Chapter 3

Sage's POV

I stood frozen in place, as if under a spell.

Ashton raised his voice. "Didn't you hear me?"

I gave a self-mocking smile and then rushed out the door.

Just as I stepped outside, Hope hurried over. "Sage, I'll have the driver take you home right now."

The car was completely silent. I was leaning against the window with my eyes closed.

Suddenly, the driver made a sharp turn, and my head slammed into the glass.

I jerked my eyes open. "What happened?"

The driver looked panicked. "I'm so sorry, Sage, but... we're being chased!"

I looked back and sure enough, several cars were tailing us closely.

Hope was scrolling through her phone, her face turning pale. "This is bad. Our location got leaked to those extreme stalker fans."

I made a quick decision. "Take a detour and lose them."

"Alright, hold on tight."

The next second, the driver floored the gas pedal. The cars behind immediately gave chase.

It was rush hour, and the roads were packed. Suddenly, a van came barreling out from a street corner without warning.

The driver slammed the brakes. With a loud "bang," a car crashed hard into us.

In the violent impact, I clutched my phone desperately. In my panic, I accidentally called my emergency contact.

"Hello...?"

My heart jumped into my throat.

Ashton answered the phone.

But the next moment, suggestive sounds came through the line.

"Kara..." Ashton was breathing heavily, as if deliberately trying to provoke me.

"Do you want to kiss me again?"

"Mm..."

Regret, resentment... all kinds of emotions instantly flooded over me like a tidal wave.

I raised my hand to hang up. Before losing consciousness, memories kept flashing through my mind.

In middle school, I was pursued by the leader of a gang from another school.

I rejected him, but after my rejection, that delinquent actually came to block me at the school gates.

Terrified, I hid in a storage room and called Ashton with trembling hands.

Soon after, Ashton arrived with a group of bodyguards and gave that punk a thorough beating.

Back then, Ashton was like a hero descending from the sky.

He took my phone and personally set his number as my emergency contact.

"Whenever you're in danger, I'll be there."

Sure enough, promises only matter when there's still love...

The sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in a hospital bed.

Hope sat beside the bed looking exhausted. Seeing me wake up, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Sage, you're finally awake!"

"How long was I out?"

"A whole day. Thankfully you only had some minor external injuries."

I looked at Hope with concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine... it's just..." Hope wrung her hands, stammering.

"Just what?" I pressed.

"I'm sorry, Sage. I shouldn't have acted on my own." Hope took a deep breath. "I called Mr. Pierce asking him to come see you, but he said you two had broken up, and if I wanted him to come, you'd have to... you'd have to beg him yourself."

"How confident of him."

I picked up my phone and opened social media, only to see an update Kara had posted.

"Ashton took me to the grand theater to see my favorite dance company. So happy!"

The photo showed Kara sitting in Ashton's passenger seat eating ice cream, while Ashton beside her looked at her with complete adoration.

My heart clenched.

Ashton had severe OCD and hated when people ate in his car.

Hope looked at me with sympathy. "Sage, stop looking."

I smiled at her. "I'm fine. Get some good rest these next few days. We'll be busy again soon."

The night I was discharged, I had an awards ceremony to attend.

While handling discharge paperwork, my manager called frantically. "Sage, get to the makeup room backstage at the ceremony right now. There's a problem!"