Chapter 489: Capable

Ian woke to the quiet of an empty suite. He waited for Mina for a long time, wanting to tell her that she was right; the broth did not hurt his stomach, but minutes turned to hours, and he finally mustered the courage to knock on her door. He knocked harder and harder, until he was sure no one was in the room, and when he opened it, Mina was gone, and so were the clothes that he had picked out for her.

Ian found himself angry that he had slept in, but he had very good dreams with Mina being the main star, and he was unwilling to wake up. He called Drax, who answered with a groggy voice, and asked for Mills. Drax told him that Mills was resting, and Ian felt his heart sink. He quickly ended the call and dialed Mina's number, hoping that she would answer.

"Hello," called Mina's sweet voice into the phone. Ian could hear wind and the sound of children, and he had a sinking feeling that she had returned to that dingy bar with the man she had been playing cards with. That was the only area where he had seen many children, and his mind could make no other correlation. "President Lee? Is everything okay?"

"It's fine. Where are you right now?" Mina responded casually, telling the man she was taking a class. "Can you send me your location?" he asked, and within seconds Mina returned to the line.

"Done." Ian checked his phone and saw that Mina was just a twelve-minute walk away.

"Can you wait for me?" Ian was unsure if he was pushing too hard, but Mina hummed in agreement. He ended the call quickly and got himself ready to meet her, taking a little extra care, even though he was rushing. He had taken a cue from Drax and wanted to plan activities for them.

When Ian arrived at where Mina's location sharing text said she would be, he saw her sitting at a table, surrounded by not just children, but also men. Mina was laughing and smiling, as the children guided the other tourist's hands in ways that made Ian confused. Only when he got close enough to look down at the surface did he understand. He sat next to Mina, who had only just noticed his presence, and she turned to smile at him.

"Look what I made," Mina said, flashing the artwork. The men who had been at the table grumbled, before slapping a few dollars on the table and leaving, confusing Mina, but completely understood by Ian.

"Do we have time to make another?" Mina squinted at him before she replied in the affirmative. "Did you lose your glasses?" She shook her head and produced them from a small bag.

"The sun is behind me, so it isn't bothering my eyes much." Ian nodded as he listened to Mina speak Bali to a child. A little girl shyly took his hand before helping him outline something on a sanded flat piece of wood placed before him. When the child was done, she left him to fill in the details of the artwork, and when Mina glanced over at what he had done, she laughed.

"Art is not your strong suit," she said mockingly, and Ian had the thought that something was wrong. Mina was being overly friendly, and anytime she was like that was because she was planning something or had already done something. He wanted to accuse her, but he wanted to live in the lie a little longer.

When Mina could no longer sit, she told the children she needed to leave, and Ian paid them for the things they had used plus a little extra. Mina picked one of her favorites to take with her, and the children, while slightly saddened, did not try to stop her. Many couples had sat down at their table, likely thinking that Ian and Mina were doing a couples activity, something that the children noticed, changing the sand art from plants and flowers to hearts and silhouettes.

When Mina stood, Ian was once again floored by her beauty. The dress he had picked was perfect for her, it covered her up, but allowed enough skin to show to still be sexy. She noticed him staring, but instead of turning red or looking away, she checked her dress for stains, only stopping when Ian made up a lie about being lost in thought. Mina picked up her bag, rubbed the head of one of the children, and walked away from him.

Ian watched the departing figure of Mina, as she headed toward the beach, not even bothering to see if he followed, and likely not wanting him around. He too walked in another direction, needing to show her that he could trust her, and wanting her to know that she was free.

----

Mina half expected President Lee to follow her, but he did not, and she was relieved. she wanted to find Carson, and she did not want him to ruin their meeting when or if she did. She rented a chair and umbrella and set them up in the area where she had first met the man. She curled up and flipped open the book she had bought, found it boring and pulled out her phone instead.

Mina saw a text from Mills, who asked her where she had gone. She told the woman that she was on the beach, and Mills replied saying that she and Drax would be there soon. Mina felt bad for Drax, who probably wanted to spend the last days they had on the island alone with his girlfriend, but at the same time, Mills had invited her to come, so she knew the woman would not just abandon her.

Hours went by, and Mina fished one of the street snacks she had bought out of her bag to help pacify her hunger. Just as she thought to pack up and leave, she caught sight of Drax and Mills hand and hand. The way they were looking at each other was so loving, and so tender that she became bitter. It was obvious to her that the couple had taken their relationship to a higher level, because while they had been affectionate before, there was something different in the way that they looked at one another.

A stinging wetness trailed down Mina's cheek, and she dabbed at it, embarrassed when she saw it was a tear, and even more embarrassed when she noticed President Lee looking at her from not too far away. She did not know how long he had been there, but she hoped he had only just sat down.

Not wanting to be seen crying without cause, Mina stood up, and started to walk away, but her walk turned into a jog and her jog turned into a run before she collapsed in the sand, rolling onto her back, and letting out sobs from deep within her before beginning to chuckle.

Mina felt a shadow loom over her, and she could tell that the person was close enough to hear. Assuming it was President Lee, who had seen her take off without warning, she did not bother to open her eyes. She laid on her back catching her breath before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Don't worry President Lee. I will not try to escape again. I'm not stupid enough to run in a foreign country with no identifying documents."

"You know Mina, I have heard a lot of people say that work feels like prison, but something about what you just said makes me think that for you, that saying is real." Mina shot up, not just because it was not President Lee speaking, but because it was Carson. Her face turned red, and she tried to explain but he held up a finger to her. "I am more capable than you think. If he is forcing you to be here, you can tell me, and I will get you on the first flight back to Pan, with me as your personal escort."