Chapter 397: Nothing Alike

Mina was unsure if the confession she had made to Cylus earlier had in some way affected him. She did not know who had made the markings on his neck, but she hoped it was Vanya, and if not, she hoped Vanya would not think it was her. She was sure that Cylus had planned to end things with the woman, and she hoped that his idea of putting distance between them was not by pulling other women into the picture.

Mina found herself pitying Vanya who was in a way just like Lisa. She was attached to a man who clearly did not care about her feelings. If Cylus cared anything about the woman, he would not have been actively trying to pursue someone else, nor would he casually walk around with obvious passion marks on his chin and neck. She was quiet as Cylus and the men from Hansen dismissed the security that had arrived. She felt disappointed that yet again, people she held in high regard turned out to be jerks.

Cylus introduced Mina as a close friend, and the men of Hansen apologized for accusing her without knowing all the facts. She politely bowed at them, but she did not offer them a smile. She was in no mood to smile because she was afraid that somehow, Vanya would find a way to blame her for whatever Cylus was doing. One of the men from Hansen noticed that Mina looked tense and he incorrectly assumed that it was because she was embarrassed.

"Did she give you those marks?" the man whispered to Cylus, who quickly pulled out his phone to look at himself. Because Vanya had continuously bugged him while he was getting changed, he had not checked his reflection properly, and had not noticed the marks at all.

Cylus looked back at Mina, who was sitting on the small couch in the recording studio. She was extremely quiet, and she looked uncomfortable in the room, which was unlike her when she was with him. He knew that she was somewhat afraid of male interactions, but this was the first time he had seen her so withdrawn in a long time. In his mind, Mina was finally realizing her feelings toward him. He made his way to her and nudged her shoulder.

"Something bothering you?" he asked.

"I just feel sorry for Vanya. That is all." Cylus' eyes bore down on Mina, he knew she had seen the marks, but why she felt sorry for the woman who made them was a mystery to him. "She is just like Lisa; taken with a man who doesn't respect her." Mina pointed to the marks on Cylus' neck and he felt his chest spasm with anger, but he could understand what Mina meant. It was well known that President Lee had been sleeping around, and not bothering to hide it.

"I am nothing like that bastard," Cylus said aggressively before softening his tone. "Vanya did this. I have decided to give things between us a try." He was hoping to further spark the jealousy he thought he saw in Mina.

"Really? Mina asked hesitantly. With confirmation, relief washed over her because the news meant that she would not have to ask Cylus for a DNA test, and he would stop with the romantic gestures. Cylus was about to ask Mina why she sighed so heavily but Brayden; one of the men from Hansen, shouted in annoyance.

"Someone rearranged my setup." Mina sank into her seat, knowing that rearranged was a nice way to put what she had done.

When the men had previously inspected the studio, they had only seen that the recording equipment had been switched on, and the furniture in the room had been rearranged to make space for a table. Neither man had checked on the musical instruments because they had been distracted by the arrival of Mina. She watched the man sit on the stool and play a short beat. He tilted his head to the side and hit his hi-hat again. Her heart thudded inside her chest; she did not want to pay for anything.

"My hat is dented," the man said more to himself than anyone else. Cylus looked at Mina and intuitively knew she was the culprit. She shrugged guiltily and chuckled, drawing attention to her as a suspect. "What did you do?" Brayden asked.

"I fell," Mina admitted, not wanting to offer to pay, despite knowing it was the right thing to do. Brayden, who had been taken by Mina from the moment he saw her, found an opportunity.

"It's fine," the man shrugged, got up and walked over to where Mina was seated and sat beside her. "Let's call it even," he said. After having mistaken her for an obsessed fan, he had been looking for a way to have her drop her guard around him, and seeing that CEO Rue did not like the woman enough to at least cover the marks on his neck; Brayden saw no reason to back down.

"Are you sure?" Mina asked. She had scooted away from Brayden who was one of the most handsome men she had seen in person. He had dark piercing eyes and a masculine jawline. His dark hair was cut low on the sides, leaving just the middle long, and he wore it messily styled with a few stray pieces covering his forehead. He had broad shoulders, and Mina could see through the shirt he wore that he kept in shape. The muscles from his arms were not bulging like Dom's, but they had definition that made her eyes trace them.

"Any friend of Cy's is a friend of mine." Mina blushed and the man smirked. Cylus on the other hand was not pleased at all.

"It's been nice, but Mina and I have to go." Cylus stood up and Mina did the same, ready to bolt away from the feeling that Brayden was giving her.

"It was nice meeting you," the man said to Mina. He reached out to take her hand but Cylus called out and Mina ended up waving before scurrying away. Cylus stared at Brayden with an arched eyebrow.

"I will call you later," he said, wanting to put an end to whatever the man thought he was doing.

----

Cylus and Mina were making their way back to his office, and in the process, they passed several people. She could feel their eyes on her, judging her for things she was innocent of. Although she was not the person who had made the marks on Cylus, only those who had been told that information would know.

Mina found herself covering her face, unable to stand the judgement in the eyes of the people they were passing. She did not know how long she walked that way before Cylus caught sight of her. He looked around and saw that he had put Mina in a tough position. He knew the marks on his neck and jaw were visible, and in his attempt to make her jealous, he had not considered that people would think it was her who made them.

Mina waited outside of Cylus' office, where his receptionist stared at her in pity. She had seen her boss enter with Vanya, and she had heard everything. Not just her, several other employees had stopped by and they too had gotten an earful, asking her how she could stand it before they walked away. Even if the receptionist had said nothing to anyone, the rumors had still landed on waiting ears, and Mina's reputation had crashed beside it.