Chapter 514: Prank-2

Mina's eyes went wide with Camille's candid speech. She knew the woman had a colorful vocabulary, but she had no idea how far she was going to go. Mina tried to shut Camille up, but President Cameron snatched the phone from her. He went along with the woman, pretending to be someone pranking her. He used the opportunity to get Camille to call him every vial name in the book, making her think he agreed.

"Okay, okay, send Mina your address," he said with a chuckle, and laughing, Camille sent the information.

"Mina, if you and your friend wanted to come visit, you should have just started with that, but this was fun." The woman ended the call, and Mina was stiff in her seat.

"Please don't hurt her," she said. It was the first time that Cameron had seen Mina look pleading, and he disliked that she thought so poorly of him, but then again, she had every reason to.

"I am not, I just want to see the look on her face when she realizes who she was talking to."

----

Once in front of Camille's family home, the president called her back, and asked her to come to the waiting car. The woman giggled, telling Mina that she was outdoing herself, as she came outside and crawled into the car, only to scramble into an upright position when she saw that Mina was not joking. The president's car was custom made, so it featured two rows of seating that faced one another in the back. Both women sat on one side, as the President stared at them.

"I should have slapped you when I had the chance," Camille whispered to Mina aggressively.

"I agree," Mina replied. "Want to slap me now? I deserve it." Camille snorted, and President Cameron started to speak. He first assured the women that no harm would come to them, and he smiled as he told Camille that her frightened expression was worth the wait.

"Enough small talk. I want to know why you two women are the only ones that don't like me." Mina and Camille looked at eachother and bellowed out laughter.

"Mr. President sir, since I already seem to be in trouble, I might as well take the opportunity to inform you that you are mistaken."

"I received over eighty percent of the female vote." Mina rolled her eyes. "What?" Cameron asked her.

"Are you sure the votes were real?" Cam's mouth dropped, and even Camille looked a little put off by Mina's accusation.

"Miss Mina, you may not like me or my family, but I can assure you that we do not rig elections. We may pour more money into them than our opponents, but each vote is cast freely and counted accordingly." Mina shrugged and Camille politely chimed in.

"Mr. Pre-"

"President Cameron is fine."

"President Cameron, the women voting for you aren't doing so because they like your policies. I know many women who voted for you because, of the choices available, you were better to look at."

"So, you're telling me that if my opponent in the last election cycle was more attractive, I would have lost?" Both women remained quiet as they took in the man's serious expression.

"Which one do you think he will stop if we both try to get out at the same time?" Camille whispered.

"I'm not sure, should we try?"

"I can hear you," Cam replied to Mina's question.

"Does he think that we think he cannot hear us?"

"It appears that way," Mina responded. Cameron stared at the whispering women in utter disbelief. They were speaking about him as if he were an imbecile. They were planning to make a dash for the exits at either side, and in truth Cam himself did not know which woman he would try to stop. Likely, he would stop Camille because he could always hold her hostage and force Mina to come back to the car, but he didn't want to take the same road Ian had taken. He wanted to break Mina down gently, he just didn't know how.

"Stop guessing, I would let you both go. I know where you live, and I know that Mina wouldn't want to leave you out in the woods after setting a fire." Mina nodded approvingly, then both women made a dash for an exit. Cam instinctively reacted, and grabbed Camille, who let out a startled scream.

"You lied," Mina said while smirking at the man, Cam's shoulders slumped, and he released Camille who adjusted her clothing.

"So now that I know I am not free to go. What is it that you want from me?" She asked. Mina squeezed the woman's hands and mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' but Camille answered as if it were nothing. "No big deal, my father has been arranging my marriage to a dignitary from Ludousa. As soon as I'm across the border, I am as good as dead anyway."

"Why there?" Cam asked, suddenly curious.

"He says I need to be 'taught a lesson' so my sisters won't follow in my footsteps."

"Why not just leave?" Camille laughed bitterly.

"Do you know how dangerous that would be for me? You probably don't, considering that you are male, but your administration has made it almost impossible for women to cut ties with their family without getting married first."

"That is not the administration; it is the culture of Pan."

"The culture that YOU promised to correct. Anyway, I've got a year to prepare and hopefully by then I would have saved enough to flee to The Four Cities."

"Always with The Four Cities. What is so great about that country?" Camille shrugged.

"Freedom I guess."

"Until you get there and are treated like dirt because you aren't a natural born citizen."

"Better than being treated like a game piece by your father." Mina made a noise of affirmation, and Cam cast his eyes toward her.

"Is that why you dislike me?"

"Among other reasons; yes."

"But you haven't even made time to get to know me as a person. With you by my side, we can work together to fix those things while still bending toward the culture." Camille's eyes widened as she looked at Mina.

"Are you two?"

"Oh, goodness no," Mina shouted, making Cameron blanch.

"Don't sound so excited," he warned, and Camille sniggered.

"I've got to say Mina, he might be right. If you don't get to know a person, how can you flatly say you dislike them?" Mina's mouth hung open as she gaped at Camille, who she knew was serving her a cold dish. Cam also caught onto what Camille was doing, and he thought to use it to his advantage.

"I'll tell you what," he said while staring at Mina. "I will leave you alone, but Camille will come work for me. She will tell you all about me and how I am, and once she gives me a green stamp, then you have to give me a chance."

"Wait, what? Mr. President, why am I being punished?" Cam glared at the woman.

"Because I know you do not like me. I am just making it possible for you to observe me from a distance while simultaneously getting to know those around me and report your findings back to Mina. The work will not be too hard. What do you do now?"

"I work for the Lee group sir."

"Great, then secretarial work should not be an issue for you." Mina's eyes widened as she gasped audibly, and Camille held her chest tightly.

"Absolutely not," she said.

"What? Why are your faces like that? What did I say wrong?"

"Mr. President, I am not a secretary, not that there's anything wrong with the career path, but I hold a higher degree. I am the top risk manager for President Ian Lee." Annoyed, Camille went to open the door, and surprisingly the president did not stop her. He watched the woman leave the car and walk into her family home with her shoulder thrown back and chin held high.