Chapter 377: Who Is That?

Cylus stood watching Mina walk the short red carpet of the event. He could not help but to smile at the woman, who had stolen the spotlight from some of the other models and actresses who were walking alongside her. The poses she was doing were perfect for the dress she was wearing, and Cylus wondered, once again, if he had misread the woman.

At some point, Mina must have given her name to someone, because just as she made it to the entrance of the venue, Cylus heard the whispering. He stepped nearer to a woman who was speaking more boldly than the rest, only to hear filthy lies pour from her lips. He memorized the woman's face, and hurried inside, not wanting Mina to overhear the same way he had done.

Cylus found Mina standing toward the side of the entrance, likely waiting for him. She was breathing heavily with her hand on her chest. He walked toward her, placing a hand on her lower back for reassurance not expecting to startle her instead.

Mina quickly shifted her body, so that Cylus was no longer touching her, but he ignored it as a personality quirk. From day one, Mina was not big on him being too near, or touching her. Even him casually wrapping his arm around her shoulders was shrugged off by the woman as too much contact. It was why he had been so shocked when she had hugged him of her own free accord.

"You look amazing," Cylus reminded her. If he were unable to shield Mina from the visceral that poured from the lips of the jealous, he at least wanted to make sure she knew that much. Mina tried to avert her gaze, but Cylus used his thumb and forefinger to hold her chin and make her look at him. "Stay close to me tonight." He watched Mina study his face, then nod. He knew she could tell something was not right.

With linked arms, the pair made their way further into the plainly decorated venue. Mina questioned Cylus about the décor of the event his family hosted, and he explained that everything was donated. Mina knew that under the laws of Pan, charitable contributions over a certain amount counted as double payment of taxes, so she did not need to press Cylus for further explanation.

----

Lisa walked the red carpet with Ian, but she was not as excited as she once would have been. Her- whatever he was to her, had been spotted with several of the women she knew she would meet at the event, and it pissed her off. The title of Mrs. Lee was hers and hers alone. Even if she had to hurt people to keep it, she would.

Lisa had already arranged for one of the women Ian had been photographed with to have her phone hacked. As expected, the woman had sent racy photos of herself to several well-connected men. Two nights before the gala, that actress quit the entertainment field, saying that she wanted to take time out for her family, but in reality, Lisa had given the woman a choice, leave or be exposed.

That had become the norm for Lisa, she would find the woman Ian was spotted with, and threaten to destroy them if they did not bow out gracefully. The only woman she had not been able to sink her claws into, was Mina, who was being protected by Lisa's own personal interests.

On top of everything, Lisa understood that the only reason Ian had agreed to go with her was because he felt guilty about the things that had happened to her. Shortly after she had spoken to her brother, Ian had called her wanting to know all the information about the doctor who prescribed her the fertility supplement.

Within an hour, the fake doctor was found, but rather than to allow herself to be captured, she swallowed poison, and died before Ian could question her. That left everyone in the dark about who had targeted Lisa and why.

It was because of Ian's inability to get solid information that he wanted Lisa to stay home, but after she explained to him how important the event was for her new venture, he volunteered to go with her. Lisa did not know if she should have been honored or offended. She used to wonder how affluent women could overlook their husbands' misdeeds, but here she was, singing the same tune, without a title.

Once inside, Lisa and Ian were greeted by many people they knew, and many people they did not know. Ian was being friendlier than usual, but Lisa did not mind. She found herself smiling at the man, wishing that the peace between them could last forever. He kept their arms linked as gentlemanly as she had ever remembered and soon enough, she forgot that she was angry with him.

"Do you want a drink?" Ian asked, and Lisa nodded. He kissed her dorsal and disappeared into the crowd, likely looking for the bar, while allowing Lisa to wander the event and greet her friends freely.

----

Ian did not foresee that his plot to push Lisa away would also put her in harm's way. The Anders family had many enemies, and now that they believed Lisa had fallen out of favor with the Lee family, they appeared to be making their move. He was now playing both ends of the fence, trying to make himself look like a man who had a momentary lapse in judgement, but would ultimately stay by his woman's side.

As Ian walked to where he guessed the bar was, due to the amount of people that had gathered in the area, he caught sight of Zane, who greeted him warmly. His friend had not been in the office for the last few days, as he was handling some marketing issues the Lee group was experiencing due to the game he was playing.

There was a female Lee guard walking beside Zane. Although in appearance, she looked no different from the other women around, Ian knew she was deadly. Zane followed Ian to the bar, as the two chatted about work. The men were vague in their discussions. With so many ears around, there was no telling who was listening and who was passing by.

"How is she?" Zane asked. Ian knew his friend was referring to Lisa, since he kept in regular contact with Mina.

"Hurt but fine," he responded.

"Will you continue?" Ian shook his head. He did not want to be with Lisa, but that did not mean he did not care for her.

Ian decided he would stop trying to push Lisa away using other women and ignore her instead. He just needed to show his face around a bit so that whoever was trying to get to her would understand that no matter what, she was still under his protection.

Ian collected two glasses of wine and went to find his date. Zane had also received his drinks, so he followed his friend. There was no point in keeping a distance. He was not the person Ian was trying to push away.

"Who is that?" Zane asked aloud. His eyes had landed on the curvaceous figure of a woman clad in black. Her hair was loosely curled and lightly tousled, and while he could not see her face, Zane was impressed with her silhouette.