Chapter 522: Someone Else

Olivia made the arrangements to leave Pan days after she caught Mary in Peter's bed. She had listened to her friends, and felt they were right. She and Peter were never in a relationship and he probably did not see anything wrong with what he had done. Olivia knew that Peter was no saint, so it made sense to her.

With her decision set in stone, things were starting to look promising, and the globally famous producer, Chance Morgan, had invited Olivia to dinner. He wanted to discuss the possibility of having her work on one of his productions overseas. Willow was meant to attend the dinner as well, but another opportunity presented itself, so the women split their attention.

Dinner was uneventful, extremely professional, and went well. Chance had mentioned the possibility of having Mina act in the film, but Olivia told him that her friend had quit the entertainment industry to focus on her professional career. The man did not press, and when the bill came, Olivia paid for it, not wanting to give him the impression that she was weak or needy.

Outside of the restaurant, Chance offered to drive Olivia home, but she refused, handing her ticket to a valet, who called for her car to be brought around. She could tell that the producer was shocked, and she knew it was because of stereotypes. When her car arrived, Olivia went to shake the man's hand, but he instead placed a kiss on her dorsal. Without being rude, she took her hand away and straightened her back.

"In the future, you will refrain from making me feel uncomfortable and I insist that it is added in my employment contract." Chance blanched, once again shocked.

"I meant no disrespect-"

"No, you did not, but you wanted to gauge my reaction, and if I cannot trust to work with you in a professional capacity, then I would prefer not to work with you at all." A smile danced across Chance's face and he held up his hands.

"Guilty, but can you blame me?" he asked as if it were a valid excuse.

"Then it's settled. I reject the contract." Olivia went to walk away, but Chance stepped in her path.

"Don't. I approached you because you are capable and no other reason. I understand that I made you uncomfortable, but I promise you it will not happen again; and yes, I will add it into the contract with penalties if I fail." Olivia nodded and entered her car, driving away without looking back.

----

Peter was in the shower when he heard someone enter his bedroom, he thought it was Olivia so he patiently waited for her to enter the tub behind him, but she never did. Cutting the water, he exited the washroom, and was greeted by a naked Mary sprawled out in his bed. He turned to face the wall, and coldly instructed the woman to get dressed, but she instead wrapped her arms around him.

Shrugging her off, Peter went into his closet to put on clothes, grateful that Olivia had not arrived. Mary was staring at him as if she were shocked he was rejecting her advance, but Peter was shocked she thought it was a good thing to do. He could tell the woman had been drinking, and he asked her where her fiancé was, but she claimed not to have one. Peter was aware that the man was blatantly cheating on Mary, and he felt sorry, but not enough to sleep with her. He pulled out his phone and texted Olivia.

[Something urgent came up. I won't be home.] Peter did not wait for a reply, as he tossed Mary her clothing, instructing her to get dressed. The woman was reluctant, but she eventually dressed, and he dropped her off at her family home.

Back in his car, Peter checked his messages, but still had not received a response from Olivia. He called her, but she did not answer, and thinking that she may have run into trouble with her cousin, he left the issue alone, sending another text for her to reach out to him when she was free. Seven full days had passed, but Olivia still had not responded and her phone line had been cut.

Peter told himself that she had been occupied with her family issues, but his gut was telling him that it was not the case. Mina would have said something to him if Olivia were in trouble, but the woman was her normal self at work, not even sparing him a second glance as usual. He had once asked her about Olivia, and she responded by telling him that something important came up, a hint of anger in her voice that Peter did not miss.

Throwing his pride aside and using his connections, Peter climbed into his car and waited outside of the apartment buildings where Olivia lived. He saw her car exit the garage, and he followed her, arriving at an upscale restaurant. After a few minutes, he walked inside and found Olivia on what appeared to be a date. He knew who the man was, and he knew of the man's reputation.

Without causing a scene, Peter left the restaurant feeling like an idiot. He had long since suspected that Olivia was unsatisfied by him. She complained about it often, and while she had not in recent days, Peter told himself it was probably because she was getting pleasure from someone else. That night was the first in a long time that he felt miserable. Everything reminded him of Olivia, and he felt lost without her.

----

Mina was drained, she had been to more dinner parties and events than she thought necessary, and now that Dom was out of his cast, he had become her default date. The man looked odd in formal wear, but not bad. Still, Mina and pretty much everyone in their group preferred to see him in uniform. The pair found themselves wandering around the home of some socialite, who Mina knew was looking for a new 'cause' to 'devote' herself to.

Mostly everyone in attendance was there to get the woman to take interest in their program, ranging from animal welfare to illness studies. Cylus was also in attendance, but this time he did not approach or bother Mina, whose arm was tightly linked through Dom's. She was physically and mentally drained and she was using the man's arm almost like a crutch to keep her from slouching or slumping her shoulders.

"You need rest," Dom whispered into her ear.

"This is my last scheduled event of the week, and I don't work for director Porter on weekends. Besides, I'm used to feeling this way." What Mina had said had stopped being true long ago, but she had lived life feeling drained for a long time, and how she felt was a good reminder of how far she had come. Dom found a place for her to sit before he went to the kitchen to get her a bottle of water. He was no longer assigned as her guard, but he did not feel comfortable having her drink anything that he did not serve her himself.

Mina was waiting for Dom to return when Cylus approached. He was not with Vanya, but Mina had seen the woman, so she knew she was close by. Too tired to bicker, Mina ignored the man, who took it as an invitation to sit next to her.

"Can we please talk?" She turned her body, letting the man know she had nothing to say. "I was wrong for how I reacted; I just want to know that you are okay."

"She is fine," President Lee interjected, making Mina flinch.

"Mina, may I see you for a moment?" She stood with a sigh and lost her footing, causing both men to reach out in an attempt to steady her.

"I'm fine. President Lee?" Mina gestured for the man to lead the way and she followed him to a private room.