Chapter 379: Rumors-1

Lisa and Ian were making their way toward their seats when Lisa overheard a conversation she was thrilled was happening without her instigation.

Two women were discussing Mina; Lisa knew this because she had already heard the same rumors about the girl from a different source. Even Kace had heard the careless ramblings of the people in the entertainment circle, but he was wise enough not to believe them.

Lisa was also aware there was a good chance she would run into Mina at the gala, which was another reason she was conflicted over attending the event with Ian, who she could not confidently say would not seek Mina out.

The woman worked with one of the top directors in the country and she was favored by Cylus Rue, who had hinted to Lisa earlier in the week that he would be taking Mina as his plus one, instead of attending with an actress from his agency.

When Ian initially volunteered to attend, Lisa had believed it was so that he could be closer to Mina but knowing that the woman would be in attendance with a man who, as far as Lisa knew was not her employer, she figured it could not hurt.

That was why Lisa was overjoyed to hear the women gossiping. It meant that she was not the only person who disliked Mina, as it also meant that it would be easier to bury the woman once she had approved the studio with director Porter.

Mina had already RSVP'd to the grand opening ceremony of Lisa studio, and that was where she planned to make the woman drop her guard by befriending her. Once she had Mina's trust, she would figure out a way to have the woman publicly shamed in a way that would leave the girl with only death as a better option.

In the meantime, Lisa needed to show Mina that there were no hard feelings between them, and seeing that Cylus had brought her along, she saw an opportunity.

Lisa looked over to Ian to see if he too had overheard the women speaking next to them, but his face remained expressionless. It was almost as if he were too deep in thought to have heard anything.

"Are you okay?" Lisa asked, worried that something serious was bothering him, but Ian did not respond. Lisa squeezed his hand, and only then did he look at her. "I asked if you were alright," Lisa said in a concerned tone.

"Sorry," he responded. "I was surveying the area." Ian was not lying to Lisa; he had been scanning the area; looking for Mina. She looked absolutely gorgeous in the gown she was wearing, and although it was tighter than he would have liked, he could not be mad at it. As much as Ian hated to admit it, Mina's beauty should not be hidden.

"Who are you looking for?" Lisa asked.

"Zane." He had left his friend near Mina and Cylus, hoping that the man would be able to update him on the status of their relationship.

Ian knew that Mina was in attendance for work, but he did not know she would be arriving on the arm of another man and that bothered him.

----

Olivia looked Jay up and down, wondering why the dress she had stolen from her cousin did not look right. She kept adjusting the fabric pushing and pulling it in every direction, but it kept getting caught on something.

"What do you have under this dress?" Olivia asked, realizing that there was a thick layer of fabric underneath the thin material of the gown.

"It's a chest binder," Jay admitted. "I wear it to keep things in place."

"How big are your breasts that you need to bind them?" Olivia teased, but she knew that many women in the country wore chest compressors as a way to avoid unwanted attention. "Take it off, it's making this dress look ugly." Jay disappeared into the changing room and came back out looking like a different person.

"I will need a bra," she said, feeling naked under the sheer fabric. Olivia did not waste time, she pulled out one of her most expensive push-ups, and handed it to Jay. "Why?" Jay asked.

"You always make Mina do things that are outside of her comfort zone; why shouldn't you?" Jay narrowed her eyes at Olivia and slammed the door behind her. When she stepped back into the room, Olivia wore a satisfied smile.

----

Olivia and Jay made it to the venue just in time to skip the red carpet. Olivia did not like having her photograph taken, as it always came with a caption which insinuated that she was wild or loose.

The women made their way inside, and immediately felt uncomfortable. Although they were both outgoing women, there was something about the stares they were receiving that made them feel naked.

Olivia suggested that they find Cylus and Mina, and as soon as they did both women could not help but to gasp. They made a fuss over Mina who looked every bit the part of a starlet.

Mina was equally pleased to see her friends. She had never seen either woman in formal wear and she loved the pieces they had picked out for themselves. Even Zane had nothing but complements for them, but Cylus seemed annoyed.

"Nice gowns," he said to his cousin. She flashed him an innocent smile and Jay tried to creep away. Cylus warned her to stay put in a fatherly tone, and Jay clung to Olivia for protection.

"Cousin, who were you saving these gowns for? And please do not say your future wife, because Mina has more-"

"Olivia," Mina said in a shocked tone. She had cut Olivia off for many reasons; first she was not marrying a man who she believed could be her father's son, and two she did not plan to marry anyone.

"I wasn't aware Mina was engaged," Zane said, and Mina felt her pulse quicken.

"Mr. Zane," she started to say, but Cylus cut her off.

"And if she were?" He asked Zane who looked at him as if he should already know the answer.

"I am not engaged," Mina said sternly. She glared at Olivia who had likely sparked the conversation as a joke. "Speaking of engagements, how is Dom?" Mina questioned and Olivia flinched.

"Who the hell is Dom?" Cylus asked, casting his eye back toward his cousin and ignoring the retreating figure of Mina. Jay just stood there hoping to blend in as a prop.

----

Mina was internally chastising Olivia as she made her way between the men and women looking for a quiet place to sit. When she found a relatively secluded area, she stopped and made herself comfortable.

'I'm going to kill her,' Mina thought, still embarrassed that Olivia had mentioned marriage in front of so many people.

Mina was aware that Olivia hoped she and Cylus would start a relationship that was more than a friendship, but Mina had thought the woman gave it a rest when she told her that Cylus could pass for her father's son.

Mina was unaware that her sudden retreat from her group of friends left her exposed to the crowd. She had heard some of the women questioning her identity, and they all started the same way; 'is that her?' She had been forewarned by her boss that there were rumors circulating about her, but she had yet to hear exactly what was being said. She would not have cared anyway. Rumors could hurt a person's feelings, but as long as they stayed words, they were of no consequence to her.