SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 100

Victoria's hands shook as she poured

herself a drink in her office. The setting sun cast long shadows across the room. Outside the floor- to-

ceiling windows, New York City sparkled, unaware of the storm brewing among its towering buildings.

"Herod Preston," Victoria whispered the nlike a curse, staring into her glass. "After all these years..."

Camille had never seen Victoria like this, unsteady, shaken to her core. Since Alexander had revealed Rose's

partner at the groundbreaking, Victoria had barely spoken, rushing them back to Kane Industries he "You need to

telleverything," Camille said. "Who is he? What does he want?”

Victoria drained

her glass in one swallow. "Herod Preston is the younger brother of Charles Preston. The man who was engaged to

my daughter Sophia before her death."

She set her glass down with a sharp click.

"Charles Preston's family owned Preston Shipping, once a rival

to Kane Industries. They were old money, very powerful. They didn't approve of Charles marrying Sophia. When

they couldn't break the engagement, they arranged her car accident." Alexander stood by the window, listening

silently.

"You toldthis before," Camille said softly. "You took revenge on them. Destroyed their company." Victoria's

laugh held no humor. "I did more than that. | made sure every Preston lost everything. Charles"But he

blames you for what happened to his family," Alexander said.

Victoria nodded. "Apparently. | heard he dropped out after his father died. Disappeared. | assumed he'd gone

abroad, living on whatever scraps the family had hidden away."

"Alexander, what did your sources find?" Camille asked.

Alexander crossed the room, pulling up files on his tablet. "Herod Preston has been operating under various

aliases for the past decade. He built a fortune in

Asia, property development, mostly. Very successful. Very quiet. He returned to the States two years ago and has

been buying up companies

through shell corporations."

"How did he find Rose?" Camille asked.

"More likely she found him," Victoria said. "Rose

has always had a talent for sniffing out useful allies. And someone hungry for revenge againstwould be

irresistible to her."

Carmille rose from her chair. "So this isn't just aboutanymore. Rose brought Herod into this because he

wants to hurt you. By targeting the Phoenix Grid, he strikes at both of us." Victoria's eyes met Camille's. "Yes,

And Camille, I'm sorry, I've put you in danger. Again."

The raw pain in Victoria's voice stripped away years of her carefully constructed armor. In that moment, she

wasn't the powerful CEO, the vengeful mother, the calculating mentor. She was simply a woman frigh Camille

crossed the room and knelt beside Victoria's chair, taking her cold hands. "No. Don't you dare blyourself.

Rose is my fight. She's been my fight since she tried to kill me."

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"But Herod..."

"Herod made his choice when he partnered with Rose. When he targeted the Phoenix Grid." Camille squeezed

Victoria's hands. "We've faced enemies before. We'll face this one too."

Victoria shook her head. "You don't understand. The Prestans were different. Charles was... unstable. Brilliant but

unhinged. Herod was always the same, quieter, more calculating. If he's spent ten years planni "Then we'll spend

however long it takes stopping him," Camille finished firmly. She stood up. "I won't let you fight him alone."

Victoria looked up, surprise flashing across her face.

"From the moment you foundin that parking garage, you've fought for me,” Camille continued. "You

reshaped me. Gavepurpose. A new life. Everything | am now, | owe to you."

"Camille..."

"No, letfinish." Camille's voice grew stronger. "You taughtto never show weakness. To always strike first.

To use every resource at my disposal." She placed her hand over Victoria's. "Well, now I'm using Alexander

stepped closer. "She's right, Victoria. Divided, Herod and Rose can pick us off one by one. Together, they don't

stand a chance."

Victoria's eyes moved between them, something shifting in her expression. Slowly, the familiar steel returned to

her gaze.

"Together," she

repeated, as if testing the word. "It's been a long tsince | trusted anyone enough to fight alongside them."

"Then it's about tyou started," Camille said.

Victoria stood, smoothing her suit jacket. "They'll expect us to be defensive now. To focus on protecting the Grid.

Especially after the groundbreaking."

Alexander nodded. "Which means we need to be offensive instead."

"Exactly." Victoria

moved to her desk, pressing the intercom. "Sarah, getthe files on all Preston family holdings from ten years

ago. And schedule a meeting with the legal team for seven AM tomorrow."

She released the button and turned back to Camille and Alexander. "If Herod's been operating under aliases,

there must be a paper trail somewhere. We find

his assets, we find his weaknesses."

"I'll have my team working through the night," Alexander said.

Camille watched them shift into strategic mode, but her mind was elsewhere.... on Rose. Rose, who had

manipulated

everyone since childhood. Rose, who wouldn't stop until she had destroyed everything Camille loved.

"What are you thinking?" Victoria asked.

"Rose won't be satisfied with just damaging the Grid," Camille said slowly. "She wantsto suffer. To watch

everything | care about burn."

She turned to face them both.

Victoria's eyes widened slightly, "You think she'll go after Alexander? Or me?"

"Eventually. Yes." Camille's throat tightened. "Rose has always wanted what | have. She took Stefan. She tried to

take my family, my reputation, my status. Now she'll want to take...

Alexander crossed the room in three quick strides, taking her face in his hands. "Let her try."

His touch anchored her, pushing back the wave of fear threatening to drown her. In his eyes, she saw not just

affection but fierce determination.

"I'm not Stefan," he said quietly. "I won't be manipulated. | won't

be turned. And I'm a lot harder to get rid of than she thinks."

Victoria watched them, then opened her desk

drawer and removed something small and silver. She

held it out to Camille, a pin in the shape of a knight chess piece.

"I was going to give you this after the Grid went online," Victoria said. "The knight, the piece that moves

differently than all the others. The piece that can leap over obstacles. The piece that's most dangerous wh

Camille took the pin, feeling its weight in her palm.

"Now | think you need it sooner," Victoria continued. "To remind you that sometimes the best move isn't the

obvious one."

"Thank you," Camille said, pinning it beside her phoenix emblem.

Victoria straightened. "We'll need to move quickly. | want twenty-four-

hour security on all of us. Full background checks on everyone working on the Grid project."

"Done," Alexander said.

"And Rose?" Camille asked.

Victoria's mouth tightened. "We need to draw her out. Force her to show her hand."

"How?"

"By giving her something she can't resist." Victoria rubbed her temples. "What does Rose want more than

anything?"

"To destroy me," Camille said. "To take everything | have."

"Exactly. And right now, what's most important to you?"

"The Phoenix Grid." Camille understood immediately. "We make her think we've discovered a flaw in the system.

Something that could delay the launch."

Alexander nodded. "A carefully leaked internal memo suggesting security concerns. Technical problems that

need addressing."

"Rose will think her sabotage was discovered," Camille continued, "but not completely understood. She'll want to

know exactly what we found, and what we missed."

"And Herod will want to adjust his timeline," Victoria added. "They'll need to communicate, to coordinate."

Victoria studied them both. "You're not ready to go public.

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"No. Not yet. Not like this," Camille exchanged a glance with Alexander. "What we have is too new, too personal

to. use as a strategic move."

"We don't want Rose targeting it specifically," Alexander added. "Better to keep it private, protected."

Victoria nodded. "I understand. Sweapons are best kept sheathed until the perfect moment. We'll find

another way to draw them out."

Camille felt relief wash through her. What was growing between her and Alexander felt precious, fragile despite

its

strength.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Victoria's gaze sharpened. "Don't thankyet. This fight is just beginning, and it will get much worse before it

ends. Herod Preston spent a decade rebuilding from nothing. That kind of patience, that level of de "Neither will

we," Camille said firmly.

Victoria smiled then, a real smile that transformed her face. "No. We won't."

She turned to Alexander. "Have your team leak that internal memo first thing tomorrow. Make it seem accidental,

an email sent to the wrong distribution list, perhaps.”

"Consider it done."

Victoria moved toward the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, | need to make scalls."

At the doorway, she paused, looking back at Camille. "Camille... thank you. For saying you won't letfight

alone. It's been a very long tsince anyone stood with me.

Before Camille could respond, Victoria was gone.

Alexander took Camille's hand. "Are you alright?"

“No,” she admitted. “I'm scared. Not for myself, but for her. For you."

"Hey," Alexander said gently, pulling her closer. "Remember what you told Victoria? Together. We fight together.

"Besides," he added, a hint of steel entering his

voice, “Rose may think she knows you. But she has no idea who | am. What I'm capable of."

Camille caught a glimpse of something hard and dangerous beneath his usual controlled exterior.

"You've been fighting forfrom the shadows all this time," she said softly. "Now we fight side by side."

"Side by side," he agreed. "No more operating separately. No more secrets between us."

His phone buzzed. He frowned at the screen. "My team found something. Herod has been moving large sums to

offshore accounts. Recently."

"What does it mean?"

"It means he's preparing for something big." Alexander's eyes met

hers. "Camille, whatever's coming... it's

But even as she spoke the words, a whisper of doubt curled through her mind. Rose had always been one step

ahead. And now, with Herod Preston beside her, with resources and hatred fueling them both...