Chapter 488: More to Offer

Ian could only blame himself. A movie picked by Mills had to have been something over the top, and it was. While he thought he had Mina in a perfect trap, it was him who ended up being trapped and forced into submission. He did not know how Mina kept her composure, but he imagined that she was not actually watching at all.

With the television now switched to cartoons, Mina ate in silence, but her face was so red that Ian knew she was still embarrassed.

"This stays between us," he said, wanting to make sure that no one ever caught wind of what he watched. Even if he watched it with Mina, after the incident the night before, rumors could spread, and he was in no rush to prove his orientation to his family.

"Agreed. Also, Mills can come stay at my apartment, if Drax will allow it." Ian narrowed his eyes.

"When did I say you could move back to your apartment?" Mina looked up at the man in shock.

"You- you conceded. That means I won." Ian shook his head.

"The deal was if you got through the film, not me." Mina's mouth hung open, then closed, then opened again. She was completely dumbfounded, and Ian let out a bellowing laugh. "Relax, I am joking." Mina threw a pillow at him, and he caught it before lightly tossing it back. She folded her arms in front of her chest, and Ian sighed at the cuteness of it. "I'm really sorry," he said, wanting to take advantage of the playful mood.

"If you are really sorry, let me go." The suggestion made Ian blanch, but Mina was right, more than that, Mills was right. Mina was like a caged bird, and if he wanted to fly away with her, he would first have to let her learn how.

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Mina awoke to a text from Mills, the text said that she had already left with Drax and did not want to wake her. The message shocked Mina, who usually woke up when someone entered her sleeping space. She sat up and looked at the foot of her bed, proof of Mills text was laying at her feet, and Mina smiled.

Mills had not picked out something too skimpy, instead she picked something simple. It was a white linen dress with short sleeves. It was not tight or too short, and it was perfect for the beach. She sent the woman a quick thank you text.

Mina did her morning routine and slipped into a black full coverage swimsuit that Mills had also left, before putting on the dress and slipping out the front door. She had been allowing her hair to dry in the sun, because she loved the waves that it put into it, and she was now certain that the sun was bleaching her locks, making her brown hair appear to have natural highlights.

Mina stepped out of the hotel, making sure her phone was on and working before she took off. She walked toward the area where she had eaten the street food and was eager to try the street breakfasts that Bal had to offer. Her nose was instantly pleased when she made it to the vendors, and some of them recognized her from the night she ran from booth to booth.

No longer hiding the fact that she could speak their language, Mina delved into conversation with anyone willing to speak to her. Some of the vendors were so busy that they did not have time, but others entertained her, and even allowed her to try samples of dishes that Mina paid for in 'tips,' even if she had no intention on buying them.

With a full stomach, Mina made her way to where she had bought the book she read to Mills. She had finished it the night before, and she was interested in reading something from another local author. Her intention was to buy a book, but a child approached her and asked Mina if she was interested in a sand art class. The little girl pointed to a table, and Mina followed her, looking at the beautiful and intricate artworks that the children were making.

They were using basing food coloring to dye sand, and they used craft glue to stick the sand to planks of wood, broken glass, and even discarded bottles. The children were unaccompanied, and likely ran the 'business' themselves, tugging at Mina's heart. She left, promising to come back, but the small girl pouted, clearly not believing the woman. When Mina returned, the girl was still sulking, but she was quickly cheered up by the water and snacks Mina had bought for the children.

"You shouldn't feed the rodents," a nearby vendor called out, and Mina turned to the man, speaking in Bali so that all the children could understand her words.

"I was born a rodent, and now, I can buy everything in your stall and not even feel it." Hearing her come to their defense, some of the children swarmed Mina; rubbing her face, and looking deep into her eyes, which were a color beyond uncommon for their people. They were shocked to hear her speak their language, and even more shocked for her to have said she was also born poor.

"You may think they like you, but when you get back to your hotel, you'll find that something is missing."

"And so what?" Mina quipped. "I can replace whatever they take, and if any of them has the skill to take it from me, they deserve it." The vendor narrowed his eyes at Mina, and wanting to shut the man up, she walked toward his booth, and literally bought everything.

Mina watched the vendor add everything up, surprisingly honest in his pricing and arithmetic. She saw that all his wares came to just under $2000, and she asked him to add the collapsible wooden structure he was in as well. The man flinched, but he added it, bringing the total to about $2300, nearly the same as the earrings she wore.

Mina called the children to help her move the booth, and she aided them as they set it up next to their small sand art table. She helped them use the colored sand and glue to turn the structure into their own, something she was enjoying until the unmistakable voice of a police officer called out to her. Some of the children fled, while others hid behind her.

Seeing that she had likely caused more trouble for the children, Mina pretended to be distressed. She explained the situation and provided her receipt, leaving the officer scratching his head. She told the vendor that he could repurchase the structure, and when he agreed, Mina did a mental calculation before quoting him a price. The man gaped, obviously confused by the inflation.

"Sir, these children have wasted their materials on decorating this structure, not to mention the emotional value it holds." As if on cue, the little girl who had fetched her started to cry and Mina pretended to be even more distressed while trying to calm the girl. A small crowd gathered, and not wanting to look bad among potential customers, the vendor agreed and returned Mina the money, plus the added 'value,' in cash.

Before long, the children who had fled returned, and when Mina could tell all of them were present, she divided the money, giving the ones who stayed together more than the ones who ran, but not enough to cause a fight.

"There is safety in numbers, if people like us stick together, people like him will never win." The children looked at Mina in awe, nodding their heads as if they had just heard the most valuable information ever given to them.

Using her own money, Mina bought the children another meal. She sat with them at their small table, letting them teach her how to mix and use the colored sand. Mina was content, and it was the first time in a long time that she had felt like she had more to offer the world.