Chapter 599: A History

Oric plopped into a seat of the only VVIP table of Cylus' bar. He had decided to join his friends for much needed drinks to ease his mind, but when he took one look at Connor, he suddenly felt like he did not have it so bad. His face was completely flushed from drinking, he had not shaved, and his hair was messily pushed back, making him appear haggard.

The man's first girlfriend had broken up with him, and while he was smitten with the woman, he was more upset that he had chosen her over Mina, only to have her up and leave, citing the 'fulfillment of her work commitments.' Cylus was still broken up over what he had done to Olivia, and he too had been neglecting his appearance, but nothing as drastic as Connor.

"Why are women so complicated?" Connor asked, rubbing his face in a way that showed how frustrated he was.

"Mina isn't complicated at all. You were the one who complicated things by getting into a relationship," Cylus replied.

"Don't remind me," Connor groaned before resting his forehead on the table. "Why Brayden of all people? I don't see why she can't just date a normal person who won't corrupt her."

"You mean someone who's not like you?"

"That is exactly what I mean. Brayden doesn't really like her; he wants her and when he-"

"Enough," Cylus said, cutting Connor off. "I don't like hearing you talk about her like that." In Cylus' mind, Mina was his sister and everything his father was doing to the girl served to make him think that the daughter his mother lost at birth was actually given away by the man.

"Whatever, my heart is broken. Talk to me about manners when you have experienced this pain." Cylus chuckled at his friend, who he had never heard speak so openly about his feelings. "Why are you so quiet?" Connor asked, using his chin to point at Oric.

"Willow," Oric replied, downing a drink that had been brought to him.

"Still running around telling people you can't keep it up?" Oric's nostrils flared, and Connor laughed. "Sorry, I'm just looking to share my misery." Connor ordered another drink. "So, what's with her? Is she okay?"

"She's using me for sex." Both Connor and Cylus stared at Oric in complete silence.

"You are going to have to elaborate on that, because the last time I heard Willow mention your name was with a slew of curses behind it," Cylus said.

"I don't even know how it happened, but since the first; well, the second time she and I were together, she has been coming to my apartment for more, but she leaves as soon as we finish."

"That doesn't sound bad to me," Cylus said.

"That's what you think." Oric paused as he downed another shot, wincing at the burn.

"It doesn't sound bad to me either," Connor added. "It actually sounds like you're grumbling over nothing."

"Yeah? Well imagine if it were you and Mina." Connor made a perverted face that Cylus had to struggle to ignore.

"If she did something like that, I would fall even more in love with her." Oric shook his head. He once wished women would take the hint and leave without him asking, but now he found the tables turned and he hated it.

"You can say that with confidence because you haven't experienced it, but if you care about Mina the way you say you do, you wouldn't enjoy it at all." Connor's cocky expression dropped as he considered Oric's words. He liked Mina a lot, but he knew he would not be broken up if she wanted to become lovers without attachments.

"Can we not talk about Mina like that? She wouldn't like it, and you both know it." Oric's brow raised as he looked at his friend, who seemed equally as hurt by his dissolved relationship with Olivia, as he was about Mina.

"For someone who claims to no longer want anything with Mina, you sure do care a lot about her," Oric said, suspicion lacing his tone.

"It's true, you would think that she was his sister or something," Connor joked, making Cylus stiffen.

----

True to his word, Brayden continued to call and text Mina regularly. He stopped bringing up dates and had invited her to friendly gatherings instead. She, of course, declined, but the man kept on pushing until she agreed. Not wanting to go alone, Mina asked Jay to join her. Willow was busy, Emma was uninterested, and Olivia and Mills were out of the question.

When the women arrived at the address they had been given, Brayden was the first to greet them, and Mina noted the way his eyes lingered on Jay before returning to her. She was not jealous, but she was not happy that the man had looked at one of her friends. There were plenty of women he could choose from, and she did not want that to include Jay.

"I'm sorry; but you look familiar," Brayden said, addressing Jay directly.

"I also work for Rouge." Brayden clapped his hands in acknowledgement.

"You chose our wardrobe before." Jay nodded and Brayden fixed his eyes back on Mina. "You didn't tell me that you had a friend within the company. I would have brought her in on more of our projects." Mina felt her face growing red as she realized that she had made a mistake. She looked down at the ground and Brayden lifted her chin. "Are you okay?" he asked, and Mina nodded. The man flicked her forehead, much to Jay's annoyance.

"The hell?" she said loudly, pulling Mina behind her.

"She and I have an agreement," the man said, looking at Mina who was giggling behind her friend.

"What kind of agreement?" Jay asked, turning to see her friend's tickled expression. "And why are you laughing?"

Mina explained that Brayden was trying to get her to be more vocal, but Jay's expression remained bothered. She told Mina that she was not comfortable with any agreement that involved 'punishments' for unwanted behavior and Mina found herself becoming serious when she realized that her friend was genuinely concerned.

Brayden apologized to Jay, telling her that he had not considered the implications of his actions and promising her that he would find another way. In reality, Brayden was angry with the woman. He wanted to slowly introduce Mina to his way because he genuinely believed she would be joining him in bed soon.

With the issue put aside, Brayden escorted the women to where his friends were gathered, and Mina felt uncomfortable when she caught sight of Paul within the group. She wrapped her arm around Jay's, which did not go unnoticed by Brayden.

Paul also noticed Mina, and he finished his drink before making his way over to where she stood. He looked between her and Brayden before he asked if they were dating. Mina stayed silent because she still had not forgiven herself for flirting with an engaged man, but Brayden answered on her behalf.

"Mina and I met at work," Brayden replied. "We are still trying to figure out where we stand as friends." The man returned Paul's question and received an answer so vague that it made Mina feel ill.

"She and I have a history." It was Jay who clarified the 'history' Paul implied, and who brought up the man's fiancé. "Maggie and I are engaged, not tethered to one another. She is with her friends, and I am with mine."

----

Mina returned to the Lee mansion feeling horrible. The entire night, Paul kept bringing up stories about their 'past relationship' and to anyone listening, it sounded as though they had once dated, when in fact, they had spent little time alone with one another.

Jay tried to comfort her by telling her that the man was drunk, but after they left, he sent her several messages asking her to stay away from Brayden. He accused her of trying to make him jealous, and when Mina responded by telling him that he had been drinking and was not thinking clearly, he sent her a confession of his love.

If those words had come before the situation between Drax and Mills, Mina may have been swayed, but now she was put off by them.

"Your back early," President Lee said as he appeared from what seemed like out of nowhere.

"It wasn't a place I wanted to be to begin with."

----

Ash sat behind Cylus Rue's desk and put her feet up on the surface. She flipped through some of the information in her hands, and while she had no intention of releasing possible paternity issues involving Mina, she had absolutely no qualms with using them to help her friend out. She had been out of contact with her friends because she was still running from the President, who had not only found her safe house, but he had also outed her disguise and ruined the progress of the assignment she was on. What saved her was the fact that he did not have any pictures of her in her current getup.

When CEO Rue entered his office, he was shocked to see her, but before he could call for security, she mentioned the name David Harlow, which immediately got his attention. She called out some of the things she knew as her eyes scanned the file in her hands.

"What do you want?" The man asked, angrily gritting his teeth.

"I want a job," Ash replied. She needed the money, and she wanted to get some actual dirt she could use on President Rue; gossip that did not involve Mina.

"Why?"

"Why does anyone work?" Cylus raised a brow at Mina's friend. Aside from her voice, she was barely recognizable, and he did not like the fact that she was using his relationship with Mina against him.

"What do you want to do?"

"I can be your personal assistant." Ash stood up, leaving the folder on the desk as she scanned Cylus' body with her eyes. "I can also perform in other ways." Cylus made a disgusted expression and Ash laughed. "Don't look so excited about it. I bet I would be the best you ever had," the woman purred seductively.

"I'll pass," Cylus said coldly, and Ashlynn shrugged.

"Your loss," she said as she walked closer to the man. "But my offer is still on the table should you change your mind." Ash rubbed Cylus' chest, but the man stopped her hand.

"You can start tomorrow at 9AM, but this…" Cylus pointed between himself and the woman before him. "Is never going to happen." The woman laughed mockingly before pulling her hand away.

"Never say never handsome."