Chapter 386: Pretty Stupid

Mina and James made their way into the B-shack, where all the expensive equipment was stored overnight. Because the camera men were expected to show up hours before anyone else, the room was empty except for the men and women who now occupied the space.

"There she is. The woman who cost me contract." Mina tried to place the man's face, but she had never seen or met him before. "What? You not know me?" The man asked with a chuckle. He had seen the confusion on Mina's face when she caught sight of him.

The man made a gesture for his men to grab Mina, but James stood in front of her protectively. That however, did not stop the men from attacking James, and with four against one, Mina did not think the odds were in his favor. She tried to get involved, but she was shoved away so hard that she stumbled back several feet before falling.

When James drew his weapon, Mina jumped on the man, thinking that he would only be able to shoot one, maybe two people before he was killed. She did not know that he was more than capable of killing all four men, but he had been too preoccupied with trying to make sure he did not hurt her while trying to fight off the attackers. He knew she thought she was helping, but she was actually getting in his way.

"James don't do it, they have guns too," Mina warned, and the man behind her laughed.

"Boyfriend?" He asked. "Get his gun," he ordered his men, who drew their weapons and stripped James of his own.

"Sir; I don't believe we have met," Mina said politely. She had stood up and in front of James, who she could tell was livid, although she did not know why. "Please tell me what this is about."

"You know why people don't fight at gala? It is because I end people who fight at gala. You have fight at gala." Mina realized now that there were consequences to her actions the night before. Whoever the man in front of her was, must have been affected by the incident that had occurred, and it explained the presence of Mary and Jay. She wondered if Cylus was able to stop the man from finding Olivia.

"No, I stopped a fight," Mina replied.

"Yes, but you start fight first." The man stood up and once again gestured for his men to grab Mina. Director Porter finally stepped forward and spoke up.

"Mr. Sylvan, may I ask where you plan to take my actress?" Jay had also stepped beside Matthew, holding onto his arm looking as though she was ready to support whatever decision he made. From the appearance of the pair, they were well acquainted with, or at least knew who the man in front of them was.

"She lose me money, she make me money."

"Sir, I do not understand. I am just an assistant; how do you expect me to pay you back?" Mina asked.

"You will shoot movie with men." Mina flinched and held onto James, who once again stood in front of her. She had noticed the insinuation in the man's words, and she had a feeling the kind of movie he was referring to would not make it into the box office.

Mina and James shifted backward, still holding onto one another, but the people who had been ordered to get Mina circled them, and Jay began to cry. The cell phone of one of the men rang, and Mr. Sylvan looked at him in irritation. The man's eyes widened when he looked at the screen, he then handed the phone to his boss in fear.

Mr. Sylvan also looked at the phone in shock, his face morphed into an expression that was a mixture of surprise and fear.

"To what do I owe pleasure?" The man said into the phone. He soon switched to his native tongue, which Mina happened to understand.

From the side of the conversation she could hear; Mina could gather that Mr. Sylvan had been told by someone that she had been the one that instigated the fight as his venue. He had been told that she was the aggressor, and that she had a history of 'attention seeking behavior'.

Mina could see the extremely overweight man begin to sweat as he listened to whatever the person he was speaking to was saying. The man apologized profusely, before turning the blame to a name that Mina did not have to speak Scleva to understand, Lisa Anders.

When Mr. Sylvan finished his conversation with the mystery caller, he did not look good. He forced a smile onto his red flushed greasy face and one of his men handed him a handkerchief to dab at his sweat.

"Miss Harlow, it seems I make mistake." Mina felt her heart relax but she did not release James, who shielded her with his body. Mr. Sylvan gestured for his men to grab Mary instead, and Mina could not stop herself from speaking up.

"Where are you taking her?" She asked, knowing exactly what awaited Mary, who was wailing uncontrollably.

"She shoot movie -"

"No," Mina shouted, cutting the man off. "Since you have wrongly accused me; let her off and I will consider us even." Mina did not know who had called, but she had a strong feeling it was Cylus, who she wrongly believed was able to keep his cousin out of harm's way, due to his status.

"You trade in favor for her?" Mr. Sylvan asked, and Mina nodded. "Not many women would do same. This one dirty your name, and you still help?" Mina nodded again. "You no believe in vengeance?"

"I do, but I believe the punishment should fit the crime. She may have said terrible things about me, but I have reason to believe that she did not act alone. She shouldn't be the only one punished." Mr. Sylvan flicked his wrist and the men he came with released Mary, but he was not done with the woman.

"How to say thank you to Miss Harlow?" Mary crawled over to Mina, fully aware that the man who had released her, wanted to see her beg. Mina, who had started to hyperventilate, tried to pull Mary into a standing position but the woman stayed down with her head pressed to the ground, as if Mina were some sort of queen. "You no like?" The man asked and Mina shook her head.

"I don't like," she said, mimicking the man's speech pattern. Mr. Sylvan chuckled at Mina.

"You very pretty girl, but very stupid. When I take you, no one here make sound, 'cept director and his woman, but you choose to save enemy." Mina shook her head.

"Not everything has to be done with an iron fist. Some people learn from their mistakes without consequences." Mina had not let go of James, but she spoke boldly to make her point.

"Not this woman, but maybe the next, or the next. Someone will hurt you after you have spared them."

"It's already happened," Mina replied. "But should I treat everyone the same because of it?" Mr. Sylvan smiled; it was not often he rolled across magnanimous women in the entertainment industry, especially one who was as gorgeous as the woman standing in front of him.

"You remember my words," he said to Mina. He then put a finger to his eyebrow in some sort of salute and left with his men trailing behind him.