Chapter 566: Even Exchange

Zane walked into the Staton residence because he had been invited and his mother forced him to attend. Fiori was annoying to him; she was a neat freak, and he remembered a time when she had attacked him because he had stepped into her playroom with his shoes on. He had been set up by Ian and Drax, who knew the girl would have a violent reaction, but since then he was always put off by the girl.

A shapely woman in a cute pink wrap dress nudged her hips into his and Zane looked at the woman with a raised brow. She looked familiar, and his eyes went wide when he realized who it was.

"Ellie? What are you wearing? Where is Ian? Who let you come here? Where is your mother?" Zane shot off a dozen questions as he removed his jacket and draped it over Ellie's shoulders. She giggled sexily, and Zane removed his hands from her shoulders with lighting speed. "You shouldn't be here. Let me take you home."

"What? Already? Shouldn't you at least buy me dinner?" Zane gaped with the response and was barely given enough time to recover before she did the sexy laugh thing again.

"Ellie I-"

"Relax, it was a joke. When did you become so stuck up? I used to prank you all the time and you never reacted so poorly." Ellie removed the jacket from her shoulders and handed it back to Zane. "My mother knows I am here. I had to walk away from Ian because he is driving me crazy with-"

"Mina?" Zane said the woman's name as a question while completing Ellie's sentence. She nodded and sighed. "He needs help." Zane could only agree, and he hoped his friend would not turn into Mina's second Ren.

"Where is Ian?" The pair looked around the hall, and their attention was instantly pulled to Drax, who was carrying Mina on his arm. "Did something happen?" Ellie did not respond to the question. Instead, she pulled out her phone, and ordered armed men toward the service exit.

----

Mina was being pulled along by Drax, who at a point realized she was struggling to keep up, so he carried her. It did not take long for other men Mina recognized to catch up to them, and she wondered if the people at the event did not notice the commotion, or if they ignored it.

Drax pushed open the rear exit of the staff kitchen and Mina scrambled out of his arms, limping toward Mills, who wore large dark sunglasses and a thick black jacket. She was leaning against her car, and while it was too dark outside to be sure, she did not look good at all.

"Mills, let's leave. Drax is not worth it. Let's just go, okay?" Mina saw a small smile flash on Mills face, and she was afraid the woman had snapped. "Where is Melony?" Mills' smile faltered, and Mina intuitively knew that Melony was gone. "Okay, that does not matter, you still have me. You asked me to be here, and I came. Let's go."

"It's okay Mina. I did not come to hurt anyone here. I Just want my brother back." Mina nodded while shouting back to President Lee. She asked the man to fetch Milo, who came barging through the doors a short while later.

"Let's go," Mills said while opening the passenger and rear door of the car. She clearly intended for both Milo and Mina to leave with her.

"Mills, you cannot take Mina with you," Drax added. "It's dangerous for you; Milo included." Mills smirked at the words.

"I can protect Mina now that I don't have someone threatening my brother. I was fine before you, and I will be fine without you." Mills started to cough, and both Mina and Milo rushed to her aid. Mina sniffed the woman, who leapt backward.

"Mills," the woman put a finger to her lips showing Mina that she did not want her to say anything.

"President Lee, Mina will be coming with me. I will be in touch, but she will be fine where we are going."

"Mills, I know you mean well but-" Mills cut the man off.

"I almost forgot," the woman said. She awkwardly pulled out her phone and pressed a button. Several phones chimed at once: including Mina's.

In the text was a video clip of Lydia, and a man Mina did not recognize tied to what looked like a heating unit. The woman was sobbing out her confession as her brother violently kicked her trying to get her to shut up. An eerie chuckle could be heard coming from the video, and Mina knew it was Mills laughing at the pair.

'Just tell her the truth Gregory, she already knows everything. If you tell her the truth, she will let us live,' the woman in the video sobbed.

'Shut up Lydia. Are you stupid? She might let us live, but will he? You killed his baby you dumb b*tch.'

'You told me to scare her away. You forced me into it. I didn't think I had a choice. I was happy to admit defeat, but you told me that Drax and Mills were having problems, you told me that all I had to do was push her a little and she would never come back. I didn't know she was pregnant; how could I have known?' Gregory kicked his sister again, and Mina closed the video. She could not watch anymore. The woman looked weak and fragile, but the man was kicking her with so much force that it was obvious he did not care.

"I am so sorry Mills," Mina stepped close to Mills, wanting to give her a hug, but the woman stepped away again.

"Mina, you didn't watch the entire video. That man is also part of the reason you were shot."

"How do you know that?"

"You introduced me to some very interesting people." Mina did not have to press further, because she knew Mills was talking about Ash.

----

Drax was in a trance as he listened to Lydia and Greg go back and forth about who did what and why. If he were being honest, he believed Lydia; she was in the worst shape and looked to be on her deathbed with little reason to lie. Her clothing appeared burned away in some areas and based on the way she was speaking, she had already confessed to Mills, she just wanted her brother to do the same so she could have a fighting chance at living.

Drax began to physically shake when he heard Gregory say that it was Lydia who had caused Mills to lose their baby, and as if it could get no worse, he heard his mother's pained whimper come from behind him.

"Mills sweetheart, I didn't know about a baby. Can you give me a chance to explain?" Mills shook her head.

"Mrs. Staton, I am only here for my brother and Mina. I do not think I am asking for too much. They are my only family." Mina felt her heart go heavy. She knew that lonely and grasping feeling well.

"I want these people in front of me now, and I want someone to bring a copy of this video to their parents. I will let their father and older brother decide what's more important." Everyone knew that Drax was going to let the man decide whether he wanted to spare his children or preserve his fortune.

"That is why I am here," Mills said with more force in her voice that she had been using before. "I will make a trade. Those two for Milo and Mina." Drax looked to Ian, who shook his head. He was relieved because it was not an option for him either. Even if he had to tie Mills to his hip, he was not letting her go again. Mina was right, he should have told Mills the truth from the beginning, but the fear of losing her drove his decisions, and ultimately, he lost her completely, but he would not lose her again.