Chapter 585: Expanding

Sitting across from Milo, Mina slid the business proposal President Lee had edited to the man. He scanned through it, but how the company was going to be run was none of his concern. Mina's main reason for approaching him was mechanics, and Milo being interested was purely based on having and holding his own nonlethal patents.

In the file the man held, Mina had included a rudimentary design for a jewelry line that had multiple capabilities, including GPS tracking. Similar technology already existed in the form of a panic button for bracelets, but Mina wanted something with multiple features.

She wanted Milo to create functional jewelry that when pressed for three seconds, would whistle loudly and automatically send coordinates to the predesignated parties. Mina wanted a necklace that periodically sent a person's location to an assigned user, and she wanted an accompanying app that would require registration and weekly updates to the jewelry. The last part was to ensure that no one was being inadvertently tracked as it would be hard to keep the jewelry updated without being discovered.

"This is not really my expertise. I can produce a mechanism, but I won't be able to create jewelry designs." Mina already knew that part, but that was where Mills came in. The woman wore multiple pieces of jewelry that looked to be simple but were sinister in nature.

When they had first met, Mina complimented Mills' bracelet, and the woman, still thinking that she was some sort of spy, told Mina it was a strangle cord. Mina had never heard of such a thing, so Mills took it off and showed her what it looked like when it was unrolled and put into use.

"I have already gotten your sister and another friend to help with that. Mills will be privy to the entire scope of our operations because she is my friend and your sister, but Cylus Rue will not know until after we have launched." Milo narrowed his eyes.

"Why?"

"Simply put, I do not fully trust him and after being cheated out of twenty percent of a company that doesn't even exist yet, I have learned my lesson."

"Who cheated you already?" Milo smiled as Mina recalled the story to him, and he found himself looking at her in the way he had seen other men look at her. Milo knew he would not be able to commit to someone who drew in men like a flower does bees, but it did not stop him from looking.

Mina was, in a way, too beautiful and the fact that she did not care what she looked like made her more attractive. Milo scanned Mina's clothing and while it was all high-quality branded items, it was plain. Her hair was on the longer side, and it was obvious that she did not know what to do with it, so she had it tied on top of her head which drew attention to the only earrings he had ever seen her wear and her elegant neck.

The color of Mina's eyes only aided in her beauty. The amber, nearly yellow looking hue of them went well with the brown color of her hair and healthy sunkissed skin. While staring, Milo noticed the woman's face turn red and she folded into herself, likely feeling the weight of his gaze.

"Sorry," Milo said. "I only just noticed that you are actually a very beautiful woman." Mina looked down and Milo chuckled while shaking his head. "Don't worry I am not going to start pursuing you."

"Sorry," Mina said solemnly. "I can't imagine what you are going through, and the fact that you live in the Staton family home must be tough." Milo started to laugh loudly. He knew that the woman assumed he was looking for a replacement girlfriend.

"I'm actually fine with it. Cala and I were not very serious. I just hope she can get out before it's too late." Mina's forehead wrinkled and Milo smirked at her.

"She was never your girlfriend, was she?" Milo shrugged. "I knew she was way too accommodating to Mills' constant attempt to push us together.

"You are assuming." Mina made a disbelieving face at Milo.

"Right," she said. "And I assume you don't want to work with me if you are going to start our relationship off with a lie."

----

Before going home, Mina had the driver she had been assigned stop at Miss Meagan's nonprofit office. She had never gone to the place during active hours, and she wanted to experience what a real meeting was like. When she arrived, the entire space was unrecognizable. Miss Meagan had truly gone all out and anyone would think they were walking into some sort of coffee shop and not a safe place for women to unwind and be free.

The first thing Mina noticed was that the daycare center was full of children too young to go to school. They were running around the carpeted room, playing with some of the toys that had been donated to the organization. Mina stuck her head inside and one of the women tasked with monitoring the children jumped at the sight of her.

The girl was young, and her reaction made Mina realize they needed to add security to the place. Custody battles were common after a divorce, and Mina would hate for a child to be taken by their father while their mother worked on healing herself in the next room. She also decided that the door needed to be replaced with a lockable gate as it would stop people from just walking in.

"Miss Mina, what brings you here today?" The girl was a volunteer, but she did earn wages. She was in her first year of college and was working on a childhood wellness degree.

"I just wanted to experience how meetings are run. I see that we have a full house today." The girl nodded.

"Word spread fast." She smiled brightly as one of the children handed her a piece of paper with colorful scribbles on it and she turned and stuck it on a board that was placed right beside the door. "I think we need a structure for these children," she added.

"I think you are right, put together a budget of what you will need and make sure that I get it."

"Me?" The girl asked in bewilderment. Mina nodded at her.

"It will look good on your resume. If you need any help let me know. I have some experience with daycare programs requirements." The girl looked baffled, and Mina gently coaxed her into saying what was on her mind.

"It's just that, you aren't much older than me, but you already have so much. I am a little jealous." Mina maintained her smile, but inside she felt nothing but pain.

"It was not easy, and I wouldn't wish everything that happened to me on my worst enemy." Mina meant those words. There was no man or woman who she disliked enough to subject to the same sorts of things she had gone through.

"No one?" The girl questioned playfully.

"Okay, maybe one person." Mina laughed and waved goodbye before going to the area where general meetings were held.

Miss Meagan was in the middle of sorting the women into groups according to their interests. There were four major crafts that the women could get into: Knitting, sewing, pottery, and fine art. Many women had been on the fence about what they wanted to contribute to the nonprofit, but those who had been coming regularly had primarily chosen knitting or sewing, as they were the most rewarding of the four.

While the artwork would be sold, the other crafts would be donated to children who had been orphaned, or abandoned, and to children's hospitals. As many of the women in the group were mothers, it was the one they leaned toward the most, and if Mina had the skill and patience, she too would have loved to take part.

"Mina?" Miss Meagan called. "What brings you here today?"