Chapter 189: Useless

Hurt flashed across Mina's face with Paul's words but it was gone in an instant. She knew what he was going to say, and she knew what he thought about her. She had not known it before, but Paul's opinion of her matter greatly. He was one of the few men at Wayvair who had never disrespected her, but things had changed, and Mina did not know who to blame.

"Now you can move on with your life," Paul said, as he walked up to Mina and cupped her shoulders.

President Lee's hands had balled into fists at the mention of Wayvair. He had been planning to reveal that information to Mina over dinner. He had already made the arrangements to have them served in her bedroom. If she would not come down to him, he would go to her, but now, there was no reason for him to encroach on her personal space.

"Did you come all this way to tell me that? Where is your fiancé?" Mina asked, seeming to be completely unaffected by the news. She just wanted Paul to leave before he said something worse.

"Maggie did not want to come inside. I think she is upset, but Mina this is great news for you." Paul squeezed her shoulders tightly, and Mina brushed his hands away.

"Thank you for telling me, but this is useless now," Mina said. Her lack of enthusiasm caused both men to furrow their brows.

"Mina, are you sure you are okay?" Paul asked. He knew how hard she had worked to achieve the top spot and he could only imagine how it must have felt for her to be unable to use her hard-earned achievements to her advantage.

"I'll survive," Mina replied. "Paul, it's getting late and this isn't my home. Maggie is in your car waiting and I do not want her to misunderstand you. You should go," Mina said.

Ian was surprised.

'So, Paul is engaged to Maggie.' He thought.

Picking up where Mina left off, President Lee approached while speaking.

"I'll see you to your car," President Lee said

Paul could tell he was being dismissed; he took a few extra seconds to study Mina's expression, but it was blank. There was not a hint of a smile on the girl's face. In fact, she looked depressed. He glared at the man beside him before following him to the door.

Outside, Paul exchanged a few words with the cold man.

"If you come here again, it will not be a peaceful visit," President Lee warned.

Paul took the hint. His family was not powerful enough to withstand a single finger of President Lee's, and for the sake of his future wife, he would not provoke the man.

Wordlessly Paul entered his car, he did not notice the worried expression on Maggie's face, nor did he notice the icy stare she was receiving. Out of respect, fear, or something else, the couple did not speak to one another until they were well off the Lee property.

"I think you were right about Mina," Paul said to his fiancé.

"What?" Maggie asked, confused by the sudden revelation.

"I think you are right, but I don't think that she's willing. If you had seen her, you would have known."

"What was wrong with her?"

"She could barely walk, and I could see healing bruises on her arms," Paul said.

"Sweety, please don't get involved. I know you were excited for your friend, but think about me for a second," Maggie said.

"I know my limits. I won't put us in danger," Paul replied.

Paul said those words, but his heart told him otherwise. If Mina reached out to him in any way, he would use all his available resources to help. He could not bear to see such a happy person so downcast. There was no real closure to the way they parted in the past, and Paul believed that he could clear his conscience if he did her that one favor.

----

Mina's heart began to race from the moment she heard Paul's words. She did not know what Maggie was trying to do now. When all that happened, Mina had signed a non-disclosure and other than President Lee, no one knew what had truly transpired. She had only just made it back to her room when the familiar footsteps of President Lee fell in line behind her. Mina froze, expecting him to berate her about having a second man show up at his home, but he said nothing. He simply reached around her and opened the door to the guest room.

Mina trembled, she suddenly recalled the vile men in the books she had read and felt as if she were about to experience something unpleasant.

"Why don't you look happy?" The man behind her asked, and Mina sucked in her breath.

Mina closed her eyes and tried to steady herself, but the onset of the panic attack only served to make the man behind her close the distance between them and pull her toward the bed. He mimicked the steps he had seen his sister take, but they did not offer her any relief. Mina was terrified of him.

"Am I that horrible?" He asked and something about the question helped Mina catch her breath. She opened her eyes and looked at the gorgeous man. It was too bad that he was an evil person. Had it not been for the fact that he was a sadist, Mina could have found herself lost in those dark eyes of his.

Gathering her wits, Mina pushed the man's hand away from her hair.

"I'm fine," she said. "You can go now."

----

Luna found herself on edge. She had to find a boyfriend before the grand opening of Lisa's film site and from what she understood, it was just a few days away. Zane was out of the question and even Marcus, who she thought liked anything in a dress, refused. She found herself calling someone she would have never called, had the situation not warranted a quick fix.

"Hello," Tavin said.

"I need your help with something," Luna replied.

"With what?" The man was perplexed. The last time Luna called him and told him that she needed his help, he landed a lucrative job, but this call seemed personal.

"I need somebody to pretend to be my boyfriend," she blurted out and was met with silence.

Embarrassed, Luna hung up the phone. When Tavin called her back she declined the call and turned the receiver off. She took a deep breath and laid flat on her bed. She felt stupid for thinking that he would be willing to help her. As far as she knew, he could be in a relationship. Just because he drunkenly kissed her that night did not mean anything. She knew he was not opposed to cheating. Luna's rambling thoughts were interrupted by her brother's intrusion.

"What is wrong with your phone?" Ian asked.

"Nothing, it's turned off." Ian handed his sister his cell.

"Dr. Bell is on the line for you," he said.