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 !!
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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.
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