Chapter 372: Double Trouble-1

Alone in the elevator with President Lee, Willow felt emboldened. Not because she was not afraid of the man, she was, but he had so far been relatively down to earth, and had asked her to speak her mind. She would have been a fool not to use the opportunity to figure out what was going on between him and Mina. Especially since her friend kept casting her warning gazes.

Willow knew better than to think that Mina was being spiteful or petty, because the girl did not think that way. She did not perceive other women as a threat, not because she was conceited, but because she did not feel like she was in competition with anyone. For as long as Willow knew Mina, the girl only had three goals; graduate, get a respectable job, and take care of her family; men were an afterthought.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you don't often drive an employee home," Willow said in a sly voice. She received a telling glare in response. "Mina is not like other women, what you are doing will not work."

"What am I doing?" President Lee asked, unwilling to give himself away to a stranger, and potentially push Mina further away in fear.

"May I speak freely?" Willow was not dumb, and she knew when and where to let her mouth run wild.

"You may."

"When we were in Wayvair, Mina had the biggest crush on you."

"I am already aware," President Lee said as if it were a given.

"Urgh, forget it," Willow said while rolling her eyes. She loved Mina enough to spare her from dating a jerk. The doors to the lift opened and Willow went to step out, but President Lee blocked her path.

"As you were saying?" Willow once again remembered who she was speaking with, and she wisely finished her statement.

"Mina had a crush on you because she thought you were impressive, but I can tell something is wrong now. She has never been very openly friendly toward men, but with you it seems different. You may have come on a little too strong or something because; Mina is afraid of you." Ian narrowed his eyes at the woman in front of him.

"Did she tell you that?" he asked, catching Willow off guard.

"What? You were within earshot the entire time we were together. President Lee, you can ignore my advice and get nowhere, or you could listen to it and at least have a chance. Mina is young and simple. She does not see things the way we do. Being handsome will not be enough for her to trust you. There was a guy in Wayvair, madly in love with Mina. Do you know why he didn't win her over?"

"If you are talking about Paul, Mina said she would have married him if he had asked." Ian hated to even repeat those words. It made him feel beneath Paul in a way because he knew that Mina would not marry him if he asked.

"Did she tell you why though?" President Lee thought for a long time before he answered. By this time, the pair had exited the elevator and were standing just outside of the building.

"Because he respected her," he finally said.

"Exactly, and whatever you are doing she sees it as disrespectful, is also making her fearful. Paul never got anywhere because he was too afraid to lose his position as the only man she did not ignore. If you give me a job within your company, I'm willing to help you correct your mistakes from the inside." President Lee did not like the way Willow was using him. It was akin to blackmail and enough for him to have her whole family go broke within days.

"What did you study?" He asked, swallowing his pride.

"Sh!t, you really like her, don't you?" Willow waved her hands dismissively. "I'm not qualified for a job in the Lee group, I was just testing you." Willow could not believe that the silly declaration Mina had made so many years ago was actually coming to fruition.

----

When Emma returned to her apartment, James was already there waiting for her. He had tried to make her dinner, but it was so late that she was not in the mood to eat. She poked around the plate, trying not to be rude. The food was neither pretty nor good.

"What's wrong?" James asked. He knew that something was bothering Emma because she was more quiet than usual, which meant she had not spoken at all.

"I think we should break up. We are moving too fast," she said.

"Says who?" James asked. He had never gotten angry with Emma, but she had successfully pissed him off.

"Then you disagree? I guess it usually takes less than three weeks for someone like you." Emma got up and threw the entire contents of her plate in the trash. James scurried behind her, trying hard not to disturb Mina. He had not moved in yet and he did not want to give her reason for pause.

"Emma, tell me what's wrong," James begged.

"I ran into one of your friends," Emma admitted. "She recognized you from the lock screen on my phone." James already knew who Emma was talking about. When he had dropped her off at work, he had seen a woman with whom he had slept. He would be lying if he said it was before he met Emma, it was not.

"Emma, I am a man," James said as if it was a valid excuse. Emma pushed him away in response.

"You can leave now," she replied. Feeling as though she had dodged a bullet. Emma believed in love at first sight, but she knew that love and lust were often confused for one another.

----

Mina did not have to work, so she met Willow for breakfast. She told the woman about the event she had to attend for work, and Willow offered to help her with her hair and makeup. Mina was grateful, knowing that Olivia and Jay would be busy with their own preparations. She also had not seen the dress Madam Rue was supposed to send her.

"Who is your date?" Willow asked. Trying to see if she had room to suggest a partner. My boss, Mina said vaguely. She still needed to convince Willow to attend Connors party without the woman knowing where she was going.

"I do have an event I need a partner for though. It's this weekend if you are free," Mina added.

"Sure, what kind of event?"

"It's an overnight retreat for people in the entertainment field. You'll need three days' worth of camping clothing." Willow nodded.

"Mina I've been meaning to ask you about that. I saw your commercial, I did not like it, it isn't you. How did you get into acting?"

"I had been unemployed for two years; my savings were nearly depleted, and the opportunity arose. I took it because I had to, I didn't expect a job to follow." Mina was careful not to tell Willow she was signed with Rouge Entertainment; she knew it would raise her friend's suspicion.

"Why do I feel like you've become more secretive?" Willow asked. Sensing that Mina was giving her vague answers. "And why haven't you been keeping our phone appointments?"

"I was unable to break from my restraints," Mina said with a sarcastic chuckle. She meant that figuratively and literally.

"Working for the Lee group must be hard." Willow was trying to subtly bring up President Lee. She had promised the man that she would drop a few good words for him.