Chapter 695: Alive at Heart

Sadie hated the way her mother had practically accused Mina of ruining her life, but sadly, it was not the first time she heard her mother say something like that to her younger sister. When they were young, she used to like to hear stories about how happy her parents were when they discovered they were expecting, and all the while, Mina would just listen with a smile on her face.

One evening, Mina asked her mother if she could touch her belly, something Sadie could do freely, but her mother flatly refused, causing Mina to cry. In an effort to calm her, Sadie suggested for their mother to tell her about what it was like when she was born, but she never expected the woman to straight up tell her already saddened daughter that she was a mistake. She basically told Mina that she was only kept because they hoped she was a boy, and when she was born, they were happy she was healthy, but disappointed.

Sadie could remember how Mina cried herself to sleep that night, and how she vowed to keep her sister safe from all the people who would try to hurt her, but clearly, she failed. She had left Mina behind with a mother who did not love her, and it was evident in the way she was cooing and sobbing over her resurrection, while not even acknowledging that she had hurt the daughter that had supported her for years.

"If it weren't for Mina, I would have stayed dead," Sadie said, attempting to shame her mother into remorse, but the woman was either dense or as unfeeling as she was.

"I'm sure she gave you the-"

"No!" Sadie shouted. "She knew nothing. She tried to stop me, and I robbed her."

"You always did like to protect your sister anytime she did something wrong," her mother replied, and Sadie shook her head at the response.

"I should have protected her from you," she countered. "All this time, you and dad have only had Mina to take care of you, and what have you done for her?"

"We always told her that she didn't have to work so hard, and we never asked her for anything! Like I told her friends; she helped us on her own."

"That's right, she helped you and that's because she loved you, but how do you think a fifteen-year-old girl was paying your rent?"

"What are you saying?" Anne asked, and Sadie immediately knew that her mother's mind had gone to prostitution because that is how low she thought of her daughter.

"Forget it mother. Just know that I don't plan to allow you into our lives."

"What are you saying Sadie? You only just came back."

"I came back for my sister; not for you." Sadie pushed past her mother, where she met Mina and her father speaking in the hall.

"All done?" Mina asked, flashing the smile that Sadie knew was there to mask the hurt.

"David! David! Stop her; Sadie doesn't want to be around us anymore." Sadie rolled her eyes at her mother's display, but it was the look on Mina's face that really got to her.

"Sadie, you only just came back. Give her some time to process."

"Yes! Listen to your sister; give me time." Sadie felt no pity for her mother, but it was Mina's expression that forced her to agree. It was always that expectant face that trapped her into doing the right thing, even when the wrong thing was a better option.

There were times when Sadie was able to convince Mina to do things that were inherently bad, but she could only do so by convincing her that there was greater good. She never expected her sister to start living by that logic after she was gone, and in some ways, she felt just as responsible as her mother for who the once innocent, beautiful, and kind girl had become. Everything made Mina's hypothesis about not being the woman's biological daughter even more believable.

"Why is it that her words are good now? Is it because it benefits you?"

"Sadie!" Mina replied sternly. "Just let it go." For the sake of her sister, Sadie dropped the conversation, but their father brought it back up again.

"I think this family has to have a conversation about trust and unity. This wouldn't have happened if we were able to make you feel like you could tell us anything."

"Truer words have never been spoken dad, and while you and mother have done nothing to me; you should be ashamed of what you put my sister through."

"Is that why you left?" Anne questioned. "We did that for her own-"

"Good?" Sadie interjected. "Tell me mother, how would telling your twelve-year-old daughter that her body was drawing negative attention good? Better yet, tell me what boys in town were plotting against her?"

----

Mina plopped her body onto her bed, afraid to close her eyes because the reunion between Sadie and her mother did not go as planned, and she knew she was going to have nightmares. Some truths had been revealed that Mina would rather not have known, and she was almost certain that her mother saw a side of Sadie that she never knew existed.

"Mina?" She looked at her bedroom door and saw Troy standing in the doorway. He looked a lot like Ren now that he was older, and in a lot of ways it made Mina feel uncomfortable, but, when looking at it from another light, Ren was a victim too. "Sadie told me what happened. She's upset because you don't want to speak to her."

"Aren't I allowed to grieve? In one night, I watched my parents' relationship crack while simultaneously being blamed for your actions. I know what everyone thinks about me, but I've always been able to feel."

"I never thought anything bad about you, and we wanted to take you with us, but you refused."

"How could I leave them Troy? They would have died without me."

"And look where that mindset landed you." Mina chuckled because the man was right. Her parents may not have died, but internally, she had become as cold as a corpse. "If I could do it all over again, I probably would," She admitted. There were many areas in which her parents had failed her, but there were others that she could not fault them on.

Some of Mina's most significant relationships in life had developed because of the kindness her parents taught her to show toward others. If she had played by the rules of society, she would not have been able to befriend Ashlyn or Willow, nor would she have been able to connect them as a group. She would have shunned Olivia, looked down upon Mills, and more importantly, she would not have been able to forgive President Lee.

"You should leave my bedroom before your mother starts to question my interest in you again." Troy chuckled at Mina who he had always seen as a little sister. His mother was extremely protective over Sadie, and she had questioned Mina's motives several times. It was a side effect of living with people who capitalized off others for too long, and he was thankful that both women were able to laugh at it

Troy knew what his wife was capable of, and he knew what she had done in her past to protect her little sister, however, Mina did not. She was in the dark on a lot of things, things that likely would cause the woman to spiral into a nervous breakdown, or worse, kill her own parents then take her own life in guilt. Sadie once told him that Mina attempted to cut her own wrists because she was ashamed of physically fighting with her, and he could only imagine she would have a similar reaction if she did anything harmful to the couple at all.

"Mina, some relationships are parasitic in nature. It's better to just take Sadie's advice and move on."

"My brain agrees with you, but my heart won't let me," Mina whispered. "Now, leave so I can get some sleep. I have a lot of work to do in the morning."

----

Drax finally had enough of Ian and Mills' obsession with the idea that Mina, one of the sweetest women he had ever met was somehow running the slums. So, he gathered a group of his men, and snatched one of the 'residents' to bring back to Pan for questioning. His wife was livid, but Ian saw it as an opportunity to prove his point.

"So, after killing a man in cold blood, the masked woman told you she was there to judge you?"

"Not me," the man replied. "But the ones who didn't listen. You won't tell her that I'm cooperating right?" The man's fear was clear, and it was not of any of the people around him; it was of 'The Judge.'

"Answer the question," Drax said in a warning tone.

"She didn't kill anyone in cold blood. She never has. That man was bad, and he deserved to be punished."

"And back then, she wore a mask?"

"She lifted it, but I didn't see her face clearly. Some people say it was badly scarred. You won't tell her I told you, right?"

"How did she take control?"

"She gave everyone a choice; live or die."

"Does that sound anything like Mina to you?" Drax questioned, hoping that Ian would get the point he was trying to make.

"What name did she give you?"

"Only her closest people know her name, but I think I've heard someone call her Lady before." Drax signaled for Ian and Mills to follow him out of the room before allowing his frustration with them to be heard.

"You heard him. The woman's name is Lady, she's overweight, scarred, and a cold-blooded killer. Mina would never take someone's life casually."

"Actually, she would." Drax rolled his eyes at Jeremy Witt who was also among those who believed Mina was alive. "Remember, I assessed her for this quality. Mina does not see life as right or wrong; she sees it as good vs evil. In her mind, something wrong can still lead to good, but something Evil can only be bad."

"So, you're telling me that the woman who couldn't kill the man she thought she hated after literally being handed a gun is now running around casually committing murder?"

"No, I'm telling you that she could be." Drax sighed exasperatedly. It was like moving in circles with the people who believed Mina was alive, and a part of him was beginning to feel like he had to get Cam involved. "Can I talk to the man in there?" Jeremy asked, and Ian granted his request, seeing no harm that could possibly come from it. "What are the rules you have to live by?" He questioned, and both Ian and Mills became attentive because they had both spoken to Mina about her ideal government.

"There are no rules really. We get paid to clean and keep each other safe. If we have a problem, we make a formal complaint, and it gets heard within forty-eight hours. Serious crimes equal serious-"

"Punishment," Ian finished. In a moment of excitement, he embraced Mills tightly before running out of the room, leaving everyone except Drax in the dark.

"Mills, I get that you loved Mina, but what the two of you are doing isn't healthy. There is an entire nation built on that doctrine, and just because this Judge woman has been using it as a model to build doesn't mean she is Mina." Mills nodded, but like her boss, it was hard for her to let go of the first real friend she had ever made.

"Draxy, Mina was willing to die for me, it's only right that I keep her alive in my heart."