The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Eric explained Sage's situation, "Her family's initial plan was for her to get married and for her to request a betrothal gift to pay for her mother's medical bills. While Sage wanted her mother to get better, she didn't want to sacrifice herself. "Somehow, she heard we were hiring people to be sent abroad for training. She heard about the high salary, so she volunteered."

In the beginning, Eric didn't have the opportunity to tell us all this. When Sage was in the room, he thought it was inappropriate to discuss these things in front of her, so he waited until now to fill us in on the details.

Eric continued, "As for the allowance, we've already sent it to her. She used that money to pay her mother's medical bills and lied that it was a betrothal gift from her husband, but on the condition that she move in to live with him. "Sage had said that to assess her family's attitudes, but they all told her to move in with her husband and be careful not to cross him. From that, she saw that her family never cared about her and her circumstances.

"And so, she lost hope in her family. Ever since she moved out of her family home, she's been rushing us to send her abroad sooner."noveldrama

Zane was silent, and I didn't know what to say.

After pondering it for a long time, Zane said, "When she comes back, if she did a good job, we can award her a bigger bonus." From Zane's perspective, the best way for an individual to live more confidently was to have more money in their bank accounts.

Eric chuckled and said, "I'll let her know then."

"Okay."

After the office door closed, I exclaimed, "Kids nowadays are becoming more independent. When a family member fell sick, even if she didn't have a job, she was still willing to try resolving the situation herself. Even if she had never been abroad, she is willing to travel abroad by herself now."

...

Reflecting on myself, I realized the furthest distance I had traveled was from my hometown to this very city. Back then, I was terrified when boarded the train with my suitcase. I was excited yet fearful.

Zane held my hand and said, "Yeah, it seems like she's really doing it for the money."

Confused, I asked, "Why do you say that?"

"If she's interested in the country, she would've gone when it was safer there," Zane explained.

He continued, "But now, it's chaotic and unsafe, yet she still wanted to go. It must be just for the sake of the job."

Zane had observed Sage, and he

noticed that she dressed very

plainly. She gazed at Zane with curiosity, yet he could also see the ambition in her eyes, which was free from other ulterior motives.

Sage was the kind of employee Zane liked best. Although I admired her, I also worried for her.

I said, "She's working so hard. But since she's working hard at such a young age, it would secure her a bright future. That's great. I love career women."

Gently rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb, Zane said, "At the same time, she's smart. When she got the money, she didn't tell her family that she had earned it herself."

I silently listened to Zane continue,

"Judging from her family's attitude, it

(s

seems they don't care about her either. She gave her family the money, yet she didn't tell them about her new job, which had great prospects...

"She is kind, yet she wouldn't put herself in danger. If the company nurtures her well, she may achieve great heights."

Upon seeing how Zane showered her with compliments, I reckoned he made up his mind to mentor her. I felt happy for Sage.

I said, "The amount of effort you put in will determine how high she can climb."