Chapter 362: Sick Deposit
Ian sat in his study, trying to figure out who the 'he' Mina referred to could be. He had the man's age, but of all the people who lived in the area where she was from, none of them had enough money, power, or influence to escape persecution through name alone.
Ian was beginning to wonder if Mina had made the story up, but the way she spoke was so convincing that he knew he was guessing wildly. Doctor Witt had even made notes on Mina's statements to him. He marked the part in the conversation where her breathing increased, and times where she seemed reluctant to speak. All of which led Ian to believe that Mina's experience was very real.
Ian wanted to ask Mina about it directly, but she had only just been moved back into her own apartment, and he did not want to bombard her with questions while she was still recovering.
Knowing that he was breaking Mina's trust in a way, Ian consulted Zane who seemed more shocked that Mina was fourteen when a legal adult male was interested in her. He knew from their conversations that Mina's sister was only two years older than Mina, and that meant that a grown man had fawned over a barely legal teen; twice.
Zane was not surprised though. Many women in rural areas were uneducated and eager to please. For the promise of a better life, they were willing to do almost anything, and many of them ended up trafficked by the men they thought loved them. Although things of that nature had become less common over the last few years, it was still something that was discussed among the rich as if they did not have secrets of their own.
----
Matthew and Peter sat across from one another at a bar. It was the same bar where Peter had 'rescued' Olivia and the same place Peter's ex-fiancé was photographed with her current fiancé.
Peter was not drinking; he was taking a break from alcohol until he could sort out the details of his career and whether he wanted to continue to pursue solo projects or continue to work under his friend and boss.
"You should just call her and tell her you overreacted," Peter said. He was referring to Jay, who his boss claimed not to like, but he was obviously lying to himself.
"and you should not have jumped to conclusions," Matthew quipped.
"Our situations are different. You fired Jay to be spiteful. I may be in the wrong with Olivia, but nothing I did was intentional. I have no hope for a future with her, and I'm also not the one pouting in a bar." Matthew rested his forehead to his palms.
"Is that why you were angry the other night? Because you see no hope?" Peter shook his head.
"I was angry because I felt wronged by her reaction to seeing me, but when I think about it, Olivia has every right to be wary of me. Jay also owes you nothing. She should actually thank you for setting her free." Peter had been telling Matthew to get Jay into a commitment contract, but the man brushed it off saying that the current arrangement was free labor. He did not think that Jay knew all along that she had no real role on the set.
"What do I see in that little girl?" Matthew asked, not really sure if he liked her or not. Jay was pretty average as far as beauty standards went, and he was certain he could do better in the looks department but seeing her move on from him without so much as an angry word made his blood boil.
----
Luna waited in Tavin's apartment. She was aware that she had gone too far in her pursuit of him, but she just wanted to apologize one last time before she made a clean break. She did not try to make the environment romantic or cozy in any way. She just sat there, waiting for him to return.
When Luna finally heard Tavin's apartment door open, she was embarrassed that he was not alone, but she did not speak on the matter. Tavin shouted at her loudly, but he simply let out a sigh, that signaled her defeat, apologized, and tried to leave.
Tavin was too angry to let her walk away and he pulled her back with so much force that it hurt. Luna did not say anything though. She was wrong and she knew it, all she could do was take the blame and run with it.
"Tavin, I just wanted to apologize to you," she said. "Liz, please don't misunderstand him. I broke into his apartment without his knowledge." Elizabeth's face turned red from embarrassment, but not because of Luna's words, it was because she had gotten caught so late at night with her ex-boyfriend.
"Just get out," Tavin said coldly, and to his surprise, Luna left without a word more.
"You too," Tavin said to Liz, who he had taken home because he was bored, and it was not as though he had not done it before. He had intended to sleep with her, just like the many times in the past, but his mood was completely ruined by Luna.
"You're kicking me out? For her?" Liz asked, pointing to the door, but Tavin was not paying attention to her anymore. She scoffed and stormed out of the apartment swearing that she would never give into him again and she meant it.
Elizabeth was tired of being a runner up to Luna, and it was not as though she did not have options. She was a good person, with a respectable career, and if Tavin did not see her worth, so be it. There were many other men who did. She had only stuck by his side because he was the only man she had been with, but somethings were never meant to be, and she and Tavin were one of them.
----
Mina forced herself into a shower. She was freezing but with Emma's help, she was able to get in and out in just a few minutes. Olivia helped her to pull out warm clothing, while Jay made her soup to eat.
Mina felt weird being taken care of, but she appreciated the women who had come rushing over the moment Emma told them she had returned.
Fortunately, Mina's face was flushed red, and the greenish hue to it looked to be more of a result of being sick, than bruising. Only Olivia knew that Mina had been attacked, and even she did not know the whole truth.
"This is why I don't like travelling. You never know what you can pick up," Jay said as she spooned mouthfuls of soup into Mina's mouth. It tasted bland, but Mina knew it was done purposefully.
"Sorry," Mina replied. She did not know what she was feeling, but her chest had a strange sensation coursing through it, and it overwhelmed her.
"Sorry for what? This is a deposit. If I get sick in the future, I will cash this soup out." Mina chuckled, making her cough, and prompting the women to force her to lay down. Something she was not opposed to, and for the next week, she recovered in their care.