Chapter 328: Pitch

After another rough night, Mina felt like she had barely gotten any sleep at all. She pushed the fruit on her plate around, unable to summon her appetite. She felt like she needed to free herself from the control of others. If she had to give up her freedom, she at least wanted it to be for something that she deemed worthy; and the Lee group was not it.

Mina knew that her detached behavior was worrying Miss Meagan, who had been taking good care of her, down to managing her dietary intake.

Since she had come to stay at Zane's home, Mina had been eating what the woman described as a bruise healing diet. They ate lean meats, and a variety of high citrus fruits. Mina was unable to locate any hard-scientific evidence that proved the diet worked, but she was pleasantly surprised by the progress of her healing face.

Even Dr. Juan, who had come to visit Mina midway through her seven-day stay, was shocked. The bruising on Mina's face was still visible, but it was faded enough to be hidden by make-up, albeit heavy make-up. When compared to the bruises that Miss Lisa left on her face, Mina could surmise that it was taking the same amount of time to heal, despite being more severe.

The only bruise that was stubbornly taking its time to fade was the one on Mina's thigh. She had been told it was a hematoma and would require more time to recover. While it was technically just blood under the skin, it was a more serious type of bruise that took longer to be absorbed back into the body. It was also more painful, and Mina still had to take care not to put too much pressure on or sleep on that side.

"I know you are unhappy, but you have to eat something," said Miss Meagan. She had yet to pressure Mina into knitting with her for the day. Meagan was a very observant woman, and she could tell Mina needed some time.

"Sorry," Mina replied. "I'm just feeling a little useless." Meagan knew how depressing having nothing to do could feel. It was how she had spent the first six months after her divorce and while knitting had been her outlet, for Mina it was nothing but annoying.

"I thought about your idea, and I think I want to give it a try," Meagan lied. Mina had suggested for her to start a nonprofit.

Meagan had originally rejected the idea of doing anything formal with her craft, but for Mina's sake; she would at least try. Worst case scenario she would just put an end to the whole thing before it became too burdensome. Meagan was aware that Mina was a very business-oriented woman, and she hoped the little sacrifice would help lift the girl's spirits.

"Really?!" Mina asked excitedly. She went to stand but Zane's mother scolded her into returning to her seat.

"Before we talk about anything else, finish eating your food," Meagan said.

----

Mina was in the sitting room with Miss Meagan, preparing her pitch for Zane. Although the old woman was clearly uninterested, she still managed to smile at Mina, who felt slightly guilty for forcing the woman into something that made her uncomfortable. Unfortunately, Mina needed the woman's cooperation if her plan were to work.

In truth, Mina did not believe Zane would agree, but the mock presentation gave her something to do, and if by some stroke of luck, the man said it was okay, Mina was willing to take on the brunt of the responsibility. She was confident she could do it without it interfering with her current work schedule. It would also minimize the amount of time she spent idle.

Mina also needed a way to summon President Lee without calling the man directly, and Zane was her best bet. She had long ago figured out that the man hated anyone being nice to her, and being that Zane was always nice, President Lee was always sure to show up and spoil the mood.

----

Zane walked into his sitting room with Ian and was floored by the setup Mina had put together. She had prepared food and drinks and had somehow gotten a slideshow of his mother's knitting projects to flash across the television screen. Even though he had no idea why Mina had insisted for him to come home, he now had an inkling as to what she wanted.

Mina was excited to see Zane, but her excitement turned into a bit of fear when she saw that President Lee had actually shown up. Mina had only guessed that man would appear, but she was right, and she knew she needed to make the night count.

Mina was no longer afraid of President Lee; she had determined that they needed her enough to at least keep her from serious harm. Still, she did not feel comfortable around the man. She believed that there was something dark about a man who kept a person around for the sole purpose of antagonizing them to death. Still, Mina needed him to tie up her loose ends.

"What is all this?" Zane asked as he pointed to the finger foods that Mina had set out. His mother was silent in the background, and he could tell she was just playing along with Mina for the sake of it. He could also see that she was a bit overwhelmed by whatever Mina was doing.

"Please take a seat. I will explain everything," Mina said. She was using a sweet voice that Zane realized she put on anytime she wanted something.

----

Fifteen minutes later and not just Zane, but Ian and Miss Meagan were genuinely listening to Mina pitch her idea for a nonprofit for widows, divorcee's, and orphaned children. Mina's idea was to set up knitting workshops that helped give women a safe place to talk to one another while they learned a new craft.

In order to keep the organization from becoming a monetary sinkhole, Mina further suggested that the women donate a certain amount of their works to at need children. She had also worked in hospital visits, and orphanage visits that could serve as a bonding experience for the women who were doing the knitting.

Mina explained to the men that she believed that women who were suffering from depression, needed healthy outlets that made them feel useful. More than that, they needed to be able to see the positive effects of their deeds, and in Mina's opinion, her nonprofit idea would do just that.

Mina could have gone on with her explanations for a longer time, for she was keeping to a strict schedule. She needed the men to agree so she would start working on the paperwork before the government offices closed for the holiday, so she skipped to her closing remarks.

After she had gone through all the logistics of the nonprofit, Mina became serious. She went into detail regarding the tax benefits of starting the nonprofit, which could, in theory, accept donations as three separate organizations. Even if it were fully funded by just the Lee group, the tax write off possibilities were numerous, and that made Ian agree on the spot.