Chapter 330: Unusual Behavior
Mina's heart had begun to race at Zane's statement, and she was trying hard not to allow the fear to show on her face, but she knew she was failing. Miss Meagan was staring at her, and that was one of the few things keeping Mina from having a panic attack. The way the men sounded was as though Dom was in some sort of prison, and Mina was afraid he may have been falsely accused of something.
"Tell me what?" Mina asked. She looked scared but she was calm, which Ian credited toward Zane's interjection and Miss Meagan's presence.
Ian went on to explain the situation to Mina. He told the woman that Dom had been struck by a vehicle and was recovering at a Lee facility. He detailed the man's injuries to Mina and made sure to stress the point that Dom would be back to perfect health within a few weeks. Mina listened quietly and finally nodded in understanding.
"Is that why you told everyone he was on vacation? So he could recover in peace? Mina asked.
"That was part of it," Ian lied. He was not above using all he could to make Mina trust him; that included Dom and anyone else. It was not Ian who had pandered that lie, but Jessica, and he planned to give the woman a raise for her quick thinking.
"Thank you," Mina said, and she was truly grateful.
Dom had become important to her and seeing that President Lee was taking the man's recovery seriously took a lot of weight off Mina's shoulders. It also eased her heartache for Olivia, who was under the impression that Dom had left her hanging without a proper goodbye. Even though Mina knew Dom was uninterested in her friend, it did not mean the girl was unaffected by him.
After a brief silence, Mina cheerfully reminded everyone to eat and slipped right back into conversation with Zane and Miss Meagan. The reaction was uncharacteristic of the girl, and even worrisome, but Ian did not know how to approach it or if he should. He looked to Zane who shook his head, not knowing what advice he could give. The woman they were interacting with was Mina, but she was not.
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Ian was still staring at Mina, trying to figure the girl out. He wondered what she could be hiding and when his curiosity almost got the best of him, she excused herself away from the dining room. When She returned, she was carrying a large plate of thinly sliced red meat. The smell coming from the dish was tantalizing, and Ian knew what it was without having to be told.
"Did you make that?" he asked, and Mina nodded.
"I tried a new recipe; I hope you all enjoy it." Mina meant for her words to be relaxing, but instead she once again raised suspicion. She was being overly accommodating, and it made Ian feel as though she was hiding something serious from him.
As Mina served each person at the table, she could feel President Lee staring at her, but she ignored it. An important part of her plan to get back to her apartment required the man to think she had completely forgiven him. She knew that with forgiveness came trust, and although she did not trust the man at all, she would pretend until she could not.
Even the meal Mina had prepared was the one Miss Luna had told her that President Lee preferred when they were children. Mina had no issues with using the man's pleasant memories to gain her freedom. Likewise, she needed him to think she was on his side if she wanted her other plan to succeed.
Mina was tired of living, not just with the Lee's but in general. She needed to convince President Lee to put her in the direct line of danger in order to draw out the person who used her as a pawn in the first place. If she was killed in the process, so be it.
Through Olivia, Mina had already set up a fund for her parents that would keep paying them monthly stipends until the money in the account had run out.
President Lee was probably unaware, but Mina had gotten an advance on her contract payments with Cylus and put the entire $100,000 into the stipend account. All Mina needed to do now was pay off her family home, but if she never got to that part, she at least had the security of knowing her parents would be okay once she was gone.
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Ian got a good look at the meal Mina prepared and if he was not already suspicious, her meal choice did it for him.
It was well known by those who were close to Ian that he loved tenderloin but was very precise about its preparation. What Mina was doing was obvious, she was trying to get on his good side. However, Ian could not figure out what had sparked the girl's behavior. He knew it could not have been Dom, and the only other people to come to mind were Mina's newly acquired friends.
Even Zane was shocked by the menu. If he did not know any better, he would have thought that Mina was attempting to seduce Ian, but he knew she was not. Of all the women Zane had met, Mina was the only one who did not think in that way. Whatever Mina wanted, probably had less to do with Ian, and more to do with herself.
"Wow Mina. This is delicious," Meagan said, and Mina's face beamed.
"I'm glad you like it." Mina looked at Zane and bore down on him with her eyes until he also tasted the beef. It was perfectly prepared, and Zane knew Ian would love it. He also knew that Ian was obsessed enough with Mina to misread the girl's obvious attempts at flattery.
Mina was not an idiot. She knew better than to let on that she had cooked President Lee's favorite meal in order to make him lower his guard. After Zane tasted the tenderloin, she ignored President Lee completely, and put all her focus back on Miss Meagan by asking her random questions about the past.
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Ian was receiving mixed messages from Mina, if she wanted something, he could not guess what it could be, but all her actions during the night alluded to her having not only guessed that he would show up with Zane, but that he would also stay for dinner. He knew that Mina was smart, but he now knew that she could manipulate a situation in her favor.
It was becoming increasingly obvious to Ian that Mina cared nothing about a nonprofit, nor did she want to speak with Zane, she wanted to meet with him, but just when he thought he had her figured out, Mina switched up on him again.
"Before we visit with Dom, do you think you can take me to a store to buy a few things? I would like to make him a care package." Ian was so confused by Mina that he seriously considered taking her to a hospital for observation, but like a lovestruck teen, Ian could not say no.