MAXIMILLIAN grinned as soon as Hyacinth threw a deadly glance at him. She looked so demure in her pastel shirt that hugged the globes of her well-rounded breast very well. Her jeans emphasized the curve of her bottom and how her small waist highlighted her wide hips.

Hyacinth noticed how his eyes surveyed her body from head to toe so she attempted to cover it by crossing her arms on her chest. She raised a brow at his approaching figure from the entrance of his building.

“Good evening, Hyacinth.” He flashed a quick smile at her before looking at his driver. “You may go now, George. Wait for me in the car.”

The man left without further ado.

“So, Hyacinth. Want to go for a drive? Dinner?”

“Nothing.”

Max pursed his lips together. “Rib eye steak?”

She shook her head, no matter how hard it is to refuse an expensive steak. “N-No.”

He grinned, finally seeing a tiny crack in her armor. “I know of a restaurant that cooks excellent steaks. They have this A5 wagyu steak from the Oriental Continent with an astonishing marbling score. Well, if you want.”

She swallowed...hard. “No, thank you.” I hoped you enjoy it alone and choke on it!

Steaks are expensive. Hyacinth had to skip a few meals to afford one. And even if she saved money, she could only afford the cheapest one.

“Erin loved the wagyu. She even asked me to bring you there.”

Hyacinth clenched her fists and inhaled sharply, finally meeting his gaze with fierce determination. “No. You can’t make me.”

Maximillian held his head high. “I can make you go there, Ms. Sinclair.”

“There’s nothing in this world that can make me go with you.”

HYACINTH wanted to bang her head against the table of the five-star restaurant in Sutton City. She cursed Maximillian’s name under her breath as the chef talked to him with enthusiasm.

The chef’s name is Howard Goodman, a chef who garnered fame with his mouth-watering steaks and exquisite recipes. Hyacinth once watched a video of him on live television as he served big cuts of wagyu steak to influential people.

It has been Hyacinth’s dream to eat in Chef Goodman’s restaurant and buy the most expensive rib eye. It was a distant dream to taste Goodman’s food, let alone meet Goodman himself in person and willingly offered to cook the steak himself.

Yet Max offered her dreams to her like they were nothing. He just said, “I’m going to Goodman’s and eat the most expensive rib eye steak there.” And he shrugged.

Jean-the-traitor told Max about Hyacinth’s dream. She gritted her teeth.

“What is your name, Mademoiselle?”

Hyacinth straightened her spine and blushed to the roots of her hair. “I-I-I’m Hyacinth.”

The chef smiled at her. “I hope you’ll love the steak. Maximillian here is a regular customer and a close friend, Mademoiselle.”

Hyacinth only nodded, still dumbfounded by the chef.

“When you go here and eat, you only need to mention your name and my staff will immediately reserve a table for you.”

Hyacinth nodded, again, in response. She can’t seem to find her voice.

When the chef left them, Hyacinth whispered to Max. “Why did you make me go here only wearing shirt and jeans?”

“Relax. We’re in a private dining area.”

“B-But I talked to Chef Goodman!” Hyacinth gritted her teeth when she said those words. Oh, she will kill him!

“If only you accepted my offer earlier, I would’ve advised you to wear something suitable for this place.”

“So, it’s my fault now?!” She whispered in her irritated voice.

“Eat your food.”

Hyacinth rolled her eyes at him. She decided to enjoy every bite of the steak even if the world ends while she chewed it into her mouth.

She sliced the tender, medium-rare rib eye and placed a small cut of steak inside her mouth.

Hyacinth groaned in delight as the flavors exploded inside her mouth. She closed her eyes and savored every bite. The juiciness and the flavors of the special sauce danced inside her mouth like a romantic waltz.

Her mouth just had an orgasm.

“Tell me, Hyacinth. What was the name of your parents?”

She ignored him for a while as she savored her steak. If he wanted answers from her, then he’ll have to wait.

“I’m not gonna spill that.”

“Technically, your parents were my daughter’s grandparents. I need to know about them.”

Hyacinth sighed and placed her knife and fork on her plate. “Do you really want to know?”

He motioned for her to continue talking.

She sighed, “Well, my mother is Diane Sinclair and my father is Ben Sinclair. They both lived in poverty. We barely had enough money for monthly expenses. But everything changed when I came of age and told them that I can see threads.” Hyacinth flashed a bitter smile. “I was immediately homeschooled and they used my abilities to get what they want.”

Max listened to her with renewed interest. “Then?”

“My mother used to bring me to her friend’s homes and made me find out about passcodes by touching the threads and getting the said information. She’s a bad woman, yes, but not as horrible as my father.”

Hyacinth swallowed the lump forming in her throat, remembering the ugliest part of her life. “Ben Sinclair asked me to read a random person’s thread and gather passcodes to access their safety deposit box or their digital front doors. They also blackmailed the Mayor of Weltshire just to free himself from his wrongdoings.”

Max inhaled a shaky breath as if controlling his temper. The thought of Erin suffering the trauma and pain of living with the Sinclairs made his blood boil. Erin will never know that kind of life.

His mind showed a picture of young Hyacinth protesting and begging to not do the atrocities that her parents forced her to do. It stabbed his chest like a sharp knife piercing through him.

“I saw a black thread on my Dad’s back. Do you remember, Mr. Bismarck? A black thread means death within the day. I told Mom that my Dad has a black thread and she relayed the information to Dad. Before I knew it, my Dad’s friend stepped inside our house and shot him.”

Hyacinth rubbed her temples. “But Dad reacted. He grabbed Mom and used her body as a shield. My Mom died because...I interfered with the threads. My Dad and Mom’s thread were altered and before I knew it, Mom’s thread turned black before her body collapsed on the floor.”

Max reached for her hand across the table. “Haya...”

“I ran away. I thought it was my fault that my Mom died. She’s a good woman. She might be a thief but she loved me and cared for me. She was patient enough when I asked questions about thread reading.”

“I’m sorry, Haya. I am sorry.”

“No need, Mr. Bismarck. She’s gone and it was my fault.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Yes, it was,” she contradicted. “And I learned from that.”

His jaw clenched at that statement. “Now, I understand why you avoided conceiving Erin. The trauma, pain, and burden that come with the ability are too overwhelming for a kid. People will take advantage of Erin, no doubt about that.”

“Yet I agreed to let her exist. Now, you must promise me that Erin will not face the same fate, Mr. Bismarck.”

Max gripped her hand. “Of course, Haya.”

Hyacinth exhaled, relieved that she finally shared something that has been bothering her.

Max didn’t console her and pitied her. Instead, he showed his strong resolve to protect their daughter at all costs.

Hyacinth continued eating her steak, constantly throwing a discreet glance at Max here and there.

His face was serious and he never once looked up from his plate. It is as if he’s thinking of something important. Maybe his work? His schedule?

“Hyacinth, do you know any gemstones?”

Hyacinth wiped her mouth with the table napkin before replying. “Yes, I know of diamonds and emeralds. Sapphire, pearl...” She looked at her plate helplessly. “I don’t know any gemstones besides those. I don’t even know if pearl is a gemstone.”

Max also wiped his mouth with his table napkin before asking again. “Which one do you think is a good gemstone for a ring?”

Hyacinth tilted her head to the side. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m planning on marrying.”

Hyacinth forced a smile. So, this is what Max has planned in the long run. She will have his kid and he’ll marry someone who can be a mother figure to Erin.

“That’s a good idea, Mr. Bismarck. You should marry.” Hyacinth forced a smile. She didn’t even know why it feels so hard to feel happy about that.

Hyacinth should be happy. Max finally realized what Erin needed and is asking for Hyacinth’s permission to give Erin a mother. For sure, Max will respect her decision if ever she opposed the idea but how could she? Hyacinth needed to be practical about this. After two years, she’ll disappear from Erin’s life. Max will need someone to fill the gap that Hyacinth will leave in Erin’s life when she disappears in the future.

“I know. It’s a good gemstone, but I will not give you pearls for an engagement ring.”