wanted to put her in a tough spot while also provoking Ian. Sage smiled faintly and said diplomatically, ¡°Bets don¡¯t just depend on a person¡¯s capabilities, really. It also depends on luck.¡± ¡°What do you think of my luck, then?¡± ¡°I honestly wouldn¡¯t know. But let me wish you good luck, Mr. Morrison.¡± Shane wanted to say something else, but Ian had already closed the window, cutting their conversation short. ¡°When have you and him been so friendly with each other?¡± Ian asked impatiently when Sage turned to look at him. Sage threw her hair over her shoulder carelessly. ¡°We¡¯re not. Not yet, anyway.¡± It was hard to say what would happen in the future, though. Shane¡¯spany, Farsight Investment, was a good ce to work. But if she were to go there, that would put her and Ian on opposing sides. Though she was mad and resentful over Ian neglecting her and getting her, admitted to a mental institution, she knew very well he hadn¡¯t had any 1/4 feelings for her. She was the one who¡¯d clung to him. That was why she¡¯d yet to decide whether she wanted to make this move. Ian caught Sage¡¯s underlying meaning. He sneered. The light soon turned green. Shane put the pedal to the metal and shot forward before cutting into the lane Ian and Sage were in. Then, he drove in front of Ian, slowing down deliberately. He moved right when Ian did and moved left when Ian did. He didn¡¯t give Ian the chance to overtake him. Even if Sage wasn¡¯t the one driving, she couldn¡¯t help feeling like Shane was taking things too far. ¡°Sit tight.¡± After enduring this for a while,n suddenly spoke up. Sage turned to look at him. His face was devoid of emotion, but his gaze was cold as he stared straight ahead. She had a bad feeling about this. ¡°You-¡± She screamed after only getting one word out. Ian put the pedal to the metal, making the car shoot forward like a wild horse set free. Sage had yet to realize what was going on when the front of the car rammed into the back of Shane¡¯s car with a loud crash. Tires skidded against the road as Sage¡¯s body jolted forward and mmed back against the seat. When she looked up, still feeling terrified, she saw Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. that Shane hadn¡¯t stopped. He drove forward a bit before reversing the car and ramming into them. Even if Ian had reacted quickly enough to swerve the car away, Shane¡¯s car had still made it go off track. It rammed into a tree by the roadside. Another loud crash followed it. Sage was almost thrown out of her seat. Just then, the window shattered. Sage threw her arms over her head when she saw the ss about tond all over her. The pain didn¡¯te as she¡¯d expected, though. Instead, she was pulled against a hard chest. As she listened to Ian¡¯s pounding heartbeat, her heart, seemed to beat in unison with it. In her previous life, she¡¯d once leaned against Ian¡¯s chest when he¡¯d been drunk. She¡¯d listened to his heartbeat. It had been far slower than the speed at which it was racing now. Was Ian worried about her? ¡°Get up if you¡¯re okay.¡± Ian¡¯s voice was slightly irritated. He¡¯d already released her. She quickly sat up. At the thought of what had just happened, she shouted, Have you lost your mind? How could you ram¡ª Ian kicked the door open before she could finish. ¡°Get out of the car. Don¡¯t stay inside!¡± He even held a hand out to her as he gave the order. Sage was lost for words. He was the one who¡¯d gone crazy and rammed into someone¡¯s car. Why was he making it seem like she was the one in the wrong? Sage was furious. The door on her side was flush against the tree, so she couldn¡¯t open it. mbering out through the driver¡¯s side was her only way out. Her life was more important than anything else. She didn¡¯t throw a tantrum with Ian. Instead, she mbered over the gearbox with difficulty. Then, she ignored Ian¡¯s hand and got out of the car herself. But when she stepped out, she identally knocked herself against the door, almost falling to her feet. Ian caught her and held her steady. The warmth of his hand on her waist made her feel ufortable. She broke free of his embrace and walked a few steps away from the car. The front of the Maybach had been trashed. Two of the windows had shattered, and there was a huge dent in the car. There was white smokeing from the hood. Many other drivers had pulled over to watch the show. Some of them were even discussing the ident. ¡°I bet that car¡¯s trashed. It¡¯s such a waste of a good car!¡± ¡°Right? The other car looks worse, though. The airbag¡¯s been deployed. Man, the rich really know how to have fun.¡± Was Shane¡¯s situation that bad? Sage looked in his direction. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Shane¡¯s car had crashed into a divider on the road. The car looked like it had been totaled. It definitely looked worse than Ian¡¯s car. Just then, the siren of an ambnce rang out. Soon, doctors carried Shane out of his car. ¡°There aren¡¯t any obvious external injuries or broken bones. Initial diagnosis is that he was knocked unconscious by the deployment of the airbag¡­¡± Sage couldn¡¯t help sagging in relief at the diagnosis. At the same time, she wondered how deep a grudge Ian and Shane held against each other. Was it worth putting their lives on the line just because they were on opposing sides in the business world? When Ian and Sage left the police station, it was already nighttime. They heard that Shane had already regained consciousness and was fine. He only had a slight concussion from hitting his head against the wheel. He had to spend a few days in the hospital recuperating. Neither he nor Ian insisted on making the other party pay for the ident. They both made it clear that they would bear their respective responsibilities. The road where the ident had happened was wide, and there hadn¡¯t been many cars. No other cars were involved in the collision, so the police didn¡¯t press the matter. Sage wanted to ask about the bad blood between Ian and Shane, but the icy look on Ian¡¯s face told her it was better not to let her curiosity get the better of her. Terry drove the car over to them. Sage said, ¡°I won¡¯t dy you from heading back to thepany, then. I¡¯ll take a cab home.¡± 1/4 much trouble today, he probably didn¡¯t have time for anything other than work. Sage thought she was being considerate, but Ian only gave her an icy look in response. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve caused enough trouble recently? What else are you plotting?¡± Sage was baffled. ¡°What have I done?¡± Ian sneered in response. Sage realized what he meant. ¡°I was being serious about the divorce! Ramming into Shane¡¯s car was a genuine ident!¡± ¡°How does Shane know you? Did you tell him who you were immediately upon meeting him?¡± This was a hassle to exin, and it wasn¡¯t liken would believe her anyway. Sage didn¡¯t want to waste her breath. ¡°Look, it¡¯s my fault for troubling you today. You don¡¯t have to bother about these things in the future, okay? I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± ¡°Mr. Hob, Mrs. Hob, it¡¯s gettingte, so you two should be exhausted. How about I take you both home so you can get some rest?¡± Terry quickly interjected. He opened the door to the back seat. Sage ignoredn and got into the front passenger seat. Ian didn¡¯t budge. Terry took in the stormy look on his face and decided to pretend he couldn¡¯t see or hear anything. He was only a regr assistant. He wasn¡¯t capable of handling such aplicated matter. In the end, Ian still got into the car. The frostiness he exuded made the temperature in the car drop a few degrees. As Terry drove, he couldn¡¯t help thinking that if things continued like this, he would turn into an ice sculpture. He decided to chat with Sage. ¡°Mrs. Hob, my mother loves the essential oil you gave to me before this. Her sleep has improved a lot.¡± In the past, Sage had often given Ian¡¯s assistants little trinkets and gifts so that she could know more about Ian. Terry generally didn¡¯t ept her gifts the essential oil that she¡¯d made to help with sleep loss was an exception. Sage smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll make some more one day so you can give them to your mother.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Hob.¡± Ian snorted. ¡°Look at how you¡¯re sucking up to my staff. And you expect me to believe you¡¯re serious about wanting a divorce?¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether you wanna believe it or not. There¡¯s one thing you don¡¯t need to worry about, though¨Cyou¡¯re the only person I won¡¯t ever suck up to anymore.¡± Ian almost spluttered with rage. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about that!¡± When they arrived at Sris Estate, Sage was the first to get out of the car. She strode into the house without sparing Ian a nce. ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Hob.¡± Sage had gotten herself a ss of water and was about to drink it when she heard Ian enter the house. Wanda suddenly asked, ¡°How did you injure yourself, Mr. Hob?¡± Sage turned to look. Ian had rolled up his sleeve to reveal long wounds on his arm of differing degrees of severity. They looked quite scary. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say you were injured? Do they hurt?¡± Sage hurried over to him and held his arm up gingerly. He¡¯d probably gotten hurt when shielding her from the ss. Ian looked at her. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking and feeling. It was then that Sage realized what she¡¯d done. She quickly released Ian¡¯s arm and took a step back. At the same time, bitterness surged in her. She¡¯d 3/4 loved Jan deeply for eight years. Being concerned over him had been etched into her bones. It was almost instinctive for her to act when she heard about him being injured. Ian was inexplicably pissed at the warmth of Sage¡¯s fingers leaving his arm only a second after they¡¯d touched him. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°You should get some medication on them if they hurt.¡± Sage turned to head upstairs after saying that, but Ian grabbed her by the hand. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡°Where are you going? Treat these wounds for me!¡± Ian said. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not a doctor, nor am I obligated to do anything for you,¡± Sage said coldly. Ian¡¯s irritation grew. Hadn¡¯t she been worried about him earlier? How could she change her mind in the next second? She was so fickle¨Cminded! ¡°You¡¯re not obligated to do anything for me? Think about who I took these injuries for!¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Sage wanted to say that he wouldn¡¯t have gotten injured if he hadn¡¯t raced Shane like that, but Ian looked like he wanted to settle the score with her. She genuinely wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue with him. She would just give in and treat his wounds. It wouldn¡¯t take long. Wanda had already brought the first¨C aid kit over. Sage took out the Q¨Ctips and rubbing alcohol with a frown. ¡°I¡¯ll go attend to my chores now, Mr. and Mrs. Hob. Call me if anything,¡± said Wanda. She left. you need Sage started tending Ian¡¯s wounds. They weren¡¯t serious, but some of them were flesh¨Cdeep. He¡¯d also bled quite a lot. Ian winced silently¨Cthe alcohol stung as it was applied to the wounds. Sage softened her touch. ¡°There we go.¡± She started putting away the things when she was done applying the iodine. Ian wasn¡¯t too happy with how perfunctory she¡¯d been, though. He said, ¡± You forgot about my forehead.¡± In the past, Sage would freak out over him having a chipped nail. Yet today, she hadn¡¯t even noticed he was injured! Sage nced at his forehead. Indeed, there was a wound at his temple, near his hairline. Perhaps it had been formed when a ss shard had flown at him. It was already starting to scab. She didn¡¯t say anything as she tended to it Ian sat on the couch while Sage stood beside him so that it was easier for her to tend to his wounds. She was very close to him and bent over slightly. A few strands of her hair brushed over his face; her unique scent wafted into Ian¡¯s nostrils. Suddenly, he felt a little stuffy. He undid the buttons at his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Sage held his head still. The sensation of her soft hand touching his forehead made his throat go dry. He looked up, wanting to distract himself with something. But all he saw was Sage¡¯s focused face. Her skin was bright and glowing. He could see the thin hairs on her face. Her nose was dainty, and her lips were full and moist. Suddenly, Ian had the odd urge to bite her. He moved as his heart told him to and reached up to loop an arm over Sage¡¯s neck. Caught off guard, Sage stumbled forward. Her lips were inches away from his when she swiveled her head away. His lips pressed against her cheek. He could feel the softness and suppleness of her skin. Her unique scent enveloped him. Ian tugged her down more. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sage hurriedly straightened up and red at him. Ian returned to his senses. He said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be tending to my wounds. Stop trying to seduce me.¡± ¡°You¡¯repletely nuts.¡± Sage was so angry that she flung the Q¨Ctip at him and stormed upstairs. Ian watched her hips sway as she left. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from recalling how it had felt to hold her slender waist when stopping her from falling earlier. He rubbed his fingers together, suddenly feeling thirsty. He went to the kitchen to get a ss of ice water, Meanwhile, Sage returned to her room and flopped onto the bed. She felt defeated and angry at herself. She¡¯d already decided not to love Ian, yet she¡¯d panicked when learning he was injured. She bet it only reinforced Ian¡¯s belief that she wasn¡¯t serious about the divorce. Ian didn¡¯t go to thepany the next day. Sage avoided him the whole day. When she woke up on the third day, she suddenly came to terms with her- actions. Yes, she¡¯d decided to keep her distance from Ian in this lifetime, but her feelings weren¡¯t going to disappear with a snap of her fingers. After all, she¡¯d loved him for eight years. It was only normal that she couldn¡¯t get out of the habit in such a short time. She would mature and let this go. She would have more in her life. Since her wounds from jumping off the balcony had pretty much recovered, she wanted to go visit her grandfather today. She changed into a simple T- shirt and jeans. It had been a while since Sage had dressed so casually¨Cshe didn¡¯t think it was appropriate, given her identity asn¡¯s wife. When she headed downstairs, she found that Ian hadn¡¯t gone to thepany today, either. And there was an unwee guest in the living room¨CIvy. She wore a smart business suit, and her makeup was done wlessly. She and Ian were chatting andughing while seated on the couch. ¡°You¡¯re awake, Sage.¡± Ivy greeted her naturally when she heard Sagee downstairs. Her tone was so familiar and natural that it seemed like she was thedy of the household. Ian looked at Sage as well. He didn¡¯t look as spirited as usual¨Cperhaps due to his injuries. Oddly enough, he didn¡¯t give her a cold look like he usually did, either. On the contrary, his gaze remained on her for a few more seconds. Sage ignored him and smiled faintly at Ivy. ¡°What brings you here, Ms. Shekdotter?¡± COIN BUNDLE: got more free bonus. +15 BONUS Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°I heard Ian was injured, so I dropped by to see how he was doing. But don¡¯t get the wrong idea about this, Sage!¡± Ivy hurriedly exined as she thought of something. ¡°I needed Ian to sign a document, so I went to his office. ¡°I only learned from Mr. Zane about Ian being injured. Ian isn¡¯t the one who told me about it!¡± Sage smirked. Had she said anything about getting the wrong idea? Why was Ivy in such a hurry to exin herself? She said, ¡°I have a little suggestion for you, Ms. Shekdotter¨Cif you don¡¯t want others to get the wrong idea, don¡¯t do things that could cause misunderstandings. ¡°For instance, if you know a man is married, don¡¯t drop by his house alone when his wife hasn¡¯t invited you over. And even if you do drop by alone, you should act like a proper guest. Make sure to maintain a proper distance when sitting with someone else¡¯s husband.¡± Ivy¡¯s face turned red at Sage¡¯s words. She hurriedly scooted to the side of the couch. ¡°Sage, I-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t address me with such familiarity.¡± Sage interrupted her. ¡°We don¡¯t know each other well enough for you to call me by my first name. If you don¡¯t want to address me as Mrs. Hob, please stick to using Ms. Joyner. ¡°Don¡¯t take things too far, Sage,¡± Ian warned. Oh, dear. Was he protecting her already? Sageughed. ¡°What did I say to make you think I was taking anything too far?¡± ¡°Ian, Sage¨Cno, Mrs. Hob¨Cis right. I was the one who wasn¡¯t paying attention to my actions.¡± Despite feeling embarrassed and awkward, Ivy didn¡¯t forget to gently appease Ian. She got up to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Mrs. Hob. I¡¯ll get going now.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Sage stopped her. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should go.¡± ¡°Sage Joyner!¡± Ian said. Sage couldn¡¯t be bothered about him, though. She grabbed her bag and left. She was still traumatized by the ident from two days ago, so she chose to hail a cab. Her grandfather, Donald Joyner¡¯s home was near the suburbs. It took her close to an hour to get there. When she arrived and saw Donald, still healthy and sprightly, watering the nts in the garden, she couldn¡¯t stop the tears from streaming down her face. She was choked up as she said, ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± ¡°Sage, why are you crying?¡± Donald threw the watering can aside and hurried over to her. Sage was overwhelmed by longing and regret. She couldn¡¯t say a word as she threw herself into Donald¡¯s arms and sobbed. It was great to see him again. She didn¡¯t have a father. She and her mother had lived with Donald since she was born. That was why she¡¯d taken Donald¡¯s surname. Donald had loved and doted on her since she was a child; he would do anything to make her wishes come true. But in her previous life, she¡¯d made. Donald worry about her until the end of his life. She hadn¡¯t even had the chance to see him oncest time before he¡¯d passed away¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sage? Did Ian upset you?¡± Donald asked anxiously. His heart ached for her. Sage had always been proud. She didn¡¯t cry easily. She would only do so if 2/4 she¡¯d suffered the biggest grievance in the world. Sage gradually stopped crying. Her eyes were red as she shook her head. ¡± No. I just missed you too much.¡± ¡°Oh, you.¡± Donald was both exasperated and amused. ¡°You cane home whenever you miss me, right? Why would you have to cry? Are you sure it¡¯s not because ofn?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure! Besides, my life isn¡¯t just about him. I just missed you so much, Grandpa!¡± Donald¡¯s heart settled back in his chest when he saw the familiar petnce on Sage¡¯s face. ¡°Alright, alright. Since you miss me so, you can spend the day with me!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. For the rest of the day, Sage clung to Donald. She stayed by his side as he watered the nts, did some stretches, and worked on his calligraphy. Donald was happy to have Sage with him but knew very well that there were problems between her and Ian. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t go the whole day without even mentioning Ian. ¡°Sage, tell me the truth. What¡¯s going on between you and Ian?¡± Sage yed with his pens as she asked casually, ¡°Would you support me if I were to divorce Ian, Grandpa?¡± ¡°A divorce?¡± Donald was stunned. Sage was so in love with Ian that even he couldn¡¯t help feeling jealous. How could she possibly be considering divorce? ¡°Has he bullied you or something? I¡¯ll teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°No, no!¡± To Donald, Sage and Ian were a loving couple. There was no reason for them to get divorced. That was why Sage had tried to see how he felt about the matter. Seeing that he was so angry, she quickly said, ¡°I was, just joking!¡± a ¡°Don¡¯t joke around about things like this in the future!¡± ¡°Alright, alright!¡± When it was time for dinner, Sage salivated at the sight of the delicious food on the table. ¡°Wow, look at this spread! I have to stuff myself tonight!¡± Donald gave her an affectionate look. ¡°Back to being a little glutton, are we?¡± What happened to your diet?¡± Sage shook her head as she ate a pork chop. ¡°Forget about that. I¡¯m never dieting ever again. I¡¯ll leave it to the people who really need it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my girl. Look at how skinny you are. to think you kept making noise about wanting to diet!¡± As they chatted andughed, Sage heard some noiseing from outside. the house. She turned to look at the door, then nched. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Ian, dressed in a dark suit, walked in. What was he doing there? His expression turned slightly colder when he saw Sage. He seemed to be trying hard to keep his emotions in check. Why did he look like that? Was he still mad over what had happened that morning? ¡°Grandpa,¡± he greeted Donald politely as Sage pondered the matter. ¡°You¡¯re here, Ian. You must be hungry! Come on, join us for dinner. We were just waiting for you!¡± Donald said lovingly. ¡°Here, sit beside Sage. You like fish sticks, don¡¯t you? They¡¯re by Sage¡¯s side.¡± At that, Sage pushed the dish to the center of the table. ¡°Sit on the opposite side.¡± ¡°Sage, what are you doing? That¡¯s rude.¡± After reprimanding Sage, Donald turned to Ian and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ve spoiled her rotten, Ian. She can be willful sometimes. I hope you¡¯ll be more tolerant of her. Don¡¯t bear a grudge against her. Deep down, she has a kind soul.¡± Ian didn¡¯t refute Donald. He sat down opposite Sage and said calmly, ¡°Got it, Grandpa.¡± He¡¯d been raised to have the best manners. Even if he didn¡¯t like Sage, he wouldn¡¯t lose hisposure with Donald around. Of course, there were always exceptions to the rule. In Sage¡¯s previous life, Ian had insisted on having her admitted to a mental institution for Ivy¡¯s sake. Donald had tried to help her, but he¡¯d said almost rudely, ¡°Since you failed to raise her well, I¡¯ll do it on your behalf.¡± o Sage immediately lost her appetite as she recalled the events of her previous life. She picked at her food as Donald and Ian chatted about the news and the economy. ¡°Oh, right, Sage.¡± Donald seemed to think of something. ¡°Remember the perfume sample that you madest time? Many customers loved it and asked me when I was gonna mass produce it!¡± ¡°I only made that for fun, Grandpa. You know how rare the ingredients needed for that perfume are. How can you possibly mass produce it?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.¡± Donald smiled while smacking himself on the head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that my darling Sage is a capable woman. Don¡¯t you think so, Ian?¡± Ian nodded, but it was more out of his respect for an elder than genuine agreement. Sage couldn¡¯t help feeling bitter and guilty at the proud look on Donald¡¯s face. He was deliberately praising her to make Ian realize how many strengths she had. Hopefully, it would make him like her more. It was too bad that Ian would only see her ws. No amount of praise orpliments would change that. They had some tea after dinner. Soon, the sky had gonepletely dark. Donald said cheerily, ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte, so I won¡¯t keep you. You guys should head home and get some rest.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Grandpa. I want to stay here for a few days and spend more time with you!¡± Sage said coquettishly. It had been so long since she¡¯d seen Donald, so she wanted to apany him as much as she could: One day was far from enough. Donald tapped her on the forehead. ¡°Oh, you. Ian came all the way here to pick you up, didn¡¯t he? Why are you sticking around here instead of going home with him?¡± He turned to Ian. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy with work, Ian, but do drop by with Sage for a meal when you have the time.¡± ¡°Got it, Grandpa.¡± Ian nodded politely. Before Sage got into the car, Donald held her hand and said lovingly, ¡°Sage, stop fighting with Ian, okay? It¡¯s always better to talk things out. You shouldn¡¯t let problems fester overnight.¡± After getting into the car, Sage curled up in her seat and turned to face the window. Donald hadn¡¯t believed that she and Ian hadn¡¯t argued. He¡¯d deliberately invited Ian over so that he could help smooth things out between them. Despite his age, he was still concerned about her. Earlier, to stop Donald from worrying, Sage had kept her tears at bay. Now, however, she couldn¡¯t hold them back anymore. ¡°Why did you turn your phone off?¡± Ian asked coldly. ¡°You either run to your grandfather¡¯s or my grandmother¡¯s when you make mistakes. When will you stop causing trouble, Sage? ¡°Your grandfather even said that you had a kind soul. Look at all the things you¡¯ve done¨Chow are any of them considered kind?¡± He got mad when he saw that she was staring out the window without saying a word. He dragged her over to him. ¡°You Ian stopped abruptly. Sage¡¯s face was wet with tears. It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d never cried before¨Cit usually came with a fight, though. She would rage and scream at him while crying, demanding to know why he¡¯d neglected her, why he didn¡¯t love her, why he didn¡¯t spend time with her¡­ She¡¯d been like a child throwing a tantrum. Now, however, she wasn¡¯t making any noise at all. Tears streamed down her face. Her eyes, nose, and lips were all red. There was a sort of fragility to her. For some reason, Ian suddenly felt sorry for her. He let her go and lowered his voice a little. ¡°Don¡¯t think you don¡¯t need to bear the consequences of the things you¡¯ve done by putting on a pitiful act !! +15 BONUS Sage wiped her tears. ¡°I have two things to point out. Firstly, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done to deserve such a shelling. Secondly, I¡¯ve never been kind. Naturally, I don¡¯t have a kind soul. I don¡¯t need you to remind me of it, though!¡± ¡°Why, you-¡± Ian found his earlier pity for herughable when he saw how remorseless she was. ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable, Sage. How can you pretend not to know a thing when you did something like that to Ivy?¡± ¡°What have I done to her now?¡± Sage was baffled. COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¡°See it for yourself!¡± Ian threw his phone at Sage. She picked it up to see some surveince footage. It looked like it had been taken in a basement parking lot. Two men in masks and caps were sneakily peering around a corner. Soon, Ivy arrived at the parking lot. She¡¯d just unlocked the car when the two men charged at her. One of them mped a hand over her mouth and-¡± subdued her while the other opened the door. They stuffed her into the back seat before speeding off. ¡°Where was Ms. Shekdotter taken to? Have you found her yet?¡± Ian suppressed his rage when he saw how serious Sage looked. He said, The security guards on duty noticed that something was wrong and stopped the two men after they forced her into the car.¡± Sage chuckled. ¡°How interesting. Those two men went all the way there to abduct her, yet chose to wait somewhere where the surveince cameras would catch them. That would only make it all the more easier for people to notice them, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that attitude of yours?¡± Ian was angry now. ¡°When the security guards saved Ivy from the car, her mouth had been taped shut, and her limbs were bound. If not for the security guards noticing in time, who knows what could¡¯ve happened?¡± As he spoke, he pulled out a few photos and flung them at Sage. ¡°The two men admitted that a woman gave them some money and a photo before telling them what to do. ¡°On your way to your grandfather¡¯s home, the driver stopped at the gas station while you went into the store. Those two men were there, too. Could things really be that coincidental?¡± Sure enough, there were two men in the photos. They both wore caps, and their figures were simr to the men captured in the surveince footage. They¡¯d appeared at the store at the same time that she was. Sage had only gone in there to get something to eat because she¡¯d skipped breakfast. She hadn¡¯t paid attention to her surroundings at all. She never would¡¯ve expected Ivy to use this against her and frame her with a so¨Ccalled abduction. ¡°It was bad enough that you insulted Ivy this morning. How could you arrange for someone to abduct herter in the day? Don¡¯t you think you should exin yourself?¡± Ian snarled. Sage found thisughable. ¡°What do you think I am, a fortune teller? Or do you think I have ESP or something? How would I know that those men would be there so I could hire them to abduct Ivy?¡± ¡°They¡¯re unemployed vagrants who would do anything for money, and the idea came to you just like that. I don¡¯t see anything wrong with my logic.¡± Sage couldn¡¯t believe his ¡°logic¡°. She said in exasperation, ¡°Call the cops, then! Have them handle this!¡± ¡°You already knew Ivy wasn¡¯t pressing charges and had let the men off the hook. That¡¯s why you¡¯re so calm when talking about getting the cops involved.¡± Ian looked grim. ¡°I can overlook you being willful and kicking up fusses, but I never would¡¯ve expected you to have the nerve to order an abduction. ¡°Even if Ivy doesn¡¯t want to take things further, you have to apologize to her!¡± ¡°And what if I don¡¯t?¡± Sage asked. ¡°I¡¯ll let your grandfather know about this, then. I¡¯ll have him handle this.¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Ian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Are you going to apologize or not?¡± Whatever.¡± Sage gave in. There was no way she would allow Donald to see these things and worry about her. Besides, she also wanted to see what exactly Ivy was up to. Under Ian¡¯s instructions, the driver took them to Ivy¡¯s apartment. It was located in a high¨Cend neighborhood. Rumor had it that Hob Corporation gave all of its senior executives units there. Sage said, ¡°Tell me which floor and unit it is. I¡¯ll head upstairs alone.¡± At Ian¡¯s doubtful gaze, she sneered and continued, ¡°What? We¡¯re already here. Do you think I¡¯m gonna run? Do you want to keep an eye on me?¡± Ian was still suspicious of her. ¡°All you need to do is apologize. Don¡¯t try to pull anything funny.¡± Sage snorted. ¡°Since you have so little trust in me, you can call my phone and listen to the conversation from there!¡± Ian agreed with her suggestion. Meanwhile, Sage sneered to herself. She¡¯d insisted on heading upstairs alone so she could make Ivy put down her guard. Then, she could take the opportunity to wheedle information out of her. Or better yet, she could aggravate Ivy into exposing herself. Her original n had been to record the conversation, but Ian¡¯s agreement to listen through the phone made things much easier. To make it seem like she was being sincere, Sage bought some fruits at the store downstairs. Then, she headed upstairs to Ivy¡¯s apartment. There, she found that the door wasn¡¯t shut properly. ¡°I¡¯m busy, okay? Don¡¯te here if it¡¯s not about anything important!¡± Ivy¡¯s voice was much sterner than it usually was. Sage peeped inside. A somewhat burly woman stood with her back to the door. She held some indiscernible boxes, looking like she wanted to give them to Ivy. ¡°I don¡¯t need these things. Take them back,¡± Ivy said. Sage was about to knock on the door and apologize for the interruption when the woman said, ¡°I¡¯m out of ideas, Ivy. Could you just lend me a hand? When Sage heard her voice, her heart stopped for a second. Her hand froze in mid¨Cair. Still, Ivy and the woman heard her. They turned to look at her. When the woman¡¯s face came into full view, Sage stiffened. Her breathing. sped up, and her scalp tingled. Her blood ran cold. ¡°Mrs. Hob, what are you-¡± Ivy suddenly screamed. Sage had charged forward and flung the fruits at her head. Then, while Ivy was still screaming, Sage mped her hands around her throat. Her eyes were red with rage. ¡°Sage¡­¡± Ivy¡¯s face was red from Sage¡¯s strangling. She iled as she tried to break free, but Sage seemed to be possessed. She refused to let Ivy go. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Have you lost your mind, Sage? What the fuck are you doing?¡± Ivy¡¯s eyes. were rolling into the back of her head when a hand grabbed Sage and dragged her away. Sage staggered backward, falling to the floor. She didn¡¯t get to her feet, nor did she care who the neer was. Instead, she trembled and startedughing. She looked possessed. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Tears started streaming down Sage¡¯s face as sheughed. The memories from her past life of being mistreated, insulted, and tormented at the mental institution shed before her eyes. The nurse in charge of her had been burly and strong; she could drag Sage along with her with just one hand grabbing her by the hair. She could also p her bowl of oatmeal to the floor with one blow. The nurse could even pinch her mouth hard and forcefully pour the medication down her throat when she refused to take them¡­. Sage had always thought the mental institution had arranged for the nurse to torment her as a way of sucking up to Ian. She never would¡¯ve expected the horrible nurse to be Ivy¡¯s rtive! This meant that her life in the mental institution had been so horrific because of Ivy. At the thought of the torment she¡¯d suffered and the pain she¡¯d experienced because of her stomach cancer, Sage wanted nothing more than to strangle Ivy to death. Why had she been so cruel? She already had Ian¡¯s heart. He¡¯d even sent Sage to the mental institution for Ivy¡¯s sake. Why had Ivy refused to let her off the hook? Ian looked at Sage, who was slumped on the floor. Despite her suggestion to remain connected over the phone, he¡¯d still been worried about her pulling something funny. So, he¡¯d followed her upstairs. He never would¡¯ve expected to be greeted by the scene of Sage trying to strangle Ivy when he¡¯d exited the elevator, though.. Now, Sagey amongst a pile of scattered fruits. Her eyes were unfocused, and she seemed to have lost all her strength. Shey limp on the floor. She had a smile on her face, but her tears didn¡¯t stop..It was almost as if 1/4 she¡¯d been through something horrifying and devastating; her face was filled with sorrow, resentment, and hatred. Oddly enough,n didn¡¯t get mad over her insanity. On the contrary, his heart ached a little. ¡°Ian¡­¡± Ian was about to help Sage up when he heard Ivy call his name Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. feebly. When he saw the blood on her forehead and the redness around her neck from Sage¡¯s strangling, he said to the frozen woman, ¡°Go get a first- aid kit!¡± The woman hurriedly went to look for one. Ian helped Ivy up and over to the couch. Then, he walked back over to Sage. He dragged her by the arm. ¡°Get up.¡± Sage was limp all over. When he dragged her by the arm, he felt like he was pulling a lifeless doll. Suddenly, it made him feel uneasy. He frowned and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t youe up here to apologize? Why did you go mad like that?¡± This time, when Sage heard his voice, her eyes started to focus. The strength seemed to flow back into her body. It inexplicably made Ian rx. ¡°Are you going to get together with Ivy once we¡¯re divorced?¡± she asked. Her voice was hoarse; her tone was devoid of emotion. Ian frowned again. He asked in return, ¡°Is that why you wanted to take her life?¡± ¡°I found the first¨Caid kit!¡± Just then, the round¨Cfaced woman came over. Ian wanted to help Sage to her feet, but she pushed him away coldly. She got up herself, straightened her clothes, and left without another look back. Ian was about to chase after her to ask what had happened when Ivy hissed in pain. Since Sage had caused this debacle, he stopped and turned to Ivy. Do you need to go to the hospital?¡± ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re fine? If she¡¯d hit you any harder, you¡¯d need stitches!¡± the woman eximed while tending to Ivy¡¯s wound. ¡°Who was that? Why did she bully you like that as soon as she stepped in here?¡± Ivy forced out a smile. ¡°I think she has the wrong idea about me.¡± ¡°What sort of wrong idea? You¡¯re just too nice, Ivy! Why are you still speaking up for her when she treated you like that? If you ask me, you should¡¯ve called the cops on her!¡± Ivy noticed Ian frown at that. She said to the woman, ¡°You should head home for now. We can talk about this tomorrow.¡± The woman was reluctant to leave but could tell this was the wrong time for her to linger. ¡°Get some rest, Ivy. Call me if you need anyone to care for you tonight.¡± After the woman left, Ian asked Ivy, ¡°What happened? Why did Sage suddenly try to strangle you?¡± He¡¯d been listening on the phone the whole time but hadn¡¯t heard anything out of the ordinary. Ivy put on a scared look. ¡°Did you reprimand Sage¨CMrs. Hob- because of what happened earlier today? I already told you it was fine. She was just throwing a tantrum and acting in the heat of the moment. She¡¯d be fine after venting her anger.¡± Ivy¡¯s meaning was clear¨CSage had been upset because of Ian¡¯s reprimand. That was why she¡¯d tried to kill Ivy. Ian didn¡¯t say anything. He couldn¡¯t help feeling there was something wrong with Sage but couldn¡¯t pinpoint it. When Ivy saw how tightly furrowed his brows were, she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine on my own, Ian. You should go check on Sage. It¡¯s sote now; we wouldn¡¯t want anything to happen to her.¡± Ian didn¡¯t insist on staying. ¡°I¡¯ll have a doctor drop by to check on you. I¡¯ll make it up to you for what happened today.¡± With that, he left. When he was gone, Ivy locked the door. Her expression darkened. Sage had already tried to kill her, yet Ian hadn¡¯t gotten mad at Sage. All he¡¯d done was try to salvage the situation bypensating her on Sage¡¯s behalf. Compensation was thest thing she wanted! Though Sage¡¯s earlier reaction was within Ivy¡¯s expectations, she still couldn¡¯t help feeling that Sage had changed. In the past, Sage would¡¯ve exploded with the slightest provocation. But that day, after waking up from jumping off the balcony, Sage hadn¡¯t screamed and shouted at her. She¡¯d even calmly told Ian to enjoy his time with her. And over the next few days, Sage hadn¡¯t caused any trouble for her. This morning, Sage had even insulted and mocked her. Could someone suddenly be smarter overnight? Chapter 18 Chapter 18 When Ian got downstairs, Sage was already nowhere in sight. ¡°Mr. Hob, Mrs. Hob hailed a cab and left on her own,¡± the driver said tentatively. Ian pursed his lips. He had the driver take him back to Sris Estate. When he arrived, he saw Sage¡¯s shoes strewn haphazardly on the floor. He went upstairs. Sage¡¯s door was shut. There wasn¡¯t so much as a sounding from inside. Ian lingered outside for a while but eventually decided against knocking on the door. The following morning, Ian went downstairs after finishing his morning workout. Wanda was serving breakfast. He sat by the dining table and nced upstairs. ¡°Wake her up for breakfast.¡± Wanda said politely, ¡°Mrs. Hob already left the house, Mr. Hob.¡± Left? He¡¯d deliberately given her some time to calm downst night, only intending to ask her about what had happened in the morning. Yet she¡¯d already left the house? ¡°Where has she gone?¡± Wanda shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. She didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t even have breakfast; it looked like she had something important to do.¡± Ian frowned. ¡°Got it. You can get back to work.¡± Wanda went to the kitchen. Ian called Terry. ¡°Find out what happened at Ivy¡¯s apartmentst night.¡± Sage had been too out of the ordinaryst night. She¡¯d been reluctant to apologize, but at least she¡¯d agreed to do it. Everything had been fine before she¡¯d headed upstairs. Why did it seem like she¡¯d been overflowing with hatred for Ivy as soon as they¡¯d met each other? Ian had no doubt that if he hadn¡¯t gotten there when he had, Sage would¡¯ve killed Ivy. What could¡¯ve caused her to react so aggressively? Sage took a cab to the hospital Shane was at. She arrived at his hospital room after finding out which room he was in. Shane was in a VIP room. Not only was there a bedroom and several people to care for him, but there was also a living room with a huge TV in it. There was even a water dispenser and a leather couch. It was as luxurious as a hotel¡¯s suite. When Sage knocked on the door, the carer had just finished checking Shane¡¯s blood pressure. ¡°My, my. That was fast, Mrs. Hob!¡± Shane smiled with interest when he saw her. ¡°What made you think of visiting me?¡± Sage ced the bouquet of lilies she¡¯d bought on the coffee table. ¡°It¡¯s partly because of me that you¡¯re injured, and I felt bad. That¡¯s why I dropped by to see how your recovery was going.¡± Shane clucked his tongue. ¡°You and your husband are an interesting match. Your husband sent you to visit me after getting me into an ident.¡± The carer left the room after getting Sage a ss of water. Sage sat on the couch beside Shane¡¯s. She smiled and said, ¡°No one sent me here. I came here of my own volition.¡± Shane raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t seem too surprised. ¡°I doubt you¡¯re not here just to visit a patient, Mrs. Hob.¡± It was so easy to talk to smart people. Sage didn¡¯t beat around the bush. ¡°I do have something to ask you about.¡± ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t tell ¡°Something like that.¡± Sage smiled and took a sip of water. ¡°You asked me whether you or Ian would win the bet, right?¡± Shane¡¯s expression became interested. Sage continued, ¡°I think you¡¯ll win because yourdy luck is here.¡± He narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Mydy luck is here? Could you be talking about yourself?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sage smiled. ¡°I can help you score the deal with Mimosa.¡± Shane let out a devilishugh but didn¡¯t say whether he believed her. ¡°What are your conditions, Mrs. Hob?¡± As expected of a businessman. She¡¯d only just gotten started, but he was already asking her what she wanted. Sage said, ¡°I want to join Farsight Investment as your partner. ¡°Aside from Mimosa, I¡¯ll bring with me 100 million dors in capital. I can also guarantee to bring in at least two revenue¨Cmaking projects per year.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Shane crossed one leg over the other and asked with interest, ¡°And how are you going to guarantee that?¡± It wouldn¡¯t be hard for certified investors to bring in two or three projects per year if they were hardworking enough, but even the most experienced. and elite investors in the industry couldn¡¯t guarantee that their projects would make money. How could a trophy wife like Sage be so confident? Sage knew what Shane was doubtful about, but she had the future on her side. She knew very well which projects would make money. All she was worried about was that her rebirth would affect things; that was why she didn¡¯t dare to be greedy and had only guaranteed two projects per year. ¡°If I can¡¯t do it, you can take my 100 million dors aspensation,¡± she said calmly. How interesting. Shane appraised her. She wore a loose woolen sweater over a pair of tight¨Cfitting jeans. They made her legs look particrly slender, and long. Her style was casual yet charming. At that moment, she looked calm and collected. She didn¡¯t seem like she was pulling his leg or like someone who¡¯d gone insane. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting one, Mrs. Hob. Why would the wife of Hob Corporation¡¯s president and thedy of an affluent household cough up 100 million dors to work with me? Has the Hob family run out of ces to spend its money?¡± Shane still didn¡¯t believe her. Sage said seriously, ¡°The money was a wedding gift given by my grandfather; it has nothing to do with the Hob family. Wanting to work with you is also a personal matter. I¡¯ll bear full responsibility for this, whether or not I make money.¡± In her previous life, after being admitted to the mental institution, her aunt had taken over the money, iming that she was ¡°watching over it¡± on Sage¡¯s behalf. In this life, Sage wanted to make full use of it so that others would stop eyeing it. Shane¡¯s expression became a bit more serious at her words. ¡°Your suggestion sounds pretty good, Mrs. Hob. But-¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Shane paused to create suspense, then continued, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to make me believe you without a logical reason.¡± No one would be able to ce their faith in a woman who imed to want to work with them when they¡¯d only seen each other once. To make matters worse, said woman was apetitor¡¯s wife. Sage understood this. She chuckled and said, ¡°What if I were to tell you that.¡± we have the same goal?¡± ¡°Oh? Is your goal to take Ian down?¡± Shane was interested again. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee I can do anything to Ian¡¯s other businesses, but I have to raze Bolton Investment to the ground!¡± Bolton Investment was managed by Ivy. The torture Sage had gone through at the mental institution in her previous life made it clear that even if she didn¡¯t want to fight with Ivy, Ivy wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook. If that were the case, Sage would settle the score with Ivy. She wanted to get even for everything she¡¯d suffered in her previous life! ¡°I heard that you love Mr. Hob with your life, Mrs. Hob. You only managed to marry him after chasing him for years. Why are you suddenly trying to take him down? Have you turned on him?¡± Shane asked. Sage¡¯s smile faded a little. Before this, she¡¯d hesitated over making an enemy out of Ian. Butst night, when she¡¯d asked him whether he would get together with Ivy after their divorce, he hadn¡¯t denied it. This had immediately wiped her doubts away. In her previous life, Ian had allowed Ivy to interfere with the mental institution¡¯s operations. He¡¯d aided and abetted her! ¡°I came here with utmost sincerity, Mr. Morrison,¡± Sage said. ¡°100 million. dors isn¡¯t considered much, but it¡¯s still a considerable sum¨Cand it¡¯ll al be in your hands. If I can join yourpany, I¡¯ll only be involved in the investment side of things. ¡°I won¡¯t stick my nose into your confidential matters. No matter how you think about it, you¡¯re not losing out. Or are you so afraid of Ian setting a trap for you that you don¡¯t even have the courage to work with me?¡± ¡°Ooh, a challenge. I like it.¡± Shane was thoroughly interested now. ¡°I¡¯m very interested in working with you, Mrs. Hob. I¡¯ll need to see how you perform, though¨Clet¡¯s start with you scoring the deal with Mimosa.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Sage agreed readily. ¡°I need to catch up with Bolton Investment, so send me everything you have on this project. I¡¯ll give you a workable proposal in return before we decide on the details. ¡°Alright.¡± Shane held out a hand, looking like he was in a good mood. ¡± Here¡¯s to hoping that we work well together, Mrs. Hob.¡± Sage held out a hand as well. ¡°Thanks for giving me a chance, Mr. Morrison. But please, don¡¯t call me Mrs. Hob from now on. Either my name or Ms. Joyner is fine.¡± Sage went to another hospital to pick up her medical report after leaving Shane¡¯s hospital room. Aside from being a little anemic due to her frequent dieting, she was fine. Sage sighed in relief. Her health was her most important asset. Even if it was just anemia, she couldn¡¯t ignore it. She followed the doctor¡¯s instructions and bought some supplements before returning to Sris Estate. Meanwhile, at Hob Corporation¡¯s president¡¯s office, Terry was reporting the results of his investigation to Ian. It was pretty much the same as what Ian already knew. 2/5 sage had beenpletely normal before stepping into the apartment with the fruits she¡¯d bought. She¡¯d been stunned by something after knocking on the door. Then, she¡¯d charged into the apartment. ¡°I looked into the woman who was in Ms. Shekdotter¡¯s apartmentst night she¡¯s Ms. Shekdotter¡¯s distant rtive. Her son got into a spot of trouble a couple of days ago; she was probably there to ask Ms. Shekdotter for some money,¡± Terry said. Jan asked, ¡°Is there any bad blood between Sage and the woman¡¯s son?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve looked into that, but no. The woman and her son only came to Haldon City this year. They were living in the countryside before this. Mrs. Hob barely leaves the house; she can¡¯t possibly have bumped into them anywhere.¡± So, why had Sage suddenly gone mad? Was it really like Ivy had said? Had Sage been taking out her anger on Ivy because he¡¯d reprimanded her? If that were the case, Sage was a wonderful actress. She¡¯d fooled him when getting out of the car. ¡°There¡¯s something else about Mrs. Hob, sir, but I¡¯m not sure whether I should tell you about it¡­¡± Terry piped up. ¡°What is it?¡± Terry pulled out his phone and handed it to Ian. Ian took it and saw some surveince footage of the company¡¯s lobby. In the video, Sage was stopped by the receptionist and told that she couldn¡¯t see Ian without an appointment. Sage had then handed the receptionist an envelope and asked her to pass it to Ian. Yet the receptionist had thrown the envelope into the trash can and mocked Sage. Sage had been arguing with the receptionist when Ian and Terry showed up. ¡°A member of the board of directors lost his tie clip when he came to thepany a few days ago. I happened to see this when I was checking the 3/5 surveince footage for him,¡± Terry exined. Tan didn¡¯t say anything. The footage was enough to prove that Sage hadn¡¯t been lying that day. The receptionist had framed her. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Hadn¡¯t Sage always been obnoxious and willful? Why would she allow a receptionist to step all over her? Just then, the video yed to the part where Ian said, ¡°You¡¯re the one in the wrong, yet you keep trying to shift the me. You¡¯re beyond rescue, Sage!¡± The video clearly showed how Sage¡¯s face had fallen. Then, she¡¯dughed self¨Cdeprecatingly before pulling out the divorce agreement. Suddenly, Ian felt vexed. He frowned. At his silence, Terry said tentatively, ¡°Mr. Hob ¡°Get out. ¦° Terry didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Terry said, My phone, sir.¡± Ian threw the phone at him and ordered coldly, ¡°Fire that receptionist and send out word that no one is to hire her. Also, have HR intensify its pre- cement training.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll make sure to tell everyone that Mrs. Hob is to be allowed straight up to your office whenever she drops by,¡± Terry said. Ian looked up at him. He wanted to say that Terry was being impudent, but a sudden annoyance took over him when the words were on the tip of his tongue. ¡°Get out!¡± Terry backed out of the office respectfully. Shane was efficient. When Sage arrived home, all the information on Mimosa had already been sent to her e¨Cmail. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Sage checked her inbox to see some replies from thepanies she¡¯d submitted her r¨¦sum¨¦ to earlier. She¡¯d gotten her stockbroking license back in her college days, so most investmentpanies were more inclined to hire her. Two of them had sent her invitations for interviews, and two others had outright offered her jobs. It was just that herck of experience would mean she would get paid lesspared to other licensed investors. Sage sent all of thesepanies short, simple thank¨Cyou messages. Her initial n had been to go back to what she knew and get a job in investing. But now that she¡¯d decided to work with Shane, she couldn¡¯t go anywhere else for the time being. After replying to all her emails, Sage started going through the information on Mimosa. It was a winery that had expanded rtively rapidly in recent years. Its main selling point was that it had a long history and skilled employees who were equivalent to national treasures. This had helped it gain fame. Sage remembered that in her previous life, Mimosa¡¯s stock price had skyrocketed after bing a publicly listedpany through private equity. It had also helped Bolton Investment earn a huge sum. Naturally, manypanies would want to invest in good businesses. Shane¡¯spany wasn¡¯t half bad, but it was still no match for Hob Corporation. Sage figured that he¡¯d probably tried to win the bid for Mimosa but had lost to Hob Corporation. At the time, Sage had been thoroughly focused on Ian. She hadn¡¯t paid attention to anyone else other than him. Now, if she wanted to win the Mimosa project, she had to offer a price that was better than Bolton Investment¡¯s but still within Mimosa¡¯s value. In her previous life, every media outlet had fallen over itself to report on Mimosa after it became publicly listed. Sage remembered that there¡¯d been reports on Bolton¡¯s investment capital and share ratio. She had to take those reports with a grain of salt, though¨Cthey may not necessarily have been totally urate. She could only use them as reference points. Ultimately, she still had to analyze the situation ande up with a strategy that matched what she could see. With that thought in mind, Sage focused her attention on analyzing the information she had. 1/4 That evening, Ian returned to Sris Estate. Wanda was surprised to see him. ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Hob! Dinner will be ready in just a second.¡± She couldn¡¯t help thinking that Ian wasing back more often these days. In the past, he would only return home two or three days a week. If he had to go on business trips, he wouldn¡¯t evene home. But he¡¯d been home for a few days in a row this week- and he was returning earlier each day. Ian nced upstairs. ¡°Is Sage back?¡± Wanda nodded. ¡°Mrs. Hob came home very early today. She¡¯s been cooped up upstairs, though.¡± Ian went upstairs. Sage¡¯s bedroom door was slightly ajar. He could hear her typing away at her computer. He cleared his throat. The typing stopped abruptly and was followed by the sound of footstepsing toward the door. Ian straightened up. He prepared himself for Sage¡¯s usual way of weing him home she would open the door excitedly and ask him why he was home so early. Yet all Sage did was shut the door in his face. She even locked it! ¡°Sage Joyner!¡± Ian couldn¡¯t help barking. Sage ignored him, though. Ian felt his blood pressure rise as he stood there for a few seconds, waiting for her to respond. When she didn¡¯t, he turned and flounced off to the study. He stayed in there for half an hour; Sage didn¡¯te out of her room at all, let alone bring some fruits and tea to him while asking him this and that. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the study felt smothering. Ian went downstairs instead. ¡°Are you going out, Mr. Hob? Dinner¡¯s ready, though,¡± Wanda said. Ian didn¡¯t say anything. He sat down at the dining table, looking murderous. Wanda continued in a small voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go get Mrs. Hob.¡± Shortly after, Sage, dressed in loungewear, came downstairs with Wanda by her side. She seemed to be in a good mood as she chatted andughed with Wanda. Seeing her like this only made Ian¡¯s blood pressure rise again. He thought she was still stuck in her slump fromst Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. night. Now, it seemed like it hadn¡¯t affected her in the least. ¡°Mrs. Hob, I¡¯ve made you some dishes that are high in iron. Remember to have as much as you can, okay?¡± Wanda said. ¡°Alright. Thanks, Wanda. Have a seat and join us,¡± Sage said. Wanda shook her head. ¡°That won¡¯t do. I left some food for myself in the kitchen.¡± Ian frowned. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Wanda answered, ¡°Mrs. Hob¡¯s a little anemic; the doctor told her to take more foods high in iron. Mr. and Mrs. Hob, you guys should eat. I¡¯ll be in the kitchen.¡± After she left, Ian picked up his cutlery and asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I ever heard about you being anemic?¡± Sage sipped her broth. ¡°You¡¯re not a doctor. What¡¯s the point of letting you know?¡± Ian was upset by her retort. He suppressed his anger before pulling out a ck card and sliding it over to her. ¡°Go and buy whatever you want.¡± Sage looked up, seemingly confused. Ian continued, ¡°Stop this fuss with the divorce and don¡¯t go harming Ivy just because you¡¯re mad about me not spending that stupid fifth anniversary of our first meeting with you. You even got Grandma and your grandfather worried.¡± He tapped the ck card. ¡°Take this and go pick out something as a gift. This matter ends here. You don¡¯t need to apologize to Ivy, but don¡¯t ever pull something like that in the future. Sage didn¡¯t know how to feel about the matter. Indeed, the day she¡¯d been reborn hadn¡¯t just been Ivy¡¯s birthday¨Cit had also been the fifth anniversary of her and Ian¡¯s first meeting. Ian had been on a business trip on their first wedding anniversary, so they hadn¡¯t gotten to celebrate it together. That was why Sage had viewed the anniversary of their first meeting as particrly important. She¡¯d happily picked out a gift and prepared scented candles as a surprise for Ian. She¡¯d wanted that day to be a beautiful memory. Yet all she¡¯d gotten was the news of Ian wanting to spend the day with Ivy to celebrate her birthday¡­ Sage had always thought that Ian had no idea what day that was. It turned out he was .. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Ian had even gotten the idea that Sage was demanding a divorce because she was throwing a tantrum over what had happened that day. Even if it was unnecessary, she still couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Since you knew that was the fifth anniversary of our first meeting, you must¡¯ve known how important it was to me. Why did you still leave with Ivy?¡± e Ian looked calm. ¡°To me, it was no different from any other day.¡± Of course. Since he didn¡¯t love her, what did any sort of anniversary matter? All of this¡± was nothing but her single¨Csided expectations. Sage muttered self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°I wonder where I found the courage to think I could move you one day.¡± Ian didn¡¯t hear her properly. When he turned to look at her, her expression had already gone back to normal. ¡°I¡¯m not throwing a tantrum or kicking up a fuss. I¡¯m serious. about wanting to divorce.¡± She was still going on about the divorce! Ian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Do you think marriage is a game? Do you think you can get married and divorced whenever you want?¡± Sage found this funny. ¡°What, don¡¯t you want to get rid of me as soon as possible so you can get together with your lovely Ivy?¡± Ian despised Sage¡¯s tone. She sounded harsh, contemptuous, and uncaring. ¡°That¡¯s my business. You have no right to use Grandma to force me into getting married when you want, then demand a divorce just because you want one!¡± ¡°What do you want, then?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve tormented me for so long, you have to wait until I¡¯m done tormenting you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re nuts.¡± Sage put down her cutlery and stood up. ¡°There¡¯s more than a month left until Grandma¡¯s birthday. Once it¡¯s over, we¡¯re getting divorced. I¡¯m not waiting a second longer!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you even dare think about it, Sage!¡± Ian was steely¨Cfaced now. ¡°You love being Mrs. Hob, don¡¯t you? You can keep that identity until I¡¯m sick of you!¡± He flung his cutlery onto the table and left. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you, Ian?¡± Sage shouted at his back. Just a few days ago, he¡¯d been desperate to get rid of her. Today, he was saying that she had to stick around until he was sick of her. Hadn¡¯t he gotten sick of her ages ago? ¡°Go get your head checked if something¡¯s wrong with it!¡± But no matter how loudly Sage shouted, Ian didn¡¯t turn to look at her. He opened the front door and strode out of the house, leaving Sage fuming along in the dining room. Just then, her phone rang. The ringtone was one she¡¯d recorded specially forn to use, but he¡¯d scorned it. So, Sage set it as her own ringtone. She figured there was a chance Ian would use it once he was used to it. God, how could she have been such a hopeless romantic in the past? Sage answered the phone. ¡°Hey, Tiana.¡± ¡°Did someone step on your tail or something? Why do you sound so mad?¡± Tiana Ford asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I got bitten by a dog.¡± Sage sighed in exasperation. ¡°Why are you calling me instead of spending time with your precious?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on the night shift,¡± Tiana said sweetly. ¡°It¡¯s almost his birthday, so I was thinking of heading to the mall to pick out something for him. Are you free tomorrow? Can youe with me?¡± Sage looked at the ck card before her. ¡°Sure!¡± Not only would she go shopping with Tiana, but she would also swipe the hell out of Ian¡¯s card to vent her frustrations. The next day, Tiana and Sage met up at the mall. Tiana said teasingly, ¡°My, my. It¡¯s only been half a month since we¡¯ve seen each other, but you look so spirited now. Hasn finally been showering you with his love?¡± Sage had stopped dieting recently and was taking her meals regrly. Plus, Wanda had been making her nutritious meals every day. How could she not be more spirited? ¡°Don¡¯t even mention him. I don¡¯t want to get in a bad mood.¡± Sage said, ¡°I¡¯m a natural beauty who doesn¡¯t need any bastard¡¯s love.¡± 2/3 Tiana asked uncertainly, ¡°Is the bastard you¡¯re referring to¡­ ¡°It can¡¯t be your precious Dr. Tate, right?¡± ¡°But-¡± Ian?¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°No buts.¡± Sage knew what Tiana wanted to say¨Cit had to be something about how much she loved Ian. She linked arms with Tiana. ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping. We can talk while looking around!¡± Their first stop was at a jewelry store. Sage pointed at the most expensive pieces in the store. ¡°I want this one, this one, that one, that one, and that one. Wrap them all up for me!¡± The sales clerk¡¯s eyes lit up at her words. She was this close to getting on her knees and kissing Sage¡¯s feet. On the other hand, Tiana was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you, Sage? You may have money now, but this isn¡¯t the way you should spend it!¡± Sage said, ¡°It¡¯s the bastard¡¯s money. I might as well use it instead of letting it go to waste!¡± Even if she didn¡¯t spend the money, it would end up in Ivy¡¯s pocket. There was no way she would let Ivy get her hands on a single cent! ¡°Has anything caught your eye? I¡¯ll buy it for you!¡± Sage said after paying for the things she¡¯d picked out. Tiana shook her head. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I¡¯m gonna check out the discounted items in the men¡¯s section.¡± She didn¡¯t actually need to buy discounted items; with William Tate¡¯s sry, she could spend several thousand dors in a single shopping spree without batting an eyelid. There was no way she could afford to splurge as Sage had just done, though. The jewelry Sage had purchased was too valuable for her to carry around in the mall, so the sales clerk offered to have it delivered to her home. As Sage and Tiana made their way to the men¡¯s section, Sage stopped to buy several luxury items like clothes and shoes. Tiana gaped at her. ¡°Are you really okay, Sage?¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Sage tended to go shopping in the past, but she had never bought this many items, Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Did she suffer from some sort of shock or trauma? Sage smiled as she responded with a question of her own. ¡°Do I not look fine to you?¡± Tiana nodded immediately. ¡°Yes, you look a little less than fine!¡± Now rendered speechless, Sage could only pat Tiana on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± By the time the women reached the men¡¯s apparel section, Sage¡¯s arms were already loaded with shopping bags. Tiana started browsing the disy of ties on the racks. ¡°Sage, do you want to pick out a gift forn as well?¡± Sage rejected her immediately. ¡°No way. He¡¯s not worthy of anything.¡± Tiana fell silent at that response. Sage was definitely not fine at all. ¡°How could you stain the tuxedo? When I loaned it to you, I made it very clear that you mustn¡¯t get any dirt or grime on it!¡± At that moment, Sage and Tiana heard a loud voice berating someone else from the luxury tuxedo store which was located across from the store they were in. Sage turned to see a tall and handsome young man apologizing to the salesperson in the tuxedo store. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that. It¡¯s just that an ident happened at the venue I wore this to. Is it possible for the tux to be sent to a dry cleaner? I¡¯ll foot the bill, I promise!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that tux can get dry cleaned! Our tuxedos are all masterpieces produced by famous designers! The fabric used on the tuxes is extremely expensive, you know! ¡°This tux will be degraded to a second¨Crate outfit if I were to send it to the dry cleaner! You have to buy this tuxedo right here, right now!¡± The poor man looked rather flustered. ¡°Can¡¯t you just let me off the hook this one time? I don¡¯t mind paying extra for the dry cleaning bill!¡± 1/5 ¡°No way- ¡°How much is the tux? I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± Sage had approached the arguing duo at that moment. Both the customer and the salesperson were surprised to see her. When the salesperson noticed the shopping bags hanging off Sage¡¯s arms, he simpered at her in an attempt to butter her up. ¡°Ma¡¯am, this tuxedo happens to be one of thetest designs fresh off the fall lineup. Ites with a price tag of 28,800 dors.¡± Sage passed her ck card to the salesperson. ¡°Use this card. There¡¯s no need for any authorization procedures.¡± The surprised salesperson grabbed the card and rang the tuxedo up immediately. Meanwhile, the handsome man gazed at Sage gratefully, though the nervousness on his face was palpable for all to see. ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯ll make sure to scrub the grime awayter properly.¡± The salesperson returned to Sage with the card and the bagged tuxedo at that moment. So, Sage passed the shopping bag over to the man. ¡°Take it,¡± she said. ¡°Please give me your address and phone number, miss. I¡¯ll deliver the tuxedo to you once it¡¯s thoroughly cleaned.¡± Sage chuckled in response. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. You can keep the tux for yourself.¡± ¡°No way!¡± The man waved his hands immediately. ¡°I can¡¯t ept the tux! I didn¡¯t do anything to earn it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an outfit. Even if you were to give it to me, I couldn¡¯t wear it at all. You can¡¯t just throw it away, right? That¡¯d be a huge waste.¡± Sage spent the next few minutes trying to convince the man to ept the tuxedo. Still, he was too uneasy and reluctant to do so. Hence, she offered smilingly, ¡°How about I make a deal with you? You have to help me out when I ask you for a favor in the future.¡± She bore a serious and determined expression at that moment. A moment¡¯s hesitationter, the man finally epted her offer. A solemn look fleeted across his clear eyes as he replied, ¡°Of course, miss. I¡¯ll give you my phone number,¡± Sage shook her head. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll seek you out when it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The man nodded at Sage gratefully before leaving with the tuxedo, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you just gifted a tux that¡¯s almost worth 30 thousand dors to a stranger!¡± Tiana gasped out as she approached Sage. ¡°You really are kind¨Chearted, Sage.¡± Of course, Sage wasn¡¯t that kind to lend a helping hand to a stranger. She knew who that man was. He was destined to stand out in a singing talent show. In Sage¡¯s past life, Mimosa had hired the man as their spokesperson after it was enlisted as a proper company. The man¡¯s handsome appearance and charming personality ended up boosting Mimosa¡¯s poprity. Because of that reason, Sage chose to help the man out. She thought of her benevolent actions as an investment she had made in advance. Also, she was using Ian¡¯s money the whole time. It was all the more reason for her to be a good Samaritan. Sage opted to not tell Tiana for any of those reasons. Instead, she spun another excuse on the spot. ¡°It¡¯s in my nature to help people out, you know.¡± Tiana didn¡¯t know what to say afterward. So, she outfits and a delicate pen for Wilson. that hailed from a luxuryed on picking out a few casual ¡°He¡¯ll be attending an international convention next month. This pen will surelye in handy for him.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, why don¡¯t you pick out some clothes for yourself?¡± Sage asked. Tiana shook her head in response. ¡°I don¡¯t need them. I still have plenty of clothes in my closet. Besides, I don¡¯t have time to doll up because of my job.¡± Sage didn¡¯t hesitate to expose her best friend¡¯s actual thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re worried that your mother¨Cin¨C law might diss you for spending so much money without being capable of earning a big fat paycheck, right?¡± Tiana was a nurse with a low sry. But she decided to get married to Wilson, a handsome and wealthy doctor working at one of the most elite hospitals via a shotgun marriage. Wilson¡¯s parents were extremely dissatisfied with Tiana¡¯s background and qualities. They often nitpicked at her ws. Tiana let out a small sigh at that thought. ¡°I do feel aggrieved sometimes, but I feel that all the hardships I¡¯ve been enduring are worth it the moment I see Wilson¡¯s face.¡± Sage and Tiana weren¡¯t best friends without a reason. Both women were hopeless romantics who cared about their partners¡® looks the most. Also, they tended to give their all just to please the men they loved. The recollection of how Tiana and Wilson¡¯s marriage had ended filled Sage¡¯s heart with grief and pain. Then again, she had gone through simr events as well. That was why she knew very well that no one else could persuade Tiana to dump Wilson¡¯s ass. At that moment, Tiana¡¯s mother¨Cinw called her on the phone and urged her to go home immediately. Sage could only envelope Tiana in a hug. ¡°Tiana, you have to love yourself a alright?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Got it. Don¡¯t make this a sappy goodbye, okay? Everyone has their own problems to face in their own lives. I¡¯m a strong woman, you know.¡± amore, Back at Holcolm Corporation, Terry kept staring at the messages showing the amount charged to Ian¡¯s ck card popping up on the screen of his work phone. Shock and uneasiness gripped his heart tightly the whole time. If Sage kept making more purchases with the ck card, she¡¯d definitely go over the credit limit. Of course, Terry knew very well that Sage was the one using this card. Ian had given this card to her in the past, but she had never used it in her entire life. Why did she make so many purchases out of the blue? Terry pondered over this issue for a very long time. In the end, he still knocked on Ian¡¯s office door. ¡°What is it?¡± Ian¡¯s unfriendly tone made Terry¡¯s heart skip a beat anxiously. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Terry found himself regretting his decision. Ian had worked overtime till the wee hours of the morning. He proceeded to spend the entire day wearing nothing but a poker face. It was clear that he was in a bad mood. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Would Terry be making things worse for Ian by bringing up Sage¡¯s shopping spree at this time? ¡°Get your ass over here right now if you want to talk to me about something!¡± Ian grumbled impatiently. Terry had no choice but to walk over to Ian. There, he tapped on the messaging app cautiously and disyed the horde of messages. Ian shot a nce at the screen, soon noticing the automated messages sent by various mall¨Cbased stores. There were purchases that exceeded hundreds of thousands of dors, but there were also purchases showcasing only triple digits. All of these messages were sent from jewelry and apparel stores which were frequented bydies. At that moment, a new message popped up on the screen with a loud ding. ¡°Thank you for shopping at Gentlemen¡¯s Style! Your bill is 28,800 dors! We hope to see you next time!¡± Terry didn¡¯t know if he was seeing things. He thought he noticed Ian¡¯s furrowed brows rxing slightly at the sight of the message. Even though clothes with such a meager price tag would never be part of Ian¡¯s daily wardrobe, Terry decided to risk his life by givingn apliment. ¡°It seems that Mrs. Hob has even bought you clothes even though she¡¯s out on a shopping spree. She really cares about you, Mr. Hob,¡± As expected, Ian¡¯s expression softened a lot. Still, he harrumphed coldly at Terry¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t care about her. Terry picked up on the underlying meaning in Ian¡¯s response immediately. ¡°Mr. Hob wou must You even spent the day working non¨Cstop. Why don¡¯t you go home and get some rest?¡± Ian stretchedzily. It was true that he felt rather exhausted. ¡°Have Wanda brew a pot of strong coffee for me. I need it to perk up. ¡°Yes, sir. It was almost 5:00 pm when Sage finally returned to Sris Estate. She had visited a beauty salon on a whim just to get her hair done right after Tiana left the mall. The sight of her high¨Cspirited reflection in the mirror left her in a pretty good mood.. ¡°Mrs. Hob, Mr. Hob is already home. He¡¯s currently in his study on the second floor,¡± Wanda reported the moment Sage entered the mansion. Why would Ian be at home at a time like this? Was he nning to question Sage for almost overcharging the ck card? It¡¯d be great if that were the case. Sage would take advantage ofn¡¯s abhorrence toward her to bring up the divorce once again. She passed the shopping bags to Wanda before ascending the stairs. The door of Ian¡¯s study was left ajar, so she strode toward the doorway immediately. Just as Sage was about to knock on the door, she spottedn sitting on the couch while engaging in a video call with another person. ¡°Ian, what¡¯s with the bidding contract?¡± That was Ivy¡¯s voice. ¡°Uncle Ron has always wanted to be in charge of this project, hasn¡¯t he? I had Terry secure the contract for him.¡± ¡°Ian, you¡¯ve already helped my family out numerous times in the past. You shouldn¡¯t be worrying about my family¡¯s affairs from now on. Dad and I are able to deal with them. properly, you know.¡± Ivy¡¯s tone had taken on a grateful edge at that point. It seemed that Ian had just gifted his future father¨Cinw a precious contract just to please Ivy, his female best friend. Said friend was incredibly grateful to him as a result. Soon, those two would open up to each other with heartfelt confessions. Asn¡¯s legal wife, what should Sage do in order to maintain her elegance andposure? She chose to turn around and leave the doorway. Before Sage descended the stairs, she could still hear Ian¡¯s gentle voice drifting from the study. ¡°I did promise you in the past that I¡¯d¡­¡± Not only did Ian give Sage a ck card, but he had also given Ivy a contract. That man sure was good at appeasing both love interests. When Sage reached the living room, she saw Wanda arranging everything she had bought during her shopping spree. ¡°Mrs. Hob, I¡¯ve already ced the jewelry the mall¡¯s staff had delivered here this afternoon. Should I do the same to the rest of the haul?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± A thought popped into Sage¡¯s mind the moment she responded to Wanda. She added hastily, ¡°By the way, I want you to pack up all the clothes stowed away on the first row of the closet and donate them.¡± ¡°You want me to donate them?¡± Wanda looked astonished. ¡°Aren¡¯t those your favorite clothes, Mrs. Hob?¡± In the past, Sage used to change into one of those many outfits and put on beautiful makeup. If I happened to spare her more than a nce, she¡¯d be so ted that she¡¯d buy more outfits of a simr style. To think that Sage wanted Wanda to donate all of those clothes¡­ Sage knew what Wanda was thinking, so she shed her a small smile. ¡°Those clothes never suited me anyway. They¡¯d just make me feel even more suffocated if I were to leave them lying around here. You can just donate them to people who need them more. She had picked those clothes out ording to Ian¡¯s preferences. Well, to put it more urately, she had picked those clothes out ording to Ivy¡¯s dressing style. Sage had once thought that Ian would pay her more heed if she were to dress up like Ivy. Oh, how foolish she was in the past. ¡°Just start dinner without me, Wanda. I¡¯m going to practice driving for a bit.¡± Sage started walking toward the garage as she spoke. Sometimeter,n had already drained a pot of coffee and dealt with numerous emails In his inbox. He left his study after realizing that it would be dinnertime soon. Sage was nowhere to be found in the master bedroom, but Ian could hear rustling soundsing from the walk¨Cin closet. He walked over to the walk¨Cin closet to see Wanda folding some clothes and putting them away in stic bags. ¡°Why are you here at this hour?¡± he asked. ¡°My apologies, Mr. Hob. I¡¯ll prepare dinner right away,¡± Wanda answered nervously. ¡°Mrs. Hob told me that she wanted to donate these clothes. I got so immersed in cleaning out the closet that I¡¯ve completely lost track of the time.¡± ¡°She wants to donate the clothes?¡± ¡°Yes, 1. r. Hob stated that she no longer wished to keep the clothes that didn¡¯t suit her,¡± Wanda responded honestly. Ian was already used to Sage acting on a whim. He shot a nce at the row of sealed clothes, shoes, and bags sitting on the floor. All of them came from luxury brands catering todies. ¡°Mrs. Hob bought these things today. I didn¡¯t have a chance to put them away,¡± Wanda exined hurriedly. ¡°Is everything here?¡± Ian asked tly, his expression carefully neutral. Wanda was puzzled by the question, but she still answered Ian truthfully. ¡°Yes, everything¡¯sid out here other than the jewelry. I¡¯ve already put them away for Mrs. Hob earlier this afternoon. Ian pursed his lips in response. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Mrs. Hob has mentioned that she¡¯ll be practicing her driving skills.¡± Sage had taken her Maserati out for a spin today. Thanks to the ident from before, she dared not drive on the roads which were congested with traffic. Instead, she practiced on the wide field behind the affluent neighborhood. Just as Sage was having fun practicing her driving skills, she caught sight of a ck car parked some distance away from her. Ian happened to be standing right next to ft. The sky had already darkened at that time. The only source of light came from the streetlights which were erected next to the road. Ian stood next to his car, still d in a suit that brought out his charms. He folded his arms casually in front of his chest. His figure seemed even taller and more slender under the illumination of a nearby streetlight. That scenery resembled a picturesque movie poster which forever sealed the timeless beauty of the moment. Sage¡¯s momentary loss of focus caused yet another incident to arise. One of her car¡¯s right tires got itself lodged in a pit at that moment. It wasn¡¯t exactly a deep pit, but Sage couldn¡¯t free the tire from the pit even after stepping down on the gas pedal a few times. This was why she shouldn¡¯t get distracted by beauty and nice things! To think that she¡¯d get one of her tires stuck in a pit just because she spent a few extra seconds staring at Ian! It was a good thing that Sage wasn¡¯t driving on the road right now. She could¡¯ve gotten into another ident if that were to happen to her again. ¡°Get out of the car. I¡¯ll do it for you. HOME Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ian¡¯s voice came drifting into Sage¡¯s ear when she was in the midst of stomping on the gas pedal. She raised her head immediately, only to find out that Ian was already standing next to her car. Yes, she might be embarrassed because of what happened, but she wasn¡¯t so immature to turn down his helping hand at a time like this. Sage pouted as she undid her seatbelt and got out of the driving seat. Ian got into the driving seat and spun the steering wheel around casually. Then, he threw the gear into reverse and mmed his foot onto the gas pedal. Just like that, he was able to back the tire out of the pit effortlessly. Soon, he got out of the driving seat. ¡°You can continue practicing now.¡± Sage pouted once again as she got back into the seat. The moment she buckled her seatbelt, she was surprised to seen getting into the front passenger seat. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she demanded with a frown. Ian shot Sage a nce. Instead of answering her question, he asked, ¡°Why did you style your hair like this?¡± Sage gazed at her shoulder¨Clength wavy hair in the rearview mirror. ¡°It¡¯s my hair. I do as I please to it. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Ian¡¯s expression crumbled slightly at Sage¡¯s response. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to talk about? If not, then get out of my car. Can¡¯t you. see that I¡¯m busy?¡± Sage didn¡¯t hesitate to chasen out of her car. Ian forced his anger down for the time being. He put on his seatbelt before snapping coldly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to practice your driving skills? What are you sitting around for?¡± Sage could tell what Ian was up to. ¡°Mind your own business. I¡¯m fine with practicing on my own. Ian huffed in response. ¡°In that case, how the hell did you get your tire stuck in a pit just now?¡± 1/5 ¡°It was too dark. I just so happened to not notice the pit,¡± Sage grumbled stubbornly. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be driving to brightly lit ces without any obstacles in your way from now on?¡± ¡°I¡± Just as Sage was about to refute, Ian cut her off impatiently. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the one cleaning up your messes every time you fuck up! Now, start practicing already!¡± Sage was rendered speechless. It was true that she was in the wrong for what had happenedst time. She decided to not argue with Ian anymore as she turned her attention back to the windshield. Then, she stepped down on the gas pedal. No matter how reluctant Sage was to put up with Ian¡¯s teaching, she had to admit that it was easier to drive thanks to him giving her asional driving tips. Soon, Sage was starting to get the hang of actions such as driving forward, turning the car around, and reversing the car. ¡°I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯ll continue practicing next time.¡± Sage wasn¡¯t just weary from the practice. Mimosa¡¯s matters still weighed heavily on her mind. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Shane had already gone through the initial draft of her proposal. ¡°Get out of the car, then.¡± Sage parked her car next ton¡¯s. Ian didn¡¯t budge from his seat at all. Instead, he remarked casually, ¡°Leave your car here. The driver will pick it up tomorrow morning. I want to see how skilled you are at reversing my car into the garage.¡± Sage opted to not say anything about it. When she finally drove back to the estate¡¯s garage, she was bummed out by the difficulty of having to reverse into the garage. Even though there was a rearview camera helping her out on the monitor, she still couldn¡¯t park the car properly in reverse. ¡°Pay attention to the yellow lines sketched on both sides of the tires. You should adjust the car¡¯s angle while turning the steering wheel around slowly.¡± To Sage¡¯s surprise,n actually leaned over to grab one of her the steering wheel. She could feel his warmth seeping through the back of her hand. At the same time, she feltn¡¯s rock¨Chard chest resting against one of her shoulders. The senation ofn¡¯s warm breath hitting Sage¡¯s ear made her extremely ufortable. She wanted to withdraw her hand while ducking to the left in order to avoid him, but she didn¡¯t expect him to press his hand down onto hers. ¡°Focus. You¡¯d better learn well,¡± he said seriously. Once again, Sage fell silent. Fine. She¡¯d treatn as a driving instructor who offered his services free of charge. In fact, she¡¯d view him as a tool at her own disposal. She had to bear with him for the time being for the sake of learning how to drive. Sage silently chanted those reasons like a mantra as she followed fan¡¯s instructions dutifully. She started adjusting her car¡¯s angle by spinning the steering wheel around. She looked incredibly serious during her practice. A light frown graced her features as she stared at the points of fixation seriously. Beads of sweat started to form on the tip of her nose from the intensity of the practice. Ian could feel Sage¡¯s soft hand under his own. At the same time, he could smell the light fragrance from her hair wafting up his nostrils. For some reason, he found himself getting attracted to her. Finally, Sage spun the steering wheel to the neutral axis and reversed the car into the garage once again. This time, the car was sessfully parked within the slot. ¡°I did it!¡± Sage raised her head happily, only to realize thatn was staring right at her. She could see her wide smile being reflected in those deep eyes of his. They were awfully close to each other at that moment. Heck, they were so close that they could feel each other¡¯s breaths. It was Sage¡¯s first time being so close ton without quarreling with him. Her mind had gone nk at that moment. All she could do was stare atn in a daze. Ian slowly dipped his head toward Sage. She could see his handsome face slowly magnifying before her eyes. She could make out every strand of his thick and curly eyshes as well as the outline of his lips¡­ ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Sage finally snapped out of her stupor when Ian¡¯s lips were about to touch hers. Her first instinct was to shove him away from her hastily. ¡°Did you get kicked in the head?¡± she roared, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and anger washing over her senses. After that, she darted out of the car as quickly as she could. Sage pped herself in the head several times in a row. She mentally chastised herself for being pathetic and weak in front of Ian. All he did was get awfully close to her. How the hell did she get so smitten with him? They were about to get a divorce, damn it! Once Sage reached the dining room, she saw Wanda, who was waiting for her and Ian to show up for dinner. ¡°Mrs. Hob, the staff from Hob Manor had brought over some corn chowder earlier. They said Mrs. Hob Senior was the one who specifically prepared it for you, so you must finish everything.¡± Linda had a habit of having the staff at Hob Manor bring over some homemade dishes to Sris Estate every now and then. Sage used to love using Linda as an excuse to getn to visit Hob Manor. Now, she refused to be in the same room as him. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, Wanda. I¡¯m going to skip dinner tonight.¡± ¡°I thought you were anemic. Sit down and have dinner with me,¡± Ian spoke up at that moment. But Sage refused to acknowledge Ian¡¯s order. She soon disappeared up the stairs. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll put away some leftovers for Mrs. Hob. She can have dinnerter when she¡¯s hungry.¡± Ian disliked Sage¡¯s flippant attitude greatly. ¡°Don¡¯t bother keeping any leftovers for her. She doesn¡¯t want to have dinner, after all.¡± Wanda dared not say anything after that. Ian sat long enough to finish a bowl of corn chowder. He was still frustrated at that time, so he threw his spoon onto the bowl in a loud tter. ¡°Keep some leftovers. I¡¯ll have them for supper.¡± After that,n left for the study. Wanda looked quite puzzled at that request. Ian wasn¡¯t the type to have supper at all. Once Sage was done with her shower, she opened her inbox. Shane had already shot her an email by then. Not only did he acknowledge her skills and capabilities, but he also made a few reasonable suggestions to help improve her proposal. It turned out that Shane was a quick and efficient worker despite looking like at hedonistic yboy. Sage knew very well that she needed to go over many generic aspects if she wanted to draft a detailed investment proposal. She was now pumped and ready to start working on the proposal. Suddenly, a dull thud echoed from outside the room. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 It sounded as though a drunkard had just crashed into the wall after losing their bnce, That thought weirded Sage out. Wanda and Ian were the only ones staying in Sris Estate. None of them would ever drink. The next thing she knew, her room door was flung open from the outside with a loud click. Ian actually stumbled into the room afterward. He staggered about like he was about to keel over at any given moment. His cheeks were unnaturally flushed, with sweat beading on his forehead. Even the corners of his eyes were unusually red. Sage¡¯s instincts screamed at her that something was wrong. She closed herptop with the intention of kicking Ian out of her room. ¡°Did you drink alcohol?¡± she asked as she opened the door. ¡°Wan¨Cmmph!¡± Before Sage could call out Wanda¡¯s name, she felt intense pain prickling from her lips.. It turned out that Jan had just captured her lips with his own. ¡°You- Shocked, Sage tried to pushn away, but he responded by kissing her passionately. Ian¡¯s body was burning up at that time. He was also crushing her in a bear hug without the intention to let her struggle. After that, he pinned Sage against the wall next to the doorframe while kissing her wildly. Sage balled up her fists, hoping that she couldnd a hit on him. Unfortunately, Ian was quick to pin her wrists above her head. The difference in strength between Sage and Ian was too vast. Sage could barely move an inch, seeing as she was trapped in Ian¡¯s powerful hold. Heck, she couldn¡¯t even utter a word. She was starting to suffocate due to theck of oxygen. All she could do was whine pathetically into the kiss. Whenn heard the whining, he didn¡¯t stop kissing her at all. Instead, he responded by biting down on her lips forcibly as though he was annoyed by the sounds. use the opportunity to breathe, Ian dragged her up to her feet in an attempt to bite her on the neck. ¡°Mrs. Hol-|| Wanda bounded up the stairs hurriedly as soon as she heard Sage¡¯s scream. It was then she saw Ian and Sage trapped in an intimate embrace, his head hovering inches above her neck hungrily. Stunned, Wanda was rooted to the spot. ¡°Wanda, help me- ¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Ian covered Sage¡¯s mouth while growling out that order hoarsely. Even though Wanda was worried about Sage¡¯s safety, she dared not overstay her wee. Whatever happened betweenn and Sage was strictly between them, after all. Wanda was nothing but a mere housekeeper. She shouldn¡¯t be here in the first ce. Hence, Wanda left the corridor as quickly as her legs could carry her. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Sage took advantage of Ian¡¯s moment of distraction to shove him off of her. She made sure to readjust the straps of her pajamas afterward. Ian pinned her against the wall once again. He ran a slender finger across her lips, which now sported a fresh wound. His hoarse voice was unusually enticing as he demanded, ¡°Sage Joyner, you were the one who convinced Grandma to add aphrodisiacs into the chowder, right?¡± What? Linda¡¯s chowder wasced with aphrodisiacs? No wonder Sage couldn¡¯t smell any alcohol from Ian¡¯s breath despite feeling the scorching heating from his body. Thank goodness she didn¡¯t eat the chowder. Otherwise, both of them would be fucking like rabbits by now. How would they proceed with the divorce if they were to engage in a ridiculous night of ¡°Ahh!¡± Ian finally released Sage¡¯s lips as he listened to her pained screams. Before she could use the opportunity to breathe, Ian dragged her up to her feet in an attempt to bite her on the neck. ¡°Mrs. Hol-¡± Wanda bounded up the stairs hurriedly as soon as she heard Sage¡¯s scream. It was then she saw Ian and Sage trapped in an intimate embrace, his head hovering inches above her neck hungrily. Stunned, Wanda was rooted to the spot. ¡°Wanda, help me-¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Ian covered Sage¡¯s mouth while growling out that order hoarsely. Even though Wanda was worried about Sage¡¯s safety, she dared not overstay her wee. Whatever happened between Ian and Sage was strictly between them, after all. Wanda was nothing but a mere housekeeper. She shouldn¡¯t be here in the first ce. Hence, Wanda left the corridor as quickly as her legs could carry her. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Sage took advantage ofn¡¯s moment of distraction to shove him off of her. She made sure to readjust the straps of her pajamas afterward. Ian pinned her against the wall once again. He ran a slender finger across her lips, which now sported a fresh wound. His hoarse voice was unusually enticing as he demanded, ¡°Sage Joyner, you were the one who convinced Grandma to add aphrodisiacs into the chowder, right?¡± What? Linda¡¯s chowder wasced with aphrodisiacs? No wonder Sage couldn¡¯t smell any alcohol fromn¡¯s breath despite feeling the scorching heating from his body. Thank goodness she didn¡¯t eat the chowder. Otherwise, both of them would be fucking like rabbits by now. How would they proceed with the divorce if they were to engage in a ridiculous night of passion? Numerous thoughts shed through Sage¡¯s mind at that moment. It was then she feltn¡¯s finger sliding from her lips to her chin. She pped his offending hand away while saying calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll call a doctor for you.¡± When Sage attempted to reach for her phone, she felt Ian pulling her into a hug once again. ¡°What for? Sage, you keepining that I don¡¯t spend time with you at all. Yet, you coerced Grandma into drugging the chowder. You did all that just so you could sleep with me, right? your-¡± ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I might as well grant your Before Ian could finish his sentences, Sage delivered a heavy p right across his face. without warning. ¡°Get the fuck out!¡± she roared. Ian¡¯s affected cheek reddened immediately from the p. His gaze turned frighteningly cold in an instant. ¡°How dare you fight back, Sage Joyner!¡± He gripped Sage¡¯s chin tightly. She was in so much pain that she couldn¡¯t move an inch. Then again, she didn¡¯t have the guts to move at all. Ian was groomed to be the next sessor of the Hob family since he was a little boy. It shaped his domineering and headstrong personality. Throughout the years, he got used to everyone submitting to him meekly. This was probably his first time getting pped in his entire life. But what was done was done. Sage didn¡¯t regret her actions one bit. She had spent her past life being overly cautious around Ian. When she was faced with hardships, she forced herself to endure everything. This time, she swore to not let Ian walk all over her. The sight of Sage looking fearless despite havingid a hand on him caused Ian to feel even more frustrated and irritated. He even developed an urge to pin her down and take her virginity by force on the spot, Beads of blood were already budding from Sage¡¯s wounded lips at that time. Her brows were heavily knitted because of the pain that racked through her body. But Sage refused to back down no matter what. Her icy eyes held a defensive and cautious glint the whole time. Ian gritted his teeth before shoving Sage away with all his might. He then stumbled out of her room with a thunderous expression. Sage quickly locked the door afterward. Only then did she slide down to the floor in an exhausted slump. That was extremely dangerous. If Ian truly wanted to take advantage of Sage, she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist him because of how weak she was. It wasn¡¯t as though she intended to protect her chastity for the rest of her life. She andn weren¡¯t meant to be together at all, so why would she get intimately involved with him? ¡ª Sage spent the next few days working on the investment proposal. That night,n had left Sris Estate in a huff. He no longer returned home after that. Naturally, Sage was happy to have some peace and quiet for once. Once she finally nailed down the data concerning the fixed, intangible, and other long- term assets of the proposal, she stretched her bodyzily. She was immensely exhausted from working on the proposal. She desperately needed This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. some time to rx. Sage tapped on her phone and started scrolling through her social media feed. That was when she saw Ivy¡¯stest status, which was updated five minutes ago. 4M4 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¡°I don¡¯t care about the beginning and the end of my life. Life goes on for me as usual. I¡¯ll forever cherish all three meals every day, and I¡¯ll also remember to be kind throughout the seasons of life. The best moment wille to me on the best day with the nicest weather where someone finally joins me on my walkway of life.¡± There was a photo of a fancy spread decked out on the table below the post. Next to it was a selfie of Ivy¡¯s side profile. The photos and the tagline made it seem like Ivy was just posting about her daily life in an artistic way. But those who were observant enough would notice a small section of a man¡¯s arm being revealed in a corner of Ivy¡¯s selfie. It was evident that the man was wearing a dress shirt. The watch he wore might not be eye¨Ccatching, but it came from a luxury brand. Sage was very familiar with the watch. In fact, it was one of the watches Ian often wore. It turned out that Ian had been staying with Ivy this whole time. Then again, it wasn¡¯t unusual for him to be there. He had summoned all of his willpower just to suppress his lust that night. Since Sage refused to sleep with Ian, he¡¯d have to find another woman to bed. He was known to be a germaphobe who couldn¡¯t care less about random women, hence theck of romantic scandals he was involved in. That was why Ian had no choice but to seekfort and relief from Ivy, also known as his female best friend. Ian and Ivy must have gotten a lot closer than usual these days. That was probably the reason why Ivy decided to post such sentimental stuff on her feed. Sage chuckled dryly as she deleted Ivy from her friends list on the social media tform. She had added Ivy in the past just so she could spy on her. Now that she no longer +15 BONUS cared about Ian, she decided to kick Ivy out of her social media feed so that she could finally rx. After putting her phone away, Sage decided to go out for some fresh air. The moment she drove out of the garage, she heard her phone¡¯s ringtone. Sage nced at the caller ID. It was a call from Delh Stromberg, also known as her best friend in her past life. The Stromberg family had transitioned into expanding theirpany in the finance industry over the past two years. The scale of theirpany was quite small for the time being. In Sage¡¯s past life, the Strombergs somehow got affiliated with Hob Corporation right after her admittance into the mental asylum. As a result, the Strombergs¡®pany shares started skyrocketing. Despite knowing about Sage¡¯s admittance into the asylum, Delh never bothered visiting her at all. Humans tended to weigh the pros and cons when their own benefits were infringed. Sage knew that principle well, so she didn¡¯t really resent Delh for what thetter did. But Sage also knew that she could never trust Delh anymore in this lifetime. That was the reason why she never contacted Delh ever since she came to this lifetime. So, why was Delh calling her at this time? Sage nudged her foot onto the brakes in order to stop the car. Then, she swiped a finger across her phone¡¯s screen. ¡°Where are you right now, Sage?¡± Delh¡¯s anxious voice drifted through the speakers the moment Sage answered the call. ¡°I was about to go on a joyride. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°How are you still in the mood for that? Didn¡¯t you see I¨Cbitch¡¯s post on her social media feed?¡± ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± 115 BONUS ¡°Everything¡¯s wrong with the post! Hurry up and check it out!¡± Delh urged. ¡°I bitch cooked up a feast and even posted a selfie with a man¡¯s arm like the maniptive whore she is! ¡°She wrote some bullshit about someone joining her on the walkway of life! God, she might as well announce to the whole world thatn is spending time with her right now!¡± Sage was calm as ever. ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± ¡°Are you nuts, Sage? This is terrible news! How could you say it has nothing to do with you?¡± Delh continued angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t go out right now! I¡¯lle pick you up! Let¡¯s head over to I¨Cbitch¡¯s ce and expose her ugly face! That bitch is being shameless as usual!¡± Delh kept getting angry on Sage¡¯s behalf in her past life. Sage had believed everything Delh said, causing her to humiliate Ivy countless times afterward. The more Sage humiliated Ivy, the more disgusted and resentful Ian grew. Now, Sage didn¡¯t want to waste time doing such meaningless things. If she wanted to humiliate Ivy once and for all, she¡¯d do so by stealing Ivy¡¯s thunder at her own profession which she took pride in. So, Sage replied, ¡°Nah. I might as well use the time to read a few more books. I¡¯m going to end the call now if that¡¯s all you have to say.¡± ¡°Sage!¡± Delh called out hurriedly. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re worried that you might run into Ian there? Is that why you don¡¯t want to go over to I¨Cbitch¡¯s ce? ¡°Why are you this dumb? You¡¯ll be able to get evidence of him cheating on you with I¨Cbitch if you catch him there! Once you hand over the evidence to Mrs. Hob Senior, she¡¯ll deal with I¨Cbitch for you! That way, you won¡¯t even have to dirty your own hands!¡± Why would Delh involve Linda in Sage¡¯s mess of a marriage? Was she nning on stressing the old woman out? Sage¡¯s response came out more clipped than usual. ¡°I said, I¡¯m not going. Do you not understand me?¡± +15 BONUS ¡°Sage-¡± Sage hung up on Delh right away. The fact that Delh kept provoking her to start a ruckus at Ivy¡¯s ce was more than enough to prove that she was up to no good. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Joyners and the Strombergs were good friends, which led to Sage and Delh being best friends for years, she would¡¯ve started a fight with Delh over the phone just now. The recollection of her experiences while being confined in the mental asylum, coupled with the unpleasant memory of almost getting sexually assaulted by Ian a few days ago, gave Sage an idea. She wanted to pick up some self¨Cdefense skills just so she could protect herself. Sage had always been a decisive person. She wasted no time in researching a couple of gyms and complexes that provided sses on variousbat arts. Sometimeter, she selected arge¨Cscale sportsplex that specialized in kickboxing techniques. The trainers there had actualbat experience as well. So, Sage keyed the location into her car¡¯s GPS and drove over immediately. There were only a few fancy posters advertising the sportsplex being pasted on the building¡¯s exterior walls. Then again, it came with a vast parking lot with countless parking slots. That itself was a huge pro in Sage¡¯s book. After sessfully parking in one of the slots, Sage walked into the sportsBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Theplex was very big. It yed host to a variety of courts that were meant forbat art training. They were all decked out with an array of professional training equipment. More importantly, the trainers were all d in camouge outfits that showcased their amazing figures. The outlines of their muscles could be seen through the fabric. All in all, those trainers were the epitome of masculinity. Ian might be good¨Clooking as well, but he always pped on an icy expression +15 BONUS whenever Sage saw him. Because of that, she was in no mood to admire his looks no matter how handsome he was. After ogling the trainers to her fill, Sage registered for a kickboxing ss without any hesitation. ¡°Would you like a private trainer, Ms. Joyner? That way, you¡¯ll be able to focus more on your training!¡± A staff member rmended the option to Sage. Sage turned him down tactfully. ¡°No, thank you.¡± If she were to choose that option, she¡¯d lose the opportunity to train with the other trainers. She didn¡¯t want to settle down with one private trainer when she could easily have ess to all the other trainers. After paying the registration fees, Sage filled in her personal information at the reception counter. After that, she booked her first kickboxing ss. When she was about to leave, she heard a surprised voice booming from behind her. ¡°It really is you, miss!¡± Sage turned around to see a young man in his early 20s d in a camo outfit that was standardized for all trainers working at the sportsplex. He was good- looking and had a pair of bright eyes. He might seem like a tall and slender man at first nce, but he was actually pretty muscr. 1 What a coincidence. It turned out that Sage had bought the soiled tux for this very man at the shopping mall a few days ago. ¡°I¡¯m Michael Olsen, and I¡¯m working as a part¨Ctime trainer here.¡± Michael introduced himself albeit bashfully. ¡°Why did youe here, miss?¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Sage shot Michael a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve just registered for a kickboxing ss.¡± Delight fleeted across Michael¡¯s expression. ¡°What a coincidence! I¡¯m a trainer who specializes in kickboxing!¡± It really was a coincidence. Sage thought the next time she¡¯d meet Michael would be at a business meeting where they¡¯d negotiate about the coboration. She didn¡¯t expect to see him so soon. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be seeing more of you in the future,¡± Sage said smilingly. ¡°Have fun working. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± ¡°Wait, miss!¡± Michael called out. ¡°What is it?¡± Sage asked. Michael offered shyly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to repay you for the kindness you¡¯ve shown me back then. Why don¡¯t I treat you to a cup of joe?¡± Sage just smiled while shaking her head. ¡°Perhaps next time. I don¡¯t want to take up your time since you¡¯re working at the moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Actually, I¡¯m about to get off work,¡± Michael said hurriedly. He had a youthful face, to begin with. The sight of him looking so anxious made. him seem like an inexperienced and gullible teenager. Sage could finally understand how older women felt when theyid their eyes on vulnerable young men like Michael. She could practically feel her heart go out to him. Her lips curled into a small smile. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take you up on your offer.¡± ¡°Okay! Just give me a moment, yeah? I¡¯ll be back as soon as I change my clothes!¡± Michael acted very quickly. He had already exited the sportsplex by the time. Sage reversed her car out of the parking slot. 1/4 +15 BONUS ¡°Get in,¡± she said. Michael got into the car while looking at ease. Sage said jokingly, ¡°I¡¯m not that good at driving, so you¡¯d better be prepared for what¡¯s about to happen.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I trust you,¡± Michael responded seriously, his clear eyes boring into Sage¡¯s eyes. For some reason, she felt responsible for his safety. This elicited a light giggle from her. ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked. ¡°What would you like to drink? It¡¯s my treat.¡± Sage thought for a moment before replying, ¡°Let¡¯s go to a coffee shop.¡± She had always been a huge fan ofttes when she was still studying at her university. There was one time when she wanted to share her favorite beverage with Ian. One day, Sage spent almost an hour lining up just to buy a hottte which happened to be the most popr drink at a well¨Cknown coffee shop in the university town. When she handed it to Ian, he imed that he took his coffee ck and that he would never drink low¨Cquality coffee. ¡°Ian, the coffee powder is made of high¨Cquality coffee beans, and the milk is super fresh. I assure you that it¡¯ll taste great. Just try it out, alright?¡± Back then, Ian was probably in a rush to use the elevator, so he epted thette reluctantly. After Sage washed her hands in the restroom and walked out, she noticed an extratte nestling inside a trash can when she walked past it. She was saddened by Ian¡¯s heartless act for a moment. Then, she thought she shouldn¡¯t like the things that Ian clearly disliked. Since then, Sage no longer drankttes. +15 BONUS Right now, Sage thought that she must have been dropped on the head as a baby. Why else would she act like a total idiot in the past? Ian was the one who didn¡¯t appreciate her efforts of going to great lengths just to buy him atte. In that case, why did she put the me on herself? ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t have to take my financial situation into consideration. I have a few part¨Ctime jobs, so I can always treat you to a nice cup of coffee or even a ss of martini at the bar,¡± Michael quickly exined. Sage just giggled in response. ¡°I¡¯m not looking down on you. I¡¯m really craving atte right now.¡± Michael rubbed the back of his head bashfully. ¡°I know a shop that makes a great Sage drove to the coffee shop with Michael navigating her the whole time. Business at the coffee shop was booming, that was for sure. The customers visiting the establishment were mostly youngsters. ¡°What would you like to drink, miss?¡± Michael asked. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Sage decided to remind him. ¡°Just call me Madam Joyner from now on.¡® She might be 23 years old this year, but her experiences in her past life gave her a feeling that she was mentally in her 30s. It was weird for Michael to call her ¡°miss¡± the whole time. ¡°No way! It¡¯d make you seem so old!¡± Michael shot that idea down on the spot. He added seriously, ¡°The reason why I call you ¡®miss¡® is because I don¡¯t know your name. The truth is, you look like any other university student out there.¡± Sage had to admit that she was pleased to hear Michael¡¯s reasoning. Women loved to be showered withpliments, especially when saidpliments came from a young man as pure¨Chearted as Michael. ¡°I¡¯ll have a rosette. Less syrup, more milk.¡± Sage gave her order afterward. ¡°Got it!¡± Soon, Michael was done cing the order for both of them. +15 BONUS While he waited for the beverages to be served, he said to Sage, ¡°Miss, think of the sum you paid for my tux as a loan you¡¯ve given to me. I¡¯ll work hard at earning money so that I can clear the debt.¡± Sage shot Michael a look. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need for you to pay me back. Besides, you didn¡¯t get that tux for nothing. I¡¯ll ask you for a favor in the future, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Just let me know when you need help. I¡¯ll definitely do all I can for you.¡± Michael was persistent about the payment. ¡°But I still need to pay you back. I¡¯ll add you on Venmo so that I can pay you back in installments.¡± At the end of the day, Michael was just a pure¨Chearted young man who had yet to be exposed to the ugly nature of society. If another shrewd person were in his shoes right now, they¡¯d be more than eager to hound Sage for more benefits. To think that Michael was eager to pay Sage back for the tuxedo! No wonder he had countless fans supporting him in the future. Sage¡¯s admiration for Michael grew exponentially. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± She opened her Venmo app and added Michael there. Just then, their beverages were done. While Michael went to collect their beverages, Sage decided to search for Michael on the social media app she frequently used. At that moment, a series of loud notification sounds red from her phone. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 It turned out that Delh had sent Sage a barrage of text messages. There were photos and video clips as well as audio recordings in those messages. Sage decided to look at the photos first. Delh had snapped a photo of the This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. apartment¡¯s exterior where Ivy stayed. Next came a photo of Ivy¡¯s front door. Since the video clip spanned for a few minutes, Sage decided to listen to the audio recordings next. ¡°Sage, I¡¯ve already taught I¨Cbitch a lesson on your behalf! I can¡¯t just sit back and watch you suffer from more grievances!¡± The moment the recording ended, Sage saw Michael approaching the table with the drinks in hand. ¡°Miss, here¡¯s your rosette.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sage got up to her feet after epting thette. ¡°Something just came up. Sorry, but I have to leave now.¡°1 Michael was sensible enough to hold his tongue when he noticed Sage¡¯s frosty expression. He waved at her politely instead. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the sportsplex, then.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Once Sage exited the coffee shop and got into her car, she finally tapped open the video clip that Delh had sent her earlier. Delh had already knocked on Ivy¡¯s front door in the video. When she noticed Ian in the apartment as well, she started berating Ivy furiously for being a shameless mistress who dated a married man behind his wife¡¯s back. Ivy looked flustered and embarrassed, though she did her best to swallow her anger. ¡°Ms. Stromberg, I was merely thanking Ian for what he has done for my father. That¡¯s why I treated him to a meal here.¡± +15 BONUS ¡°Hmph! As if anyone will believe that shoddy excuse! Let this be a warning for you, Shekdotter! Sage is Ian¡¯s actual wife! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re in a special rtionship with him just because you have known him for many years! ¡°You¡¯re just a maid¡¯s daughter at the end of the day! No matter how much you doll up, you¡¯ll never be a good match for Ian!¡± ¡°Ms. Stromberg, watch your manners. What you¡¯re doing right now is equivalent to trespassing,¡± Ian spoke up coldly at that moment. ¡°Stop trying to intimidate me, Ian! I¡¯m just standing up for Sage!¡± Delh refuted this in a self¨Crighteous manner. ¡°By the way, Ian, Sage told me that she¡¯d been waiting for you to go home for dinner every night! You kept giving her excuses about being busy with work! Who¡¯d have thought that you¡¯d be busy spending time with your beloved mistress!¡± ¡°Ms. Stromberg, you and Mrs. Hob have truly misunderstood me¨Cah!¡± Ivy wanted to exin herself, but Delh cut her off by shoving her away. ¡°Get lost! Stop pretending already!¡± Poor Ivy stumbled backward from Delh¡¯s push. Ian, who had already risen to his feet, was able to steady her on her feet just in time. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Get the hell out of here!¡± he demanded icily. ¡°Tell Sage to keep to herself and settle down! Otherwise, not even Grandma will be able to help her out!¡± Angered and dissatisfied, Delh tried to rebuke Ian¡¯s words on the spot. That was when the management staff barged into Ivy¡¯s apartment. The video clip ended right there. Delh had sent Sage two more audio recordings after that. ¡°Sage, Ian kept defending I¨Cbitch the whole time! Ugh, he pisses me off so much! Once he gets home, you have to question the hell out of him!¡± The second audio recording was soon triggered. ¡°Don¡¯t cower from him, and don¡¯t be afraid of him too! I¡¯ll always have your back, Sage! I¡¯ll always support 2/3 +15 BONUS you and take your side! If that¡¯s not enough, we still have Mrs. Hob Senior as our ultimate backup n!¡± Sage opted to not respond to Delh at all. Instead, she closed WhatsApp immediately. After taking a sip of the warm and sweettte, Sage started her car and drove back to Sris Estate. That night, Sage had Wanda retire to her room for an early respite. She left her room door open as she worked on her proposal while waiting for Ian¡¯s return. 1 Just as expected, Ian¡¯s footsteps echoed from the distance about half an hourter. Sage closed herptop and grabbed two documents, which had been sitting on her table. Then, she exited her bedroom. There, she bumped into Ian in the corridor. Ian was still wearing the ck dress shirt which was shown in Ivy¡¯s selfie. He looked as handsome as ever, though his dark expression and frosty eyes made it clear that he wasn¡¯t in a good mood. The moment Ianid his eyes on Sage, he frowned instinctively. He was about to speak up when Sage cut him off. ¡°I know what you want to say. Let¡¯s talk about it in your study. I promise I¡¯ll give you a satisfactory solution.¡± Ian decided to hold his tongue for now. He nced at Sage before striding toward his study. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Sage trailed behind Ian, looking asposed as ever. Soon, Ian sank into the couch in his study. As he tugged his tie off, he said, ¡°I wonder how you¡¯ll be able to satisfy me with this solution of yours.¡± Sage handed Ian the two documents. ¡°I have two copies of the divorce agreement. One of them states that I¡¯ll divorce you without getting any of your assets in return. The other one states that you¡¯ll have to pay me 100 million dors in alimony. ¡°I¡¯ve already signed both copies of the agreement. Choose whichever copy that has the conditions you want and sign it.¡± Ian raised his head immediately. ¡°100 million dors?¡± Businessmen were all money¨Cminded, as expected. Ian¡¯s first reaction was to mentallyin about the absurd amount of money he had to pay. ¡°Yup,¡± Sage replied. ¡°You promised me ten million dors back then, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough for me. ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re the one who wronged me in this marriage. Besides, you¡¯re the one who was more eager to get a divorce. That¡¯s why I think it¡¯s only reasonable for you to cough up 100 million dors.¡± In the past, Sage didn¡¯t think of asking Ian for money because she wanted to get. the divorce over with as soon as possible. But now, she needed 100 million dors in order to work with Shane. If she could obtain that amount of money from Ian and use it to fight against him. in the business industry, she¡¯d feel extremely satisfied. Meanwhile, Ian¡¯s lips curled into a cold smirk. But he didn¡¯t respond to Sage at all. Instead, he decided to be patient and wait for her to continue speaking. ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m the one who forced this marriage to happen, but I never cheated on you, did I? If we were to take this to court, I¡¯d be entitled to more than 1/3 +15 BONUS just 100 million dors,¡± Sage said. ¡°Now, you¡¯re given a chance to pay 100 million dors just to get your peace and freedom back. Once you sign the divorce agreement, you can be with whomever you want without hiding your rtionship. ¡°The incident that happened earlier today will never happen to you ever again. Isn¡¯t this a win¨Cwin situation for us?¡± Ian chortled sarcastically. ¡°I never knew you had such a sharp tongue, Sage.¡± There was so much about her that he didn¡¯t know, that was for sure. Sage knew how stubborn Ian was about the divorce agreement, so she pressed on. ¡°Of course, you can choose to not give me a single cent. I won¡¯t me you for being stingy with your money. After all, I¡¯m determined to get a divorce no matter what.¡± She felt a pang of sadness the moment she was done speaking. It was bad enough that she¡¯d married a man who never cared about her. But the thought of her not being able to obtain some of his assets as alimony saddened her greatly. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. It would be a major loss for her if Ian chose to not pay her anything. Ian picked up on the hint of remorse in Sage¡¯s tone. Now that he was no longer in a rush to question her about Ivy¡¯s incident, he rxed his posture by propping his legs onto the coffee table. ¡°Do you want more money?¡± he asked coldly. Sage widened her eyes slightly in response. Ian¡¯s handsome face was still as stony as ever. ¡°Continue ying the part of Mrs. Hob. As long as we stay married, our assets will be shared. My money is considered yours in that case.¡± ¡°No, thank you!¡± Sage waved that offer away immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t want your entire fortune! Let¡¯s just get the divorce over with!¡± Ian huffed once again, his expression now crumbling. ¡°Is giving me two copies of the divorce agreement your so¨Ccalled solution?¡± +15 BONUS she Sage replied, ¡°Yup! Aren¡¯t you going to stick up for Ivy for what happened earlier? I¡¯ll let her have the honor of bing Mrs. Hob! That way, won¡¯t be bullied anymore in the future! ¡°Just sign one of the copies. I¡¯ll make sure that we both get a copy of the particr agreement you signed. Once the time¡¯s up, we¡¯ll grab our divorce certificates. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t interfere with anything you do before the divorce certificates are out. Heck, you can choose to not live here at all!¡± Linda had Sage promise her that she wouldn¡¯t move out. She never said anything about Ian having to stay in the estate. Even if Linda were to ask Sage for Ian¡¯s whereabouts, Sage would just tell her that Ian had gone out on a business trip. They just needed to tough it out for about 30 days or so. It would be a piece of cake for Sage to lie to Linda. Ian¡¯s expression darkened even more after hearing Sage¡¯s so¨Ccalled considerate suggestion. His eyes turned frosty immediately. Suddenly, he withdrew his legs from the coffee table and shot to his feet. His sudden movement startled Sage so much that she backed away from him subconsciously. ¡°W¨CWhat are you doing?¡± The sight of Sage having her guard up vigntly elicited a cold chuckle from Ian. ¡± Stop acting as though I¡¯m interested in you.¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Ian was not romantically interested in Sage, but she had an inkling that he was interested in her body. After he had injured her lips that night, she had to suffer for three long days. before the injury finally healed. Sage didn¡¯t want to argue with Ian. Instead, she asked, ¡°Have you decided on which agreement you¡¯ll be signing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult for me to make up my mind at this time.¡± Ian grabbed both copies of the divorce agreement as he continued casually, ¡® That¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided to let your grandfather review the conditions of both copies properly. Perhaps he might be able to provide me with a better suggestion. ¦° ¡°You don¡¯t have to make your choice anymore!¡± Sage reached out to stop Ian. I¡¯ll just get a clean divorce without any additional payment from you!¡± Ian looked down at her. ¡°I¡¯m the one who wronged you in this marriage. If we were to take this to court, I¡¯d have to pay you more than 100 million dors, you know. I don¡¯t think your grandfather will want you to lose out on the benefits.¡± Sage was speechless. Damn that bastard! How dare he use her words against her! Ian was a head taller than Sage. The fact that he was looming over her effortlessly intimidated her to no end. Angered by the difference in height, Sage moved to stand on the couch. She peered down at Ian while retorting furiously, ¡°Our divorce is strictly between us! Just how sick are you to drag Grandpa into this mess!¡± Even though Ian was now shorter than Sage, his demeanor remained oppressive. ¡°If you really want to divorce me, then why don¡¯t you have the gall to tell him about our eventual separation, hmm?¡± 1 ¡°I ¡­¡± Sage¡¯s answer was stuck in her throat.1 +15 BONUS It was true that she dared not breathe a word about her uing divorce to Donald. He had high blood pressure, so he couldn¡¯t withstand the agitation of receiving shocking news. Sage had tried to gauge Donald¡¯s reaction by bringing up the topic of divorce in the past, which worried him to no end. If Ian were to show him the divorce agreements, Donald would get an aneurysm from the shock and fury. 3 Her initial n was to find a nice opportunity toe clean to Donald once the divorce was settled. Once Sage could prove that she was still able to lead a happy and carefree life after her divorce, she¡¯d spend some time acting cute and admitting that she was in the wrong in front of Donald. That way, Donald would be able to ept the fact that she got divorced, albeit calmly. Meanwhile, Ian looked rather pleased as he drank in the sight of Sage looking so furious that she couldn¡¯t even say a word. ¡°Or is it because you never wanted to get a divorce with me from the start? Are you trying to use this divorce as a way to get my attention and make me think that you¡¯re very important to me?¡± ¡°Hell no! I just want a divorce!¡± Ian chortled icily in response. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a perfect deal in this world. You don¡¯t want to be chained down by the bonds of marriage, yet you still intend on reaping the benefits thate with our holy matrimony.¡± Sage instantly understood what Ian was talking about. The Joyners mainly traded spices and perfumes, but they were still closely affiliated with the Hobs in terms of business dealings. Many brands decided to work with the Joyners purely because of their affiliation with the Hobs. This was like a game of dominoes. If the news of Sage and Ian¡¯s divorce were to get out, the Joyners¡® business would suffer from a heavy impact. Even though this wasn¡¯t the exact reason why Sage didn¡¯t want to tell Donald 2/3 +15 BONUS about her impending divorce, she was still surprised when she heard Ian¡¯s words. Sage had always viewed the subject of her marriage as a rather simple one. She thought that she could always get a divorce if she no longer loved Ian. It turned out that she hadpletely forgotten about the other problems that were tied to her marriage. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Grandma¡¯s efforts to stop us, we would¡¯ve gotten a divorce a long time ago. Why won¡¯t you sign the divorce agreement now?¡± Sage asked. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Ian gazed at her coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to y games with you, Sage.¡± Exasperated, Sage retorted, ¡°What do I have to do to convince you that I¡¯m not ying around? I really want a divorce!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only believe you when both of our families are gathered in the same room with the intention to discuss our divorce in an amicable manner.¡± Sage fell silent at that response. She could try her best to convince Donald to do that, but there was no way in hell that her aunt and uncle would agree to the divorce. ¡°Why must you make this divorce a huge pain in the neck for both of us, Ian? Don¡¯t you want to go through with it as soon as possible so that you can officially be with Ivy?¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Ian¡¯s cold gaze bore into Sage, who stood defiantly on the couch. ¡°My affairs don¡¯t warrant your concern. If you really want a divorce, show some sincerity!¡± Then, he casually tossed the divorce agreement onto the table and strode toward his desk. The lingering repercussions of their previous unsessful attempt at divorce had eroded Ian¡¯s trust in her. Subsequently, the situation had be unnecessarilyplicated. Feeling disheartened, Sage descended from her perch on the couch. She clutched the divorce papers as she prepared to retreat to her room. ¡°Sage, stop your provocations. I don¡¯t have the patience to entertain your whims each time,¡± Ian cautioned. His voice carried an icy tone. From the way he put it, it sounded like he was insinuating that the cause for Ivy¡¯s predicament was a part of Sage¡¯s tricks to make hime back to her. How absurd! ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about your patience,¡± Sage challenged while raising her head in defiance. ¡°I won¡¯t stop until you sign the divorce agreement. You¡¯ll regret this! With those words hanging in the air, Sage confidently strode away without waiting for Ian¡¯s reaction. However, back in her room, she was overwhelmed with frustration. She cursed him internally. Why couldn¡¯t he extend his trust once more? Unable to contain her grievances, Sage reached out to Tiana for sce. ¡°You mean Ian would only agree to sign the divorce papers with the consent of both your families?¡± Tiana pondered after hearing Sage¡¯s woes. She found the situation strange. ¡°But why would he go to such lengths? Based on the way you describe his disdain. for you, he should be more than willing to sign them regardless of whether you¡¯re 1/3 +15 BONUS being serious.¡± ¡°I know, right? His mind is twisted,¡± Sagemented. ¡°Sage, have you considered another possibility?¡± Tiana inquired mysteriously. ¡°What possibility?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Ian might have developed feelings for you. That¡¯s why he¡¯s reluctant to sever ties with you.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Sage vehemently rejected the notion and proceeded to tell Tiana about Ian¡¯s furious vow to torment her during theirst argument. ¡°He must be irked by my persistent mention of divorce and is purposely going against me. Yes, that¡¯s it,¡± she said. She felt like she had suddenly grasped the situation. After all, Ian was an arrogant and prideful man. He wouldn¡¯t readily admit his feelings despite his strong desires. ¡°After Grandma¡¯s birthday, he¡¯ll likely be eager to obtain the divorce certificate with me!¡± Tiana felt speechless while listening to Sage¡¯s thoughts. She said, ¡°You¡¯re an outstanding woman. After living under the same roof with him for so long, even a dog would¨CSorry, excuse the crude metaphor.¡± After giving a quick apology, Tiana resumed her exnation. ¡°What I mean is, Ian might have developed feelings for you without realizing it.¡± 2 If it were the old Sage, she would have rejoiced at such a revtion. Now, she remained impassive as she replied, ¡°I know I¡¯m outstanding, but he¡¯s too blind to notice. I won¡¯t indulge in wishful thinking.¡± Tiana sighed softly. ¡°You really don¡¯t want to hang on a bit longer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired of it,¡± Sage admitted. She sighed as shey back on the bed. ¡°They say marriage is the graveyard of love. Others¡® graves may at least bury true love, but mine only holds unrequited affection. It¡¯s my fault for forcing this bitter. fruit upon myself.¡± 2.3 O+IS BORUS As Sage reflected on herself, she sensed someone near the door. She sat up and cast a fleeting nce at the doorway but saw nothing Nevertheless, she took precautionary measures by closing the door and locking it. Meanwhile, Tiana¡¯sforting words echoed through the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic. At least you¡¯re brave. You gave it a try. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have known how it would turn out.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± The two of them shared a moment of levity before Sage inquired, ¡°Did Wilson like the gift you bought himst time?¡± At the mention of her husband, Tiana¡¯s voice softened. Her tone carried a hint of sweetness. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°He didn¡¯t say. But for his business trip to Lathuyria, he packed the new clothes and the pen I bought for him.¡± At the mention of Lathuyria, Sage calcted the time difference and suddenly thought of something. ¡°Tiana, can¡¯t you take a day off? Why don¡¯t you apany Wilson on his trip?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the time. My mother¨Cinw¡¯s housekeeper is on leave, so I have to go clean and cook for them every day. In the evenings, I even have to do exercises with her.¡± ¡°Then, hire a temporary worker to fill in the housekeeper¡¯s role. Go to Lathuyria and be with Wilson,¡± Sage suggested. ¡°You two haven¡¯t had a honeymoon; now is the perfect time to make up for it.¡± Although she was tempted, Tiana turned down the idea. She said, ¡°Nah, my visa has expired. We¡¯ll n another trip next time.¡± ¡°You can renew your visa or at least join a tour group through a travel agency. It¡¯s a great opportunity. Don¡¯t you want to spend some quality time alone with Wilson?¡± Finally, Tiana was convinced. ¡°Should I give it a try?¡± ¡°Yes! Right now!¡± Sage urged. Tiana found it odd and asked, ¡°You rarely inquire about my husband and me. Why are you suddenly so concerned today?¡± Sage remainedposed as she answered, ¡°Well, my marriage has been a failure. I just hope my best friend can find some happiness. Is that wrong?¡± Tiana couldn¡¯t refute her. While Sage was never inclined to use emotions and intuition, Tiana found herself persuaded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll look into renewing my visa.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Sage hung up the phone. She felt a bit relieved. 1/3 15 BONUS If she remembered the events in her previous life correctly, when Wilson went to Lathuyria on a business trip, he encountered his first love. Later, his first love was transferred to the hospital where he worked. That became the catalyst for Tiana and Wilson¡¯s marital problems. Thus, she hoped that Tiana apanying Wilson this time could change the course of events. Having offered the necessary reminders and vented her frustrations, Sage continued refining the investment n. She wanted to finish it quickly and hand it over to Shane. Data analysis might seem mundane, but understanding apany¡¯s operational development through data and making it public¨Clisted was a fascinating and fulfilling endeavor. After another night of work, Sage finallypleted the investment n. Looking up, she noticed the dawn breaking on the horizon. Perhaps due to the fatigue wearing off, Sage found herself unable to sleep no matter how she tried. On a whim, she grabbed her camera and headed to the rooftop to capture the sunrise. The rooftop had a small garden, a swimming pool, and a dedicated rxation. area, where Sage settled into a reclining chair. The sunrise was yet to grace the sky, and the morning breeze was cool and refreshing. Leaning on the chairfortably, she inadvertently dozed off. By the time Sage opened her eyes, sunlight bathed her entire being. She rubbed her eyes, stretchedzily, and then noticed a piece of clothing on the floor. Upon looking down, she found that it was a ck suit jacket. The exquisite fabric and meticulous craftsmanship revealed its owner¡¯s status. Sage went back to the living room while carrying the camera and suit jacket. Meanwhile, Wanda was watering the nts. When she saw Sage, she eximed, ¡± Mrs. Hob, why did you sleep on the rooftop? I couldn¡¯t find you for breakfast. and was quite worried!¡± 213 +15 BONUS C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°I wanted to capture the sunrise, but I ended up falling asleep,¡± Sage confessed while tossing the suit jacket onto the couch. ¡°Wanda, did you bring this up for me?¡± ¡°It should have been Mr. Hob,¡± Wanda replied. ¡°I told him you were missing. He saw that your phone was here and that you hadn¡¯t changed your shoes, so he figured you were at home and made me search every room. I searched for a while, and then he told me that you fell asleep on the rooftop.¡± Sage couldn¡¯t help thinking, ¡°Ian came backst night?¡± She was too engrossed in her data analysis to notice. But what puzzled Sage more was Ian¡¯s reaction to finding her sleeping on the rooftop. Not only did he not wake her, but he also covered her with his suit jacket. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ¡°Mrs. Hob, I have heated up your breakfast. You can have it any time,¡± Wanda added. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go freshen up first.¡± Sage took a shower and changed into a clean set of clothes. After dressing up, she nned to have breakfast and then meet up with Shane. However, upon walking to herptop, she noticed that the USB drive plugged into the adjacent port was missing. Sage searched around, but it was nowhere to be found. She had stored the investment n in itst night, so where could it have gone? Sage went downstairs and asked Wanda, who shook her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t respond when I knocked on your door this morning. Since the door wasn¡¯t locked, I took a peek but didn¡¯t touch your things.¡± ¡°Did Ian enter my room this morning?¡± Unnerved by Sage¡¯s solemn expression, Wanda responded, ¡°Yes, he did. Mr. Hob saw your phone in the room and told me you hadn¡¯t gone out. Mrs. Hob, is the USB drive important? Should I help you look for it?¡± The USB drive wasn¡¯t crucial, but the data stored in it was. If Ian were to discover it, all her efforts would be in vain! 2 ¡°No need. I¡¯ll find it myself.¡± Then, Sage immediately called Ian, but it went unanswered. She silently cursed, ¡± Damn it, why bother having a phone if you don¡¯t pick up calls?¡± Sage put away her phone, had a quick breakfast, and drove to Hob Corporation. Arriving at the lobby, Sage thought she might face some obstruction again. Nevertheless, it was a different receptionist, and the new face greeted her with a polite smile. TIS PARA Warm and appropriately weing, she said, ¡°Mrs. Hob, you¡¯re here. Let me take you to the president¡¯s office right away,¡± Puzzled, Sage asked, ¡°Doesn know I¡¯ming?¡± The receptionist smiled. ¡°We didn¡¯t receive any notification from Mr. Hob, But we have a rule that ims if Mrs. Hob visits, no one can stop her. She must be taken to the president¡¯s office immediately.¡± Sage couldn¡¯t believen managed to pass such a ridiculous rule. ¡°How did you recognize me?¡± she prompted. The receptionist answered, ¡°As part of our training, the first thing we must do is to familiarize ourselves with Hob Corporation and the important individuals. around Mr. Hob.¡± Sage felt even more bewildered. She wasn¡¯t part of Hob Corporation, and the significant individuals aroundn were even less relevant to her. For a moment, she wondered if she had stumbled upon a fake Hob Corporation. ¡°Mrs. Hob, this way, please.¡± The receptionist politely motioned with her This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. hand. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Sage didn¡¯t bother overthinking it. It seemed that, with her title asn¡¯s wife, the employees had considered her ¡°important¡± for maintaining overall harmony. When she arrived at the president¡¯s office, the secretary informed her that Ian was in a meeting. She was then led to the office and offered tea courteously. In the past, Sage could barely enter this floor unless she came with Linda, let alone receive such good treatment. Just as Sage was specting aboutn¡¯s conspiracy, the office door suddenly opened. Looking up, she sawn and Terry entering. Both were dressed smartly. Terry was reporting something ton. Upon seeing her, he politely greeted, ¡°Mrs.. Hob.¡± 15 BONUS Sage smiled in acknowledgment but turned to Ian indifferently. ¡°Did you take my USB drive?¡± Ian¡¯s gaze darkened. He walked to the couch and sat down. Instead of answering, he asked, ¡°Why did you go to the rooftop this morning?¡± Sage scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I wasn¡¯t attempting suicide.¡± Ian paused, and his expression turned gloomier. ¡°Sage, the day has just started. Who offended you now?¡± Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Sage shot Ian a cold nce. She found his question ironic. She thought, ¡°Who else could it be besides you? You took my USB drive and did not answer my calls.¡± Ian sensed Sage¡¯s dissatisfaction but held back his annoyance. ¡°I¡¯ve reviewed your investment n for Mimosa. It was well¨Cexecuted, given your effort. Considering that, I can offer you an internship opportunity at Bolton Investment. 11 At this moment, Terry astutely presented a document to Sage. She frowned as she took it. It was an offer letter of employment as an intern at Hob Corporation. ¡°When did I say I wanted to be an intern at Bolton Investment?¡± Sage couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Thinking she was unhappy with the intern role, Ian patiently exined, Hob Corporation has strict hiring standards. Based on your investment n alone, you don¡¯t meet the criteria for a permanent employee yet. ¡°As long as you continue with your dedication to proposal drafting and learn diligently, a suitable position will be arranged for you after a month.¡± Sage didn¡¯t know where to start with the absurdity of his words. ¡°What position will be arranged for me?¡± Though her smile held a touch of scorn, Ian still answered, ¡°Normally, it would be an assistant investment analyst. But if you excel, you can apply for the position you desire.¡± ¡°Can I aim for the position of an investment director then?¡± ¡°Sage!¡± Ian¡¯s tone carried a warning. ¡°Why are you shouting? Are you willing to offer it to me or not?¡± Sage¡¯s expression turned cold as she continued, ¡°You peeked at my investment n without my permission and spoke condescendingly about offering me an internship opportunity. Who do you think you are?¡± ¡°You!¡± Ian choked out. 1/3 +15 BONUS Seeing the intense confrontation betweenn and Sage, Terry quickly interjected, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Hob, I have something to attend to. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± After saying that, he swiftly escaped from the office. ¡°Sage, stop acting up!¡± Ian was burning with anger. He berated, ¡°Do you think being an intern diminishes your worth? Do you know how many people would die for such an opportunity?¡± ¡°Stop being so self¨Crighteous, Ian!¡± Sage retorted without hesitation, ¡°I never intended to join Bolton Investment in the first ce. It was you who stole my USB drive!¡± Taking something without asking was equivalent to stealing! Not only did he steal it, but he also looked through it. The investment n she prepared to counter Bolton Investment had been fully exposed to the enemy. What was the point now? Facing Sage¡¯s fierceness and frustration, Ian knew arguing further was futile. He struggled to suppress the rising anger within him. ¡°You knew that Bolton Investment intends to invest in Mimosa, and you made such a detailed n. Tell me, weren¡¯t you aiming to join thepany?¡± ¡°Who says I can¡¯t create an investment n for Mimosa without joining Bolton Investment?¡± Ian was once again stumped. ¡°Sage, can you stop being so childish? Ivy majored in finance at an international university and has excelled in the field. Do you think you can prove yourself superior to her with just a proposal?¡± Atst, Ian had spoken his mind. He believed Sage had made the investment n just topete with Ivy. Although Sage did aim to outshine Ivy, it wasn¡¯t for the reasons Ian assumed. ¡°Ian, I don¡¯t need to prove myself to anyone, especially not to you!¡± With a cold statement, Sage turned around and left. 1 As he watched her retreating figure at the door, Ian¡¯s face darkened further. He 2/3 called for Terry. ¡°Mr. Hob, you called?¡± Terry¡¯s scalp tingled. He was afraid he might be dragged into the conflict.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Ian tossed the USB drive to Terry. ¡°Print out the investment n and send it to Bolton Investment. If it gets approved, reward Sage ordingly.¡± Although Mimosa couldn¡¯t be considered a top¨Ctier investment, it was Hob Corporation¡¯s first acquisition project for Bolton Investment. Therefore, it needed to be meticulously prepared to make a strong impression. That was also the reason why thepany¡¯s investment analysts had been working on proposals recently. To motivate them, thepany even established bonuses for the best proposals. Unexpectedly, Sage also expressed interest in participating and managed to produce a n that gained Ian¡¯s acknowledgment within such a short period. Thinking of this, Terry silently admired Sage¡¯s ability and took the USB drive. ¡± Alright, Mr. Hob.¡± ¡°Ms. Joyner, feel free to order anything you like. Don¡¯t be shy.¡± In the luxurious and low¨Ckey private club, Shane lounged on a soft couch. He casually propped his feet up on the coffee table. Two slim and graceful women sat by his sides. To keen eyes, Shane¡¯s rxed demeanor suggested it was a business meeting. But to those unaware, it might seem like a disy of hisvish lifestyle. ¡°Mr. Morrison, is it possible for them to leave?¡± Sage asked. ¡°No.¡± Shane smiled devilishly. ¡°Ms. Joyner, if they leave, we¡¯ll be alone together. Wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate?¡± After a moment of speechlessness, Sage remarked, ¡°Mr. Morrison, you can consider me as a dude.¡± Shane nonchntly responded, ¡°No can do, Ms. Joyner. Who would see such a beautiful woman like you as a dude?¡± 1/3 +15 BONUS Sage didn¡¯t bother arguing with him and turned directly to the two beautiful women. She said, ¡°I noticed that there¡¯s a spa area here. Please go and have a full -body spa to rx. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Morrison will cover all the expenses.¡± As the two women exchanged nces, Shane raised an eyebrow. He quipped, ¡± Ms. Joyner has given the word. Go ahead.¡± Then, he teased Sage, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re as stingy as Ian.¡± Sage remainedposed. ¡°If word got out that you spend someone else¡¯s money on women, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be embarrassing for you.¡± ¡°I suppose I should thank you for being considerate.¡± Having mocked her, Shane revealed a more businesslike demeanor. ¡°Ms. Joyner, is the investment n ready?¡± ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s been a bit of an unexpected situation.¡± With a suspicious look from Shane, Sage briefly exined the incident of Ian taking her USB drive. ¡°Although I have a backup on myptop, he has already seen the contents. It couldplicate things.¡± Sage could only me herself for not having the habit of shutting down herptop and for assuming Ian wouldn¡¯t enter her room. She had let her guard down. 1 After all, revising the investment n wasn¡¯t just a matter of time constraints; certain crucial data was challenging to alter. Shane asked, ¡°So, how do you n to handle this?¡± Sage knew that Shane didn¡¯tpletely trust her, and he probably had backup ns himself. However, his failure to secure Mimosa in the previous timeline indicated the ineffectiveness of his ns. Sage suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go directly to Mimosa and discuss a coboration. As long as we¡¯re a step ahead, Bolton Investment¡¯s proposal won¡¯t affect us.¡± Chuckling, Shane pointed out, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. But Ms. Joyner, have you considered that by initiating the coboration first, we¡¯re essentially revealing our cards? It would allow Bolton Investment to adjust their pricing at any time.¡± +15 BONUS Usually,petition in investment projects boiled down to money. When two rivalpanies had equal strength, the one with more money had the upper hand. Sage understood this well, so she proposed, ¡°What if we establish a coboration in advance?¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. By confirming the coboration, Bolton Investment wouldn¡¯t have a chance even if they offered a higher priceter. ¡°Ms. Joyner, are you joking?¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Shane cast a mocking nce at Sage. ¡°Do you think Mimosa would abandon such a lucrative opportunity to coborate with us before Bolton Investment makes an offer?¡± Sage replied, ¡°Under normal circumstances, no. But with the right influence, things might change.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shane adjusted his sitting posture. He was bing more interested in hearing Sage¡¯s next words. Sage took out her phone, retrieved some information, and handed it to Shane. ¡± This is Mimosa¡¯s manager, Benjamin Xenith. I¡¯ve gathered some background information on him through various channels. ¡°It¡¯s said that he managed to establish the winery not only due to an exclusive recipe but also with financial support from his inws. Therefore, he tends to listen to his wife, who is quite assertive.¡± ¡°Are you nning to convince Benjamin to coborate with us through his wife?¡± Shane¡¯s tone became lighter, and his patience was running thin. He thought that Sage initiating the coboration was just for show because shecked substantial ideas. He pushed back Sage¡¯s phone and said, ¡°This concerns the future listing operation of Mimosa. Even though she¡¯s his wife, she wouldn¡¯t make such a hasty decision.¡± Naturally, Sage noticed Shane¡¯s impatience. She casually smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Morrison, take another look at this.¡± She pulled up a photo. In it, Benjamin and his wife were posing with an elderlydy in a wheelchair. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Sage exined, ¡°The elderlydy is Benjamin¡¯s mother¨Cinw. A few months ago, she had a heart attack and was on the verge of death. A nurse performed timely resuscitation, which saved her life. Mrs. Xenith is particrly grateful.¡± 1/3 +15 BONUS Shane remained silent and waited for Sage to continue. ¡°The nurse is my close friend. She has already told Mrs. Xenith about our intentions and helped arrange for us to visit Mrs. Xenith tomorrow morning with the proposal.¡± Then, Sage handed Shane a simplified investment n. ¡°To avoidplications, I¡¯ve prepared a simplified version for you to review.¡± Shane took it, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes. ¡°It has only been a few hours since you lost the USB drive, yet you managed to do so much?¡± Sage responded nonchntly, ¡°Opportunities like this don¡¯te often. I couldn¡¯t afford to miss it.¡± Her connection with Prisci Xenith was purely idental. After leaving Hob Corporation, she had received a call from Tiana. Tiana said that her visa had been sessfully renewed, and she could leave for Lathuyria the next day. Sage had congratted Tiana, then shared her frustration about the futile investment n for Mimosa. Tiana had asked her, ¡°Are you talking about Mimosa the winery?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do you know about it?¡± Following that, Tiana had revealed that she had saved Prisci¡¯s mother in the past. ¡°Mrs. Xenith has thanked me many times and even sent me a want to meet Mrs. Xenith, I can help you out.¡± The world was truly small. Who would have thought that Tiana knew Prisci? Just like that, Sage contacted Prisci through Tiana and spent a few hours optimizing the coboration proposal. Whilepany experts might review extensive proposals, presenting Prisci with a clear and concise overview of the benefits and responsibilities would suffice. +15 BONUS ¡°Not bad,¡± Shane sincerely praised after reviewing it. ¡°The data is sinct and covers all aspects. But won¡¯t our shareholding percentage be a bit low?¡± Sage affirmed, ¡°Based on my analysis, this is the optimal ratio considering the circumstances. After all, Mimosa is a well¨Cknown firm. They wouldn¡¯t be willing to give up too many shares.¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Sage had determined the shareholding percentage based on the ownership ratio of Hob Corporation from her previous life. To ensure sess, she deliberately set it half a point lower. Although Farsight Investment might not match Hob Corporation¡¯s prestige, the percentage was considered optimal, taking into ount all factors. Upon hearing this, Shane didn¡¯t insist any further. ¡°Do you need me to send someone with you tomorrow?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Sage shook her head. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to approach it in a friendly way.¡± ¡°Ms. Joyner, you are more intelligent than I imagined.¡± Shane looked up smile, though one couldn¡¯t tell whether it was praise or a jest. with a Sage took it as apliment. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Morrison.¡± Shane didn¡¯t dwell on it. He returned the investment n to Sage and said, ¡°I¡¯ll await your good news.¡± The next day, Sage got up early to dress up and headed to Benjamin¡¯s house. The Xeniths lived in a high¨Cend estate within the city, which featured a courtyard and flower beds on the ground floor. When Sage arrived, Prisci was apanying her mother outside to bask in the sun. Sage greeted them gracefully, introduced herself, and presented the gifts she brought. After that, Sage didn¡¯t rush into the discussion about Mimosa. Instead, she spent some time with the elderlydy and enjoyed the sun with her. Then, she joined the two for lunch. Only after the meal did Sage bring up business. ¡°Prisci, I apologize for bothering you with this matter. I know there are 1/3 +15 BONUS multiplepanies interested in investing in Mimosa, but Farsight Investment is undoubtedly the best choice.¡± Sage handed Prisci the letter of intent to invest along with the investment n while adding, ¡°Take a look at the investment amount and shareholding percentage. You¡¯ll see our sincerity.¡± Prisci was knowledgeable about the market. She examined the documents carefully. There was a hint of satisfaction on her face. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll discuss this matter with Ben and the shareholderster today. You¡¯ll hear from me in the next couple of days.¡± To Sage, not receiving a refusal was already a good start. She expressed her gratitude to Prisci. ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite. Putting aside everything, you and Tiana are good friends. Of course, I have to help you with this favor.¡± Prisci was efficient and straightforward. Putting business matters aside, Sage admired her character. ¡°Once Tiana returns to the country, I¡¯lle with her to have a meal with you.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± After parting ways with Prisci, Sage called Shane. She updated him on the day¡¯s events and asked him to prepare relevant materials and contracts for prompt delivery when needed. With everything settled, Sage returned to Sris Estate. While Prisci had indicated her willingness to help, nothing was certain until the contract was signed. So, as a precaution, Sage decided to create a new proposal just in case. As she was busy with this, her phone rang. It was a call from Josephine. ¡°Mrs. Hob, Mr. Hob¡¯s great uncle is hosting a dinner tomorrow. Mrs. Hob Senior wants you and Mr. Hob to apany her.¡± Ian¡¯s grandfather, Elijah Hob, had two brothers. Each of the brothers had two children, which made it arge family with frequent gatherings. Sage used to enjoy such asions because, with the elders around, Ian wouldn¡¯t 15 BONUS give her a hard time. Sometimes, at Linda¡¯s request, he would even pick food and serve water for her. But now, Sage didn¡¯t feel like going as she saw no meaning in attending family gatherings when she and Ian were going to get divorced. ¡°Josephine, please let Grandma know that I already have ns tomorrow ¡°Mrs. Hob, you can tell Mrs. Hob Senior yourself,¡± Josephine interrupted and immediately handed the phone to Linda. Chapter 38 The phone was on speaker, and soon Sage heard Linda¡¯s saddened voice on the other end. ¡°Sage, are you not willing to apany me just because you¡¯re upset with Ian?¡± Sage had never heard Linda speak in such a tone, so she quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m willing to apany you, Grandma.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll have the driver pick you both up tomorrow!¡± Before Sage could say anything else, Linda had already ended the call. Her tone sounded noticeably lighter. Sage felt helpless. The next afternoon, Sage received a call from the driver when it was time to depart. Upon reaching the car and opening the door, she was surprised to find Ian already sitting in the backseat. He was wearing a ck suit. He exuded an air of cold sophistication as he focused on hisptop. He looked every bit like a sessful figure on the cover of a financial magazine. When he heard the door open, Ian nced at her nonchntly before returning his attention to the laptop. Sage cursed him in her heart. She was annoyed that he insisted on having Linda¡¯s driver pick him up when he had his own personal driver. Not wanting to sit with him, Sage decided to close the door and head to the front passenger seat. ¡°Don¡¯t be difficult. Grandma is still waiting,¡± Ian spoke up upon sensing her intentions. Sage frowned. Wasn¡¯t he looking at theptop? How did he know what she was thinking? Then, she noticed the driver staring at her and realized her actions were a bit childish. She pursed her lips and reluctantly got into the backseat. +15 BONUS During the journey, Sage was upied with her phone. She did not speak ton. He, too, remained absorbed in his work in silence. After a while, the driver suddenly mmed the brakes, which caused Sage to lurch forward. She almost hit her head on the front seat. ¡°Be careful.¡±n reached out to pull her back, and she ended up falling into his arms. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Hob, I¡¯m sorry! Someone cut in ourne!¡± the driver apologized nervously. Ian didn¡¯t say a word, while Sage was now partially leaning against his chest. For the dinner gathering, she wore a short¨Csleeved apricot top. From his perspective, he could see her delicate corbone and a hint of her chest. ¡°Where are you looking!¡± Sage shook off his hand. She was wide¨Ceyed. Sage was dumbfounded. Her outfit was pretty ordinary. It was nothing revealing -no cleavage, no exposed back. Why did he put it in such a crude way? ¡°I guess people with dirty minds see things differently,¡± Sage rebutted without hesitation. ¡°Oh, so you still see adylike side of me? Haven¡¯t you always said I was nasty and without a single redeeming quality?¡± argued Sage mockingly. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment. Thank you!¡± At a loss for words, Ian didn¡¯t argue further. He picked up hisptop and casually remarked, ¡°Your proposal has been submitted to Bolton Investment. After several rounds of screening by the higher¨Cups, they¡¯ve decided to use it.¡± +15 BONUS Sage didn¡¯t expectn to take her investment n to Bolton Investment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand what I said yesterday? I have no interest in joining Bolton Investment. Also, you can¡¯t use my proposal without my consent!¡± Ian, still focused on theptop, calmly stated, ¡°You¡¯ll get one million dors as a bonus.¡± Immediately, Sage was stunned. She intended to use the 100 million dors from her grandfather to coborate with Shane. Meanwhile, she had maxed out Ian¡¯s ck card previously. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Thus, with limited cash on hand, this additional amount would make a significant difference. Chapter 38 Chapter 37 Sage had determined the shareholding percentage based on the ownership ratio of Hob Corporation from her previous life. To ensure sess, she deliberately set it half a point lower. Although Farsight Investment might not match Hob Corporation¡¯s prestige, the percentage was considered optimal, taking into ount all factors. Upon hearing this, Shane didn¡¯t insist any further. ¡°Do you need me to send someone with you tomorrow?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Sage shook her head. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to approach it in a friendly way.¡± ¡°Ms. Joyner, you are more intelligent than I imagined.¡± Shane looked up smile, though one couldn¡¯t tell whether it was praise or a jest. with a Sage took it as a compliment. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Morrison.¡± Shane didn¡¯t dwell on it. He returned the investment n to Sage and said, ¡°I¡¯ll await your good news.¡± The next day, Sage got up early to dress up and headed to Benjamin¡¯s house. The Xeniths lived in a high¨Cend estate within the city, which featured a courtyard and flower beds on the ground floor. When Sage arrived, Prisci was apanying her mother outside to bask in the sun. Sage greeted them gracefully, introduced herself, and presented the gifts she brought. After that, Sage didn¡¯t rush into the discussion about Mimosa. Instead, she spent some time with the elderlydy and enjoyed the sun with her. Then, she joined the two for lunch. Only after the meal did Sage bring up business. ¡°Prisci, I apologize for bothering you with this matter. I know there are 1/3 +15 BONUS multiplepanies interested in investing in Mimosa, but Farsight Investment is undoubtedly the best choice.¡± Sage handed Prisci the letter of intent to invest along with the investment n while adding, ¡°Take a look at the investment amount and shareholding percentage. You¡¯ll see our sincerity.¡± Prisci was knowledgeable about the market. She examined the documents carefully. There was a hint of satisfaction on her face. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll discuss this matter with Ben and the shareholderster today. You¡¯ll hear from me in the next couple of days.¡± To Sage, not receiving a refusal was already a good start. She expressed her gratitude to Prisci. ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite. Putting aside everything, you and Tiana are good friends. Of course, I have to help you with this favor.¡± Prisci was efficient and straightforward. Putting business matters aside, Sage admired her character. ¡°Once Tiana returns to the country, I¡¯lle with her to have a meal with you.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± After parting ways with Prisci, Sage called Shane. She updated him on the day¡¯s events and asked him to prepare relevant materials and contracts for prompt delivery when needed. With everything settled, Sage returned to Sris Estate. While Prisci had indicated her willingness to help, nothing was certain until the contract was signed. So, as a precaution, Sage decided to create a new proposal just in case. As she was busy with this, her phone rang. It was a call from Josephine. ¡°Mrs. Hob, Mr. Hob¡¯s great uncle is hosting a dinner tomorrow. Mrs. Hob Senior wants you and Mr. Hob to apany her.¡± Ian¡¯s grandfather, Elijah Hob, had two brothers. Each of the brothers had two children, which made it arge family with frequent gatherings. Sage used to enjoy such asions because, with the elders around, Ian wouldn¡¯t 15 BONUS give her a hard time. Sometimes, at Linda¡¯s request, he would even pick food and serve water for her. But now, Sage didn¡¯t feel like going as she saw no meaning in attending family gatherings when she and Ian were going to get divorced. ¡°Josephine, please let Grandma know that I already have ns tomorrow ¡°Mrs. Hob, you can tell Mrs. Hob Senior yourself,¡± Josephine interrupted and immediately handed the phone to Linda. Chapter 38 The phone was on speaker, and soon Sage heard Linda¡¯s saddened voice on the other end. ¡°Sage, are you not willing to apany me just because you¡¯re upset with Ian?¡± Sage had never heard Linda speak in such a tone, so she quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m willing to apany you, Grandma.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll have the driver pick you both up tomorrow!¡± Before Sage could say anything else, Linda had already ended the call. Her tone sounded noticeably lighter. Sage felt helpless. The next afternoon, Sage received a call from the driver when it was time to depart. Upon reaching the car and opening the door, she was surprised to find Ian already sitting in the backseat. He was wearing a ck suit. He exuded an air of cold sophistication as he focused on hisptop. He looked every bit like a sessful figure on the cover of a financial magazine. When he heard the door open, Ian nced at her nonchntly before returning his attention to theptop. Sage cursed him in her heart. She was annoyed that he insisted on having Linda¡¯s driver pick him up when he had his own personal driver. Not wanting to sit with him, Sage decided to close the door and head to the front passenger seat. ¡°Don¡¯t be difficult. Grandma is still waiting,¡± Ian spoke up upon sensing her intentions. Sage frowned. Wasn¡¯t he looking at theptop? How did he know what she was thinking? Then, she noticed the driver staring at her and realized her actions were a bit childish. She pursed her lips and reluctantly got into theC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. backseat. +15 BONUS During the journey, Sage was upied with her phone. She did not speak to lan. He, too, remained absorbed in his work in silence. After a while, the driver suddenly mmed the brakes, which caused Sage to lurch forward. She almost hit her head on the front seat. ¡°Be careful.¡±n reached out to pull her back, and she ended up falling into his arms. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Hob, I¡¯m sorry! Someone cut in ourne!¡± the driver apologized nervously. Ian didn¡¯t say a word, while Sage was now partially leaning against his chest. For the dinner gathering, she wore a short¨Csleeved apricot top. From his perspective, he could see her delicate corbone and a hint of her chest. ¡°Where are you looking!¡± Sage shook off his hand. She was wide¨Ceyed.n coldly nced at her and retorted, ¡°Why are you afraid of people looking when you¡¯re dressed like that?¡± Sage was dumbfounded. Her outfit was pretty ordinary. It was nothing revealing -no cleavage, no exposed back. Why did he put it in such a crude way? ¡°I guess people with dirty minds see things differently,¡± Sage rebutted without hesitation.n was taken aback. ¡°Sage, have youpletely abandoned yourdylike pretense?¡± ¡°Oh, so you still see a ladylike side of me? Haven¡¯t you always said I was nasty and without a single redeeming quality?¡± argued Sage mockingly.n snapped, ¡°I might not know about your other qualities, but your sharp tongue is truly unmatched!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment. Thank you!¡± At a loss for words, Ian didn¡¯t argue further. He picked up hisptop and casually remarked, ¡°Your proposal has been submitted to Bolton Investment. After several rounds of screening by the higher¨Cups, they¡¯ve decided to use it.¡± +15 BONUS Sage didn¡¯t expectn to take her investment n to Bolton Investment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand what I said yesterday? I have no interest in joining Bolton Investment. Also, you can¡¯t use my proposal without my consent!¡± Ian, still focused on theptop, calmly stated, ¡°You¡¯ll get one million dors as a bonus.¡± Immediately, Sage was stunned. She intended to use the 100 million dors from her grandfather to coborate with Shane. Meanwhile, she had maxed out Ian¡¯s ck card previously. Thus, with limited cash on hand, this additional amount would make a significant difference. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Regardless, since the investment n was of no use to her anymore, Sage decided to let Bolton Investment use it. She probed, ¡°Can you add an extra ten thousand?¡± Ian looked at her and said disapprovingly, ¡°Sage, if you love money so much, why did you act so high and mighty before and im you wouldn¡¯t ept a penny for personal use?¡± When they first got married, Ian had offered her a credit card to cover household expenses. But she had refused it. She had wanted to prove she wasn¡¯t in it for the money. Consequently, she used her own funds for gifts and daily expenses. In hindsight, she genuinely regretted that decision. ¡°Why don¡¯t youpensate me now?¡± Sage asked tentatively. Surprisingly, Ian scoffed in response. ¡°You¡¯re divorcing me. Why should I cover your expenses?¡± That was a predictable response from a businessman. He wouldn¡¯t take any losses. Sage decided not to dwell on the matter. ¡°Fine. One million it is.¡± Ian thenid out his conditions. He said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to be involved in following up on the project and handling any modifications to the proposal.¡± ¡°Ian, you just don¡¯t want to give me the money, do you?¡± Sage fumed. ¡°I told you I won¡¯t join Bolton Investment, and I won¡¯t be involved in anything rted to them!¡± Ian suppressed his annoyance and said with a frown, ¡°I can make an exception. and let you be an investment analyst in this project. This is yourst chance. If you refuse, even talking to Grandma won¡¯t help.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a flying fuck! Are you seriously expecting me to be grateful to you?¡± Sage ignored Ian¡¯s angry yet confused expression and continued yelling, ¡°Keep 1/3 +15 BONUS your intentions to yourself. I won¡¯t join Bolton Investment even if youe begging, much less go to Grandma for help!¡± Hearing this, Ian couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. ¡°Sage, that¡¯s enough with your act! Why did you spend so much effort making this investment, then? Don¡¯t tell me it was just for fun?¡± Sage chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Ian studied her indifferent face and bellowed, ¡°You better not regret it!¡± After that, he focused on his emails and ignored her. Sage was relieved to be left alone and continued scrolling on her phone. The car fell into silence again. Shortly after, the driver brought them to a distinctive restaurant in Haldon City. It had a serene atmosphere, refreshing air, various private rooms with excellent views, and a garden area. It was a favorite spot among the upper ss. Once out of the car, Ian unexpectedly offered his arm to her. He gestured for her to hold it. Sage was befuddled. She asked, ¡°Are you okay? Why act like a loving couple at a time like this?¡± Ian retorted with a stern face, ¡°Haven¡¯t I humored you many times in such acts?¡± Indeed, Ian used to cooperate with her in such situations. It was partly due to Linda¡¯s request. The other reason was to avoid being the subject of gossip among rtives. It was easier to put on a show and save themselves the trouble. To enjoy a peaceful meal, Sage forced a smile and linked her arm with Ian. The waiter guided them to a charming private room by the garden. The room had excellent lighting, and in the center was arge round table with a decorative, This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. man¨Cmade waterfall. On the other side was an area for leisure and tea ceremonies. At this point, several rtives were already present. They were either sipping tea 23 +15 BONUS or chatting, which created a harmonious atmosphere. Linda sat in a high¨Cbacked chair. She was surrounded by elegantly dressed women engaged in conversation. ¡°Grandma,¡± Sage called out. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned towards them, and Linda¡¯s face lit up when she saw Sage. ¡°Sage, you¡¯re here!¡± Then, Sage and Ian walked over to Linda together. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 ¡°Good evening, Grandma and everyone,¡± Ian greeted gracefully. ¡°Ian, you¡¯re truly dutiful. You alwayse to apany your grandmother, unlike those ungrateful brats in our family who always say they¡¯re busy as an excuse not to show up!¡± ¡°No kidding! Can anyone be busier than Ian? He runs such a huge corporation. and still manages to make time. I think our grandchildren simply find us bothersome!¡± ¡°s,n never disappoints. He is both capable and respectful. Mrs. Hob Senior is blessed!¡± As he listened to the aunts¡® praises, Ian wore a subtle smile. ncing at Sage, he calmly said, ¡°You all are too kind. I don¡¯t have much time to be with Grandma regrly. It¡¯s my Sage who spends more time with her.¡± Hearing ¡°my Sage¡±ing from Ian¡¯s mouth made Sage think she was hearing things. Even during social niceties, he had never addressed her like that before! Sage stared at Ian while trying to read his face. However, his expression. remained impassive, like nothing happened. Meanwhile, Linda discreetly observed both of their expressions. She turned to Ian and said, ¡°You¡¯re a sensible boy. It¡¯s good that you know Sage¡¯s virtues!¡± ¡°Yes, Sage is a dutiful child as well! And she¡¯s beautiful. She¡¯s a perfect match for Ian!¡± The women continued to shower Sage withpliments. In the midst of the ttering, several other of Ian¡¯s rtives approached him for a talk. Acting like a considerate husband, Ian turned to Sage and said, ¡°You stay with Grandma for a while; I¡¯ll join you shortly.¡± Sage yed along by offering a gracious smile. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Sage and Ian seem to be growing closer!¡± one of the aunts from Sage¡¯s family remarked. ¡°Sage, when are you two nning to have children? Let¡¯s expand the 1/2 family! Grandma, what do you think?¡± Linda chuckled at that. ¡°No rush. Sage is still young. When she wants to have children, she will naturally. I¡¯m not that old¨Cfashioned that I would urge for great -grandchildren!¡± After a few more light¨Chearted conversations, Linda expressed her desire to take a stroll in the garden, and Sage volunteered to apany her. After helping Linda up, Sage walked with her to the garden. ¡°Sage, it¡¯s been many days since you contacted me. Do you not want your grandma anymore?¡± Linda scolded yfully. ¡°Grandma, what are you saying?¡± Sage pouted. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before; even if I divorce Ian, you¡¯ll still be my grandma!¡± Linda yfully tapped Sage¡¯s head and chided, ¡°A couple should quarrel and make up in bed. Did you eat the corn chowder I had someone send youst time?¡± When she recalled thest incident, Sage felt a tingling sensation on her lips. Grandma, please don¡¯t do that again. We haven¡¯t done anything, and it caused quite a bit of unpleasantness.¡± 1 ¡°I ¡°It must be that brat¡¯s fault again!¡± Linda shook her head in frustration. ¡°Sage, I can see that Ian is starting to care about you. Aren¡¯t you thinking of changing your mind?¡± Sage shook her head. They had just put on a facade for the elders. She said in a serious tone, ¡°Grandma, I know you suggested postponing the divorce until after your birthday to give us some time to cool off. But we don¡¯t need it. ¡°I insisted on this marriage. No matter how much time passes,n won¡¯t change his views on me. I don¡¯t want to tie him down anymore either.¡± Linda held Sage¡¯s hand and responded earnestly, ¡°Sage, Ian has always been a determined person. If he truly didn¡¯t want to marry you, I can¡¯t have forced him in the first ce.¡± Chapter 41 Sage picked out the meaning behind Linda¡¯s words, yet she refused to deceive herself. ¡°Linda, you don¡¯t have tofort me. I¡¯m well aware of Ian¡¯s attitude.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Leaving aside the fact that Ian still despised her, she couldn¡¯t allow herself to harbor illusions about him any longer, even if there were a genuine change in his feelings. She did not want to interfere with the tacit understanding and emotions between him and Ivy again in this lifetime. When she saw Sage¡¯s determined expression, Linda refrained from further persuasion. Clearly, Sage had experienced enough heartache and disappointment to make such a resolute decision. Linda only hoped that Ian would quickly realize the truth and mend Sage¡¯s heart. In the leisure area of the private room, a group of women discussed their children. ¡°My son¡¯s birthday is approaching, and he mentioned that Gentlemen¡¯s Style¡¯s high¨Cend clothes are good. The store sent me a link with several styles; could you all take a look for me?¡± One of them pulled out a tablet, and everyone leaned in to see. Ian happened to pass by and nced at the screen. ¡°Ian, you have great taste in fashion. Could you help me decide?¡± the woman asked. When everyone expected I¨¢n to decline, he surprised them by picking up the tablet. He browsed through the new arrivals on the homepage and then checked. the price range. Ultimately, he filtered the selection under 30 grand and chose a ready¨Cmade suit. priced at 28,800 dors. It was a rather casual ck suit. ¡°Ian, I may not be as wealthy as you, but I can afford more than that,¡± the 1/3 woman said with a smile. Jan chuckled and returned to the homepage. He pointed at a custom¨Cmade suit worth a million dors. ¡°This one looks good to me.¡± ¡°Oh, indeed! It¡¯s elegant and stylish. Come and take a look, everyone!¡± As the women gathered, fan handed back the tablet and walked toward the garden outside. At this moment, Linda was seated on a wooden chair while Sage was taking photos of her. ¡°Maintain that smile. Perfect! Grandma, you look beautiful as always!¡± Linda beamed at thepliment. She cooperated with Sage by tilting her head left and right in various poses. Ian always knew that Sage was good at winning Linda¡¯s favor. He had thought it was through sweet talk and ttery, but now it seemed he had underestimated her. Despite Sage¡¯s usual irrational behavior, her sincerity toward Linda was undeniable. ¡°Ian, why are you standing there? Come and take photos with us!¡± Linda spotted him and called out. Sage also turned toward Jan. Her bright smile faded a little upon seeing him. However, she quickly ignored him and continued taking photos of Linda. Feeling a twinge of dissatisfaction, Ian noticed that Sage¡¯s attitude toward him had worsenedtely. In the past, even without Linda¡¯s prompting, she would joyfully run toward him and be eager to share the photos she had taken. He had even given her a ck card for her shopping spree. Why was she still acting so strangely? ¡°Why do women hold onto grudges?¡± Ian felt frustrated and sent a message to Calvin Luther, who imed to understand women best. Calvin replied almost instantly, ¡°Who? What kind of woman is she? Ian, are you. looking for a side chick?¡± +15 BONUS Ian couldn¡¯t be bothered to entertain Calvin¡¯s nonsense and approached Linda. Linda called Sage over and instructedn to take pictures. ¡°Go, take some beautiful shots for me and Sage.¡± Ian took the camera and snapped a few shots. Linda then said, ¡°Sage, the scenery there is beautiful. Stand there and let Ian take a photo of you.¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 40 ¡°Good evening, Grandma and everyone,¡± Ian greeted gracefully. ¡°Ian, you¡¯re truly dutiful. You alwayse to apany your grandmother, unlike those ungrateful brats in our family who always say they¡¯re busy as an excuse not to show up!¡± ¡°No kidding! Can anyone be busier than Ian? He runs such a huge corporation. and still manages to make time. I think our grandchildren simply find us bothersome!¡± ¡°s,n never disappoints. He is both capable and respectful. Mrs. Hob Senior is blessed!¡± As he listened to the aunts¡® praises, Ian wore a subtle smile. ncing at Sage, he calmly said, ¡°You all are too kind. I don¡¯t have much time to be with Grandma regrly. It¡¯s my Sage who spends more time with her.¡± Hearing ¡°my Sage¡±ing from Ian¡¯s mouth made Sage think she was hearing things. Even during social niceties, he had never addressed her like that before! Sage stared at Ian while trying to read his face. However, his expression. remained impassive, like nothing happened. Meanwhile, Linda discreetly observed both of their expressions. She turned to Ian and said, ¡°You¡¯re a sensible boy. It¡¯s good that you know Sage¡¯s virtues!¡± ¡°Yes, Sage is a dutiful child as well! And she¡¯s beautiful. She¡¯s a perfect match for Ian!¡± The women continued to shower Sage withpliments. In the midst of the ttering, several other of Ian¡¯s rtives approached him for a talk. Acting like a considerate husband, Ian turned to Sage and said, ¡°You stay with Grandma for a while; I¡¯ll join you shortly.¡± Sage yed along by offering a gracious smile. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Sage and Ian seem to be growing closer!¡± one of the aunts from Sage¡¯s family remarked. ¡°Sage, when are you two nning to have children? Let¡¯s expand the 1/2 family! Grandma, what do you think?¡± Linda chuckled at that. ¡°No rush. Sage is still young. When she wants to have children, she will naturally. I¡¯m not that old¨Cfashioned that I would urge for great -grandchildren!¡± After a few more light¨Chearted conversations, Linda expressed her desire to take a stroll in the garden, and Sage volunteered to apany her. After helping Linda up, Sage walked with her to the garden. ¡°Sage, it¡¯s been many days since you contacted me. Do you not want your grandma anymore?¡± Linda scolded yfully. ¡°Grandma, what are you saying?¡± Sage pouted. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before; even if I divorce Ian, you¡¯ll still be my grandma!¡± Linda yfully tapped Sage¡¯s head and chided, ¡°A couple should quarrel and make up in bed. Did you eat the corn chowder I had someone send youst time?¡± When she recalled thest incident, Sage felt a tingling sensation on her lips. Grandma, please don¡¯t do that again. We haven¡¯t done anything, and it caused quite a bit of unpleasantness.¡± 1 ¡°I ¡°It must be that brat¡¯s fault again!¡± Linda shook her head in frustration. ¡°Sage, I can see that Ian is starting to care about you. Aren¡¯t you thinking of changing your mind?¡± Sage shook her head. They had just put on a facade for the elders. She said in a serious tone, ¡°Grandma, I know you suggested postponing the divorce until after your birthday to give us some time to cool off. But we don¡¯t need it. ¡°I insisted on this marriage. No matter how much time passes,n won¡¯t change his views on me. I don¡¯t want to tie him down anymore either.¡± Linda held Sage¡¯s hand and responded earnestly, ¡°Sage, Ian has always been a determined person. If he truly didn¡¯t want to marry you, I can¡¯t have forced him in the first ce.¡± Chapter 41 Sage picked out the meaning behind Linda¡¯s words, yet she refused to deceive herself. ¡°Linda, you don¡¯t have tofort me. I¡¯m well aware of Ian¡¯s attitude.¡± Leaving aside the fact that Ian still despised her, she couldn¡¯t allow herself to harbor illusions about him any longer, even if there were a genuine change in his feelings. She did not want to interfere with the tacit understanding and emotions between him and Ivy again in this lifetime. When she saw Sage¡¯s determined expression, Linda refrained from further persuasion. Clearly, Sage had experienced enough heartache and disappointment to make such a resolute decision. Linda only hoped that Ian would quickly realize the truth and mend Sage¡¯s heart. In the leisure area of the private room, a group of women discussed their children. ¡°My son¡¯s birthday is approaching, and he mentioned that Gentlemen¡¯s Style¡¯s high¨Cend clothes are good. The store sent me a link with several styles; could you all take a look for me?¡± One of them pulled out a tablet, and everyone leaned in to see. Ian happened to pass by and nced at the screen. ¡°Ian, you have great taste in fashion. Could you help me decide?¡± the woman asked. When everyone expected I¨¢n to decline, he surprised them by picking up the tablet. He browsed through the new arrivals on the homepage and then checked. the price range. Ultimately, he filtered the selection under 30 grand and chose a ready¨Cmade suit. priced at 28,800 dors. It was a rather casual ck suit. ¡°Ian, I may not be as wealthy as you, but I can afford more than that,¡± the 1/3 woman said with a smile. Jan chuckled and returned to the homepage. He pointed at a custom¨Cmade suit worth a million dors. ¡°This one looks good to me.¡± ¡°Oh, indeed! It¡¯s elegant and stylish. Come and take a look, everyone!¡± As the women gathered, fan handed back the tablet andBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. walked toward the garden outside. At this moment, Linda was seated on a wooden chair while Sage was taking photos of her. ¡°Maintain that smile. Perfect! Grandma, you look beautiful as always!¡± Linda beamed at thepliment. She cooperated with Sage by tilting her head left and right in various poses. Ian always knew that Sage was good at winning Linda¡¯s favor. He had thought it was through sweet talk and ttery, but now it seemed he had underestimated her. Despite Sage¡¯s usual irrational behavior, her sincerity toward Linda was undeniable. ¡°Ian, why are you standing there? Come and take photos with us!¡± Linda spotted him and called out. Sage also turned toward Jan. Her bright smile faded a little upon seeing him. However, she quickly ignored him and continued taking photos of Linda. Feeling a twinge of dissatisfaction, Ian noticed that Sage¡¯s attitude toward him had worsenedtely. In the past, even without Linda¡¯s prompting, she would joyfully run toward him and be eager to share the photos she had taken. He had even given her a ck card for her shopping spree. Why was she still acting so strangely? ¡°Why do women hold onto grudges?¡± Ian felt frustrated and sent a message to Calvin Luther, who imed to understand women best. Calvin replied almost instantly, ¡°Who? What kind of woman is she? Ian, are you. looking for a side chick?¡± +15 BONUS Ian couldn¡¯t be bothered to entertain Calvin¡¯s nonsense and approached Linda. Linda called Sage over and instructedn to take pictures. ¡°Go, take some beautiful shots for me and Sage.¡± Ian took the camera and snapped a few shots. Linda then said, ¡°Sage, the scenery there is beautiful. Stand there and let Ian take a photo of you.¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 To avoid dampening Linda¡¯s spirits, Sage did as instructed, Before reaching the spot, she was captivated by a blooming orchid by the side. She bent down and sniffed it. The wonderful fragrance caused her features to rx instantly, and a gentle smile graced her lips. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Sunlight shone on Sage¡¯s delicate face as she leaned toward the pristine orchid. Ian couldn¡¯t decide whether the flower or the woman was more beautiful. Almost instinctively, he captured the scene with his phone. After an afternoon of leisure activities, the dinner banquet finallymenced. The family of 20 gathered around a table, which created a harmonious atmosphere. Linda and Aiden Hob, Ian¡¯s great uncle, were not as energeticpared to the middle¨Caged and young people present. Thus, they ended up leaving early. Ian found himself surrounded by his uncles, while Sage assisted Linda and saw her off. As she watched the car disappear into the distance, Sage decided against returning to feign affection with Ian and wandered around the surroundings instead. As dusk settled, colorful lights illuminated the garden and created a unique ambiance. Sage strolled toward a secluded area near a small forest. It was quieter than the front, and two guards stood outside a private room. Sage tactfully halted her steps. When she was heading back to where she came from, she noticed a slim man leading a group of young girls to the private room. The man sternly warned, ¡°Be mindful when serving our distinguished guestter. Or else, you¡¯ll have to face the consequences!¡± One of the girls with an attractive figure cautiously said, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well today. Can I skip drinking?¡± ¡°Nonsense! It¡¯s just drinking! Where do you think the money came from for you +15 BONUS to afford such an expensive phone and clothes? Keep Mr. Xenith happy, and your prosperous days will follow!¡± Upon hearing the name ¡°Mr. Xenith,¡± Sage instinctively nced toward the private room they entered. The door happened to open at that moment. It revealed three men respectfully toasting the slightly chubby man upying the main seat. Thetter looked familiar; Sage had seen his photos quite a few times recently. He was none other than Benjamin, the manager of Mimosa. After the slim man led the girls into the private room, the one with the best figure was pushed to sit on Benjamin¡¯sp. ¡°Hurry and greet Mr. Xenith!¡± ¡°Mr. Xenith,¡± the girl nestled in Benjamin¡¯s arms coquettishly called. ¡°Hello, my little princess. I haven¡¯t seen you in a few days, and you¡¯ve be even more beautiful. Do you miss me?¡± Benjamin said before kissing the girl on the face. The others at the table seemed ustomed to such behavior. They erupted intoughter and cheers. As the door closed, Sage was in utter shock. Benjamin was well¨Cknown for his enthusiasm for charity and his deep love for his wife. So, why would he engage in such lewd behavior with a young girl? Moreover, judging from his actions, it appeared that this wasn¡¯t the first time. ¡°Who¡¯s out there?¡± Suddenly, one of the guards outside the private room shouted. Not daring to linger, Sage quickly left. She hurried back to the garden. She looked back but saw that no one was chasing her. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. Just as she turned around, she collided forcefully with a solid chest. Sage was both startled and in pain. She instinctively covered her nose with a hiss. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ian asked while attempting to inspect her nose for any injuries. Cautiously, Sage took a step back. 2 +15 BONUS Ian had probably had a bit to drink, as his handsome face was slightly flushed. His dark eyes glinted. They looked oddly alluring in the dimly lit night. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Besides, Ian had removed his suit jacket, and a few buttons on his shirt were undone. With his sleeves rolled up, his fair skin and well¨Cdefined arm muscles were exposed. Sage promptly stopped herself from staring. She couldn¡¯t afford to be infatuated with his attractiveness again. Shooting him a cold look, she grumbled, ¡°What are you standing here for? You gave me a fright!¡± Ian wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, his tone was gentle as he replied, ¡°Weren¡¯t you seeing Grandma off? Why did youe here? I¡¯ve looked everywhere for you¡­¡± Based on his words and expression, Sage confirmed that Ian had had a bit too much to drink. His usual image was one of swift decisiveness, even in situations like this where he seemed a bit slow in reacting. Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t normally say something as silly as having looked for her everywhere. There was once in her previous life that Ian had gotten drunk as well. However, he had only slept it off upon getting home instead of making such a fuss. At the thought of this, Sage eased up a bit. But just to be sure, she called Terry to help arrange for someone to pick them up. ¡°Alright, Mrs. Hob,¡± Terry responded before hanging up. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me why you¡¯re here.¡± Ian held her arm and insisted on an answer. Tiana had warned Sage about how scary people could be when drunk. So, she didn¡¯t argue with Ian in that state and simply said, ¡°I was just bored and took a walk.¡± ¡°Why are you bored?¡± Ian¡¯s slightly intoxicated gaze was fixed on her, and his This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. expression was serious. Sage thought that if she recorded Ian¡¯s silly and cute behavior right now, she +15 BONUS could probably extort a billion from him. At her silence,n unexpectedly reached out and pulled her into an embrace.¡± Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± ¡°Ian, let me go!¡± Sage demanded as she tried to break free. Butn held her tighter. He felt displeased. ¡°You¡¯re being rude. Howe you¡¯re not calling me ¡®Tany¡® now? Let me hear it.¡± Sage was momentarily stunned, then found it somewhat funny and poignant at the same time. Eventually, she lost her temper. ¡°Tan, do you think it¡¯s fun to act crazy after drinking?¡± Sage forcefully pushed him away and added, ¡°Or do you feel uneasy because I haven¡¯t been chasing after you every daytely?¡± Call him ny¡°? Like hell! He never cared when she used to call him that all the time. In fact, he would frown so deeply as if he found it incredibly distasteful! So how dare he ask her to call him that now? Ian stumbled back a few steps as Sage pushed him. His eyes cleared slightly, but there was still a hint of drunkenness. Seeing Sage¡¯s angry expression, Ian felt more annoyed. He wasn¡¯tpletely drunk, but he was definitely not sober either. He couldn¡¯t believe he had actually listened to Calvin¡¯s terrible advice. ording to Calvin, the best way to deal with girls was to pamper them as they would be cuter and more charming. When pampering, he must speak softly, be gentle, and hold their hands or touch their shoulders asionally. Ultimately, any girl who liked him wouldn¡¯t be able to resist! And so, Ian had softened his tone, acted extra gentle, and even wrapped his arms around Sage¡¯s waist despite her resistance. Yet, it waspletely useless. Conversely, Sage was even angrier than before! Ian¡¯s head was starting to ache. He rubbed his temples and tried to stay upright IS BONUS as he stepped forward. After a few steps, he looked back at Sage. He said slowly and indifferently, ¡°Are you nning to stand there all night?¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 When Sage realized that Ian had reverted to his usual demeanor and tone, she became even more certain that he had only pretended to be drunk to fool her. Infuriated, she briskly walked ahead and left Ian behind. A faint perfume lingered as Sage¡¯s silhouette faded into the distance. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Jan sent a text to Calvin. ¡°I¡¯m rejecting the letter of intent to coborate with Luther Enterprise¡¯s gulf project.¡± Then, without waiting for Calvin¡¯s response, he switched off his phone. Concerned that Ian might be too drunk, Terry tagged along with the driver to the restaurant to pick them up. He let the driver wait before approaching the private room. Inside, Ian sat on a bench while supporting his forehead with one hand. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and he looked ufortable. Terry was about to call out to him when Sage, holding a towel in one hand, discreetly walked over to lan from the dining table. Her other hand was hidden beneath the towel. Terry wisely kept silent. He watched as Sage gently dabbed Ian¡¯s forehead with the towel. Before he could appreciate Sage¡¯s tender care, however, he watched as she ¡°identally¡± tossed something she was holding into Ian¡¯s shirt cor. As soon as the object touched Ian¡¯s skin, he jolted. The noise he made was loud enough to attract the attention of others in the room. ¡°Ian, are you okay?¡± One of the rtives gasped in concern, ¡°Oh, your shirt has a few wet spots. And your pants¡­¡± Her exmation drew everyone¡¯s eyes to Ian¡¯s shirt and pants. There were indeed a few damp spots on his blue shirt, while his pants were stained in an awkward spot. $15 BONUS Although everyone found it absurd and unbelievable, they tacitly chose to stay silent. Jan also noticed the issue with his pants. His face darkened as he red at Sage. With a worried and nervous expression, Sage stammered, ¡°Y¨CYou drank too much that you couldn¡¯t even¡­ hold it in?¡± She intentionally avoided the awkward wording. ¡°But it¡¯s okay; you don¡¯t need to feel embarrassed!¡± Sage spoke as though she was very considerate of lan¡¯s feelings. ¡°Everyone here is family. No one will make fun of you. Right, guys?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± One rtive nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°It¡¯s quite normal. Sometimes when you drink too much, you think you¡¯re in a dream, and then¡­ Well..¡± Unable to listen any longer, Jan immediately stormed out of the door. Terry quickly suppressed the smile on his face and respectfully said, ¡°Mr. Hob, the car is outside. Do you need my assistance?¡± Ian cast him a cold nce before striding out with long steps. Terry followed. Meanwhile, Sage grabbed her handbag and apologized to everyone, ¡°Sorry for the trouble, everyone. But please forget that this ever happened. Thank you!¡± She even bowed sincerely to the crowd before leaving the private room. Everyone exchanged nces, and an elderly man sighed. ¡°I thought Jan was better than this. How could¨COh, forget it. Everyone, let¡¯s not bring this up next time!¡± After getting into the car, Sage couldn¡¯t control herughter. ¡°Sage!¡± With an icy expression, Ian seethed, ¡°How dare you throw ice cubes into my shirt!¡± ¡°You yed me. Payback¡¯s a bitch!¡± ¡°You!¡± +15 BONUS As Ian sat upright, Sage burst intoughter again when she saw his stained pants. The driver looked puzzled. Meanwhile, Terry was mentally recalling the tragedies of his life and trying not to burst intoughter as well. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 ¡°Stopughing!¡± Furious and mortified, Ian viciously grabbed Sage¡¯s wrist. Sage winced as he held her hand tightly. Seeing the fierce glint in Ian¡¯s eyes, she knew he was genuinely angry, and she should stopughing. However, when she thought of the incredulous faces back in the private room and how speechless everyone was, Sage guffawed louder instead. She even had to bend over to hold her belly. When Terry saw Sage¡¯s reaction, he was anxious about her recklessness. He was sweating. To avoid getting dragged into it, he prudently raised the partition. Ian watched Sageugh uncontrobly despite his threat. Her eyes were curved into crescents while tears flowed out of them. On her flushed face, there was no trace of resentment, indifference, hysteria, or disdain. Only a carefree and radiant smile adorned her features. He was still gripping her delicate wrist, and her fragrance enveloped his senses. Strangely, Ian felt the anger within him dissipate. Instead, a mix of thirst and heat reced it, and he needed to quench that thirst. With eyes locked on Sage¡¯s cherry lips, he pulled her into his arms and leaned down to kiss her. His other hand went around her lower back to press her against his chest. He prevented her from breaking free. The sudden kiss left Sage stunned and infuriated. However, she couldn¡¯t escape as Ian¡¯s arms were like iron shackles that were holding her in ce. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Feeling dissatisfied with their position, Ian shifted her entire body onto hisp while continuing to explore her lips. The ambiguous and intimate seating arrangement angered Sage even more, and she bit out a low growl. Although Sage was desperate to p Ian, she found herself unmatched by his strength, especially when he had been drinking. Ian caught her iling hands and pressed her against the back of the seat. 1/3 +15 BONUS Terry, sensing a disturbance, could guess the ¡°fight¡± in the back had started to escte. He could only pretend to be calm and urge the driver to speed up. After all, dragging out the journey might lead them to be stuck in an awkward situation. Terry cursed himself internally and questioned his decision to tag along. It would have been more rxing to stay home and y with his chubby orange cat instead! In the backseat, Sage waspletely defenseless against Ian. Even breathing became a struggle. The vast difference in size and strength left her with no choice but to allow Ian¡¯s antics without resistance. ¡°Ring, ring! Cutie, your phone is ringing~¡± At that moment, Sage¡¯s phone rang. Ian finally stopped kissing her. Perhaps he was disturbed by the noise, or maybe a trace of his sanity returned. Sage nowcked the strength to confront him. She could only gasp for air and whisper, ¡°I need to take the call.¡± In Ian¡¯s drunken eyes, a hint of desire flickered. He looked at Sage, whose body now felt soft and limp, and huskily said, ¡°Beg like you mean it.¡± Sage looked at him with teary eyes. She was puzzled. The desire in Ian¡¯s eyes intensified. ¡°We¡¯ll continue if you don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m begging you!¡± Sage shouted in fear. ¡°For what?¡± mping down on her anger, she mumbled, ¡°To let me answer the call.¡± ¡°Who are you begging?¡± Sage thought he must be insane. Nevertheless, she gritted her teeth and said, Please, Ian.¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± 2/3 +15 BONUS Earlier, Ian had apanied the elders for a few more drinks in the private room. Perhaps he was truly intoxicated this time, as his eyes were zed over, and his voice carried a hint of devilish charm. ¡°You know what I want to hear.¡± Sage forced out, ny.¡± Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Ian was unwilling to let her go yet. ¡°Beg me properly one more time.¡± Sage was both frustrated and confused. She was wondering why she hadn¡¯t noticed so many annoying traits in Ian before. What sort of weird hobby was this? Just then, Sage¡¯s phone stopped ringing. Ian was about to pull her even closer. He said, ¡°Perfect. Now, you don¡¯t have to- At the same time, Sage was ready to use violence when the partition suddenly lowered. Terry kept his eyes down as he informed in a business¨Clike tone, ¡°Mr. Hob, Ms. Shekdotter says her calls aren¡¯t getting through to you. She needs to speak with you.¡± Ian furrowed his brows slightly and took Terry¡¯s phone. Annoyed, Sage pushed Ian away and sat back in her seat. She grabbed her own phone. It turned out that she had missed Ivy¡¯s phone call as well. Ivy seemed to be well aware of Ian¡¯s whereabouts, considering that she had looked for Sage directly. 1 ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ian loosened his cor and asked in a husky voice. ¡°What¡¯s with your voice? Are you drunk?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Ignoring her concern, Ian asked again, ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± Ivy said, ¡°Can youe over now? Let¡¯s talk in person. Or I cane to you. It¡¯s quite urgent, and I can¡¯t exin it over the phone.¡± Ian nced at Sage, who had now resumed a cold and distant demeanor. ¡°I¡¯ll ¡± After he hung up, Sage said impatiently, ¡°Pull over. I¡¯ll take a taxi home.¡± Ian, however, grabbed her hand. His breath still smelled like alcohol as he uttered, ¡°Let the driver send you home. Terry and I will take a taxi.¡± +15 BONUS Sage frowned and shook off his hand. Ian¡¯s gaze darkened, but eventually, he ordered the driver to pull over. Once Ian and Terry got out of the car, Sage sent a message to Shane. She informed him about seeing Benjamin at the restaurant and requested him to investigate Benjamin¡¯s private life thoroughly. Considering he was the manager of Mimosa, any personal issues could affect the uing initial public offering. Shane was rather cooperative on matters rted to the investment, and he replied with an affirmative emoji. Back at Sris Estate, Sage vigorously wiped her lips with a towel. Ian, the lunatic, had gone crazy after drinking too much! In her previous life, he would simplye home and doze off after getting drunk. He had even been completely unaware of her sneaking up next to him, where she secretly listened to his heartbeat. Was it that Ian¡¯s level of intoxication was different this time, or had he already slept with Ivyst time to get it out of his system? Sage felt nauseous at the thought of him going to Ivy¡¯s ce after eating the corn chowder the other day and possibly kissing her with the same mouth that had touched Ivy¡¯s. She wiped her lips even more vigorously. After rinsing her mouth several times and taking a bath, Sage began to feel a bit better. Shey on the bed and was about to sleep when she noticed an unread message on WhatsApp and a notification from Venmo. Opening it, she found she had received five thousand dors. On WhatsApp, someone with an unfamiliar profile picture had sent her a message. ¡°Miss, I got my sry. I¡¯ve paid back five thousand dors first.¡± Sage realized that the sender was Michael, whom she had added to her contacts previously but didn¡¯t get a chance to talk to. She replied, ¡°No rush. Pay me back when you have the money.¡± ¡°ept it. It puts my mind at ease,¡± Michael insisted. 15 BONUS Just as Sage wanted to refuse again, she was interrupted by another notification from Telegram. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 It was a message from Delh. Sage hadn¡¯t contacted Delh since she went to Ivy¡¯s ce. She had blocked Delh¡¯s messages on WhatsApp as well. Now that Delh had sent her a photo on Telegram, it was probably not good news. Sage immediately deleted the message and blocked her number. ¡°Please, you must ept it,¡± Michael sent another message after the money transfer. To maintain his dignity, Sage decided to ept the payment. Michael then asked, ¡°Are you very busy? I haven¡¯t seen you at the sportsplex. For the past few days, Sage had been upied with drafting the investment n. Thus, she didn¡¯t have the time to attend the lessons she had applied for. She replied, ¡°I¡¯m busy with work matters.¡± Following that, Michael sent her a bunch of encouraging cute gifs. Sage found them amusing, so she saved a few. She then checked Michael¡¯s social media feed and found that his life was rich and full of positivity. Apart from part¨Ctime work updates, there were posts about music bands, which portrayed him as a cheerful and optimistic young man. Sage felt a bit envious. She realized that it had been a long time since she experienced the feelings of youth and enthusiasm. As Sage was browsing through the feed, she received a notification which indicated she had been tagged in a WhatsApp group chat. It was a group chat created by Delh and some ssmates. Delh had sent a photo to the group and tagged Sage. Sage nced at the image, which featured an appetizing bowl of pasta on the coffee table and a cup of passion fruit juice. +15 BONUS Though there were no people in the photo, an arm in a blue sleeve draped over the couch was in the frame. Sage couldn¡¯t tell if the photographer intended it, but it was a garment she recognized all too well- the one Ian had worn earlier. The background in the photo was also familiar to Sage as it was Ivy¡¯s residence. A whileter, Sage received a phone call from an unknown number. It was Delh, who sounded displeased. ¡°Sage, what¡¯s going on? You blocked me on WhatsApp, and now, you¡¯ve blocked my number too?¡± ¡°Did Ian me you forst time?¡± Delh added, ¡°I told you to tell him it was my idea alone. If he didn¡¯t listen, you could have discussed a countermeasure with me. Why are you sulking?¡± Sage didn¡¯t bother responding. She waited for her to continue. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Sure enough, Delh said, ¡°The photo I sent you was the one I¨Cbitch posted on her social media feed not long ago with a disgusting caption. I left a nasty ¡°But I saved the photo before it was gone. How is that called taking care of a drunk friend? There¡¯s clearly something going on between them. It¡¯s disgusting!¡± Delh rambled on without getting a response from Sage. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you angry? Should we go to her ce again?¡± Sage chuckled and said, ¡°You care a lot more about them than I do. I unfollowed Ivy¡¯s social media long ago. If you really consider me a friend, do the same. Don¡¯t do stupid things in my name again.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Sage?¡± Delh was getting angry. ¡°I did it for you! I was standing up for you. Yet instead of thanking me, you¡¯re calling me stupid?¡± Sage calmly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re stupid, but don¡¯t take me for a fool.¡± ¡°Fine! Sage, if you can¡¯t win Ian over, don¡¯te crying to me. I won¡¯t help you anymore!¡± After that, Delh hung up in frustration. Sage saved the image from the WhatsApp group as she considered it potential evidence for future divorce proceedings. After anxiously waiting for a day, Sage finally received news from She at night. He said, ¡°Benjamin¡¯s situation is a bitplicated. Let¡¯s meet up and talk¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Sage responded, ¡°Okay, send me the address.¡± The location Shane provided turned out to be a bar. It seemed like private clubs or bars were his regr hangouts. If Sage hadn¡¯t known from her past life that he had a business mindset and performed reasonably well, she might have thought of him as an idle yboy. Sage drove to the bar and located Shane in a secluded corner on the second floor. The bar yed soft music, and with no one else on the second floor, the noise was well¨Ccontained in the soundproofed booth. It created an unexpectedly tranquil atmosphere. Shane was lounging with his legs propped on the coffee table. He retained his usual carefree demeanor. However, this time he was without thepany of beautiful women. Instead, he was engrossed in a phone call. On the table were beverages and snacks. Sage decided not to disturb him and settled on the couch. She casually picked up a piece of apple and popped it into her mouth. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s settled. Let me know as soon as there¡¯s any news.¡± Shane hung up quickly. Sage went straight to the point and asked, ¡°What did you find out about Benjamin?¡± Wordlessly, Shane tossed a file over to Sage. In addition to the facts they already had, it contained more detailed personal information about Benjamin and the events of the night before.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Although Benjamin came from a humble background, he disyed exceptional intelligence. He entered his father¨Cinw¡¯spany with a self¨Clearned wine form. After marrying Prisci, he gradually expanded his influence while being backed by his inws¡® wealth. To build a positive image, Benjamin frequently donated to charities and welfare 1/3 +15 BONUS organizations such as Sunshine Orphanage. This earned him a good reputation. However, the group of girls who were forced to drink with himst night were from the orphanage. ¡°What a scumbag!¡± Sage couldn¡¯t help but curse upon learning this. To cloak such immoral actions in the guise of charity was utterly despicable. ¡°Hold off on the scolding. Keep reading,¡± Shane cryptically reminded her. As Sage continued flipping through the file, she stumbled upon photos of Benjamin with a girl at a hotel. The girl was the one Sage had noticed the night before. She had the most attractive figure. ¡°Are these photos taken fromst night? Why didn¡¯t your men stop him?¡± Shane chuckled with a hint of amusement. ¡°Ms. Joyner, consensual matters aren¡¯t easy to prevent. Besides, these photos weren¡¯t taken by my men.¡± When Shane¡¯s team arrived to investigatest night, Benjamin had already left the hotel. With recent rumors of Mimosa¡¯s financing and listing, many were eyeing Benjamin to find something incriminating. These photos were snapped by someone with ulterior motives. ¡°What happened afterward? Have you reported this to the police?¡± Sage inquired. With a smile, Shane shook his head. ¡°The person who took the photos has some ulterior motives. Both sides are still negotiating for benefits.¡± Sage stared at Shane, and a sudden realization hit her. ¡°You¡¯re nning to help Benjamin resolve this trouble, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s what you meant on the phone just now!¡± While casually toying with his phone, Shane sat back nonchntly and didn¡¯t deny the usation. Sage erupted in anger and growled, ¡°How could you do that? Weren¡¯t we supposed to discuss it together?¡± Shane chuckled in response. ¡°Ms. Joyner, this is a golden opportunity. Settling his troubles for him means securing Mimosa.¡± 2/3 +15 BONUS ¡°But his character is questionable, and his behavior is reprehensible. It¡¯s a massive risk for the investment bank. If his scandal is exposed before the public listing, there would be no money for you to make.¡± Shane was unfazed as he said, ¡°Benjamin is usually cautious. Otherwise, someone would have uncovered his background. As long as we conceal this matter, he won¡¯t dare to make any more reckless moves in the short term. It doesn¡¯t count as a massive risk.¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¡°Even if there are risks, one must seek fortune amidst danger. In our line of work, aren¡¯t some risks worth taking?¡± Seeing Shane¡¯s nonchnt smirk, Sage chuckled. ¡°So, you never considered seeking my opinion.¡± Shane adjusted himself into a morefortable position and said, ¡°Ms. Joyner, you¡¯ve got it wrong. I informed you of the oue. I¡¯m showing considerable respect, I¡¯d say.¡± Sage observed Shane¡¯s rxed and yful expression. She knew that the matter was already decided. Since she proposed the partnership, Shane seemed more interested in her actions than the coboration itself. Now that he could secure Mimosa on his own, her presence was even less meaningful. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s just pretend my proposal never existed,¡± Sage said. ¡°I thought, despite being a businessman, you wouldn¡¯t blindly blur the lines between right and wrong just for money. But turns out, you¡¯re just as immoral. In that case, we don¡¯t need to work together!¡± With that, Sage stood up to leave. However, Shane stopped her. ¡°Ms. Joyner, wait a moment.¡± Sage looked at him indifferently. Shane then asked with a wicked smile, ¡°Are you really willing to give up this opportunity? If you don¡¯t join Farsight Investment, how do you n topete with Ivy, Ian¡¯s beloved?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Sage wasn¡¯t surprised that Shane had investigated her and knew her intentions. Nheless, he only knew one side of the story. Sage replied in a clipped tone, ¡°You need not concern yourself with this matter, 1/3 +15 BONUS Mr. Morrison. As long as I have a goal, I¡¯ll find a way regardless of the circumstances.¡± Just when Shane wanted to say more, his phone rang. Sage knew it was a call from his subordinates, so when Shane unlocked the screen, she left without waiting. ¡°What?!¡± Shane¡¯s voice suddenly rose behind her. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Shane called after her. This time, his attitude was evidently hostile, and his usually affectionate eyes now held a menacing glint. Sage raised an eyebrow. ¡°What happened? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Shane sneered and said, ¡°Mrs. Hob, you and Ian are quite adept at coordinating. One deliberately leaked information to buy time, while the other silently resolved Benjamin¡¯s matter!¡± Sage was dumbfounded. She thought, ¡°Ian has received the news too? And he acted so swiftly?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t discuss morality with me so earnestly. You¡¯re just putting on a show. If you want, I can introduce you to the acting industry.¡± Sage chuckled at that. ¡°Mr. Morrison, let me offer a piece of advice. When you¡¯re not as good as others, just admit defeat gracefully. Don¡¯t me your failures on others, as that only makes you look more ipetent. ¡°Don¡¯t assume I¡¯m as despicable as you im. Even if Ian and I plotted against you, you brought it upon yourself!¡± Fortunately, she hadn¡¯t actually worked with someone as abominable as Shane to help Benjamin cover up a scandal for the sake of profit! Shane was stumped by her words. His face turned furious. ¡°Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t do anything to you just because you¡¯re Ian¡¯s wife! I¡¯ve never been yed by a woman. You aren¡¯t going anywhere!¡± With a wave of his hand, his hidden bodyguard suddenly appeared. ¡°Yes, Mr. Morrison?¡± Shane¡¯s voice turned icy as he ordered, ¡°Tie her up. Take photos and send them 2/3 ton. Tell him his wife is in our hands!¡± ctrl +15 BONUS ¡°You¡¯ve lost your mind!¡± Sage eximed as she stepped back in horror. ¡°Don¡¯t you know kidnapping is a crime?¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Shane¡¯sughter was cold and malicious. ¡°You had the guts to mess with me. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson, even if it means breaking thew!¡± When she saw Shane¡¯s fearless attitude and the approaching bodyguard, Sage felt a tinge of regret. She had been too presumptuous. She had thought that her knowledge from her past life could be leveraged to negotiate with Shane. She never considered investigating what kind of person he was. Now, with him turning hostile, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape if he decided to tie her up. With Ian¡¯s apparent dislike toward her, she doubted he would intervene. Even if he did, she didn¡¯t want to owe him any favors. ¡°Hide if you can. Let¡¯s see where you can escape to!¡± Shane stalked toward her. His voice was menacing. The second floor seemed to have been cleared by Shane, and there was no one around to help. Sage¡¯s scream for help was rendered useless. Sage contemted whether it would be more effective to smash a wine bottle and threaten to hurt herself or take a gamble by doing the same to Shane. ¡°Who dares toy a hand on her?¡± Amid her thoughts, an angry voice suddenly echoed from behind. It was Ian! 1 In what seemed like a trick of the light, Ian¡¯s eyes shed with a hint of concern when he looked at Sage. ¡°Hey, Mr. Hob, you came just in time. I haven¡¯t even sent you a message yet, and here you are!¡± Shane said mockingly. Ian ignored him and strode toward Sage. He frowned as he asked, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Sage shook her head. 1/3 +18 BONUS ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ian didn¡¯t say much. He gestured for Sage to follow him. However, Shane¡¯s bodyguard blocked their way. ¡°You n to leave without giving an exnation?¡± Shane¡¯s yful expression carried a hint of chill. Ian looked at him coldly. ¡°I was waiting for an exnation from you. Why did you try to bind my wife?¡± While speaking, two burly men d in ck came up to Shane. In terms of numbers and strength, Shane¡¯s lone bodyguard seemed at a disadvantage. Sage hadn¡¯t expected Ian toe, let alone bring bodyguards. ¡°Looks like you havee prepared.¡± Shane¡¯s lips curled into a mysterious smile. ¡°Do you know who the owner of this bar is?¡± Sage suddenly felt uneasy. If this bar belonged to Shane, Ian¡¯s two bodyguards might not be enough to contend with him. Thinking about theirst intense car collision, Sage couldn¡¯t help but worry. If a fight broke out, where would she find safety? Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ian seemed to misunderstand Sage¡¯s concern. He took her hand. Her fingers were enclosed in his warm palm. Though she felt ufortable, Sage didn¡¯t pull away because now wasn¡¯t the time for trivialities. ¡°The Morrisons¡® empire is vast. Having a few bars is nothing out of the ordinary, Ian calmly stated. TI ¡°Then, do you think you can leave here so easily?¡± Shane provocatively asked. Ian revealed aposed, thin smile as he uttered, ¡°You can go downstairs and see for yourself.¡± At his words, Shane¡¯s face fell. He quickly walked to the edge and looked down. The bustling hall, which had plenty of guests a while ago, was now empty. The bar staff stood in a line, and the bouncers were bound and kneeling on the floor. Meanwhile, standing in the hall was a group of trained bodyguards dressed in 2/3 ck. They exuded both authority and precision. +15 BONUS ¡°Ian, you¡¯ve got guts! How dare you bring so many people to mess up my ce!¡± Shane roared. Ian gazed at him indifferently and said, ¡°If you dare to target my wife again, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t just mess up your establishment.¡± With that, Ian led Sage away. 1 ¡°Ian, I¡¯ll let you off this time. This isn¡¯t over!¡± Shane bellowed from behind. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Jan Ignored Shane. Downstairs, Terry was cleaning up. They walked out of the bar. Sage hastily shook off Ian¡¯s hand. Sage was puzzled. ¡°How did you know that I drove here?¡± Ian said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°Anyone with eyes will notice the striking color and license te of your car!¡± Sage fell silent. Her Maserati was one of the wedding gifts from her grandfather. The color of the car was a bright red, and the license te was abination of her initials and birthday. It wasn¡¯t low¨Cprofile, but it definitely wasn¡¯t as shy as Ian had described it to 1. be. The driver had already gotten out of the car. Without thinking too much about it, Sage handed the car keys to him. Then, she tactfully got into the passenger seat of Ian¡¯s car. After Ian started the car, Sage couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why were you in the area at this hour?¡± This ce was quite far from Hob Corporation, and Ian wouldn¡¯t pass by this ce on his way back to Sris Estate. Ian red coldly at her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you exin yourself first? Why would youe to Shane¡¯s bar and even sit in the same booth as him? When did you get so close to him?¡± Before the car crashst time, Ian had asked Sage the same question. 1/3 Back then, she answered that she wasn¡¯t too close to Shane at that moment. So, had they gotten close to each other now? Of course, Nage wouldn¡¯t be so stupid as to tell fan that she was joining hands with Shane to go up against Bolton Investment. If their partnership was established, she might mention it to get back atn. But now, they had turned against each other, and Shane even tried to harm her. Because of her pride and reputation, she refused to say it. Sage said calmly, ¡°Thank obliged to tell you who 7 for helping me out in time just now. But I am not another person.¡± here for, or how things are going between me and Sage¡¯s words sounded like she was silently agreeing to it. Ian was extremely pissed at that. ¡°Sage, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re a married woman now.¡± Sneering, Sage retorted, ¡°Well, then, when you ate and showered at Ivy¡¯s house, did you remember that you¡¯re a married man too?¡± Even thoughn wasn¡¯t sure what Sage meant by the showering, it was Ivy they were talking about. Ivy always liked to make mountains out of molehills. Ian frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve known her for years. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never heard of our friendship before!¡± Sage smiled in frustration. ¡°I¡¯ve known long ago that you two know each other and have a strong bond with each other. But this doesn¡¯t mean that I should tolerate your disloyalty!¡± Ian had nothing to say in return. ¡°Sage, I¡¯m asking you to exin yourself right now. Don¡¯t change the subject!¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Sage replied, ¡°They¡¯re the same thing to me. I won¡¯t interfere in your business, so I don¡¯t need you to mind my business either.¡± Ian was furious when he saw the distant and cold look on Sage¡¯s face. He had just returned from the airport when he received news that an emergency had urred at Bolton Investment. BONUS So, he decided to rush there. Whenn passed by this ce and was waiting for the Haine lights to turn green, Terry happened to catch sight of Sage¡¯s car. Terty even quickly tyrest out that the bar belonged to Shane! Teating that Sage might be at a disadvantage,n set aside the matter with Bolton Investment and tobl Terry to make arrangements as quickly as possible. In the end, tan didn¡¯t even get a word of thanks. Sage even put a distant look on her face as it he was meklling too much! ¡°Sage, in¡¯t you retain from doing meaningless things?¡± Jan gritted his teeth ¡°I met byst night to talk about official business. Did you think that Shane is a decent person? How can youe here to put yourself in danger just because you¡¯re mad?¡± Sage knew whatn was saving Since Shane said that he was going to kidnap her, it made sense Sage sasi, ¡°It you¡¯re so reluctant to do it, you can choose to ignore itpletely.¡± Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Sage knew it. That must also be why he had such a concerned look in his eyes when he arrived at the second floor. Fortunately, Sage wasn¡¯t as presumptuous as she used to be. If not, Ian would be leading her by the nose again. Sage retorted carelessly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to bother about my business, hurry up and sign the divorce agreement. I¡¯ve said before that you¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t sign the agreement!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ian¡¯s expression turned foul when he heard those words. Then, he mmed the brakes! Sage grabbed her bag. Ian didn¡¯t even have to say anything before she got out of the car. In the end, Ian got out of the car as well. With a dark expression on his face, he disregarded her shouts as he stuffed her into the driver¡¯s seat. Then, he fastened the seat belt around her. ¡°Go straight back to Sris Estate. My car has a GPS. If you still refuse to stop this behavior, I¡¯ll get your grandfather here to teach you a lesson!¡± After Ian coldly said those words, he mmed the door shut. Sage was speechless as she thought, ¡°He¡¯s out of his mind.¡± Noticing that Ian was still looking at her with a foul expression, Sage hastily stepped on the gas pedal. Once back at Sris Estate, Sage tossed her bag away as she slumped onto the couch. ROMU Her sixth sense was useless. In her subconscious mind, she always thought that Shane¡¯s nonchnt and rebellious attitude was just a facade he portrayed. However, reality had proven her otherwise. Setting aside the partnership, Sage was even more conflicted about whether she should tell Prisci about Benjamin or not. As she was a woman too, Sage wished that she could tell Prisci right away, Still, this matter was between Prisci and her husband. Also, Sage had only ever met Prisci once, so she wasn¡¯t sure if Prisci would trust what she said. She also wasn¡¯t sure if Prisci already knew about Benjamin¡¯s actions. Maybe she had chosen to ignore it. Sage found Tiana¡¯s number. She wanted to call Tiana to ask for opinions, but then, she remembered that Tiana had gone to Lathuyria today. Sage set down her phone and felt a headacheing on. Ian arrived at his office in Bolton Investment. ¡°If the founder has bad conduct, it¡¯ll be a potential problem when thepany tries to get listed in the future. ¡°Don¡¯t you even know that? Where¡¯s yourmon sense?¡±n reprimanded with a cold expression. Ivy and the other higher¨Cups were sitting at the table in the small conference hall, and they all had nervous looks on their faces. ¡°Mr. Hob, I was the one who made the decision to help Benjamin solve his This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. troubles. Please don¡¯t me them for it.¡® The other higher¨Cups secretly sighed in relief when Ivy volunteered to take responsibility. They were a little grateful to her as well. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a reasonable exnation for this.¡± With that, Ivy gestured for the other higher¨Cups to leave. In the meantime, she poured a cup of water forn. ¡°You¡¯ve been on the ne for the whole day. Have some water.¡± Ivy asked, ¡°How¡¯s it going with Mrs. Hob? I hope she¡¯s alright.¡± When Ian thought of Sage, his already suppressed rage began to boll. He epted the cup of water but avoided the question. He said, ¡°Tell me about Benjamin.¡± ¡°Sorry, I made the decision on my own.¡± Ivy looked apologetic. ¡°I originally wanted to wait until you came back to make the decision. ¡°But Benjamin said that he was framed. Someone had purposefully stuffed a woman into his house when he was drunk. ¡°At this point, many people are indeed setting their sights on Mimosa. Someone may have framed him.¡± Ivy said, ¡°Even if we don¡¯t make a move, Farsight Investment and even the other investment companies will. Benjamin contacted us right away, so this also means that he trusts in our capabilities. ¡°He even promised that as long as we help him resolve this problem, he¡¯ll sign the contract with us right away. This is themitment letter he wrote himself.¡± Ivy grabbed themitment letter and tried to sit next to Ian. But before she could take a seat, Ian looked at her with his dark eyes. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 There was a distant look in Ian¡¯s eyes. He even frowned a little, Ivy was stunned when she saw that reaction. She began to feel a little awkward. Still, Ivy didn¡¯t reveal her emotions on her face. She straightened herself as she apologized gently. ¡°Ian, no matter what, I¡¯m the one at fault for what happened today. I¡¯m willing to take any punishment or reprimand.¡± With the exnations so far, Ivy¡¯s actions seemed excusable. Ian didn¡¯t probe further. He said in a cold voice, ¡°We can¡¯t afford any mistakes in this matter. Get someone to look into Benjamin. If he wasn¡¯t framed, cancel the investment ns.¡± Ivy hastily said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already asked someone to look into it. If there really is something off with him, you don¡¯t even have to say the word. I won¡¯t dare to partner with him.¡± Ian¡¯s expression rxed a little. He rubbed his temples for a bit. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you can leave now.¡± Ivy could see that Ian was experiencing difort. She asked gingerly, ¡°Ian, you don¡¯t seem well. Shall I massage your head? ¡°Every time my dad gets headaches, I¡¯ll massage his head for him. He says that I¡¯m like a professional.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Ian declined. ¡°Ask the driver to take me home.¡± Ivy said gently and casually, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so why don¡¯t you put up for a night here? We have a meeting about Benjamin tomorrow morning, anyway. You don¡¯t have to rush back and forth.¡± Ian still declined. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± If Sage got herself into trouble again, Ian wouldn¡¯t have the energy to deal with it. Ivy maintained a gentle smile on her face, but her heart was already filled with jealousy. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. These days, it was obvious that Ian was beginning to care about Sage. If the incident tonight had happened in the past, Ian wouldn¡¯t have bothered with Sage at all. Ian had always been strict with work. Mimosa was an extremely important project, so Ian wouldn¡¯t dy it. But today, he had chosen Sage over work. Also, it had been a few days, but even until now, he had never mentioned the incident where Delh rushed into Ivy¡¯s house to humiliate her. He had even intentionally avoided her. This wasn¡¯t a good thing. Ian returned to Sris Estate. ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Hob.¡± Wanda was already used to it by now. ¡°I¡¯ll make you some refreshing tea.¡± Ian sat on the couch and asked tiredly, ¡°Where¡¯s Sage?¡± ¡°She has returned to the bedroom to rest. Ian held his forehead. He didn¡¯t say anything more. When Wanda had prepared the tea, she found Ian already asleep on the couch. He was propping up his head, and he seemed to be extremely fatigued. His eyebrows were tightly knitted together. Wanda said softly, ¡°Sir, the tea is ready.¡± Ian didn¡¯t respond. After thinking for a moment, Wanda went to knock on the door to Sage¡¯s room. + BONUS ¡°Who Is it?¡± Sage¡¯s wary voice sounded from within the room. ¡°Mrs. Hob, it¡¯s me.¡± In her pajamas, Sage opened the door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Wanda?¡± ¡°Mr. Hob has fallen asleep on the couch downstairs. Since it¡¯s nighttime, he might catch a cold. Would you like to get him back into the room to rest?¡± Wanda could see that Ian and Sage were getting along better now. It was especially obvious in Ian¡¯s case. He was tired out, but he still asked about Sage. At this point, if Sage slightly cared for him a little, he would be touched for sure. So, Wanda came to talk to Sage. When Sage heard Wanda¡¯s words, she wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t her business whether Ian caught a cold or not. But then, she remembered that Ian had indeed. helped her out just now. She had to repay his kindness. So, she turned around and went into the room. Wanda thought that Sage had gone to make the bed so that Ian would sleep morefortably when he came upter. So, she feltforted as she waited. Soon, Sage came out with a thin nket in her hands. ¡°Here.¡± SURPERISE GIFT: 3000 bonus free for you,activity time is limited! Chapter 54 Chapter 53 There was a distant look in Ian¡¯s eyes. He even frowned a little, Ivy was stunned when she saw that reaction. She began to feel a little awkward. Still, Ivy didn¡¯t reveal her emotions on her face. She straightened herself as she apologized gently. ¡°Ian, no matter what, I¡¯m the one at fault for what happened today. I¡¯m willing to take any punishment or reprimand.¡± With the exnations so far, Ivy¡¯s actions seemed excusable. Ian didn¡¯t probe further. He said in a cold voice, ¡°We can¡¯t afford any mistakes in this matter. Get someone to look into Benjamin. If he wasn¡¯t framed, cancel the investment ns.¡± Ivy hastily said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already asked someone to look into it. If there really is something off with him, you don¡¯t even have to say the word. I won¡¯t dare to partner with him.¡± Ian¡¯s expression rxed a little. He rubbed his temples for a bit. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you can leave now.¡± Ivy could see that Ian was experiencing difort. She asked gingerly, ¡°Ian, you don¡¯t seem well. Shall I massage your head? ¡°Every time my dad gets headaches, I¡¯ll massage his head for him. He says that I¡¯m like a professional.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Ian declined. ¡°Ask the driver to take me home.¡± Ivy said gently and casually, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so why don¡¯t you put up for a night here? We have a meeting about Benjamin tomorrow morning, anyway. You don¡¯t have to rush back and forth.¡± Ian still declined. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± If Sage got herself into trouble again, Ian wouldn¡¯t have the energy to deal with it. Ivy maintained a gentle smile on her face, but her heart was already filled with jealousy. These days, it was obvious that Ian was beginning to care about Sage. If the incident tonight had happened in the past, Ian wouldn¡¯t have bothered with Sage at all. Ian had always been strict with work. Mimosa was an extremely important project, so Ian wouldn¡¯t dy it. But today, he had chosen Sage over work. Also, it had been a few days, but even until now, he had never mentioned the incident where Delh rushed into Ivy¡¯s house to humiliate her. He had even intentionally avoided her. This wasn¡¯t a good thing. Ian returned to Sris Estate. ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Hob.¡± Wanda was already used to it by now. ¡°I¡¯ll make you some refreshing tea.¡± Ian sat on the couch and asked tiredly, ¡°Where¡¯s Sage?¡± ¡°She has returned to the bedroom to rest. Ian held his forehead. He didn¡¯t say anything more. When Wanda had prepared the tea, she found Ian already asleep on the couch. He was propping up his head, and he seemed to be extremely fatigued. His eyebrows were tightly knitted together. Wanda said softly, ¡°Sir, the tea isThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ready.¡± Ian didn¡¯t respond. After thinking for a moment, Wanda went to knock on the door to Sage¡¯s room. + BONUS ¡°Who Is it?¡± Sage¡¯s wary voice sounded from within the room. ¡°Mrs. Hob, it¡¯s me.¡± In her pajamas, Sage opened the door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Wanda?¡± ¡°Mr. Hob has fallen asleep on the couch downstairs. Since it¡¯s nighttime, he might catch a cold. Would you like to get him back into the room to rest?¡± Wanda could see that Ian and Sage were getting along better now. It was especially obvious in Ian¡¯s case. He was tired out, but he still asked about Sage. At this point, if Sage slightly cared for him a little, he would be touched for sure. So, Wanda came to talk to Sage. When Sage heard Wanda¡¯s words, she wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t her business whether Ian caught a cold or not. But then, she remembered that Ian had indeed. helped her out just now. She had to repay his kindness. So, she turned around and went into the room. Wanda thought that Sage had gone to make the bed so that Ian would sleep morefortably when he came upter. So, she feltforted as she waited. Soon, Sage came out with a thin nket in her hands. ¡°Here.¡± SURPERISE GIFT: 3000 bonus free for you,activity time is limited! Chapter 55 Chapter 55 ¡°Even though Sage is quite annoying about it, you haven¡¯t divorced her yet. Isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate?¡± Calvin asked. Ian was irritated. ¡°If you have something to talk to me about, speak right now. If not, get lost.¡± Just then, the secretary came in with the coffee. So, Calvin pleasingly handed it to Ian. ¡°Ian, have some coffee. Don¡¯t let your throat go dry.¡± There was indeed some difort in Ian¡¯s throat. So, Ian epted the mug. ¡°Heh. Ian, I¡¯m sure you know why I¡¯m here.¡± After the secretary had gone out, Calvin began to plead his case. ¡°My dad is very serious about the gulf project. If you turn it down, I¡¯ll lose my freedom for the next few months. No, I¡¯ll lose it for the whole year! ¡°He¡¯ll drag me to thepany and force me to take lessons!¡± Ian said, ¡°Great. Then I won¡¯t have to listen to you yapping anymore.¡± ¡°Ian, you can¡¯t do this.¡± Calvin sobbed, ¡°Remember when you and Shane got into a fight at school back then? Who rushed forward to help you with abandon?¡± ¡°Do you mean that time when he kicked you to the ground? When you grazed your skin and bled, and you fainted at the sight of the blood? When I almost lost. because I was distracted by you?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Calvin fell silent. ¡°But you have to admit that I was loyal enough to help you out, right?¡± Ian massaged the space between his eyebrows. ¡°Write another detailed and usible letter of intent on your own. Then, deliver the presentation on the project yourself.¡± Calvin put on a sour expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know how!¡± ¡°Then take your loyalty back to your dad¡¯spany and work there.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it!¡± Calvin had always been strong in the mental aspect. He epted it after a mere fleeting moment. Then, he was even in the mood to keep gossiping. ¡°Ian, even though it¡¯s a good thing that you¡¯ve met a woman you like, you shouldn¡¯t be a two¨Ctimer. Should I help you talk to Sage so that she¡¯ll let go of you sooner?¡± Ian red at Calvin. ¡°Get lost. In the future, you¡¯re not allowed into my office without my permission.¡± Calvin couldn¡¯t understand why Ian became so contradictory. He had mentioned Sage twice, and Ian got angry on both asions. Ian was probably troubled because he didn¡¯t know how to get rid of her. ¡°Got it, Ian. I¡¯ll leave right now.¡± Before leaving the office, Calvin added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll always support you. I¡¯m always on your side!¡± Ian closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t have the energy to humor Calvin anymore. By the time Sage woke up, it was already almost noon. Last night, she kept wondering if she should tell Prisci about Benjamin. Then, she finally went to sleep in a daze in the morning. After getting out of bed, Sage washed up and went downstairs. Wanda was preparing lunch. ¡°Mrs. Hob, have some soup first. You¡¯ll have to wait a little longer for the meal.¡± Wandadled some soup into a bowl for Sage. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Sage pointed at a package on the dining table as she asked. Wanda replied, ¡°They¡¯re medicinal herbs from Mrs. Hob Senior. She asked someone to deliver them this morning.¡± Sage was puzzled. ¡°Why would Grandma deliver herbs out of the blue?¡± Wanda told Sage that Linda had heard from someone that Ian¡¯s health wasn¡¯t too great. So, Linda told Wanda that the medicinal herbs would help strengthen Ian¡¯s body. Hence, Wanda was to make herbal soup for Ian every day. Sage immediately recalled Ian¡¯s wet pants in the restaurant back then. She couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. By the looks of it, the rtives weren¡¯t good at keeping secrets at all, for the news had reached Linda¡¯s ears so soon. Linda had even believed it and gotten some medicinal herbs for Ian. Sage wondered how Ian would react when he heard of this. ¡°Mrs. Hob, why are youughing? Is there something wrong with the herbs? ¡°Wanda asked. Sage shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just suddenly remembered a joke.¡± Wanda went back into the kitchen. Sage drank the soup as she unlocked her phone. Tiana had posted something on her social media page. Other than some photos of beautiful scenery, she also uploaded some selfies she took with her husband. SURPERISE GIFT: 3000 bonus free for you,activity time is limited! Chapter 56 Chapter 56 565 Tiana was standing in front of the camera. Behind her, her husband had his head lowered as he looked at the documents in his hands. It wasn¡¯t quite a group photo, but Tiana was smiling happily. Sage couldn¡¯t bring herself to disrupt Tiana¡¯s sweet holiday. After thinking about it, Sage sent a message to Prisci. ¡°Mrs. Xenith, do you have time this afternoon? Would you like to go for a full- body spa day? ¡°I¡¯m not trying to rush you about the matter with Mimosa. I just heard that there¡¯s a newly opened beauty salon which is quite decent. I want to invite you to try it out with me.¡± Sage felt that it would be too sudden to tell Prisci straight away, but she would feel bad if she didn¡¯t say it. So, she wanted to see how Prisci felt about Benjamin before deciding on her next step. After a while, Prisci replied, ¡°Sure.¡± Sage sighed in relief. After settling on a time with Prisci, she sent her the address of the beauty salon. Just then, Wanda served lunch. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together, Wanda. There¡¯s just the two of us, anyway,¡± Sage invited her. Wanda felt that Sage had gotten friendlier and more casual than before, so she didn¡¯t decline ¡°Mrs. Hob, Mr. Hob had spent the whole night on the couchst night. When he went out this morning, I heard him coughing a little. I wonder if he caught a cold,¡± Wanda said. Sage simply gave an ¡°Oh¡± before enjoying the meal. Wanda fell silent. She had a feeling that Sage didn¡¯t care about Ian that much anymore, but she had no idea why. 14 Wanda continued, ¡°Mrs. Hob, why don¡¯t you call Mr. Hob and ask him toe home early? This morning, Mrs. Hob Senior asked that you make sure Mr. Hob drinks his herbal soups.¡± It would be quite an interesting task to make sure thatn drank his herbal soups. ¡°Wanda, is the herbal soup ready?¡± Sage asked. Wanda nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve ced it over low heat on the stove, so Mr. Hob can drink it whenever he likes after hees back.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not wait for him toe back,¡± Sage said. ¡°Herbal soup is only effective if you take it on time. Wanda, please put some in a container. I¡¯ll deliver it ton!¡± Sage would pass by Hob Corporation on the way to the beauty salon. She had quite some time to kill before she met up with Prisci, so she felt that she could watch Ian¡¯s expressions while she was at it. Ian might feel so embarrassed that he would want to sign the divorce agreement in a fit of rage. Wanda felt veryforted when she heard Sage¡¯s words. She thought that she was looking too much into it and that Sage still cared a lot about Ian. After the meal, Sage drove to Hob Corporation. Sage was holding the container of herbal soup and was about to enter the building when she saw a man walking in her direction. His hair wasbed back, and he was wearing branded clothing. He was dressed up just like an idol. Sage knew him. He was Calvin. Calvin was two years younger than Ian, and Sage heard that he had idolized Ian since young. Ian was dissatisfied with Sage, so Calvin also refused to acknowledge Sage as Ian¡¯s wife. Sage felt that she was not obliged to humor people who didn¡¯t acknowledge her. +16 BONUS Hence, she looked up and decided that she would pretend to be a stranger. Of course, Calvin spotted Sage as well. He was waiting for Sage to greet him enthusiastically, just like before. But in the end, Sage kept walking without even sparing him a nce. Sage was about to walk past him when Calvin let out a loud cough. Sage heard it, but she hastily stayed away from him as if she didn¡¯t want to catch the virus. She decided to walk around him instead. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Calvin was speechless. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± In the end, Calvin stopped Sage. When he noticed the container in her hands, Calvin snorted. ¡°You¡¯re going to pestern again, huh? He¡¯s very busy, so he doesn¡¯t have time for you! ¡°Sage, you can¡¯t force someone to like you. Can¡¯t you fall for someone else and setn free?¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 When Sage heard Calvin¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t get angry and embarrassed like she used to. Instead, she asked him earnestly, ¡°You¡¯re close to Ian, right? Can you persuade him?¡± Calvin said arrogantly, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m close to Ian. But I will never persuade him to fall for you!¡± ¡°I mean, help me persuade him to sign the divorce agreement.¡± ¡°I will never¨CHuh?¡± Calvin thought that Sage would keep begging him, but what did she just say? ¡°Divorce agreement? Are you saying thatn wants to divorce you?¡± ¡°No, I want to divorce him.¡± As Sage corrected Calvin, she stuffed the container into Calvin¡¯s hands. Then, as she took out the divorce agreement from her bag, she said, ¡°No matter what tactics you use, as long as you can get him to sign this, I¡¯ll be very grateful to you.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°You¡­ I¡­¡± Calvin was so shocked that he could barely think. He wished that someone could tell him what was going on. Why was Sage the one who wanted to get a divorce now? Why would she carry the divorce agreement with her everywhere? Just then, Calvin suddenly caught a whiff of a familiar scenting from Sage. He shuddered. The nket in Ian¡¯s office had the same scent. It was faint, but Calvin was very sure that it was the same scent. So, the nket Ian told him to put away actually belonged to Sage? Then, two days ago, Ian¡¯s rtionship troubles might very well be because of¡­ Sage? ¡°I can¡¯t take this!¡± When Calvin saw Sage trying to stuff the divorce agreement into his arms, he dodged it as if it were a hot potato. ¡°I don¡¯t know you that well, anyway. I can¡¯t possibly help you!¡± With that, Calvin shoved the container back to Sage and escaped. Sage was speechless. After putting the divorce agreement away, Sage continued walking toward the hall. As always, the receptionist greeted her warmly. Without anyone leading the way, Sage got into the elevator and went upstairs herself. Perhaps because of a notice from the receptionist, Terry wasn¡¯t surprised by Sage¡¯s visit. He even told her that Ian was resting in the inner office. Sage opened the door and walked in. Ian was asleep in the armchair. He had leaned his head against the back of the couch, and his brows were slightly furrowed. His lips were a little dry, and his breaths were heavy as well. He looked like he was ill. Sage had never seenn look so tired before. Usually, when he worked, he would behave like a robot. He could work overtime for many consecutive days, Out of basic decency, Sage didn¡¯t wake him up. She even walked up to him and checked the temperature of his forehead. Indeed, he was burning up a little. Sage wanted to go out and tell Terry to buy some medicine, but she had just started moving when Ian took her hand. When Sage turned around, she saw that Ian had already opened his eyes. There was an ambiguous look in his eyes. ¡°Were you pretending to sleep?¡± Sage shook off Ian¡¯s hand and questioned him in dissatisfaction. Ian adjusted his posture. He still didn¡¯t look too good as he said, ¡°Sage, if you¡¯re upset about anything, just tell me. You can¡¯t keep waving the divorce agreement around.¡± By the looks of it, Calvin had told Ian about the incident just now. Sage didn¡¯t mind either way. She said, ¡°The thing I¡¯m most upset about is your hesitation to sign the divorce agreement!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ian looked at her calmly. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the most upset about the fact that you were the only one having wishful thoughts about our marriage?¡± Sage was stunned. As it turned out, her senses that night were right. Ian had really overheard what she said to Tiana. Sage admitted frankly, ¡°I was upset about it, but now, I¡¯ve gotten over it.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve truly gotten over it, why would you care about me while insisting on the divorce? You didn¡¯t even dare to let the elders know the truth,¡± Ian said. Sageughed in her heart. In the end, Ian still didn¡¯t believe that she would file for divorce. Perhaps everyone who knew her wouldn¡¯t believe it. This was the result of her obsession with love. It would be too difficult for her uncle and aunt to agree to her divorce. They were also currently managing the Joyners¡®pany. For the sake of her grandfather, she couldn¡¯t cause a ruckus. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 To make sure that her uncle and aunt wouldn¡¯t be able to protest, Sage would have to be so powerful that she had the final say in things. So, she had to work on her career as soon as possible. ¡°When you said that I care about you, you were referring to this, right?¡± Sage pointed at the container. ¡°I have indeede here to deliver this to you, but that¡¯s because Grandma wants me to make sure that you finish the soup.¡± Ian thought that it was the special concoction from before. He felt a headacheing on as he said, ¡°Take it away. I don¡¯t have time to fool around with you.¡± Sage said, ¡°That won¡¯t do. You must drink it.¡± When she opened the container, a strong herbal smell wafted out of it. ¡°These are body¨Cstrengthening herbs Grandma got from a famous doctor.¡± Sage emphasized the word ¡°body¨Cstrengthening.¡± Then, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll watch you finish it, and I¡¯ll also record a video for Grandma.¡± When Ian heard Sage¡¯s tone, he thought of something. His expression and gaze darkened. ¡°Dump it.¡± Sage felt a little sad. ¡°It¡¯s a sincere gift from Grandma. Are you sure you want to waste it?¡± Ian closed his eyes. ¡°Sage, if you keep this up, I don¡¯t mind showing you physically whether I need strengthening or not.¡± Sage could hear the threat Ian was hinting at. She ut down the container and Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. said in concern, ¡°I know that you can¡¯t afford to ruin your manly pride. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll leave the soup here. When there¡¯s no one around, you can drink it in secret.¡± Whenn trained his cold¨Cgaze on her, Sage hastily retreated to the office door. ¡°Who cares about you anyway? You think too highly of yourself!¡± 1/3 With that, Sage anorted and then left with her head held high, Terry watched as Sage left. Then, he entered the office and asked, ¡°Mr. Hob, Is Mrs. Hob alright?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡±n felt feritated, and his head was hurting as well. ¡°Take this container and dump it outside!¡± Terry picked up the container, which exuded the strong smell of herbs, ¡°Mr. Hob, what do these herbs help with? Why won¡¯t you drink it?¡± Terry fell silent. ¡°I¡¯ll throw it out right now.¡± ¡°That damnedn! He listened in on my conversation, and he still thinks he¡¯s all that!¡± Sage thought as she furiously got into her car. She cursed him to be weak in that aspect for real. Then, even if Ivy got married to him, she wouldn¡¯t get any satisfaction at all! Around ten minutester, Sage arrived at the beauty salon. After registering a card, she sent the room number to Prisci. Soon, Prisci arrived at the VIP room as well. Prisci was wearing a more formal outfitpared to the clothes she wore at homest time. She was wearing a Chanel¨Cstyle ck coat paired with a Herm¨¨s bag. She looked both wealthy and elegant. Sage greeted her with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re here, Mrs. Xenith.¡± Prisci chuckled as well. ¡°I was in a little bit of a traffic jam just now. Sorry for beingte.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve just arrived as well. Let¡¯s get the spa day going, then. I¡¯ve booked the best beautician here.¡± After a simple shower, the twoy on the beauty beds. Sage pretended to be casual as she asked, ¡°Mrs. Xenith, Mr. Xenith has been busy.tely, hasn¡¯t he?¡± Prisci replied, ¡°Yes, quite.¡± The two had a few simple exchanges before enjoying the massage. After the massage and application of body lotion, the beautician left. Sage handed a cup of skin¨Cnourishing tea to Prisci as she started the conversation. ¡°Mrs. Xenith, how long have you and Mr. Xenith been married? You must be quite close to each other, right?¡± Prisci smiled a little. ¡°Intimacy has nothing to do with how many years the marriage hassted.¡± Sage wondered if she was seeing things, but she felt as if Prisci wasn¡¯t in a good mood today. Prisci was too calm. It reminded Sage of the calm before the storm. Could it be that Prisci had noticed something off about Benjamin as well? Or was Prisci just in a bad mood? ¡°Ms. Joyner, do you have another reason for asking me out today?¡± Prisci epted the tea and nced at Sage. There were slight wrinkles near her eyes. ¡°If you have something to say, you can tell me straight away.¡± Sage was amazed at Prisci¡¯s observation skills. She didn¡¯t deny it as she said, ¡°I do indeed have something I want to tell you, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s rude.¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Prisci chuckled. ¡°You know about Ben being ckmalled, right?¡± Sage was startled. ¡°So, you knew about it, Mrs. Xenith?¡± ¡°Just call me Prisci.¡± Prisci had a mocking look on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t think the title of Mrs. Xenith suits me anymore.¡± Prisci said that she had only learned of Benjamin¡¯s terrible deeds after receiving the newsst night. ¡°What do you n to do, then, Prisci?¡± Sage knew that in their more than 20 years of marriage, they were joined by familial ties, children, and benefits. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for them to file for Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. divorce. This was also why many women chose to silently endure it even after they found out that their husbands were cheating. It was especially so for people with a high status and reputation like Prisci. She would be even more reluctant to show her bad sides to the public. Prisci drank some tea. She didn¡¯t intend to hide her decisions. ¡°I refuse to tolerate any infidelity. Ben has to pay the price for this incident.¡± Even though this was only their second meeting, Sage admired Prisci a lot for her fearless personality. ¡°Have you thought it through? Mimosa is about to finance and go public. It cannot afford even the slightest mistake, or all the effort will be in vain.¡± Reality was the biggest problem, after all. Not everyone was capable of destroying the foundation they had painstakingly built just because they were furious. ¡°Are you telling me to endure it?¡± Prisci returned the question. Sage shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t persuade you to make any decisions. But I know. that no matter what decision you make, you definitely have a reason for it. ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can help with, feel free to tell me. Prisci smiled. ¡°Ms. Joyner, you¡¯re a kind woman, just like Tiana. However, I¡¯m very sorry that for now, I cannot make good on my previous promise to help you. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± After what happened, Sage couldn¡¯t possibly opt for Benjamin anymore. ¡°I have something to deal with, so I¡¯ll be off now.¡± Prisci got up and walked to the door. Then, she suddenly turned around and asked, ¡°Ms. Joyner, if Mimosa changes its vor, do you think it¡¯s still worth investing in?¡± Sage immediately understood what Prisci meant. ¡°Do you mean that Mr. Xenith might withdraw his form technology?¡± ¡°Think about the solutions and strategies in this regard.¡± With that, Prisci walked out of the VIP room. Sage had a vague sense of Prisci¡¯s thoughts, but she wasn¡¯t very sure about it. Mimosa was famous because of its long¨Cstanding history and its status as an intangible cultural heritage. If it lost that part of it, Sage couldn¡¯t tell what would be of it in the future. In her previous life, Benjamin¡¯s matter wasn¡¯t exposed, and she didn¡¯t know Prisci either. Mimosa had sessfully gone public as well. In this life, because of Sage¡¯s changes, many things had changed too. When Sage left the spa, it was still early. So, she decided to visit her grandfather. Donald was ted at Sage¡¯s sudden return. As Sage dined with her grandfather, she asked casually, ¡°Grandpa, how¡¯s thepany doing?¡± ¡°Your uncle is in charge of most things. I¡¯m getting old now, so I can¡¯t handle so much anymore.¡± Donald found it strange. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you trying to join thepany? That¡¯ll be wonderful! You¡¯ll be Maven Corporation¡¯s official perfumer!¡± ¡°Grandpa, I only dabble in perfumes as a hobby. I don¡¯t want to turn my hobby. into a job!¡± Sage said yfully. Donald sighed. ¡°What a pity. You¡¯re so talented too!¡± Either way, she was the best and the most talented in Donald¡¯s eyes. Sage was already used to it. ¡°Grandpa, many people have handed theirpanies to professional management teams. Why don¡¯t we give it a try and hire some professional managers?¡± Sage asked. ¡°Why would we hire management teams out of the blue?¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Sage smiled and said, ¡°Thepany has been at a standstill for the past few years. If it weren¡¯t for the fame of the Hob family, it¡¯d probably be even worse off than it is right now.¡± Ever since her uncle, Owen Joyner, took over thepany, he grew overly ambitious. He had also switched out some veterans and reced them with his confidants. So, Maven Corporation was doing worse every year. Fortunately, Donald still held some prestige, so many people would give him some credit. That was why thepany didn¡¯t plummet. However, Donald wasn¡¯t in great health, and his energy levels were failing as well. Even though he often reprimanded Owen, the effects were miniscule. Last year, after Sage got married to Ian, Owen signed some partnerships by making use of the fact that their family was inws with the Hob family. It was only then that business started looking up. ¡°We can¡¯t depend on the Hob family forever. This isn¡¯t a long¨Cterm solution. Sage continued, ¡°Even though we will spend quite a lot on the management team, they¡¯re professionals, after all. They can help us earn back quite a lot of money. ¡°You and Uncle Owen won¡¯t have to work so hard, either. It¡¯s not a bad idea, right?¡± When Donald heard that, he was a little surprised. ¡°Sage, you¡¯ve matured a lot. You were quite earnest when you analyzed the business stuff!¡± ¡°Come on, Grandpa, stop teasing me,¡± Sage said yfully. ¡°Grandpa, just consider my suggestion, okay?¡± Donald couldn¡¯t resist his granddaughter¡¯s plea at all. ¡°Fine, you do have a point.. I¡¯ll discuss this with your uncle soon.¡± 1/3 BONUS ¡°You¡¯re the best, Grandpa!¡± Sage was ted. ¡°Grandpa, be sure to convince Uncle Owen so that he agrees, alright?¡± Donald poked Sage on the forehead. ¡°Tell me, why do you suddenly care about the family business so much? You¡¯ve always had eyes for Ian only, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You said it yourself. I¡¯ve matured!¡± Sage leaned against Donald¡¯s arm as she said softly, ¡°Grandpa, I want to protect you and the things you care about.¡± In her previous life, after she was admitted to the mental hospital, Donald passed away not long after that. Of course, Owen couldn¡¯t manage thepany well. Before Sage ended her own life, Maven Corporation was already nearing its end. Maven Corporation was Donald¡¯s life work. Sage didn¡¯t want it to be ruined like that. So, she hoped that thepany would get back on track with help from professional managers. ¡°Oh, Sage is here!¡± Sage and Donald were chatting happily when an elegantly dressed woman walked 1. in. Sage looked up. It was her aunt, Susan Turner, Owen and Susan had a house in the city, so they rarely visited Donald. Sage wondered what brought Susan here today. ¡°Aunt Susan,¡± Sage greeted politely. Susan¡¯s smile was a little exaggerated. ¡°You¡¯re such a good child, Sage. You¡¯d drop by to keep your grandpapany from time to time. No wonder he loves. you so much!¡± Indeed, Donald pampered Sage more than he did her cousin, La Joyner. That was why Susan never liked Sage. Still, because of Donald¡¯s prestige, Susan didn¡¯t dare to make it too obvious. 20 Sage didn¡¯t y along with Susan. Instead, she said adorably to Donald, Grandpa, it¡¯s getting dark outside. I¡¯ll be going home now.¡± Donald nodded lovingly. ¡°Alright, take care on your way home,¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just arrived. Why are you leaving already?¡± Susan stopped Sage. ¡°Hold on. Take these home.¡± Susan handed a luxuriously wrapped box to Sage. ¡°I¡¯ve spent a lot on this premium wild herb. Bring it home forn, will you?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Sage realized then that Susan had rushed here on purpose. Susan was motivated by benefits. Since she had suddenly gotten a gift forn, she must have something to ask of him. Sage declined. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ian never takes supplements. Moreover, he rarelyes home for meals, so it¡¯ll only be a waste if I bring it home.¡°. ¡°Come on. He¡¯s very busy, right? Then he definitely needs supplements. Take it and tell him that this is a sincere gift from your uncle and me!¡± Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Susan said boldly. ¡°While you¡¯re at it, askn if he can put in a good word for your uncle with Pacific Group. Owen wants to partner up with them!¡± It was just as she expected. Sage said straight away, ¡°Aunt Susan,n won¡¯t listen to me. I won¡¯t talk to him about these kinds of things, either.¡± Susan was upset. ¡°Sage, you have shares in Maven Corporation too. Why are you so nonchnt about company matters? If the business deal is sealed, you¡¯ll reap benefits too!¡± ¡°How can you ask Sage to ask these things ofn?¡± Donald spoke up. ¡°In the eyes of outsiders, our family is already dependent on the Hob family, but now, you¡¯re troubling them even more. ¡°Sage is stuck in between, so think of how she¡¯ll feel!¡± Susan said, a little dejectedly. ¡°Dad, you know how hard it is to run a business these days. Pacific refuses to meet with us, but they have business dealings with Hob Corporation. ¡°Ifn gets involved, we can seal the deal for sure!¡± Donald retorted, ¡°They must have their reasons for not meeting with you. You won¡¯t think of a solution yourselves, but you want to force Sage to askn for help instead. What¡¯s up with that?¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°No buts. Deal with it yourselves. You can¡¯t cause trouble for Sage.¡± Donald gave orders right away. Sage was touched. No matter what, Donald would always defend her. ¡°Aunt Susan, Grandpa is right. We can¡¯t depend onn for everything. So, I really can¡¯t help you with this.¡± Susan was upset to have failed, but she still reluctantly kept her mouth shut. Sage wasn¡¯s wife, after all, and Donald only ever took her side. If Susan caused a ruckus, she would be the one at a disadvantage. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, Grandpa. Remember my suggestion, alright?¡± With that, Sage left the hall. ¡°Dad, what did Sage suggest to you?¡± Susan was a little nervous. Donald had already given Sage a lot of the shares, so Susan hoped that Sage wasn¡¯t trying to get more. Those shares belonged to her family! Donald could see what Susan was thinking about. He shook his head and said, ¡°Sage isn¡¯t as greedy as you think. Tell Owen toe home tomorrow.¡± Sage drove safely back to Sris Estate. The carn always drove was already parked in the garage. By the looks of it, he had returned. In the past, she would look forward to his return, but he never bothered toe home. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Now, she kept wishing that he wasn¡¯t home, but he was even more punctual than her. Why was it so hard for her to get things to go her way? As Sage entered the hall, Wanda walked up to her. ¡°Mrs. Hob, Mr. Hob has a fever. The doctor came over and gave him a checkup. He¡¯s now resting upstairs.¡± Sage nodded. ¡°Oh.¡± At noon, she had felt thatn had a fever, but she didn¡¯t expect it to worsen so much that he had to see a doctor. After changing her shoes, Sage walked upstairs. She didn¡¯t notice that behind her, Wanda was hesitating to speak. After opening the door to her room, Sage shook off her slippers and bag. Then, she skillfully undid her bra and removed it through her cor. She grabbed it and tossed it onto her bed.. ¡°Ah!¡± When Sage was tossing her bra, she noticed someone sitting on the bed! She instinctively let out a scream. In the next second, she realized that the person sitting on the bed wasn. But before she had time to recover, she sawn removing the bra from his head. ¡°You! Pervert!¡± Sage was both furious and embarrassed. She hastily dashed over to him to snatch it back. Sage reached out to snatch it again. This time, she caught it, but before she could hide it, arge hand held her waist in ce. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 After that. Sage fell inton¡¯s arms. A faint cedar fragrance entered her nostrils along with his masculine scent. Sage shuddered a little. Recently, she had gotten into a few idents withn, which resulted in some physical contact, but this was her first time getting hugged by him like this. His chest was firm and hot, and the warmth of his skin reached her as it traveled through their thin clothes. Their bodies were close together, and Sage could even feeln¡¯s thumping heart. She had desired and imagined the hug countless times in her past life. Now, she had finally obtained it. Perhaps because his fever had heightened his senses, he felt as if Sage was like a puddle of water melting onto his body. His breaths turned rough and hasty. Asn imagined Sage¡¯s softness and moistness, something came over him. Turning around, he tried to pin her under him. But then, Sage seemed to havee to her senses. She squirmed to the side and quickly escaped his grasp. n, did the fever do something to your brain? You came to my room out of the blue, and you even tried to take advantage of me!¡± Sage crossed her arms and red atn. Her face was flushed. when Sage ran away from him. He felt as if something was gnawing at his heart, and it felt both sore and ufortable. He said hoarsely. ¡°What do you mean, your room? This is the master bedroom. I deserve half of it!¡± Sage smiled despite her anger. ¡°This is the master bedroom to you, huh? Does this mean that before this. you¡¯ve always lived in this house as a guest?¡± After they got their marriage license,n indeed rarely entered this room, let alone slept there. family doctor to check up on my health. ¡°When the family doctor goes back, Grandma is sure to ask about the details. To avoid getting reprimanded by Grandma, I¡¯m forced to move in.¡± It sounded logical. ¡°But the doctor is already gone. Why are you still here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sick. The doctor said that I need someone to keep an eye on my condition.¡± ¡°But these aren¡¯t reasons for you to take advantage of me!¡± Sage wasn¡¯t fooled. She reprimanded him in an angry tone. Looking at the fire burning in Sage¡¯s eyes, he said, ¡°You were so enthusiastic as soon as you came back. Any normal man wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back, right?¡± Sage didn¡¯t think thatn was a normal man. They had been married for more than a year, but his wife was still a virgin! Sage wanted to retort, but she knew thatn was in the mood right now. If she actually said that, she would be the one at a disadvantage. So, Sage hastily grabbed her bra and hid it behind her. Then, she said sternly. ¡°You¡¯re not wee here. Go back to your room right now! If you feel that sick, just go to the hospital or get a male caregiver!¡± As Sage spoke, she suddenly noticed something off about the room. Many things were added, including pillows, books, chargers, and sses. Those weren¡¯s things. From N?velDrama.Org. Sage went to the bathroom. As expected,n¡¯s razor and toiletries wereid out next to her stuff. n, what is the meaning of this? Didn¡¯t you say that you came to my room because you didn¡¯t want Grandma to know? Why is your stuff here?¡± Sage asked furiously. stuff in, we shouldn¡¯t go through the trouble of moving them out again.¡± ¡°Moreover, this is the master bedroom.¡± Sage was about to speak up whenn continued, ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t sleep here in the past, it doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t sleep here now.¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Sage was furious as she thought, ¡°What¡¯s wrong withn? He¡¯s being so unreasonable!¡± Sage knew that even if she tried to drag him out, she wouldn¡¯t be able to seed. So, she dashed over and grabbed the pillown was leaning against. ¡°Fine! Stay here all you like! I¡¯m going to sleep in the guest room!¡± Whenn heard that, he closed his eyes. He was indifferent to her words. With the pillow in her arms, Sage went to check on the guest rooms. The beds were all empty, and there wasn¡¯t any bedding to be found. It was only then that Sage realized whyn didn¡¯t respond to her words. Sage could sleep on the couch or a bare bed, but she didn¡¯t see why she should suffer. Holding the pillow in her arms, she stomped back to the master bedroom. She wanted to driven out, but then, she saw him on a video call with Donald. ¡°Grandpa, Sage is here.¡±n aimed the phone at her. Sage hastily put on a smile. ¡°Grandpa, why are you still awake sote at night?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t call me when you arrived home. I was worried about you, so I called.¡± As Donald spoke, he asked curiously. ¡°Where did you go with the pillow?¡± ¡°Oh, well, I was grabbing a pillow from the side.¡± n said just now that he¡¯s feeling a little sick, and he has a fever. Take good care of him, and don¡¯t run around so much.¡± ¡°Got it, Grandpa.¡± ¡°Alright, now go to bed soon, you two. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± After the video call ended, Sage still wanted to talk about the bed, butn said, ¡°You¡¯ve promised Grandpa to take good care of me, so you can¡¯t go back on your word. ¡°If not, I¡¯ll record a video and send it to Grandpa.¡± Sage was speechless. She knew thatn might not do something as childish as that, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered to keep 1/3 +15 BONUS arguing with him anyway. She tossed the pillow onto the lounge chair. Then, she went to the bathroom. By the time she finished showering and entered the room,n was already asleep. She didn¡¯t know if he felt too hot or ufortable, but he had undone a few buttons on his pajamas. His well¨Cdeveloped chest muscles were exposed. Sage thought for a moment. Then, she grabbed her phone and took a photo ofn. She even made sure that the pink bear on the bed was in the frame. Then, she sent it straight to Ivy. Ivy liked to use that tactic, so Sage would let Ivy have a taste of her own medicine. Sage didn¡¯t care if she managed to provoke Ivy. She just wanted to offend Ivy. Then, after Ivy got together withn, she would remember thatn was still sleeping on Sage¡¯s bed even though he was on the verge of divorce. Ivy would feel upset because of that. After everything was done, Sage put her phone away andy on the lounge chair. She soon fell asleep. The next day, Sage woke up to find herself on the bed. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She didn¡¯t sense anything off at first, and she even stretched naturally. But then, when she recalled what happenedst night, she suddenly came to her senses. Why was she on the bed? Did she sleepwalk here? Or did she go back to her bed halfway through her slumber because she couldn¡¯t get used to the lounge chair? Where wasn? Sage nced around her.n was nowhere to be seen, so he must have gone to work. Sage sighed in relief. Then, she casually unlocked her phone. Unexpectedly, she saw the inte blowing up because of Benjamin¡¯s incident! She tapped in to read the details. As it turned out, Benjamin had published an rming post on his news feed early this morning. However, the author of the post obviously wasn¡¯t Benjamin himself. After all, there was a refreshing sense of resolve in the contents of the post. 243 +15 BONUS ¡°I am Benjamin Xenith, male, aged 51. This is my driver¡¯s license number. In the name of charity, I colluded with the insiders. ¡°On this day, in this hotel I forced myself on a 19¨Cyear¨Cold woman from Sunshine Orphanage. I hereby attach my hotel check¨Cin record and also evidence of my conspiracy with the insiders. ¡°Please hold me ountable under thew.¡± Attached to the post were the evidence and also photos of Benjamin entering a hotel with the woman in his arms. Mimosa was financing soon, after all. So, as soon as the rming and gossip¨Cinducing post was published, the whole inte blew up. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 People on the Inte were saying that Benjamin was shameless and despicable. They were saying that he had forgotten his roots. People were saying that the orphanage was using the girls, and others were ming it on how society currently was. Of course, there were also people who expressed support and satisfaction at what Prisci had done. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Sage was astonished. After what Prisci had said yesterday, Sage had guessed that she would be taking action. However, she hadn¡¯t expected Prisci to use Benjamin¡¯s phone to post such an Instagram story! Now she and Benjamin hadpletely fallen out. Mimosa could forget about financing. Even their reputation and sales would be greatly affected. Those who envied Mimosa would grab the chance to kick them while they were down. Sage immediately sent a ¡°hug¡± emoji to Prisci. The Xenith family must be a veritable battlefield right now. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for her to call, s0 she could only use this way to give Prisci a little bit of support, even if it waspletely useless. As for what Prisci had said about whether or not Mimosa would still be worth investing in if it did not have Benjamin¡¯s technical skills, that was something that Sage would have to consider seriously. The expressions of everyone in Bolton Investment¡¯s conference room were solemn. Ivy looked especially solemn. Her usual gentleness had disappeared. Her brow was now creased in a frown. The executives had no idea how tofort her. Very soon,n arrived. He was apanied by Terry. His gaze swept coldly over everyone, and he sat down at the head of the table. He tossed a pile of documents forcefully onto the table. ¡°Who¡¯s going to exin about Mimosa?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you investigate and say that Benjamin was framed, and that he was clean? How did his wife find out all this?¡± Everyone remained silent while trembling in fear. ? +15 BONUS Ivy stood up. ¡°I did not investigate this thoroughly enough. I trusted too easily in what Benjamin said. I¡¯ll ept any punishment.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t just about losing the project. The public will think that Bolton has no principles. They¡¯ll think that we already knew about Benjamin¡¯s immorality and were actively helping him to eliminate his obstacles!¡± Ivy continued to apologize. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not thinking things through. I will ept punishment ording to thepany rules¡­¡± ¡°Apart from Ms. Shekdotter, aren¡¯t any of you going to stand up and admit your responsibility?¡±n looked around at the executives. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have any opinions when she made the decision?¡± The executives exchanged nces. Of course, they had given their opinions, but Ivy had thought it was a good opportunity. Additionally,n thought highly of Ivy, which was why they had all agreed. Now that their boss was angry, they hurriedly admitted to their mistakes. ¡°We were negligent in our duty.¡± ¡°Everyone will lose three months of your year¨Cend bonus. Other than that, by the end of today, you must present a solution for salvaging Bolton¡¯s image!¡±n ordered. Ivy answered, ¡°I will have a discussion with everyone and find the best solution.¡± After everyone had dispersed, Ivy apologized again ton. n, you were right. I was in too much of a rush with Benjamin,¡± Ivy said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll think that I¡¯m trying to evade responsibility, which is why there¡¯s a strange point that I didn¡¯t mention at the meeting. ¡°From the moment we found out about Benjamin until after we finished resolving the situation, only a few hours passed. We were also able to block the news in time, so no one should have been able to find out about this.¡± ¡°So¡­ who leaked it to Mrs. Xenith?¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Ivy had analyzed the situation correctly. Whether it was those who had a hold over Benjamin or those who were using the opportunity toy their own ns, none of them would have leaked this to Prisci. After all, this wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone. However, not only had Prisci found out about the news, but she had also managed to find evidence of Benjamin¡¯s deeds very quickly. She had then taken destructive action that would affect them both. She had made Benjamin be a joke overnight. Mimosa had also lost the chance for financing and listing because of the scandal, The more important thing was that Bolton would also be criticized by those who knew the truth because they had helped Benjamin. ¡°It¡¯s not t not true that it won¡¯t benefit anyone.¡±n¡¯s voice was impassive. ¡°If someone knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get the project, then the only thing they could do would be to stir things up and make a mess.¡± Ivy immediately realized what he meant. ¡°Farsight Investment?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Ivy looked indignant. ¡°It looks like he¡¯s just like he used to be. He just won¡¯t let us have it even if he can¡¯t get it for himself. n, the day before yesterday, when the incident with Benjamin happened, someone saw Shane¡¯s people. nearby. Then sometimeter, Shane caused trouble for Sage at the bar. ¡°Have you asked Sage why she went to Shane¡¯s bar that day? Why would Shane want to harm her for no reason?¡± she continued. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±n looked up at her. Ivy spoke in a measured tone as she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to imply anything. I just think that it¡¯s a bit strange. If Shane found out about Benjamin¡¯s news from the start, why didn¡¯t he just solve the problem for him? Why did he just stay at the bar?¡± Asn did not stop her, she continued to specte. ¡°Was he perhaps waiting for Sage? Maybe the two of them had a disagreement, which was why Shane lost his temper. 12- ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Let me finish.¡± +15 BONUS Beforen¡¯s expression could change, Ivy hurriedly asked, ¡°The proposal you told Terry to send was done. by Sage, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Firstly, I want to say that I really admire Sage¡¯s talent. That¡¯s why I expressed my support the moment I saw the proposal. ¡°However, after we decided to use her proposal, you told us that she wasn¡¯ting to Bolton and that she wouldn¡¯t be following up with any of the relevant work. I felt that was very strange. Who would spend so much time making a proposal and then refuse to work at Bolton?¡± n, you must have thought about it too. Sage didn¡¯t make that proposal for Bolton, did she?¡± Ivy asked. Ivy looked calm. ¡°I¡¯m not making any conclusions. I¡¯m just analyzing the facts. That would be the only way we could exin this.¡± There was also the second floor of the bar. Although they were opponents, there had been no real fear on Sage¡¯s face. There had been anger, and disappointment. n, I¡¯m not trying to sow discord between you, but look at this.¡± Ivy took out the photos of Sage visiting Shane in the hospital room a while ago. ¡°I had such a bad headache that morning, and I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I went to the hospital. Coincidentally, I saw Sage carrying a bunch of flowers and heading to the inpatient department.¡±