Chapter 708: Amicable

Lucas could not believe how, without warning, the Lee Group's stock value began to drop, and according to his nephew it was the work of a woman named Mina Harlow. He had never heard of the Harlow family, and when he pulled up the woman's personal information, she was listed as missing after a car accident. She owned nothing, and had no money, but his son strongly believed that their company was being affected by the woman, who supposedly blew up a building and fed the media false information about it being the beginning of a rezoning project in which certain commercial businesses would no longer be permitted to set up in residential areas.

"And you're sure that she is the one behind this. We still don't know who drugged you and Lisa Anders; it could be anyone."

"It's her, she knew enough about the company to foresee my next move." Once again, Lucas was filled with the urge to smack his son, but he refrained. He could tell the man was hurting, and it was also due to the Harlow woman.

"How did you not know she was alive?"

"No one should have been able to survive that accident. I really don't know how she did it." Lucas rubbed his temples, and his nephew entered the room with a strong drink, which was just what he needed.

"Ian, I have spent too many years building this family to this point, and for this woman to come in and chip away everything I worked hard for… How did you say you two met again?" Ian glanced over at his cousin, who rolled his eyes as he covered for the enemy.

"They didn't meet under good circumstances, but I told Ian from the beginning that she was dangerous. He should have listened to me and just killed her when I told him to, not move her into his home."

"What?" Lucas said, staring at his idiot of a nephew before looking back up at his even more idiotic son. "She lived with you, and you didn't tell us?"

"Dad it was-"

"She's here," Cam said, leaving the room with his cousin because both men wanted to ensure it was not some sort of trap. They had exchanged many theories since their last meeting with Mina, and none of them were pleasant.

Cam was already struggling to win over the female vote since he married Camille, and Cade being engaged to Cala was not helping the situation. They had lost the Cinderella story appeal, and Mina blowing up a building and calling for stricter regulations in his name was costing him corporate support. He could not even dispute the claim because then he would have to admit to a terrorist attack occurring during his presidency and his opponent, who was big on national security, would surely use it against him.

To Cam, it was bad enough that they had to throw a distraction party to make people think they were not afraid of what was happening, but everyone knew what sort of event it was, and the people who showed up told him that the Lee family was in trouble. There were no dignitaries around, and aside from Kace and Charlotte Anders, no other influential families were on par with their own.

In pity, Cam watched his cousin tenderly wrap his arms around Mina's waist, hugging her as if he were afraid that she would disappear at any minute, but what disturbed Cam was the fact that Mina allowed the intimate contact. It was then that he caught the angered expression on Kace Anders face and as Ian pulled Mina to where his uncle was waiting, he approached the man, wanting to explain.

"Mr. and Mrs. Anders; don't be alarmed, it's not what it looks like."

"Really? Because it looks to me that my sister has a perfectly valid reason to have spent the last few days crying." Cam did not know what Ian was doing with Lisa, but he was almost positive the man had no intention of being in a relationship with her, especially now that Mina was back, and he believed they had a child together.

"This is business related, not personal."

"With all due respect Mr. President; does your cousin hug all of his business partners like that?" Cam watched as Charlotte Anders nudged her husband, intending to calm the man down, but Cam knew the gesture would not work.

"All I can tell you is to use your head. Think of your sister before you pick this fight." Cam walked away from the couple, hoping that they would not run off to release the pictures of Lisa, and once again, he wanted to strangle Luna.

In the beginning, Cam was angry with Ian for pushing Luna outside of the family, but now, he saw that it was a completely justifiable action. She had chosen the side of a stranger, but Ian was now doing the same thing. He walked into the back room, expecting to hear arguing, begging, or even fighting, but it was silent up until he stood beside his uncle.

"Now that we are all here, can we come to an amicable agreement?" Mina scoffed, knowing that there was nothing agreeable with the Lees, but for the sake of those she loved, she would create one.

"I will stabilize your company stocks and you will release everyone."

"Not good enough," Cam said, and Mina smiled at him in a way that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. She was still other worldly beautiful, and in the year she was gone, a mature look settled into her features, making her amber orbs more hypnotic. It was no wonder to Cam why Ian could not get over her.

"Where's Camille?" Mina questioned cryptically and after she congratulated him, Cam felt as though his heart was about to beat out of his chest. Absolutely no one knew about his wife's pregnancy, but somehow, Mina did. He opened his phone, and called the woman without answer. He then called their home, and it was revealed to him that the woman had thrown a tantrum and 'left.'

In a fit of rage, Cam charged Mina, picking the woman up by her collar as his uncle held Ian tightly by the arm.

"Where is she?" Cam questioned, eliciting a chuckle from Mina.

"How would I know?" Cam slammed the woman against a nearby wall, and he could hear his cousin struggling against the security who entered the room shortly after he did. Mina did not break eye contact with him as he held her in place, and realization dawned on Cam, who was seconds away from killing the woman.

"You came here prepared to die, didn't you?"

"I'm already dead," Mina replied, meaning her words in a multitude of ways.

"If you don't tell me where she is I-" Cam's ears perked up at the sound of his wife's voice, and the woman came barging into the room, looking as though she was ready to kill everyone. Her eyes darted between him and Mina, and he abruptly released the woman as he ran to her side. "You didn't tell me you were coming," Cam said, cupping the tiny bump at his wife's abdomen.

"You didn't tell me that Mina was still alive."

"Camille I-"

"Tell me right now Cam, do I have to be worried?" Cam knew that his wife was insecure when it came to Mina and for good reason. Their relationship started with him trying to impress Mina, and while that quickly changed, Camille always held onto the belief that Mina was more important to him, which, at a time, was true.

"You have nothing to worry about. I married you because I love you, I was just about to kill her because-"

"You were going to kill my friend?" Mina snorted in the background and Cam turned to face her with narrowed eyes.

"You did this on purpose." Mina shrugged, and with a smile, approached Camille, who was still scowling at her husband.

"You look amazing," Mina said looking to the woman for permission before she touched her belly. "Don't be angry with your husband. He really stopped being interested in me the minute I introduced him to you." Mina sighed as she wondered if the padding she wore contributed to her never noticing if her own middle ever puffed out, but before the conversation could continue, Cam started to walk his wife out of the room, leaving her to just stare at the couples back.

"Miss Harlow. If you would sit." Mina turned to Senior Lee and was startled by the proximity of a concerned looking President Lee.

"Are you hurt?" The man questioned, but Mina just shrugged.

"I've experienced worse," she replied, sitting on the edge of one of the cushion chairs as she waited for either man to accept her offer. "So? Do you accept?"

"Your loved ones will be released within the hour," Senior Lee said. "All we ask is that you do what you promised."

"Just like that?" Mina questioned and the old man nodded. She shrugged and pulled out her phone, but President Lee snatched it from her making her laugh. "You just asked me to stabilize your company's stocks. I can't do that without my phone." Senior Lee could not help but to study the woman closely, seeing familiar movements that poked at his memory, but he could not place it.

"Mina, please don't do anything reckless." Mina rolled her eyes and extended her hand to the man. Trust was always an issue between them, but at least now, she felt like the man actually had a reason to be worried. He handed her back her phone, and she carefully traded stocks back and forth until the Lee Group started to trend upward again.

Watching in real time from his own device, Senior Lee could not believe what he was seeing, and had he not witnessed it himself, he would have thought it was a lie. Whatever method of manipulation Mina used to trigger the markets was fool proof, or she had gotten so good at reading market trends that she could predict them before they occurred. Either way, the woman was dangerous to their family, unless of course, they were able to pull her into it.

"Stick to your deal," Mina said, glaring at both men as she left, surprised when no one stopped her from leaving.

With Mina gone, Ian glanced over at his father who he could tell was angry with him. The man looked extremely disappointed with his son, but when Ian went to speak, he was cut off.

"How long did she live with you?"

"Just under a year," Ian admitted, and his father sank into the chair beside him.'

"And you couldn't seal the deal?" Ian flinched at his father's words, but the man just looked at him accusingly.

"I… I tried, but she was against having children with me." Lucas leaned his head heavily in his hands with his son's words, hating that it made him like the woman even more.

"What the hell was your sister thinking?"

"She was thinking that I should follow in your footsteps with mom." Lucas huffed, and Ian found himself furrowing his brow at his father.

"You think your mother wanted me?" The man rolled his eyes as he stroked his chin. "I had to sweat a lot before she finally agreed to marry me." Ian's eyes went wide before nausea overtook him.

"What the hell did I miss?" Cam said, standing in the doorway wearing an equally disturbed expression.

"And you... You know exactly what to do, which is why you have a pregnant wife right now. Why didn't you help Ian win her?"

"Because he wanted her for himself."

"Of course he did," Lucas snarled. "Listen Ian, I don't care what it takes, but you will make that woman love you."