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 his composure

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

made last 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 flaws. No amount of praise or compliments would change

that.

They had some tea after dinner. Soon, the sky had gone completely dark. Donald said cheerily, “Well,

it’s getting late, so I won’t keep you. You guys should head home and get some rest.”

“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 accompany 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–how 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–it 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 !!

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 her laughable 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.