HYACINTH rubbed her temples as soon as she sat on her bed. An entire day of attempting to cross the borders of Greene County to Drauton City brought nothing but exhaustion. Countless men are guarding the border because of someone’s specific orders. Even Philip’s influence is weak when Maximillian is involved. She cursed under her breath.

In the unit attached to hers, she can hear Maximillian Bismarck whistling. The man fucking bought the entire building where she lived and is now tracking her daily activities.

So, technically, she escaped her parents’ prison just to enter another prison. Interesting.

She wanted to scream but that would only make Maximillian’s ego satisfied.

Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you!

“Hyacinth, do you want to dine with me? I ordered steaks and Greene County’s very expensive, limited-edition wine. Bring your own plate.”

“No, thank you!” Jerk! She wanted to add.

“Come on now. You never wanted to be on bad terms with me. Just one word from me can set you free.”

She cursed his name.

“I heard that, Hyacinth.”

Her face is now red with raging fury. Hyacinth has never felt an extreme urge to rip a man apart piece by piece. “I wish I could touch your thread so I can blackmail you, you loathsome toad!”

“You can touch my back and scream my name at the same time, Hyacinth. Just knock on my door.” The man laughed.

That’s it. She will definitely kill him!

Hyacinth inhaled a sharp breath to calm her nerves. Being annoyed by his presence will not do her any good.

She can hear the clinking of the cutlery against a ceramic plate from the other unit and her stomach grumbled. She needed to buy something to eat but Maximillian will only follow her outside the building and pay for her meal and insist on dining with her just like earlier.

Hyacinth had to skip breakfast and lunch because of that.

With her grumbling stomach, she curled on the bed and hugged her knees until she felt slumber approaching

In her dreams, she ate a medium rare, rib-eye steak with a glass of fine wine. She ate it while Mr. Bismarck is tied up in the chair in front of her. Hyacinth laughed and laughed like the villain in children’s movies, eating the steak with vigor and enthusiasm.

She woke up at twelve-thirty in the morning with a grumbling stomach.

Maximillian is probably sleeping at the moment, or he went to Sutton City to deal with his businesses.

The nearest convenience store is nearby. All she needed is her slippers and her wallet.

She bounced out of her bed in delight. Finally, she could buy some groceries for herself. She’ll make sure to stock a lot.

Then, Erin’s face flashed in her mind, making her abruptly stop what she was doing.

Hyacinth opened the door of her unit and breathed in the midnight air. She fished her keys from the pocket of her jeans and proceeded to lock the door with an unpleasant heaviness in her chest.

Oh, Erin. I’m so sorry—

“Going somewhere?” She heard a familiar, baritone voice behind her, causing her entire body to jump in surprise.

Devil! There’s no escaping him.

She heaved a sigh of defeat. “What now?”

“The steaks are cold.”

“What do you mean? You waited for me to come outside? You haven’t eaten yet?” She turned her back to face him.

Maximillian Bismarck is breathtakingly handsome in his black khaki pants that resembled the color of his hair and white polo shirt. His blue eyes and smirk resembled Erin’s so well that her heart tightened a little.

“I know you’re hungry. Eat the steak with me, Haya. We can also go to the convenience store if you want.”

“I don’t need your assistance, Mr. Bismarck. I can go to the store without you.”

“My personal chef cooked a five hundred dollar rib eye steak. Don’t you want that instead?”

She wanted it. So bad. Whoever told him that rib eye steak is her favorite deserves to be punished.

She gasped with a realization. “Jean told you about the steak. That traitor!”

“No, Haya. Rib eye is my favorite. I want to make you try it and, maybe, get to know each other a little bit.” He squinted his eyes. “But thank you for that information. I’ll keep it in mind that you love steaks.”

“A date? And then, what? Fucking on the bed? Kitchen counter? On the table where we ate the steak? On the floor—”

Hyacinth covered her mouth to stop it from blabbering. Maximillian regarded her with renewed interest, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Let me guess? The different sex positions came from other’s threads? Which thread did you see it from?”

Hyacinth blushed. “Uhm...f-from a stranger.”

Maximillian’s eyes twinkled. “My poor Hyacinth. Not too innocent now, are you? You curious little vixen.”

“Why? It is as if no one watches porn.” She shrugged it off as if it were nothing.

Maximillian chuckled. “Of course, sweetie.” He opened the door of his unit. “Can we have dinner now? No sex, I promise.”

“But it will lead to that, eventually. Am I right or am I right?”

“You are wrong, Hyacinth. I’m here to convince you to let Erin exist. I am here to introduce myself as someone who is interested in marrying you—"

“No, you won’t marry me. Not now, not ever. Erin will not exist and that’s final.”

“Stubborn woman.” He smirked yet again to reveal the smile that Erin once possessed. Hyacinth’s annoyance suddenly faded with longing for her daughter.

“You see what I mean, Hyacinth? I’m here to remind you of Erin. I’ll make you miss her.”

Damn that smile! Hyacinth’s mind cursed. She rolled her eyes and proceeded to lock the door of her unit.

"Mom..." Erin’s voice echoed in her head. She closed her eyes firmly.

“I’m really sorry, Mr. Bismarck—”

“Max. Call me Max. Don’t be formal,” he interrupted her.

“Well, then. Max. I’m really sorry about Erin. You can reach out to me if ever you want someone to talk to but that’s about it. I will not enter into a romantic relationship with you.”

She began to walk briskly to the hallway, then turned right for the stairs. She can sense him following behind her quietly.

“What if I told you that I only wanted Erin? Will you agree to have her? I will pay you enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life. No one will touch you in Sutton City and I will make sure that your parents will not reach you without your consent.”

“That’s impossible—”

“The Mayor of Sutton City owes me a great deal of money. I can order his men around and secure the city. Please, Haya, I need Erin to exist. Maine is in shock and Jean is worried about her.”

Hyacinth didn’t dare argue with him. He proposed a decent offer and she can’t just ignore that.

“You have an annoying habit of cutting off someone’s speech,” Hyacinth commented, not wanting him to discover her thoughts regarding the matter he brought up.

If she agrees to Maximillian’s offer, Erin will exist with protection from a powerful and influential father. Hyacinth, too, will have money, protection, influence, and stuff. She will be untouchable.

But that means she will have to sleep with him. She hissed.

“I know this is stupid but that’s all I want. You can disappear after giving birth to Erin. I will support you and, if it makes you feel better, I will make Erin feel loved.”

But Hyacinth knew that Max loved their daughter. There’s no need to prove that.

But she can’t be so selfish to agree to his proposition now, can she?

“No, Erin is dangerous for the threads. She needed guidance and I can’t give her that because I’m a mere thread reader. She will suffer from this, Max.”

“I will avoid that, Hyacinth. I will make sure to watch her closely and tell her the things she should avoid. Erin is a smart kid. She will listen.” Maximillian held her hand. “You’ve met her. She’s a wonderful kid and a hard-working one. She knew who to trust. She will be fine.”

Hyacinth gripped his hand. “I wanted her to exist, Max. I missed her and I missed Jean and Sutton City—”

“Then come with me, Haya. Live in Sutton City. Bring Erin back.”

As if on cue, her mind flashed every memory she has of her daughter. Erin’s laughter, her sobs, her witty arguments. She went into her world like a ball of sunshine.

She even remembered the time when they brushed their teeth the night she brought Erin from the hospital where they first met. Erin never removed her eyes from Hyacinth as if she was scared that her mom might disappear into thin air.

They’ve bonded for a short while yet it felt like forever. The love she has for Erin came from the future. The same goes for Maximillian. His desire to bring Erin back is a fatherly instinct. A connection by blood.

Erin has a father. Someone who will look after her. She will not deprive Erin of the chance to become the daughter of an amazing man like Maximillian Bismarck.

She went back upstairs and into her unit without a word, finally letting her heart lead her to a reckless path she’s been trying to avoid. Maximillian followed behind her as she predicted. When her apartment unit’s door closed with a thud behind them, Hyacinth felt like backing out from her decision.

“Do you want me to leave?”

She shook her head. “The opposite, actually. Will you stay?”

Maximillian reached for her shoulder; she flinched. Waves and waves of electricity tingled her nerves. He spins her around to get a better view of her face. She obliged and gently turned her body in his direction to face him in the darkness.

Then, his nose nuzzled the top of her hair. Max took a deep breath as if inhaling the scent of her hair, then her cheek.

She felt like bursting into flames. Her skin tingled as well as the sensitive areas of her body. It was as if her entire being knew exactly what was going to happen and is only activating a hidden part of her to an upcoming event. The weird thing is that the heart of her femininity pulsated and throbbed as if seeking something.

She may be homeschooled but she knows what happens between a man and a woman in bed.

“It will hurt at first, Hyacinth, but remember that will be the last time that we’ll be doing this if it brings back Erin.”

Hyacinth nodded, her eyes heavy-lidded with desire.

She began unbuttoning her pants and Max grabbed her hand. “No. Let me.”

He reached for the hem of her shirt first and removed it from her, baring her naked chest under the faint light of a digital clock on the wall.

“You’re not wearing a bra?” He growled, his voice heavy with desire.

Hyacinth blushed to the tips of her hair. “I remove them when I go to bed.”

Max chuckled in his raspy, baritone voice. “Your tits are lovely. God, woman, why are you still untouched?”

“I was homeschooled and wasted most of my time running away. Go figure.”

He chuckled and lightly grazed the back of his thumb over the pinkish tip of her mounds. She bit her lower lip, stopping herself from making a noise.

Hyacinth closed her eyes as she felt Maximillian’s clothed chest against hers as he lifted her from the floor by cupping her buttocks.

“Wrap your legs around my waist, Hyacinth.”

She did.

Oh, she must be insane to end up naked in his arms.