Chapter 638: More Than Like

Ian had left Mina and Mills to enjoy their interview thinking that the women would have a good time together, but when Mina came back, she looked sad and sleepy. He practically had to beg her to tell him what the problem was, and when she told him about Brayden, he once again felt a burning sensation in his chest. She obviously liked the man more than he thought, and it was evident in the way he could affect her mood.

"If he can ruin your entire day with just a few words then you already have the answer; you still have feelings for him."

"I do, but it's mostly pity." Ian smiled because he knew that Mina was telling him 'her truth.'

"That is not what he thinks."

"That's part of the problem. I feel guilty for not caring."

----

Olivia found herself in one of the most difficult situations of her life. She wanted to be civil with Peter, but it was hard because she had been heartbroken by the man. Every time he tried to rub her belly or even tend to any of her needs, she would pick a fight with him, who would not even fight back. He would just agree with her and try to comfort her in a different way. He had committed her cravings to memory, and he made sure that she had everything she could possibly need. It made her feel terrible, especially because she was purposefully being hostile toward him.

Eventually, Olivia felt as though she needed advice on what to do from someone other than Mrs. Twan, who, while not openly on her son's side, was definitely pro Peter. She subtly advocated for her son any chance she got, not failing to mention that regardless of how either of them felt about one another, the child they created belonged to them both. It was a truth that could not be denied even if they wanted to.

"Do you need a ride?" Peter asked as he watched Olivia walk past him fully dressed as if she were planning to go out.

"I want to visit my aunt." He did not ask any more questions, he simply grabbed his keys and held the door for Olivia who exited without words. Peter hated the idea of her going to visit people who had hurt her, but he knew that they were Olivia's only family and he would support her if she wanted to ease them back into her life.

The pair arrived at the Rouge Entertainment headquarters and Cylus was the first to greet them. He escorted Olivia to his parents' shared office and took Peter to one of the classrooms where children were waiting for him to explain what casting directors look for in auditions. It was an impromptu lesson, but Cylus knew that his cousin needed and wanted privacy. He had a feeling that the conversation she was going to have with his mother was not going to end in a few short minutes and he wanted to give them all the time they needed.

Celeste was behind her desk when Olivia walked in, and she immediately stood and ran to the girl, only stopping when she noticed her niece's protruding belly. The delay was short lived, and the woman pulled Olivia in, hugging the girl tightly as she explained things.

"I swear I didn't know what your uncle was doing." Olivia felt her emotions overtake her, and before she knew it, she was crying into her aunt's arms. The woman had always treated her like her own, and hearing her say that she was ignorant of everything relieved tension Olivia had not known she was carrying. "After he took you to court, Vincent promised to leave you alone. I did not know about anything else; you know you have always been like a daughter to me; I would never want to see you get hurt, and this…" Celeste cupped Olivia's belly. "No matter how it came to be, I would never want to miss this."

"Neither would I," Vincent said. He had run to his office when his secretary told him that his niece had been seen inside of the building. Shock was the first thing he experienced when he saw his wife rubbing Olivia's pregnant belly, but he was relieved that he had not missed the birth. Cylus was right, he could have lost a lot if he continued with his plan to push Olivia into destitution, and he was glad his wife's threats of leaving him had made him stop what he was planning to do. "Oh Olivia, what have you gotten yourself into and why didn't you tell us?" Vincent had begun to approach but his niece backed away as if she were afraid. He watched her pull out her phone and text someone, choosing to ignore his question.

Within minutes of Vincent's arrival, Peter Twan entered the office panting heavily, and Olivia ran to the man, telling him she was ready to leave.

"Olivia, please stay for a little," Celeste begged. "I promise we won't interfere in your life. If you do not want to give your uncle a second chance, that is fine, but please don't punish me too." Olivia gazed up at Peter, who returned the same look to her. He was letting her decide what she wanted to do and while she was grateful he was giving her decision-making power, she felt as though the situation was the worst one for him to drop his hands on. Her sentiment must have been conveyed in her posture, because before she could speak, Peter spoke for her.

"President Rue, while my fiancé was pregnant you not only tried to sabotage her career, but you also called her reputation into question in a public forum. Even if you just wanted her to come home, there were better ways." As soon as Peter finished speaking, he realized that his words could have been turned against him as well. Instead of giving Olivia the freedom to reject him and live her life peacefully, he had threatened her with the family court system.

"I was wrong, and I will pay back every single dollar she lost."

"It wasn't my money," Olivia replied, feeling strength in standing next to Peter who was holding her tightly. "If it weren't for Mina, I would have been homeless and hungry." Both Peter and Vincent winced. The rebuke was meant for just one of them, but Peter was also guilty of neglecting the woman. Every time he thought back to her call he felt nothing but sadness. He had missed so much because of pride.

"Is director Twan not the father?" Celeste asked, not understanding how her niece could have ended up without a place to stay when she was clearly in a relationship.

"He is, but he and I are not together. We stopped seeing one another before I found out, and while he introduces me as his fiancé, it is not because he loves me. He is just doing what's best for our son."

"You do not have to do anything that man has asked you to do," Vincent said, not liking the fact that his niece felt like she had to marry a man she was insinuating she did not want to be with, which was confusing because her body language said something entirely different. "Times have changed, Pan is becoming more open to single mothers. Besides that, we have money, we can give you and your baby the best without him." Vincent was no fan of Peter, who he believed had set his eye on his niece long before it was proper.

Unable to handle the conversation going on around him, Peter released Olivia and left. He did not want to hear the woman belittle their relationship again, nor did he want to be there when she stood beside her family and sent him away. His parents had already put it in his mind that he was wrong in his approach to the situation, and he knew they were right, he just hoped that Olivia would at least allow him and his family to be an active part of Ollie's life.

"You're walking too fast for me," the man heard, and he spun to see Olivia panting as she held her lower back, waddling behind him in the way that always made him smile. "Were you going to leave me here?" Peter took a deep breath, knowing that for the sake of familial peace, he needed to let the woman choose fairly.

"Olivia, I can't offer you what your uncle can, but I think we can be happy. You clearly do not know how much I care about you, but I am willing to spend every day of our married life together proving that I have loved you for a long time. However, I will not force you. If you want to stay with your family, I understand." Olivia nodded, acknowledging for the first time ever that she was open to being with him. The man extended his hand, and Olivia took it.

"Peter, I'm scared." She admitted, and the man pulled her in close, ignoring her aunt and uncle who were glaring at him.

"Then talk to me; tell me how to fix everything that I broke," Peter said.

----

Lisa tossed a magazine across her office, startling Shai who often sat inside just to watch her work. She sometimes disliked the man's presence and she wondered if Ian had ever felt the same way about her. As time passed, she tortured herself with thoughts of how she had made herself too available to the man, only to have him pour himself into a woman that did not even care. Lisa was no longer under the impression that Mina wanted the man she was in love with, but she was aware that Ian wanted Mina.

"What did he do this time?" Lisa scoffed. Shai knew her well enough to guess that she was angry over something Ian had done; something Ian himself often overlooked or just did not pay attention to.

"I just don't understand how he could move on so quickly."

"You would understand if you would allow me to do more than taste you." Lisa glared at Shai who laughed before standing up and walking over to her desk.

"You just want to sleep with me so you can blackmail my family into paying you."

"Maybe in the past, but now... I just want to sleep with you." Lisa chuckled and shook her head at Shai who had begun to knead the muscles of her shoulders. "How much longer are you going to make me wait?"

"You've been waiting?" She asked sarcastically. She knew that Shai was still a highly active person even though he claimed to only want her.

"You know what I mean."

"I don't want to become a part of your collection Shai. I just came out of a situation where I was unimportant, and I don't want to jump into another one. Especially when I know what you are about." Shai bent forward so he could kiss Lisa's neck and speak directly into her ear.

"I may be a lot of things but there is something about you that makes me want to change that. If you ask me to, I will stop seeing other women; I just want to know that I am not wasting my time." Lisa felt tears well in her eyes. She wished Ian were the one to say those words to her, but she knew he would never.

"Can you hold me tonight?" she asked, surprising herself because she had never invited Shai into a bed of any kind.

"I cannot," the man said, rotating her chair so that he could look into her eyes. "I won't promise you something I may not be able to do. I want you, and I cannot guarantee I will stop at cuddling."