Chapter 67: Guilt

Ian opened Mina's file and was surprised to see that she was only a little more than two years younger than him. He had originally thought she was still in her teens when he first saw her, and neither he nor his sister felt the need to bring up her age, despite the fact that it was included in the basic information they reviewed about the woman. Ian was still suspicious of Mina, and did not take her file to heart, he was very aware that it could all be fake. He may have been sexually attracted to Mina, but he was not bewitched by her enough to neglect his safety.

Glancing back up at the monitor, Ian noticed Tara was preparing to leave the room. When she did, she did not close the door behind her. Ian clasped his hands together and leaned back in his chair.

'This is going to be a good show,' he thought.

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After a few minutes, Mina could no longer help herself. She stood up and paced back and forth in the room. She vaguely remembered the way to the front door, but she was afraid of being caught and tortured. Also, she feared for Tara. Would president Lee blame her for leaving the door open? 'He probably would,' Mina thought.

Picking at her nails, Mina took two steps towards the door and one step back. She was truly conflicted. She knew she could not hide forever, and her parents were only being spared due to her cooperation. She was truly at war with herself. She could accept death, but it did not mean she was ready to die.

Realistically speaking, Mina was still young. If she escaped now, she could live for another sixty or seventy years, under the assumption that she was able to hide successfully, but for that she needed money, and in order to have money, she needed a job. Thanks to that damned Miss Maggie she had neither of the two.

While Mina thought, her legs carried her closer to the exit. She poked out her head only to find no one watching. It was a test, she was certain. President Lee had been shrewd this entire time, there was no way that he could overlook her not being properly guarded. She decided to stay put. If things continued this way, sooner or later she would find a chance to act out her revenge.

The air outside the room was pleasant, so Mina sat in the doorway for a while. She admired the craftsmanship of the mansion and wondered if President Lee decorated it himself. It was sophisticated but also homely. The color scheme was light and welcoming, giving off a warm vibe. However, it was also elegant and refined, with many decorative items that looked as though they belonged in a museum. Mina thought to herself, 'I wouldn't mind living in a place like this; just not as a prisoner.' She stood up and closed the doors behind her; suddenly feeling dirty, she wanted to shower.

While she was showering Tara entered the room with another bowl of broth. Noticing that Mina had no change of clothes, she ran back to the maid's quarters to find something for Mina to wear. Tara had always been the type to over prepare, so in her locker she had several changes of clothes. Mina was about the same size as her in height, but she was busty and curvy. Tara took out the biggest items she had for Mina to wear. Tara also found a pair of underwear with the tags still attached. She brought them along with soap and a towel.

By the time Tara got back to the room, Mina was just shutting off the water. She called out to Mina, as to not startle her by just shoving clothes at her naked body. Mina still had a few bruises on her body and panicked when she heard Tara approaching. She did not bother to listen to the girl and she quickly put on her old clothes. Because she had not dried herself, the grey suit clung to her and made her feel disgusting all over again, but she did not want to have to explain the marks. She could not even if she wanted to. She knew who made them, she just could not remember how.

Seeing her friend put on the same clothes Tara frowned. She sent Mina back into the bath to clean herself up properly while she handed her the items she brought. One of these things was a long pink dress that could pass as a nightgown. Mina decided to put that on instead of the jeans. It was more comfortable, and she had no plans other than to sleep.

For the first time in weeks Mina took a proper shower. She lathered her body several times before she felt clean. She felt as though her body had built up a layer of grime. When that time of the month came, it was unexpected. Her body had been thrown off by the contraceptive and she had to sleep in the bathroom so as to not make a mess on the bedding. She felt embarrassed when she thought of the young maid who discovered her secret. The girl took so much pity on her that she later returned with sanitary pads for Mina to use. Unfortunately, the girl was a few days too late, and Mina no longer had any use for them. She died for no reason.

Tara could hear Mina crying in the shower. She knew that the girl was on the brink of losing her mind and she felt as if she had only made the situation worse. By now, Mina's broth was cold. Tara decided to go warm the soup and give her forced friend some privacy. This time, she remembered to close the doors behind her.

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Mina did not try to escape, Ian was impressed. She had instead chosen to shut the doors herself, and he wondered what she was going to do. She entered the restroom, and he could hear running water. There were cameras in the shower, but he was not a pervert. Ian could admit to himself that he was tempted, but he always felt guilty anytime he unintentionally opened the cameras and caught Mina getting ready for bed. He was sure he would feel worse if he purposefully watched her bathe. He had seen Tara carry in a handful of clothing among other things and he realized that she probably misunderstood him when he said he placed Mina under her care. Still, he did not stop the girl. He felt bad about the situation with her meals, thus he let it slide.