Chapter 578: Conclusions

Mina was appalled by Willow's insinuation. She was behaving differently because she genuinely felt better. Things she had carried with her for years had been lifted off her, guilt she held because she thought she had done something wrong had melted away, and the small hint of hatred that marred her relationship with her sister had been wiped clean.

Hearing her friend accuse her without actually accusing her hurt, especially because she knew everything. Willow, Ash and Cylus were the only people who knew what happened between herself and President Lee, and although the man claimed that her assumption of what occurred between them was wrong, Mina did not care.

"Why would you ask me that?"

"Mina, every time I call you, no, every time anyone calls you, you are with President Lee."

"Of course I am, I live under his roof, and I work out of his home office."

"But you don't have to sit under him all the time." Mina felt like her heart was being shattered into a million pieces, and she tried hard not to cry, but she failed within seconds.

"Do you think this is easy for me?" Mina's voice cracked and Willow seemed to only just realize that she had gone too far. "No, I did not buy this ring. It was a gift from AccuVision. Yes, I have changed, because I finally have closure on things I didn't even know were weighing on me."

"Mina I-"

"No Willow, Don't interrupt me. You of all people should know how I feel. I thought we were on the same page?" Willow could not stop herself from crying as she watched her friend cry.

"Mina I am so sorry. I just thought- You are so easy to forgive that I thought-"

"You thought I was falling in love with the man who tortured me for weeks?" Mina interjected Willow's half apology because it was just as hurtful to hear.

"No, I just think that you are having trouble seeing him in that light. You had a crush on him for years. Please don't blame me for being worried."

"Did I blame you when you wanted to see Jeremy in the hospital? Did I say anything when you tried to make excuses for him?" Willow wanted to respond but seeing Mina cry because of her kept her words inside. She did not want to say anything that would push the woman over the edge, but she knew she had to get her friend out soon.

"Mina, you are right. I just do not want you to change your mind. You are becoming too tangled up with the Lee group and I do not want anything to change."

"That is true. I am tangled up with the Lee group, and because of it, I have 500k sitting under my bed, my friends have personal guards, including one who lives with them, and with the work I have planned for your business, Olivia's baby will not want or need anything." Willow rushed her friend and pulled her into a hug. Had it not been for Cylus, she would not have doubted Mina.

"I'm so sorry. That stupid maybe brother of yours has been whispering in my ear. He keeps telling me that you sound happy, and I did not consider that your happiness could have come from elsewhere." Mina could not help but to slightly chuckle at Willow's use of 'maybe brother,' but she was not entirely placated by the apology.

"In the future, please talk to me directly. I do not do well with guessing why people are angry."

----

After speaking things out with Willow, the women had gone back to the way things were, but Mina could tell her friend was still wary. She did not mind that the woman was concerned, but she did not like that Willow had jumped to conclusions without even addressing her about them.

The only thing that kept Mina from staying angry was the fact that she knew Willow meant well. Her story was a complicated one, and everyone who knew the truth got hung up on the one thing she could not remember. Even Dom did not like that she and President Lee had become chummy, but he did not see it the way Willow did, he saw it more as the enemy of my enemy.

---

Miss Meagan and Mina had gone with Olivia's suggestion to keep the event they were hosting small scale, because it would limit the amount of money they would have to spend. She managed to find an art gallery that was struggling to turn pieces over and was willing to rent out the space.

The owner of the gallery had spoken to the artist whose works were being shown, and with a little motivation from Mina, and her presidential mark, the man was able to convince them to share a portion of their proceeds with the nonprofit.

It was a huge boon for Free, because they did not have to beg for sellable items; something Mina was firmly against due to her own experiences.

Oric had also gotten involved and was able to talk many of his friends into donating to the nonprofit without actually attending the event. He told Mina that mentioning her name was usually enough to convince single men to part with their money, but he warned her that it was a risky method to use, because it could easily backfire.

According to Oric, some of the men he spoke to had become extremely interested in charity once they realized that she was the spokesperson for the organization. Afraid that he would cause her unnecessary discomfort by turning her mission event into a matchmaking session, Oric stopped promoting it.

Mina was extremely grateful to Oric's efforts though. Many of the men who had donated, whether they had a hidden motive or not, had filled a financial need of the program. Between just two people, the nonprofit had enough money to cover the salary of the five staff members they had for three months.

While that was not a long time, it meant that neither woman would have to dig into their wallet to keep the place going, and it also meant that they had at least three months to pull in more funding.

The rest of the donations went straight to counselors and motivational speakers who stopped by the facility. While many of them donated their time, others were paid speakers, which was not entirely horrible, because money always motivated people to do their best, and according to Miss Meagan, the paid speakers always seemed more human than the volunteers.

"Are you ready?" Zane asked, seeing that Mina had zoned out. They had gone to review the final layout of the art gallery, but the closer the event, the more anxiety Mina felt. She still had not told President Lee or Zane about Harvey Walsh's threat, and her mind was telling her that it was a mistake not to.

"Zane, I have something important to tell you, but I would like you to call President Lee before I share." The man immediately made good on her request and President Lee's voice could be heard clearly through the speakers of Zane's car. Mina told the men what had occurred between herself and Zane's father, but neither man seemed surprised. Either they already knew, or they had expected the man to try something.

"Cylus Rue was also at that event. He called me the moment he saw you talking to my father, and I passed the information along to Ian immediately, but in the future, you should tell us things like that as soon as they happen."

"I know, it's just that at the time-" President Lee cut Mina off.

"You thought I was doing things to you on purpose, I understand that, but Zane is right. Going forward, the moment something happens, tell one of us." Mina nodded, despite knowing that only one man could see her.

"I will try," the woman said.