Chapter 335: Forced

Ian was not enjoying his outing with Mina. Her behavior around him was too normal, and while he desperately wanted her to be comfortable around him, he did not like it now that he was experiencing it. It was too sudden and just a little forced, but Ian was afraid to call Mina out on the off chance that she might actually be trying to forgive him.

There was something about Mina that made him want to trust her. Even in the beginning when she had snuck into his hotel room and poured out her unbelievable life story to him, she seemed trustworthy. Back then Ian wanted to believe her words; it was his anger for having let down his guard that made him react the way he did, and he had regretted it ever since.

If only he had gone back and listened to the audio from the night he was with Mina, instead of dragging it out doubting himself, he and Mina could be in a completely different place. Now, Ian was forced out, and ignored by the woman he was enamored with. He had to watch her build connections with everyone except him, and the worst part about it was, her connection to him that made it all possible.

If the pair had never met, Mina would still be out in the world somewhere job hunting. Never meeting any of the men who were chasing behind her, and probably a lot happier because of it. She also would not have had to deal with his sister or Lisa, but Ian had a feeling that Mina had to deal with her fair share of vengeful women, even before she met him.

"President Lee, please; Can we stop there?" Mina asked as she pointed to a twenty-four-hour convenience store. Once again Ian could not say no. If Mina were the type of woman who was out to use men for money, Ian had a feeling he would be in serious trouble.

Fortunately, Ian's constant yeses were limited to activities he deemed safe, but it made him wonder what else he would cave into under her request. He already knew that there was no material item he would not procure for her, but he questioned other things. If Mina asked for her freedom right now, would he give it to her?

----

Mina jumped out of the car and went straight into the store with president Lee following behind her like a puppy. She was clearly excited as she picked up a plastic shopping basket. She walked through each isle being very deliberate with the things she chose, which made Ian curious.

"What is this stuff for?" He asked. She had already bought a basket and filled it with drinks and snacks, and he assumed that whatever she was buying now was for herself.

"Dom and I came here once. I'm getting the things he got that day," Mina replied without thinking.

"How long ago?" Ian asked. He did not remember Dom reporting ever having taken Mina so far out of the city in the recent weeks.

"When we went to visit brothers A and B," Mina said carelessly. Although she knew the men's names, she had not gotten used to using them, and in some ways did not want to.

"And you remember what he purchased?" Mina nodded.

"I can remember anything I want to," Mina said. She had slipped into an autopilot mode where she said whatever came to mind, and Ian recognized it. He wanted to ask her if she could remember anything from the night they spent together, but he decided against it. He did not want to send the girl into a panic out in public.

Ian watched Mina walk down the isles with purpose and soon enough her basket was full of clearly male purchases. Mina went to one last section of the store and flipped through the plastic wrapped magazines. She picked up the latest issue of a men's health magazine and put it in the basket, then she got the latest issue of a magazine Ian recognized, but did not comment on.

When Mina went to check out the cashier, who was also male, looked at her curiously. She was wearing her hat, and her glasses. Mina also had the hood pulled over her head leaving little of her face uncovered.

"Miss, I need your identification for this purchase," the cashier said, and Mina's brows furrowed.

"Why, there is nothing alcoholic." Behind Mina, Ian put a finger to his lips to gesture to the cashier to be quiet. "All I have is a health magazine and a sport magazine. What about these things require proving my age?" Mina asked, confused. She assumed she was being profiled due to her appearance.

The cashier did not speak, he just thought that Mina was a dumb girl whose boyfriend tricked her into purchasing a dirty magazine for him. He looked Mina up and down and figured that he should have taken a gauge of the situation from the moment she walked in wearing such an obnoxious outfit. Even the man she was with seemed to be silently mocking the idiot of a woman.

Ian was at first shocked by Mina's willingness to purchase a dirty magazine for Dom, but he realized that she had no idea what was behind the black plastic shield of 'Men's Daily'. He quickly produced his identity card and flashed it for the cashier who continued with the transaction, with a smirk. He also must have figured out that Mina did not know what she was buying.

After paying, Ian made a mental note to take Mina to get her identification card. Walking around with her identity papers was not plausible, but not having any sort of identification was unacceptable.

----

Mina was shocked when President Lee's car was swallowed up by the ground. She had not expected it and she found herself clinging to the man's arm in fear.

"What's going on? Why are we sinking?" Mina asked as darkness enveloped the car.

"Relax, this is how I get into this facility," President Lee replied, but Mina could not relax. She felt like she was being buried alive.

Ian thought that Mina would be fascinated by the hidden entrance, but he was obviously wrong. However, he was glad that he was. Mina had practically slid over the center console and was clinging to him; a feeling that Ian enjoyed.

"Can you make it stop? I don't like this" Mina said in a panic and Ian squeezed her arm, which seemed to get the woman's attention.

"We will be fine," he said and no sooner than he spoke, he and Mina descended into the well-lit garage of the facility. He parked the car and allowed Mina time to catch her breath. He knew that most people had a fear of being buried, but Mina was not most people.

Mina was worried, she had almost given away that she was afraid of enclosed spaces. If president Lee found out about that weakness, she was sure she would be locked back behind the bookshelf without warning.

"Sorry," Mina said. "Dom and I walked in last time. I was caught off guard." Ian knew that Mina was not lying, but something about her explanation was too forced to sound natural.

After calming, Mina released President Lee's arm and apologized for holding him so tightly. She did not know, but the man was happy to be of assistance. She went to open the car door but stopped herself.

"Is there a password?" She asked, making President Lee smile.

"Not here," he replied.