Chapter 35: It’s Dangerous For You To Be Here
Simon nodded.
He brought me to a coffee shop afterward, which was inside the Greensmith Hospital. And they don't just serve ordinary coffee here.
The tiny caramel macchiato in front of me already costs a hundred dollars-More than my monthly allowance.
I smiled as I tasted the strong flavor of the coffee on my tongue.
"It's delicious, sir," I complimented as I took another sip. "I already expected it to taste good. A coffee that costs this much is really expensive." If their coffee didn't taste good at this price, they might as well close the shop.
I expected him to be disgusted because of what I said. A hundred dollars might be nothing to them, but it's already a fortune for me.
But he felt the exact opposite.
"I'm amazed that you can talk to me like this and say what's on your mind without any filter," he said with a smirk.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
It was unusual for me to see an older businessman drinking iced coffee instead of black coffee. The fear I felt earlier completely disappeared and was replaced by admiration.
"Even Mason doesn't talk to me like this. Ash and Haze are afraid of me, but you're not. That's amazing."
"Because there's nothing to be afraid of, sir." I placed the cup of coffee back on the table. I had finished it before our conversation even started.
The taste was addictive, though.
"So, what do you want to ask?" He glanced at me, waiting for me to speak. "Is it about my son?"
"No." I almost raised my eyebrows, but I managed to stop myself. "No offense, but I'm not even interested in him."
He laughed. "I like your personality. So authentic."
"I wanted to ask if you know Titania Miller," I asked in a serious tone, not minding his earlier compliment.
Evangeline was probably cursing me in her mind right now. I told her I'd be back before lunch to help finalize things in the afternoon, but it was already one o'clock. My conversation with Haze earlier took longer than expected. Speaking of Evangeline, I really don't know what's going on in her mind. She acts both kind and mean at the same time, like when she made me come to the hospital so Haze could apologize to me.
She could have said it nicely, but she chose to be rude instead. Is it that hard for her to be kind?
"The surname isn't familiar, but the first name is," he replied as he stroked his face, trying to remember something. "She was an unforgettable person, though."
With that, I realized something. I mentioned the wrong last name.
"Oh, my bad. That was her husband's surname," I apologized, waving my hand. "But her maiden name was-"
"Dad." I couldn't finish my sentence when Mason appeared beside me.
I looked at him, and he had the same grumpy expression as Evangeline. They both seemed to be in a bad mood today.
But Mason's situation seemed worse because his white t-shirt and black pants were disheveled. Even his hair was messy, as if he had just been in a fight.
"You're here, son," his father said, greeting him. "I thought you'd be busy with the company?"
Mason didn't respond. Instead, he pulled me up, which surprised me. "If you want to ask me something, talk to me directly."
"I'm not doing anything," Simon shot back, raising both hands in surrender. "This lady even offered to talk with me," he added, pointing at me. His grin widened when he saw Mason frown.
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I couldn't understand him. Why was he angry? He just arrived, but he already looked like the world was crashing down on him.
"Let's go," Mason said as he pulled me away from his dad.
"Wait. I'm not yet done-"
But before we could get far from Simon, we heard him say something.
"You can't keep a secret from me, son, but I admit that I'm amazed you were able to keep this from me for so long."
I turned my head to look at him, and again, I felt the strange fear inside me.
My hand suddenly trembled, and I couldn't move because of it. Mason noticed and held my hand tightly, hiding our clasped hands behind him.
Suddenly, a strange memory appeared in my mind.
"I'm tired," I said to someone as I continued punching the punching bag in front of me. "How long do I have to keep doing this?"
What kind of memory was that?
"It's nice to meet you, Sapphire Jade," I heard Simon say as he walked in the opposite direction.
He was still holding his iced coffee while whistling as if he was in a great mood today.
"How did you-"
My words halted when Mason grabbed my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. "Of all the people here, shouldn't you know that?"
I knew it. He was insulting me. Does he think I'm doing this to suck up to his dad?
"Why do you care about me so much?" I asked as I pushed his hands away. "My life is already a mess. I was so close to being expelled, and I'm trying my best to do something about it! Evangeline sent me here, that's why I'm here. Are you happy now?"
"Your life isn't a mess, Sapphire. It's just beginning, so get a grip. This isn't the Sapphire I used to know."
He lightly slapped my right cheek, causing my eyes to widen. It didn't hurt, but it was enough to snap me back to my senses.
"You can go back to where you started," a guy said as he slapped me lightly. "Brace yourself. I'll get you out of here."
For some reason, that gesture felt familiar. And... What are these memories?
"Now, go back. You don't even realize how dangerous it is for you to be here," Mason said in an authoritative tone as he pulled me outside the hospital.
"WELCOME to freshman week, everyone!" Evangeline cheerfully announced as she hosted the welcome ceremony for this event.
She was with Tanner, a computer science student. They look good on stage, but only a few people know the truth behind them.
During every hosting, they always fight. Tanner didn't like Evangeline being energetic, while Evangeline didn't like Tanner being so serious.
Despite being in a different department, he was always asked to be the co-host. I didn't know why, though. Maybe because they had good chemistry. Tanner's voice was also better than the other guys here in the department. "Enjoy your week, as it will be a refresher for you guys before you get bombarded with exams. Just kidding!" she added, prompting Tanner to fake a laugh.
It was obvious from their eyes that they were close to killing each other, but the students in the auditorium were having a great time.