SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Fifteen: Same Coin
Chapter Fifteen: Same Coin
“YOU’VE DISAPPOINTED me, Haya. You didn’t even attend your Mom’s funeral.”
“You’re disgusting,” she said in a furious voice and snarled.
“Diane saved my life, darling. I owe my life to her.”
“You deserved to die, not her.”
His father parked the in a restaurant’s parking lot and turned to face her. “I lived, too bad. Now, you’ll shut up and be a good girl to Daddy.” Ben Sinclair’s voice is tinted with malice as he engaged the child lock of the car. “I will bring you back to Weltshire. You’ll resume your tasks and forget about this noisy, suffocating city. You’ve been here for too long and this place changed you a great deal.”
“Sutton City is heavily guarded by the police. I just sent a message to Mr. Bismarck and he’ll see to it that the police are blocking every exit in search of me.”
“I know of that, pumpkin. That’s why we’re going to hide first.”
Hyacinth closed her mouth and didn’t say anything to taunt Ben Sinclair’s temper. Hyacinth needed to protect the baby inside her stomach. It will do her no good to be stressed. She remembered how Jean fervently told her to avoid alcohol and stress while waiting for the Ob-gynecologist to confirm her pregnancy. The soonest an ultrasound can detect a pregnancy is 17 days after ovulation. Jean relayed the information after asking the Bismarck Group’s company physician.
Hyacinth touched her stomach with a firm resolve.
Her father asked her to surrender her phone to him and she did so without arguments. Ben Sinclair left the parking lot and proceeded to drive on Main Road.
“You’re a thread reader, Haya. A firstborn female in our clan after centuries of waiting. Do you think I only wanted your abilities? I can live a comfortable life after you left. Thanks to you, we don’t live in a shit hole anymore and your mom has set aside a sufficient amount for us.”
“Then why chase me all the way to Sutton? Why not let me live my life for once?” Her voice is filled with resentment.
“Because you’re capable of greater things, Hyacinth. If the Sinclair book didn’t disappear years ago, we could’ve discovered early that a thread reader can produce a time traveler.”
Hyacinth closed her eyes firmly as she cursed under her breath. Ben Sinclair noticed her sudden discomfort and exasperation as he looked at her through the rear-view mirror.
“We can bring your mother back again, Haya. Your child can bring Diane back. We can be a family again.”
“I’m glad that Mom died. She wouldn’t have to see how you turned out. You’re a monster, Dad. Admit it!” She vented, not hiding the frustration inside her anymore. “You’re a pig!”
“Shut up, Haya! You’re stupid to believe that you’re normal and, therefore, can live like one but you’re not! You’re born with a natural power. You’re destined to achieve the impossible. I will not let you throw that away for as long as I lived.”
She sobbed and covered her face with her palms. Erin...
Hyacinth’s mind flashed a memory of Erin and her innocent smiles. Erin’s laughter...and how it disappeared as soon as Ben Sinclair takes control of their lives. Erin will experience the same pain she experienced as a child. No!
Ben Sinclair cursed when a black car blocked theirs. Hyacinth’s blinked the tears out of her eyes to remove the blur from her eyesight.
A man went out of the car in front of them and proceeded to approach them. Ben’s car’s headlights illuminated the man’s features and strong physique.
Hyacinth’s knees weakened at the sight of Maximillian Bismarck in front of the car. He looked like he was about to beat someone to a pulp.
Max pointed at her father and mouthed, “Open the fucking car.”
Ben attempted to grab the gear shift but an officer wearing the usual SCPD uniform pointed a gun at Ben.
Before she knew it, the car’s child lock is disengaged and someone is pulling her out of the vehicle.
Maximillian Bismarck locked her in his arms. Hyacinth knew it was Max even if her eyes were closed. She grasped his collar and pressed her body against his chiseled length. Hyacinth let out a shaky breath as her body relieved the tenseness of her muscles.
Hyacinth let Max guide her body to the black car. She can also hear Ben Sinclair’s protests for his arrest and cursing Hyacinth’s name.
HYACINTH is inside Max’s office after a few minutes of investigation regarding the incident with Hyacinth’s father earlier. Two SCPD officers went with Detective Philip Mayers to question her regarding the attempted kidnapping.
“Well, that’s quite a reunion,” Philip commented after she told the story. “Good thing Mr. Bismarck here reported the presence of Mr. Ben Sinclair in Sutton City this morning and these men—” Philip held out his hands to the officers beside him. ”—followed the man around. They’re the ones who informed Mr. Bismarck that you went into Mr. Sinclair’s taxi cab. We’re able to follow and take action immediately.”
“Thank you, Detective Mayers. I’ll see to it that you’ll be properly compensated.”
Philip Mayers’s eyes glittered when Max mentioned a monetary reward for the officers, especially to Philip. “We’re just doing our jobs.”
Hyacinth stood up from her chair. “Philip, can we talk?”
Her friend nodded and asked the two SCPD officers to wait outside the office. Hyacinth looked at Max and motioned him to give the two of them some privacy.
“No,” he replied.
Hyacinth sighed as a sign of defeat. She has no energy to argue with him, especially if her body still hasn’t recovered yet from the traumatic experience earlier. She faced Philip and smiled. “Phil, you once again saved my life from my father. How can I ever repay you?”
Philip reached out for a loose strand of hair behind her ears and smiled gently. “You helped me with my job for a few years now, Lily. The pleasure is all mine.”
Hyacinth tiptoed and planted a kiss on Philip’s cheek. She whispered, “You’re a good man. You know that, right?.”
A big hand clasped her elbow and pulled her away from Philip. Max’s body went between them. Hyacinth swore she heard him snarl. “Don’t call her pet names. Her name is Hyacinth.”
Philip regarded Maximillian with keen interest. “My, my. Hyacinth, you sneaky little devil. Mr. Bismarck here doesn’t know your full name?”
Maximillian ground his teeth into powder, his jaw flexing. Hyacinth can see the promise of danger in Max’s vivid-blue eyes.
“Lilian Hyacinth Sinclair. That’s her full name. Her mom is quite fond of flowers, obviously, since Lily and Hyacinth are both beautiful flowers.”
Philip Mayers bid goodbye to Max and Hyacinth with a triumphant grin. The detective is probably enjoying Max’s annoyance from their conversation.
The door closed and Max met Hyacinth’s gaze with resentment. “You didn’t tell me your full name.”
She gulped. “I-I like to use Hyacinth only. My full name is quite a mouthful.”
“And you kissed him on his cheek,” he added.
“I kissed Jean, too, if that will make you feel better?” Hyacinth tried to pacify the man with stupid information. Hyacinth had also kissed the floor before when she tripped in the cafe but nobody asked.
Max shook his head. “We have a kid together, Hyacinth. I’m entitled to know these details about you.”
“Are you jealous?”
“Wha—No!” He answered her question as if she asked the most ridiculous thing on the planet.
“Then don’t act like one. It doesn’t suit you.”
He turned his back on her and went to his desk with earth-shattering strides. Hyacinth followed behind him and sat on the sofa across from his desk.
“George Doyle will be your personal driver. He’s a trained bodyguard and I trust him with my life.”
“Are you sure about that? You need a driver more than I do.”
Max reached for the stack of papers without removing his eyes from her. “I can always hire more people. There are two men guarding my house right now and I can install two men to follow you around—”
Hyacinth looked up as if she could see her thoughts floating in the air. “You mean to say that you’ll install two bodyguards while I work as a janitress? It’s kind of...weird. They’re earning more than I do. It will be weird if their job is to guard someone who cleans the floor they walk upon.”
“Hence, the marriage proposal earlier. Damn, woman. Why don’t you just agree that it will be good for everyone?”
“Because I’m a janitress?” She tried to answer him with a question.
“That didn’t matter to me. My great-grandmother was a street vendor. It was the Bismarcks who built this family business. Now, we own multiple hotel chains, real estate agencies, and shipping lines, to name a few.”
“That’s nice but it’s not gonna change my mind.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“Because you are an entitled jerk. You don’t ask, you command. You expect that every people will bend to your every will. Unfortunately, everyone does everything you tell them to do and you tend to act like a wounded dog when someone defies you.” Hyacinth pointed at herself. “You see me as a challenge, Mr. Bismarck. I don’t seek your approval like most people you’re used to handling. How refreshing must it be, right?”
“I want to marry you so that people will think twice about harming a Bismarck in Sutton City. That’ll give me and your daughter peace of mind. Erin will grow up with a complete family and you won’t have to waste your time working.”
“And you like seeing me nod at your every command like some medieval slave. Admit it.”
Max frowned at her accusations. “Hyacinth, I’m simply giving you an opportunity.”
Hyacinth laughed with hysteria. “Maximillian Bismarck, I am a thread reader. Don’t you think I didn’t see how you go around and command people like a military general and be extremely pissed when things don’t go your way?”
“You’ve read my thread without permission?”
Hyacinth wanted to erase the hurt in his face. “No, I didn’t—”
“Then read it now. Look into my past and see how domineering I am.”
Max stood from his chair and went in front of her in long strides. He grabbed her hand and pulled it towards his back, his gaze meeting hers with firm determination. For what?
Hyacinth gave him a disapproving look. She doesn’t want to pry.
“Read it, Haya. Now.”
She squeezed her hands into a fist wanting to avoid touching his thread with her palm.
Max grabbed her by her waist to pull her body against his, then he proceeded to pull her fist to his back.
“Let me go.”
“After you touched my thread.”
Hyacinth finally loosened her fist and began spreading her fingers to locate the thread. Her heart rammed against her chest.
And then, she closed her eyes.
“Mr. Bismarck, Maine has a fever. Should we bring her to the hospital?”
“I-I don’t know...” Max looked so dashing as a teenager, Hyacinth thought, but the boy’s face was painted with confusion and distress.
A man with smart attire approached Max and held out documents. “You need to review these, Mr. Bismarck. You’ll bring them to the meeting with the board.”
“No, I-I need to do something today.”
“You can ask someone to do that.”
He shook his head. “Maine has a fever.”
“The maid can do that.”
Max was utterly confused about which one needs to be done first. The company lawyer demanded so many things to be done with.
“Can’t the documents wait?”
Max was sweating cold and walking around nervously. He didn’t have first-hand experience in managing investments. He doesn’t know a thing about being a legal guardian to Maine, his sister. He’s utterly confused about the sudden changes in his life after his father’s death.
“Sir, you’re not alone here. You can order someone to do some of your tasks. The company needs your signature.”
He was all but a teenager. Hyacinth could feel the loneliness in his past. The grief, confusion... the heavy burden on Max’s shoulder at the time.
HYACINTH tried to pull her hand away but Max held her elbows in place. “Did you see what people expected me to do as soon as my father died? They waited for my ‘go’ signal. They asked for my decision here and there and always asked me for the best course of action to take.”
He loosened his grip on her elbow before he added, “I grew up in that kind of environment, Haya. You can’t resent me for being domineering. I thought of it as normal all my life and people shaped me to be that way.”
Hyacinth looked down at her toes, avoiding Max’s intense stare. Now, she felt bad for judging him harshly. “I didn’t know that.”
The emotions she felt from reading his thread still lingered. It sears through every fiber of her being as if she’s the one who grieved.
Max grieved for his lost childhood at that time. Max grieved for his freedom just like Hyacinth did. At least she managed to run away from her father to regain her freedom but Max, on the other hand, cannot afford that. He’s forever bound to the responsibilities of being a Bismarck...of being the man of the family.
And Hyacinth felt Max and her were the two sides of the same coin. Both were bound by the burden that comes with being a firstborn. People expect great things from them. Both of them lost their childhood because the world needed them to mature and take on the things that aren’t meant for them to handle at the time.
Both of them are destined to carry a burden that comes with the name.
Hyacinth met his eyes, so blue and vibrant. It almost seemed like a portal in his very soul.
She cleared her throat. She had been harsh to him when he only offered to help her.
She’ll surely repay him for saving her today. Hyacinth had realized that the both of them never really had some fun in their lifetimes, then it’ll not hurt anyone if they decided to have fun for one day, right?
Then, a brilliant idea came to her mind.
“Can you clear your schedule tomorrow?”
His brows clashed at her question. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I’m offering you a chance to enjoy life with me.”
Max gave her a disapproving look. “No, I have meetings and I need to hire a private teacher to home-school Erin.”
Hyacinth shrugged. “I want to get to know you better. If you want me to think about your offer, you’ll allow me this chance. Otherwise, I’ll never think about your offer ever again.”
The corner of his lips rose into a half-smirk. “You’re asking me out on a date? Wow, that’s a first.”
Hyacinth blushed. She was about to contradict his statement but she realized that he was somewhat right.
“Will you come?” Please say yes! It will be a fun day for both of us, I promise. We both deserved to have fun tomorrow.
She wanted to do a victory dance when Max nodded after contemplating for a few minutes. There’s this curiosity in his eyes but Hyacinth made it known that her plans will be a surprise.
“I’ll fetch you tomorrow at nine?” he offered.
“Yes! Thank you. And, wear something comfortable. It’ll be spontaneous!”