Chapter 196: Are You Pregnant?

Carmen's words nearly caused Lisa to drop her phone in shock. Had she been wrong the whole time? If Mina was truly pregnant by a Lee guard, then what was Lisa going to do with Shai? He was expecting some sort of repayment after he successfully destroyed Mina, but perhaps, she did not need his help after all.

Lisa ended her call with Carmen and as usual she sent the woman an incentive. It was too late to visit the Lee mansion to try to confirm the news, but she desperately needed to ask Mina herself. The tour was scheduled to take place in a few days, and Lisa knew that she needed to have all the facts before then.

Lisa lightly tapped on her own belly, she had been late by a few days, but her doctor told her it meant nothing, and that a pregnancy test would not be accurate until after the first missed cycle. If by some stroke of bad luck, both she and Mina were pregnant by the same man, she had no doubts that Ian would marry her, but she knew him well enough to know that he would never abandon Mina.

Fear gripped Lisa in a way it had not ever before. For the first time since Mina's intrusion, she truly felt threatened. She believed that no one could live under the same roof as one of the youngest, most handsome, and richest men in the country and not want anything. It was true that other than that display at the office, she had never seen Mina do anything to try to gain Ian's affection, but what if that was Mina's ploy? Almost instinctively, Lisa called the only person who could shed some light on the situation, but she had to be careful. If she asked too directly, she might lose her hard-earned contact within the Lee home. The call connected.

----

For the first time in what felt like forever, Mina made her way into the staff kitchen of the Lee mansion. Chef Tan was happy to see her, and she showed it with her customary scowl.

"What brings you back into my kitchen," the old woman asked.

"Chief, don't be mad at me. Things were a little awkward for a while," Mina admitted. Chef Tan looked the woman up and down. She was not wearing anything out of the ordinary, but there was something missing.

"Why do you look so different?" The woman asked and Mina pushed at her cheeks with her index fingers.

"Why do people keep saying that? Do I finally look older?" Chef Tan hmphed. Mina still looked every bit of 18 despite being a 22-year-old woman; the difference was in her eyes. They were a little colder and a little bit distant.

"You're not very happy, are you?" Chef tan asked, and Mina tilted her hand from side to side.

"It's just gotten harder to pretend lately," Mina said. She found an empty stool and sat as she spoke. There were many other kitchen staff around, and they all nodded in agreement with Mina. Everyone had their own troubles and Mina obviously had hers. Sensing that the girl had not reappeared for no reason, Chef Tan questioned her.

"What can I help you with? Do you need some comfort food?"

"That would help," Mina chuckled. "But I am actually here because Miss Luna told me you are all licensed nutritionists." Chef Tan nodded.

"I ate instant chicken and rice yesterday and I've been feeling sick ever since. I checked the date on the packaging several times. Could it be that I can no longer eat instant food?" Mina asked. Everyone paused, the question was not one with a simple answer. Chef Tan washed and dried her hands before pulling Mina away from the open ears of the others.

"Are you pregnant?" Mina jumped as if she had just seen a ghost.

"It's not possible," Mina said.

"Not possible or unexpected," she probed.

"No. I mean it is impossible. I have no one," Mina assured, and the old woman audibly sighed in relief. She knew Mina had been spending a lot of time with Dom who had briefly dated one of her younger cooks. She felt like the man was bad news for Mina, and she was happy to hear that Mina had not given into him, unlike her apprentice. Both women returned to the kitchen where everyone was pretending to be hard at work.

Mina, who was usually oblivious, realized that the staff must have all thought the same way, she cleared her throat and confirmed her relationship status as single. Her antics caused a string of guilty giggles.

"It could be because you've been eating organic for weeks. The processed food was probably too heavy for your stomach. Is this the first time this has happened?" Chef Tan asked.

"It's the first time I have eaten anything not prepared in this kitchen for weeks," Mina replied, and a series of nods went around the kitchen.

"Stay away from pre-packaged foods," said Louis. He had long since given up on actively trying to gain Mina's attention and had not really spoken to her since she rejected his advance, but he still could not stop himself from holding onto a shred of hope.

"I really hope to start cooking for myself. Do you think it's okay for me to use the refrigerator in the small kitchen?" Mina asked.

"I don't think it will be a problem, that fridge is almost always empty. No one in this home cooks for themself," Chef Tan answered. Mina listened to the woman, but she still found it wise to ask Miss Luna again.

----

Mina was reorganizing her collection of notebooks in her room. She was sure that one was missing, and she remembered shoving it under the shelf, but it was gone. Out of all the notebooks she had filled, it was probably the most useless, but it was embarrassing.

When Mina started her collection, she had only just moved to Pan and was still terrified of going out alone. The numbers in her books were all an attempt at expanding on a math theory she was sure could be improved, and she kept them solely as evidence. That way in the future, if anyone questioned her, she could show them her years of work. Mina was nowhere near a solution though.

There was a knock at the door, or rather, the lack of a proper knock and Luna strolled into the room.

"Want to go to the mall?" Luna asked.

"I don't have money," Mina started to say, but she stopped herself. She did have money. Not much, but she did have the money she earned from that commercial.

"Okay, when?"

"Now," Luna said. Mina hurriedly readied herself. She slipped into a black sweater and paired it with black jeans and black boots. As soon as she stepped out, Luna criticized her outfit.

"I see your back to black," Luna said. Mina shrugged.

"I think it suits me."

"And I think you'll scare everyone away," Luna teased.

"Good, less drama for me to deal with," the girl responded, and the two women giggled their way out of the front door, but the smiles were short lived. Mina halted in her steps when she saw who was already waiting inside the vehicle.

"On second thought, I've been nursing a stomachache, I should probably stay home," Mina said as she rubbed her abdomen.

"Don't be that way, Lisa was the one who suggested you join us,"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Mina mumbled, and Luna nudged her with her hips.

"She isn't that bad," she whispered to Mina with a chuckle.

"Speak for yourself," the girl responded.

Mina was pulled into the car.