Chapter 174: You Thought What?!

Hearing the commotion coming from the dinning area, a very worried looking Miss Ruby scurried into the room. She had not intended on having breakfast with the young people, as it always made her feel out of place, but hearing them argue made her worry.

"What is going on here?" Ruby asked. Like a wronged child, Mina flung herself at the old woman.

"Tell them I didn't ask you to buy that," Mina whined. Miss Ruby shoved Mina behind her back and glared at her son.

"Are you bullying Mina now?" Ruby asked.

"Me?" Ian retorted.

"Nan, they say I asked you to buy something I didn't. Tell them I only asked you to buy me personal items," Mina said.

"Oh dear," Miss Ruby said while covering her mouth. "It appears this old woman has made a small mistake," she continued. Mina stared at the woman wide eyed.

"What mistake? Can somebody just tell me what is going on?" Mina asked. She was huffing as if she were about to faint. Luna chuckled nervously attempting to ease the tension in the room.

"Ian kind of thought Dom was your 'go to' guy," she said, clearly setting herself apart from her brother. Mina thought about where she had heard the term 'go to' guy, and when it hit her, she sucked in a huge breath of air before shouting.

"You thought what?!" Mina shouted. It was the loudest any of them had ever heard her speak.

Mina glared at the two men and bared her teeth like an animal. She hated President Lee. Every part of her hated him. Just when she thought she could move past everything he had done, she found out that he was spreading dirty rumors about her.

Without thinking Mina stepped forward and slapped the terrifying man so hard her own palm stung. Zane casually sat back down, as far as he was concerned, Ian deserved it. Only Ruby and Luna seemed to have a reaction. The two women held their breath expecting to witness a murder, but there was no reaction at all. Ian just stared back into the woman's eyes; his usually fierce gaze replaced by something else.

----

Under the constant gaze of President Lee, Mina's confidence wavered. She blinked twice and then looked at her throbbing hand as if it were not a part of her body. She stumbled back a few steps and then turned to run. Tears streamed down her face as she bolted out of the front door. She was slowed by the slippers she wore at her feet and when she turned around, she was petrified by the sight of the person coming after her.

Adrenaline gave Mina an extra boost of speed and when she made it to the gates, she squeezed through the bars just as President Lee grabbed her arm. The man was trying to pull her back, but his grip was not tight enough, and he was too big to fit through the space that Mina had just forced her body through. She wriggled herself free and took off.

Ian growled in frustration. He walked back to the gates' consul and used his fingerprint to make them swing open. In the seconds it took him to do so, Mina had already dipped into the tree line trying to keep out of sight and had made good progress in terms of distance.

----

While running, Mina looked back and thought that President Lee was no longer giving chase. Her legs let up a little and she slowed in her stride. She was so angry she was finding it hard to catch her breath. Her mind began to reel as she was overcome by venomous thoughts.

'Who else had that evil man spouted that nonsense to?' Mina thought.

Mina's sandals had long ago flopped off her feet and she had stepped on something sharp. Her sprint turned into a steady limp and eventually she hobbled her way along. The sound of tires caught her attention and she turned around to see President Lee following her in his car. The man pulled beside her and lowered the passenger side window. Mina tried to speed up, but she was sure she sprained her ankle, and the pain was becoming more intense as she moved.

"Get in," President Lee ordered.

"No!" Mina replied sternly.

President Lee silently followed the girl with his car for a long time. Seeing that she was intent on moving forward, he became curious.

"Where are you going?" Mina did not reply.

In response to her silence, President Lee stopped his vehicle and jumped out. The actions caused Mina to attempt running again but, in her state of injury, she did not get far before her waist was grabbed by strong arms. As soon as he touched her, Mina cried and pleaded so miserably that Ian felt the urge to let her go, but he knew he could not. Still holding her back to his chest he spoke slowly.

"Mina, my nan has been blaming herself for this. My sister told me she has not stopped crying. Please come back with me. After that, I will make the arrangements to let you leave."

It only took a few minutes before Mina was coaxed by President Lee's words. She stopped flailing and gently pulled herself free of his grip. Mina wiped her tears then turned to face her captor.

"Do you swear?" She asked, knowing the man was not above lying. President Lee held up three fingers and swore. Mina stubbornly limped her way to the car.

"For your nan only," she said.

President Lee only entered his vehicle after making sure that Mina was inside with the door fully closed. Once they were both inside, he turned to face the girl before speaking.

"Of course, there are conditions." Mina shot straight up.

"You swore," she said, looking as though she were about to start crying again.

"I won't change my mind, but if anything, bad happens, you must promise to move back in," he said. Mina thought about it and the likelihood of her getting into trouble again was slim. She agreed without a second thought.

----

Mina tried to step out of the car, but the pain in her ankle made her wince. She looked up and saw President Lee extending a hand to her. She refused it and tried to stand again.

"Don't be stubborn. If its fractured, you can worsen the injury by standing on it," President Lee said. Mina rolled her eyes and attempted to stand, but the strong man effortlessly picked her up and carried her bridal style. She kicked and screamed at the indignation of it and it drew his attention to the blood on the soles of her feet.

"You're bleeding," he said, ignoring all her protests.

Mina was struck silent by the, what she thought was fake, concern in his expression. Using all her strength she freed herself from his grip and hit the ground hard. She fell just in time for Miss Ruby, who had been rushing over to apologize, to see.

"Ian! Why did you drop her?" The old woman asked, causing Ian's mouth to hang open. Mina looked at President Lee with a sinister grin that only he could see.

"Nan," the woman whimpered.