400 Chapter 400: Useful Pet

Willow listened to Mina speak and suddenly her comment about smuggling people out of Pan made sense. There was no one Mina could turn to for help, not even the police would be willing to get involved. Even if they did, it was more likely that they would arrest Mina for her crime instead.

"And because of that he keeps you around like a f*cking pet?" Willow shouted.

"No, I still have use, but it's a temporary arrangement. He will get rid of me in two months." Willow turned pale at her friend's words.

"Mina, I can help you. Come to The Four Cities with me. I can help you hide." Her friend had come through for her so many times in the past that Willow was unwilling to just let her die. Mina was tempted, but she did not want to get Willow or her family involved.

"How would I get on a plane?" she asked. "He could just suspend my travel rights and have me locked up by immigration." Willow shook her head.

"I will get you credentials, good ones. I use them whenever I do not want my parents to know where I have gone. If I could do that for you and your family, would you leave?" Mina nodded vigorously. If there was a chance she could get away, she would take it.

"You'll have to endure for now; pretend the same way you've been doing. I'll go back to The Four Cities as planned and make the arrangements." Mina kept nodding. She scooped Willow into a hug, knowing that her friend was risking a lot to help her.

"I'm scared," Mina whispered. Willow affectionately rubbed her friends back. She had no idea that Mina had gone through something so serious, and she was angry that it was all as a result of the jealousy of one woman. She pulled Mina away from her and stared directly into her friend's beautiful eyes.

"I won't let Maggie off for her part in this," she said. "She will have to suffer too."

"How?" Mina asked. There was nothing either woman could do to the Arden family without risking harm to themselves, but Willow planned to injure Maggie's pride by reminding her that no matter what, she would always be second to Mina.

"We are going to go forward with hijacking the reunion as your coming out ceremony."

----

When Mina calmed herself down, she responded to one of Cylus' several texts. He had been worried when she did not leave her room again, and he thought that she and Willow had a serious fight. Eventually, there was a knock at the door and Cylus entered with permission.

"Will you two join us in the main hall?" he asked cautiously. He, nor Connor had told Oric that Willow had come, and in truth he was excited to see his friend's shocked expression once he was sure Mina had not been strangled to death.

Mina was feeling much better after finally telling someone everything that had happened to her without shortening or cutting parts out of the story. She once again felt a wave of relief wash over her, knowing that Willow was going to help her, and that she had the money to finance it herself.

Now that Cylus had come into the room, Mina was already back to her smiling self, and if anything, she was happier than she had been in a long time. She teased Cylus about his definition of camping and the man tried to defend himself.

"There are no housekeepers or cooks here," he offered, and Mina burst into laughter.

"Is that how rich people camp? You get rid of the help?" She shook her head and walked toward Cylus, giving his shoulder a playful slap.

"Are you high?" He asked, sensing that Mina was in an extremely good mood.

"What? No, I'm excited about the trip." Cylus narrowed his eyes at Mina, and then looked up at Willow who looked troubled, but she only shrugged.

"Come join us in the main hall," Cylus said again and the women followed.

----

Mina walked into a large room that looked rustic and would have been cozy if it were not so open. There were two giant fireplaces and bench style seating facing a huge screen over a raised platform. An older woman stood on it with a microphone in her hand, welcoming the guests and explaining where they could find the things they might need.

As Connor had asked, ingredients to make breakfast, lunch and dinner would be delivered daily, and Mina wondered who was going to cook the stuff. She could not imagine any of the models that were around working in the kitchen, and she could forget about the men. According to Olivia, the rich did not bother with learning things that were considered beneath them; which meant it would all go to waste.

When the woman stopped speaking, Mina got a closer look at the old lady's face and her expression lit up. She made her way just to the side of the platform with a huge grin. The old woman almost walked past her, but she did a double take and snatched Mina into one of the tightest hugs she had ever given.

'Did I miss something?' Willow thought.

"Is it possible that you have grown more beautiful?" The old woman asked, still holding Mina in her embrace.

"No aunty, I think you need to clean your glasses." It was an inside joke she once shared with the old woman.

"Mina?" Olivia called from behind, and Mina turned and waved. Willow and Olivia had never met, and Mina made a mental note to introduce them properly, but for right now, she was happy to see a kind face from her past. The old woman bowed her head and released Mina, realizing that she was making a scene in front of clients.

"How do you know Mina?" Cylus asked. He wanted to make sure he was not accidentally meeting one of Mina's relatives. Even though he said he would 'give Vanya a try', that was only because he wanted to make Mina jealous.

"Little Mina worked here in her youth," The old woman said as she held Mina's hands and squeezed them. "We miss you around here."

"I miss you too." Mina hugged the woman again, then let her leave. She could tell that her old manager was uncomfortable, and she made another mental note to find the woman later.

"You worked here?" several people asked at once, and Mina felt her face turn red.

"I used to sing here. Not in this building, it was still under construction at that time. I performed in the general hall toward the east river."

"How old were you?" Cylus asked, and before Mina could cut in, both Olivia and Willow asked her to use her legal age.

"I worked during fall and winter breaks between the ages of twelve and fourteen." All three people looked at Mina with a hidden sadness in their eyes that Mina did not miss. "What are we here for?'' she asked, and Cylus snapped out of the trance he was in. He pulled both Mina and Willow to the front of the room, and then he sent a text.

The women looked at each other feeling as though they had become a sideshow attraction and then they heard people bickering from the other side of the room. Willow's eyes grew wide, as she recognized the voice, before she recognized the man. She wanted to flee the platform, but she also wanted to see the chubby boy she once loved.