Ian could tell that Mina did not understand what he had just offered her. He told her that he would spend the rest of his life making it up to her, but to Mina, those words meant something entirely different, and by the time he realized his mistake, it was too late. The woman had already drawn her own conclusion, and Ian did not bother to clarify.
"If you genuinely want to make it up to me then help me make a name for myself. It is wrong of me to expect you to pay for a mistake I helped to make possible for the rest of your life, so I will not ask that of you. Besides, when you get married, I don't want the trouble of having to explain." Mina forced out a smile that Ian knew was meant to take her mind off the awkwardness of their conversation.
"Then tell me what you need from me."
"I already told you; I want to use your family name." Ian rubbed his face.
"Mina, how would that look?" The woman raised an eyebrow.
