Chapter 113: Drunk
In his car, Ian confronted Lisa about the several inappropriate things she did while they were at the restaurant. She had never been so clingy, and it was one of the reasons he didn't mind her company. Even in the past when other women were literally throwing themselves at him, all Lisa would ever do is roll her eyes, but today she was putting on a show for everyone to see. Even if it were Mina who had done those things, his opinion would not have changed. There were some things Ian believed should only be done in private. Furthermore, they were both unmarried, if anything happened to him in the future, Lisa would have a hard time finding a husband who didn't mind that she had once dallied with another man.
"I didn't say anything before because I didn't want to embarrass you, but Li Lee, you crossed the line." Lisa sat quietly, knowing that in some ways she had been a little too much. She remembered that in their past outings, Ian always found public displays of affection irksome, but it wasn't until he asked her not to use pet names that she realized her actions were irritating him, and not Mina, as she had hopped. Thinking about Mina, she felt like she could use the woman's strange appearance to help justify her case.
"Ian, you moved an unrelated woman into your home, and you are telling me that I was inappropriate? What will people think when they find out?" Ian had already considered that, and it was part of the reason he invited his sister to live with him as well. What he forgot to factor in was how it made Lisa feel, but her feelings were secondary to everything else. He would explain all of it to her in the future, and maybe then she would understand, but for right now, the lie was still necessary.
"She is Luna's friend and Luna is also staying with me. If anyone asks, we will tell them just that." Lisa already knew that his sister had moved in, but she still needed to feign ignorance.
"Why did your sister move in? Is she in some sort of trouble?" Lisa asked.
"You could say that," Ian responded, and Lisa calmed down a little. The car stopped in front of the gates of her home and after saying goodnight, Ian watched her safely make her way inside before he drove off.
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For the first time in a long time Zane felt flustered by a woman. Currently, an extremely drunk Mina was sitting in his passenger seat, asking him thousands of questions. Several times since he started driving, he had to stop the girl from sticking her head out of the window and shouting nonsense. If it weren't for that, she would be considered cute when she was drunk. It was as if she let go of all her insecurities and allowed herself to just be free. It was probably like that for everyone, but Zane had a feeling that Mina seldom shed her exterior protection. She must have really been in a tight situation when she agreed to sneak into his friend's room that night. He couldn't see her taking the risk if she did not have good reason to do so.
Zane knew Mina's family was poor, and it likely had something to do with them. He, himself, had made many sacrifices for his family. Including, foregoing his right to use the Walsh family funds to do business. For Zane, his mother was more important than any amount of money, and he wondered if Mina's family held the same weight in her heart.
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Mina felt great! The owner of the restaurant had even given her a wedding sample bottle of wine to take home. She didn't wait though. As soon as she sat in Zane's car, she opened the cute little bottle and swallowed it down. It was so sweet that she could hardly tell it was an alcoholic beverage, so drinking in one go was easy. By the time Zane noticed what she was doing it was too late. He reached to snatch it from her and his expression when he held an empty bottle was so comical that Mina laughed for a long time before she felt the urge to open the window. They passed by a few people on the street and Mina was suddenly very aware that she was in an expensive Lamborghini. She stuck her head out of the window and got the attention of an older man who was admiring the car.
"It's nice isn't it?" She asked and the man realizing the woman was drunk by her slurred speech, winked. Mina covered her face and laughed in such a girly manner that it made Zane look at her like she had two heads. The reaction tickled Mina beyond words. If she had a brother, she imagined he would probably be looking at her in the same way.
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When Ian arrived at his mansion, Mina had yet to arrive. He was silently cursing himself for leaving her with Zane but what else could he have done? Lisa was not his girlfriend, but she wasn't exactly not his girlfriend, and as far as Mina was concerned, he was off limits. First was because she hated him and second was because of Lisa.
Ian showered and changed, expecting Mina to return by then but when he checked with his staff, they told him that she had not come back. Ian wanted to call Zane, but he did not want to reveal his hidden green monster, so he opted against it. He was about to go to his sitting room and wait when he saw headlights shine through the windows. He stood at the door and changed his position several times trying to make it seem natural, but everything felt forced. He only stopped when he noticed one of the maids gawking at him. He knew she had never seen him behave in that manner, and he watched her try to peek outside, wondering who was coming, but all they could see was CEO Zane's car. The maid shrugged and waited for her boss to give them further instruction.