Chapter 701: Network

Lisa was excited to hear from Ian, but not for the reason that once consumed her thoughts. She wanted to be with the man, but no longer in a romantic way. Lisa felt as though he had gone too far in humiliating her, first with Mina, and then with Natalie, so she was now only in the relationship for the money. She would use her title to boost her family name, and even if Ian never loved her, she could at least buy her happiness. Her father had already put the brakes on her plans to destroy the Lee group from within, because according to him, the whole family would suffer if she failed.

Now, Lisa's best bet was to try and convince Ian that she was a changed woman, which was the truth. She had experienced nurturing with Cylus, who genuinely wanted to be with her once upon a time, and then she had experienced comfort with Shai, who had on many occasions alluded to being in love with her. However, in her petty attempt to hurt Mina the way President Lee hurt her, she lost Shai's love, and because she had taken her lies too far, she could not even climb out of the hole she dug.

As soon as Lisa climbed down the stairs she was greeted by her father and Kace, who were no longer on speaking terms. The men had different opinions on how to handle the situation that occurred between herself and Ian, and it caused strife within the family. Fortunately, her brother did not blame her, and while he did not ask, Lisa was sure he knew that something was off with her story.

"You look beautiful," Kace said, but her father criticized her outfit as too plain, not sexy enough, too revealing, and too busy. Basically, the dress did not make logical sense to him.

"Please father, I don't even want to go to this event. Madam Aych is a business rival. I'm actually a little worried about going."

"Then stay home," Kace offered, but the comment sparked a shouting match so loud that Charlotte came running down the stairs carrying her son. Lisa's mood was instantly brightened, but when she extended her hands to carry the child, her father slapped them away.

"He may soil your dress," the man said, and Lisa wondered where the parent who had once spoiled her had gone.

"I'll be home soon," she said sorrowfully, gently squeezing her nephew's hand before starting to leave.

"Don't come back too early. Try to entertain him a little."

"Father!" Kace shouted. He could not believe what he was hearing, but based on his sister's lack of reaction, it was not the first time it was said.

"Have you already forgotten what that man did to her? She isn't losing anything by spending the-" A resounding slap echoed in the room, and Lisa turned to see that Charlotte had struck her father. She wanted to be angry, but she felt nothing for the man.

"What happened to you?" the woman questioned, and Lisa had to wonder the same thing. Her father had once doted on her like a princess, but now he only saw her as a giant walking dollar sign. Instead of answering, Lisa watched her father adjust his clothing before pointing a finger at her brother's face.

"Let that be the last time your wife lays a hand on me or both of you can leave my home."

"You mean my home," Kace replied. "Let's not forget who has been keeping this family out of darkness the last few years." Unable to take what she was seeing, Lisa silently made her way out, hoping that at least something good would come from the night.

----

Ian was surprised when Lisa showed up at his mansion, but she was respectful, and remained in the car at the gate instead of asking for permission to drive onto the property. He hated that their relationship had delved so far into darkness, but it was a side effect of the many mistakes he had made.

Like his father told him, he was the reason Lisa was the way she was, and when he first ended things with her, he should have kept them ended, but he gave her false hope that translated into an obsession. As a man who was once obsessed, Ian knew how hard it was to let go of the imaginary future he built with Mina, and he could only imagine it was the same for Lisa, who had ten years to build her fantasy.

"Are you ready?" Ian questioned his friend who looked completely uncomfortable.

"I'm waiting on Ellie," Zane replied, and Ian shouted for his little sister, who had moved into Luna's old room. The girl hurriedly made her way down the stairs holding a box that Zane quickly met her halfway to take.

"Thank you," Ellie said, and as soon as they were down the stairs, she opened the box, and handed a tissue wrapped item to Zane.

"What is this?" The man questioned, and Ellie gestured for him to open it with a smile. Ian could not help but to overanalyze the interaction between the pair, and while Zane was not behaving as oddly as Ellie, there was definitely something there. He wondered if his sister had a crush on his friend, and if it were the reason Zane was uncomfortable being her date. "A mask?"

"And look," Ellie said, pulling out another mask that matched Zane's.

"What are those for?" Ian questioned, and Ellie nonchalantly tossed him yet another wrapped item.

"Mom said you wouldn't be prepared… I didn't get one for your date though." Ian chuckled at his sister, who disliked Lisa immensely. Ellie's mother had not taken the news of Mina's death well at all, especially since she had already begun working on nursery designs in preparation for the grandchild she believed would follow marriage.

Of all the people who knew about Mina's possible pregnancy, Ian was glad that his nan was not one of them, because she probably would have died from depression. In truth, he had not even known that his nan and Mina had developed a close bond at all, but Ellie told him that it was not just Mina she liked, but it was the changes that the woman brought out in him that made her mother a fan.

Ian knew he had become gentler with Mina around, but apparently, there were other changes he had not known he made. He was told that he smiled more, that he was more approachable, and that he seemed more human. After Mina was gone however, so were those qualities, and sadly, there was no one who could bring them back. At one point, Ian thought Natalie could fill that void, but oddly enough, it was Lisa who snapped him into reality by reminding him that he only had room in his heart for one woman, and she was not around.

"Are you okay?" Ellie questioned standing in front of her brother who had zoned out.

"I'm fine; I just don't know if I want to attend this party anymore," Ian replied jokingly. "What kind of person holds a networking event where masks are worn?"

"The kind with a sense of humor. Don't you know what they say about Madam Aych?" Ian shook his head because truthfully, he did not know much about the woman other than the fact that she was his competition.

"Tell me about her in the car," Ian said, and his sister clapped with excitement.

"There is so much secrecy surrounding her," Ellie exclaimed excitedly. "I can't wait to tell Mills what she looks like."

----

Cylus was nervous the entire night, but 'Ami' was unbothered by the amount of people who showed up. She looked like a completely different person with the hair and makeup she used, and the scars on her face, although partially hidden, kept men from harassing her. People were able to confidently walk around the venue and network with others under the guise of anonymity and so far, it was a success.

There was more laughter coming from the room than Cylus had ever heard at any marketing event, and he had no doubt it was because of the relaxed atmosphere that Olivia and Willow had managed to create.

"I'm still waiting for you to tell me how you received an invitation," Olivia said. She kept purposefully passing by to pester him with questions, but he had so far been able to dodge them with half-truths.

"I told you, the woman invited me because of you."

"Mmhmm," Olivia said. "I'll be back," she added, and Cylus shook his head at his cousin. He went to the bar to grab a drink, but just before the liquid touched his lips, he felt a frantic tap on his shoulder.

"These damn masks make it hard to find anyone," Sadie said, and Cylus turned to face his maybe sister, who was supposed to be monitoring the main cameras.

"What are you doing out here?"

"We have an emergency. Troy and I have to go. I need you to take over my station and keep Lady with you."

"What's going on?" Cylus asked. He could see the fear in Sadie's eyes, so he knew she was not exaggerating.

"I will tell you later. Just, don't tell M- Ami yet, and no matter what, don't let her come looking for us. Lady will need you both."

"Babe, we have to go now," Cylus heard, and Sadie pulled him to where Lady was asleep in a travel bassinet. Before leaving, Sadie hugged him for the first time since they met.

"I never wanted a brother, but you are okay."

"You're scaring me," Cylus said. In response, Sadie gave him a half smile that he had only seen when Mina was about to do something foolish.

"Take care of them for me." With those words, the couple ran.

----

For someone who did not want to be at the event, Ian noticed that Zane was really enjoying himself. Him and Ellie had not sat down for more than ten minutes, and the amount of people the pair spoke to was unreal to Ian who had not moved the entire night.

"This is a very lively marketing event," Lisa said, and Ian could not even ignore her. It was more like a party, and he assumed that the free-flowing liquor and masks helped to loosen people up. "I wonder if Madam Aych is actually here." Ian also wondered the same thing, but not enough to dwell on it the way Lisa seemed to be.

The evening progressed and unlike what he was expecting, servers started to gently usher people to their seats to be served. Since the theme was anonymity, and seats were not assigned, absolutely no one was afraid to eat, not even Ian, who usually skipped event meals.

As soon as Ian bit into the food, a heavy sense of regret settled into his heart as thoughts of Mina popped into his mind. It had been a long time since food reminded him of the woman, but anytime he ate something that he knew she would like, his mind could not help but to think of her.

As Ian ate, the soft music in the room came to a stop, and the lights dimmed, indicating to the man that someone was going to speak, but Ian was too busy lost in the memories of Mina to care. He lifted his fork to his mouth, closing his eyes as he thought of the many things he would never get to experience with the woman he loved, but then a painfully familiar voice rang out from the speakers. Ian froze, and his eyes darted around the faces at his table, hoping that it wasn't just him who was hearing the woman speaking.

"Are you okay?" Zane questioned, and Ian jumped to his feet.