Chapter 393: The Area Before

Cylus pressed a button on his phone and a woman appeared out of nowhere. She looked startled when her boss told her what he wanted her to do, but she did not raise any concern. The woman unlocked the glass case, and gingerly removed the dress that looked like it had been well taken care of over the years.

"That is the dress that launched Rouge Entertainment." Mina's head snapped up, feeling as though she had completely overstepped in trying the gown on. "Don't worry, the anniversary for my grandparents' small boutique is next month. If the dress fits you well, I would like to celebrate it using your picture.

"Don't you have any images of your grandmother wearing it?" Mina asked, once again feeling like she should decline allowing the fabric to touch her skin.

"I do, and I would like you to recreate some of the poses." Mina swallowed hard, not knowing if she were worthy to do such a thing, but Cylus reminded her that his grandmother still thought she was his sister. "She would enjoy seeing you in her gown."

Cylus was starting to figure out that Mina was moved by guilt, and he was learning how to subtly use the girl's emotions against her. It was not something he was proud of, but he had yet to use it for anything that would negatively affect the woman, nor had he tried to guilt her into a relationship with him.

When Mina stepped out of the dressing room, Cylus and the woman he had called to attend to her were both stunned. The dress, although a little long without heels, fit her perfectly and Cylus was moved to organize the shoot at once. His grandmother's gown was precious, and other than his mother, Mina was the only woman who had ever tried it on.

Mina stripped out of the dress briefly, so that her hair and makeup could be styled, which did not take long because the photo reference that the artist was using was set during a time when women did not wear much makeup and wore simple hairstyles. She was shown how to pose by the photographer who snapped pictures of her with nothing but praises. Her face kept turning red during the shoot, but the photographer was patient and allowed her time to relax before he started with the compliments again.

"Mina, the way you blush when you're praised; it makes me think that you have never heard a compliment before."

"I didn't get many comments on my looks. People were more afraid of me." Cylus was not expecting Mina to answer that question so candidly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"What about your parents?"

"They were more focused on my behavior. They were big on making sure I didn't get into trouble." Curious Cylus pressed with his questions.

"Did you cause trouble a lot? Is that why people were afraid of you?" Mina shook her head vigorously. She was not sure she wanted to have the conversation she was having with Cylus in front of strangers. There were some aspects of her life that bothered her, and now that her mind had adjusted to her age in her memories, some things were uncalled for, and even cruel. She did not want strangers to think ill of her parents, so instead of answering the man fully, she gave him the short response.

"I was six when I tested into the third grade. Some people were intimidated by that." Mina smiled trying to make light of the situation, when in fact, many adults had been overly hostile toward her for nothing more than being smart.

"Where the hell are you from? The mountains?" Mina shook her head, not catching the sarcasm in Cylus' question.

"No, I am from the area just before it. It's a small place called-" Mina paused, realizing that the entire room had fallen silent. "You were being sarcastic, weren't you?" Mina huffed, angry that she had absentmindedly become a joke. The men and women around her giggled, and Mina was not sure if they were laughing with her or at her. She quickly made her way into the changing room, eager to remove herself from the priceless dress before she accidently damaged it.

It did not surprise Mina when the woman who Cylus called entered behind her with a smile. She helped Mina change out of the dress and into another gown that Cylus had picked himself. Mina asked him what it was for, and he informed her that he wanted to get many photos taken while he had her at his studio.

Mina found herself draped in luxurious dresses and jewelry so expensive it had its own bodyguard. She could not tell if she was doing a decent job posing or not because the photographer only had good things to say. She tried her best to mimic the postures she had seen in magazines, and even some of the poses that Willow had shown her, hoping to get the work she owed Cylus finished.

By the end of the shoot, Mina was starving, but she did not even have to tell Cylus she was hungry because before she could say anything, he informed her that food was already waiting for them in the sound studio he had commandeered for the demo recording.

As the pair walked toward the recording area, Mina excitedly glanced into the small windows at the sides of the classrooms, hoping to catch sight of someone she recognized. Mina's sister had always wanted to be an entertainer, and she probably would have been great at it if she had not fallen in love with the wrong person. Mina felt her mood dampen, and just as the smile fell from her face, a familiar figure stepped into view.

"Cylus, you didn't tell me you were coming today," Vanya said. She threw herself at the man, hanging off of his arm in a way that was not sexual in nature, but it did hint toward the level of intimacy they shared. "Oh, it's you, what was your name again?" The asked rudely.

"Mina Harlow," Mina replied, sensing the hostility, but not caring about it.

"Mina, what brings you to the studio? Are you here to take one of my classes?" Mina shook her head.

"I am here to record a demo for Madam Rue,"

"Is she here? Then why isn't she the one with you?" Cylus finally interjected realizing that Vanya was becoming a bit catty.

Mina listened to the man and woman speak for a while, then she crept away. She stopped in front of an open classroom, where children as young as five years old practiced acting techniques. She found herself smiling at the little ones, knowing that their future was not written in stone, and that they were free to become whatever they wanted to be.

The children were adorable to Mina and she could not help but to stare at their chubby cheeks and fat little hands. In the past, she wanted nothing more than to become successful before becoming a parent, but now she just wanted to enjoy the little bit of time she had left and taking in the cute little faces of the future was enough to make her happy.

"Do you like children?" Cylus asked from behind her. Mina had not heard him approach and she let out a startled sound, which in turn, startled the kids in the class. She apologized to the instructor, but the man seemed unbothered.