Chapter 152: Street Walker
Ian called Zane over thirty times and the man still did not answer. He was aware that his friend was handling a very precarious contract renewal project that probably went overtime in negotiations; but he could not stop himself from calling.
Ian also called his sister who had left the country earlier in the morning. She was in a different time zone and had probably turned her phone off to sleep, so she did not take his call. Ian refrained from leaving Luna a voicemail message. He knew in his current state, he would cause her to panic at the sound of his voice. He also knew that calling his sister was useless, but he still had to at least try. Even if it were just for moral support, he wanted to talk to someone. Reluctantly, Ian called Dom who said he had only just left the Lee mansion after ending his shift. He had not heard from nor contacted Mina in any way.
The last call Ian made was to his nan. The old woman was calm as she spoke, and she reminded him that he needed to remain alert while he was driving. She told him that she would contact him immediately if she heard anything from, or about Mina. Ian had already sent his men to scour the surrounding area of the hospital, but so far there were no traces of the girl.
At present, Ian was on his way to the location to view camera footage of when Mina left the building. He worried that she may have been forcibly taken by someone.
Ian was unaccustomed to the feeling he was having, and he did not like it at all. He was truly afraid for the first time in his entire life, and it was all for a woman, who he was sure, hated him. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her simply because he was angry; angry Mina had not chosen to be with him instead.
----
As Mina walked, all she could think about was how much she hated President Lee. There was no way he forgot about her, and she was sure that this was either some sort of test or punishment. Her legs and hands were completely numb and her whole body had become heavy from the cold. She was walking along the side of the expressway, trying to keep her distance from the passing cars. Every now and then, someone would stop and offer her a ride, but she lied each time, saying that her car had broken down and that she threw a tantrum and stormed away from her husband. Based on her lack of warm clothing, no one doubted her story. Mina was terrified of getting into a stranger's car. Traffickers were not just male; treacherous people came in every gender. Her anger flared as she thought about Adley and it gave her the strength to move a little faster. Judging by memory, she still had another two-hour walk before she would be anywhere near the Lee Mansion.
----
Paul and his fiancé were headed home after attending a friend's engagement dinner. The man noticed an awfully familiar silhouette on the side of the road and instinctually his car veered in that direction.
"Oh, my goodness, is that Mina? See, I told you she was a prostitute," Maggie said. Paul looked at the woman beside him and hushed her.
"Maggie, let the past go. We don't know that," he said. Although it was him that made the statement, he was not sure he believed it. It was obviously Mina on the side of the road, and she was not wearing much of anything.
"Her last client must have dumped her on the highway," Maggie said gleefully. Paul looked at his fiancé and cleared his throat.
"Maggie, even if that is the truth. What do you have to gain by pointing it out? Is it that you want to hear that you are better than Mina or is it that you are having a hard time convincing yourself?" Maggie pouted.
"I'm sorry. I know she used to be your friend," the woman said. "Let's see if she will let us help her."
The car stopped beside Mina and Maggie lowered her window. She hated the girl, but she was actually startled by what she saw. Mina's lips were completely blue, and she was trembling so violently that it was obvious that she had been walking for a long time. She did not even look in Maggie's direction when she called out to her.
Paul put the car in park and hopped out of the vehicle, pulling his warm coat from the backseat as he did. He ran to the front of Mina who looked to be on autopilot. It was not until he placed both his hands on her shoulders that the girl's eyes finally focused on him. Scared for his friend, he wrapped his jacket around her arms.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked in a low and concerned voice.
----
Maggie watched as her fiancé affectionately rubbed the arms of his first love right in front of her. She knew that when he agreed to marry her, it was only because the union would help strengthen both of their families, but she still hoped it would be a happy and loving marriage. She had thought they were doing well, but right now, she could see that he only held a fraction of the fondness he felt toward Mina, for her. She seethed in jealousy, and she began to think of all the ways she could make Paul hate Mina.
Maggie would not allow herself to lose out on such a good man. She had not known it until now, but she really loved her fiancé. Despite their relationship being arranged, he had treated her fairly, and unlike most men, he respected her. There was no way she would let a disgusting streetwalker take her place, but she also had to tread carefully. She did not want her man to find out that she was the one who drove Mina into that profession.