Chapter 504: Rarest Beauty

Mills did not understand what was happening. Drax had told her that she would be looked down upon if she spoke in her native tongue, and he had led her to believe that she would not be able to make any friends who spoke her language in Pan. Ignorant of the culture and country, Mills had just taken his word for it, but so far, the man seemed to have been lying.

Starting from Mina, Mills had now met three other women who not only spoke her language, not as well as Mina but good enough, and they also seemed down to earth and relaxed; just like her. She wondered if Drax was embarrassed by her, or if he wanted to change her by making her associate with prudish women, who felt that their public image was everything. She could deal with possessiveness, but she did not like the idea of being controlled.

Mills wandered away from Drax, choosing to hang around the woman called Ash, who was the crudest of the group, but also the most interesting. Mills could tell she was wearing a wig and heavy makeup on her face. When she asked the woman about it, she played it off as if it were normal, saying it was a part of her job. It made Mills wonder if the woman were a spy, and knowing the woman was friends with Mina, she chose to ignore it because she did not want to cause more trouble.

On the other side of the room, Willow was busy making sure that Mina was no longer uncomfortable. The woman was still sitting on the throne, but Connor and Oric had stayed by her side, and it kept her from feeling overwhelmed. Cylus was busy with Vanya, who had randomly started to argue with him, distracting him from the event. Willow felt for the man, who she knew was in a difficult position. She started to approach the couple, hoping that she could offer a few words of calm, but her path was blocked by Jeremy.

"How did you get in here?" She asked with an arched eyebrow, and Jeremy held up his hands before answering.

"A family client was invited. I tagged along because I knew I would see you."

"Get out of here Jeremy. You purposefully hurt my friend; do you know that you dislocated her shoulder?" Jeremy winced and Willow went to walk around him, but he pulled her into his chest, hugging her from behind.

"I thought she was his mistress. I have paid her well for my mistake, but I didn't come here for that." Jeremy produced an envelope and held it in front of Willow, who reluctantly took it. She opened the letter and her eyes looked up at him in shock. "It's not mine. Claire lied." Willow's heart was thumping wildly in her chest. She was excited, saddened, and confused. She thought she had gotten over Jeremy, but she could now tell she was anything but. "Come back to me please. I know your uncle has been trying to force you into a relationship and it's killing me to think of you on a date with anyone."

"Jeremy, you put your hands on someone who is close to me; someone who helped me without even knowing what she was doing. I will not easily forgive you for that."

"Then let me make it up to you."

"No. You cheated on me, and don't pretend it was just Claire because I now know that it was not." Jeremy stiffened.

"Who has been whispering lies to you?" He asked as he pulled Willow into his body. She pulled away and took a step back.

"Jeremy-"

"Listen to me please." Jeremy once again stepped closer to Willow. "I am willing to do anything. If you want me to change I will, I only ask that you give me a chance to make you happy. I want to be with you and only you." Willow felt her heart twitch and her will waivered. She relaxed into Jeremy's hug and allowed him to hold her.

"I don't want to be hurt again." Jeremy kissed the top of her head and agreed never to hurt her, but Willow found herself being roughly pulled out of the man's arms.

"What the hell do you think you are doing here?" Willow snapped her head toward Oric, who went into a defensive posture, but she quickly calmed him down. She had not seen much of him since the day Connor had gone to eat lunch with Mina, and she was glad to see that his face was no longer painful to look at.

"I am here to have a word with my fiancé."

"You mean the woman you cheated on the same day as your engagement party? Jeremy stared at Oric in a way that told Willow he was telling the truth. His gaze softened when he looked at her, and he used his large hand to cup her face.

"It will never happen again. I promise."

"Yes, it will," called out another voice, and Willow was shocked to see Mina standing behind Jeremy.

"It will not!" Jeremy nearly shouted. "I came too close to losing her and I won't make the same stupid mistake. You may not like me, but don't get in the way of Willow's happiness." Mina shook her head in disbelief.

"Willow, I will support whatever decision you make, but none of these men deserve you." Mina made it a point to stare at Oric because he too had failed Willow, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"What is going on here?" Ash asked, the woman had somehow found fruit and popped a blackberry into her mouth. Mina was quiet and Willow looked down, giving Ash a hint as to what the problem was.

"I've been away for too long; you ladies are hiding things from me." Ash stared at Mina, who looked away in guilt. She then looked at Jeremy who seemed to be the odd one in the group. "This event is for the Madam, and all the people here are rooting for it to fail. If either of you care about Willow, you will drop whatever gripe you have for now." Ash pulled Willow away from Oric, and Willow snatched Mina who scurried behind them. Cylus had been watching from a distance, ready to kick both men out if they ruined the evening for Mina, but her friend beat him to it.

Mina was still being pulled along when Connor caught hold of her wrist and pulled her into him. He told her that he was looking for her, and Mina waved Ash and Willow away as she followed the man to a side hallway. Connor dug into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Mina became frightened, but she steadied herself knowing that the man was not crazy enough to propose to her. He opened the box and inside was a car key that made Mina's eyes go wide.

"If your gift is what I think it is then I cannot accept it."

"Why not?" Connor asked, taking a step closer to Mina.

"Because I cannot pay you back for it." That was no longer true, but Mina had gotten so used to saying those words that they stuck with her.

"That's the thing with gifts. When one gives, they should not expect to receive in return." Mina looked up at Connor, whose blue eyes were staring at her as if she were the rarest beauty among the crowd. Her face turned red, and she tried to look away, but he caught her chin and tilted it up. "I knew you wouldn't accept it, which is why I pulled you to the side." He paused in his words, stepping closer to Mina still. "Can I kiss you please?" Mina closed her eyes and parted her lips. She waited for Connor's thin pink ones to fall on her own, but she was startled by another man's voice and Connor cursed under his breath.

"Brayden?"