Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Elijah nodded, still looking concerned. “Your business partner Trustworthy?
“She just turned eighteen, Eliish thought, “What if someone’s scamming her?”
“Relax,” Cameron said. “It’s all good.”
Class was about to start, so Elijah couldn’t press further. He let it drop.
Just as the teacher walked in, Cameron’s phone buzzed with a WhatsApp message from Austin.
Austin: [Cam, you at school yet?)
Cameron: [Yeah, I’m in class now.)
Austin: [Cool, I’ll find you after school.
Cameron: [Something up?
Austin: [Nothing special. Just wanted to grab dinner together.)
Cameron: [Sorry Austin, I already made plans with Brad.]
Austin stared at his phone, speechless. “Bradley? Why does Cam always put Bradley first?’ he thought is Bradley really that great?”
Despite all the emotions churning inside him, Austin eventually sent Cameron a one word reply fine.]
A few minutes later, Austin sent another message: [Cam, you stood me up last night, Could you come hear me play plano after evening study hall tonight?
Cameron was quiet for a moment before responding: [Sure |
Austin: [Yeah. See you later]
When afternoon classes ended, Cameron had barely gotten to his feet when Elijah stood up too. “Heading to the cafeteria together?” Elijah asked.
“I’m meeting Brad,” Cameron said.
“Do you guys have something important to talk about? Eljah’s voice held a hint of something.
Cameron nodded, “Yeah”
A flash of disappointment crossed E Elijah’s face, almost too subtle to catch.
“I’m going to hear Austin play after evening study hall,” hall,” Cameron offered. “Want to come?”
Elijah nodded. “Yeah, sounds good.”
Cameron had barely stepped out of the classroom when someone lunged straight at him. “You little shit!”
Cameron sidestepped with surprising agility.
Kander nearly face-planted on the floor, grabbing the railing just in time to save him “Why’d you dodge? Xander complained.
“What, should I have just stood there and let you crash into me?” Cameron shot back.
Xander was left speechless.
Cameron turned and walked away without another word.
Xander rushed after her. “Where are you going? The cafeteria? I’ll come with
“I’ve got plans,” Cameron said flatly
“With who?” Xander demanded, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
“None of your business. Just don’t follow me, okay?”
Xander stopped in his tracks. “Seriously, Cameron? After everything I’ve done for you? I was worried about you, you know.”
Cameron paused and looked back at at him. “Are you sure you’re not just being nice to me because of Milena?”
That shut Xander up. ‘Because of Milena?’ he thought ‘Is that what she thinks?”
Kander had to admit, at first, he’d been trying to get on Cameron’s good side because of Milena. But after that basketb him over. They were bros now.
By the time Xander snapped out of his thoughts, Cameron was long gone.
Cameron had totally won
Cameron met Bradley in a private room on the second floor of the cafelera. As soon as the door closed behind them, Bradley shock “boy” sitting across from him. “Cameron, you’re holding up better than I expected,” he said.
Cameron smiled as she took her seat across from him, “Brad, I’m seriously fine. They weren’t my real parents. I’m actually relieved
Bradley was taken aback. “Great, he thought. So much for my prepared pop talk
“What do you need my help elp with? B
Bradley asked instead.
Cameron leaned forward. “Brad, I need you to help me put Martin and Heidi in prison.
Bradley’s jaw dropped. “Wait, what? What did they do?”
“They secretly brought me into the Wallace family,” Cameron said. “How is that any different from child trafficking?”
Sure, Milena’s ont was the mastermind. But Martin and Heidi were accomplices who benefited from it. They couldn’t dodge responsibility.
Cameron gave Bradley a quick rundown of what happened back then.
Bradley’s usually calm, scholarly face darkened with anger. “They absolutely deserve prison time.”
He paused, frowning slightly. “The problem is, it happened over a decade ago, and one of the main perpetrators is already dead Getting justice won’t be simple.”
“Brad, I have a recording of them admitting they took me,” Cameron said.
Bradley was speechless for a moment. He gave Cameron a thumbs up. “Well, that makes things a whole lot easier.
“Cameron, I’ll have my colleagues at the firm handle this. But right now, there’s something more urgent you need to deal with.””
“What’s that?” Cameron asked.
Bradley adjusted his gold rimmed glasses. Tinding your birth parente”.
Cameron froze. She hadn’t even thought about that. After If years, her parents probably assumed she was dead. They even had Far didn’t know how to find them at all.
Canseren shook her he head. “That’s probably impossible”
“It’s not hard to find them,” Bradley said. “We just need to locate the hospital where you were born and check which mother lost a baby. Cross-reference that, and we’ll find them.”
“I’d have to ask Martin and Heidi which hospital they delivered at, Cameron said.
But after I tricked them into giving up that 15-million dollar check today, they must hate my guts, she thought. ‘No way they’ll tell me anything!
Cameron’s face remained perfectly calm, not a hint of emotion showing through she’d given up on the concept of family long ago. Because of that, she had zero expectations for the birth parents she’d never met.
“I’ve got ways,” Bradley said.
“It’s not that important, Cameron replied. “Getting them locked up and brought to justice matters more.”
Bradley was speechless. After a moment of silence, he said. “They’ll get what’s coming to them, no question. But we should also find your birth parents, Cameron. They’re victims in this too.”
Now it was Cameron’s turn to be caught off guard. She paused. It was true-they were victims too.
“But what kind of people are they? Cameron wondered. “They think I’m dead Would my sudden appearance just mess up their lives?”
Cameron took a slow sip from her cup. “Brad, I’m counting on you, then.”
“No big deal,” Bradley replied. “Consider it done.”
Milena, Martin, and Heidi made it back to their hotel, still shaken from the whole ordeal. They’d gone to get that 15-million-dollar check back, and instead came away empty handed and scared half to death.
As evening approached, someone knocked on the door, Milena got up to answer it. “Who is it?” she called out
Ever since she’d insisted on demanding the check at Silvermoss Castle, Martin and Heidi had given her the cold shoulder all afternoon. It stung, and her face was set in a scowl as she pulled the door open.
Her expression instantly changed to shock. “P police officers? Who are you looking for?”
Two cops stood in the hallway. They flashed their badges at Milena, then asked for Martin and Heidi by name. “You’re suspected of child abduction. We need you to come with us.”
Milena’s jaw dropped. Martin and Heidi looked equally confused
