SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 32

INT OF VIEW

CAMILLE'S POINT OF VIEW

His words hung in the air between us, dangerous and sharp. "Welcback to the land of the living, Ms. Kane. O

should I use your previous name?"

| kept my face still, fighting the storm that raged inside my chest. Years of practice hiding emotions from Rose.

Months of Victoria's merciless training. Everything infocused on not revealing the bolt of fear th

"I'm afraid you've mistakenfor someone else," | said, withdrawing my hand from his grasp. My voice stayed

perfectly steady, cool and distant. "I don't have a previous name."

Alexander Pierce studiedwith those unnerving gray eyes, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Too knowing. Too certain.

"Is that so?" He tilted his head slightly, examiningas one might examine an interesting puzzle. "My mistake,

then "

But his tone made it clear he believed no such thing. He wasn't backing down, merely shifting tactics.

"First public appearance?" he asked, smoothly changing subjects while maintaining uncomfortable

eye contact. Victoria has kept you well hidden until now."

"Mother believed | needed tto adjust before facing the social spotlight," | replied, using the bland

explanation we'd crafted for curious questions. "European privacy has its advantages."

"European privacy," he repeated, the phrase clearly amusing him. "How... convenient."

The way he stressed that word, convenient* made my stomach tighten. This man knew something. Or thought

he did. Either way, he presented a danger | hadn't prepared for

"If you'll excuse me," | began, seeking escape from this increasingly dangerous conversation. "I should..."

"Should continue making the rounds?" he finished forOf course, Victoria's careful choreography mu The way

he emphasized my last ncarried volumes of unspoken meaning.

"I look forward to it," I lied smoothly.

He smiled then, a genuine expression that transformed his severe features, making him appear younger, almost

boyish despite his imposing presence.

"No, you don't," he said quietly. "But you will."

With that cryptic statement, he stepped back, offering a small bow that somehow managed to be both respectful

and mocking simultaneously. "Until next time."

| watched him move away through the crowd, people unconsciously shifting to make space for him. Despite his

youth compared to most titans of industry in the room, Alexander Pierce carried an authority that My heart raced

beneath my carefully composed

exterior. One year of transformation. One year of becoming someone new. One year of building Camille Kane

from the rains of Camille Lewis.

And it had taken him exactly one minute to threaten everything.

Chapter 32

"| see you met Alexander."

Victoria appeared beside me, materializing from the crowd with her usual perfect timing. Her expression

revealed nothing, but | knew her well enough how to recognize the tension in her shoulders, the slightly to

controlled quality of her movements.

"He's... not what | expected," | said carefully, aware of listening cars around us.

"He rarely is." Victoria guidedtoward the silent auction displays, creating a bubble of privacy amid the busy

ballroom. "What did he say to you?"

| hesitated, unsure how much to reveal in this public setting. "He implied he knew me. From before."

Victoria's face remained impassive, but | caught the brief tightening of her fingers on her champagne glass, the

only sign of her surprise and concern.

"Impossible," she said after a measured pause. "The surgical alterations are too good. Your public presence as

Camille Lewis was minimal. And Pierce has been in Asia for most of the past year." "Nevertheless," | replied

quietly, "he said something about

welcomingback to the land of the living and asked if he should use

my previous name."

Victoria's eyes narrowed slightly, the only indication of the calculations happening behind her carefully

maintained social mask.

"It's a fishing expedition," she decided. "A guess based on limited information. Pierce has always enjoyed

psychological games, especially with those in my circle."

Her explanation made logical sense, yet didn't fully calm the unease growing inside me. Something in Pierce's

certainty had felt too genuine, too knowing.

"Continue as planned," Victoria instructed. "The governor is waiting to meet you. Then the museum

director, the foundation board members, and the Japanese investors at table twelve."

Just like that, we moved on. Back to the carefully orchestrated evening, back to my debut as Victoria Kane's heir,

back to pretending Alexander Pierce hadn't just threatened to unravel everything with a few well chosen words.

For the next two hours, | performed flawlessly. Charmed the governor. Discussed art acquisitions with the

museum director, Impressed the foundation board with my knowledge of their programs, All while hyperaware of

Pierce's presence in the room, feeling his gaze onat unexpected moments, catching glimpses of that

knowing smile whenever our eyes accidentally met across the crowded ballroom By the tthe event

concluded and we were in Victoria's private car heading home, exhaustion pressed down onlike a physical

weight. Not the tiredness of working muscles, which Jason's training had long accustomedto, but the bone-

deep weariness that comes from maintaining perfect control under threat.

"We need to address the Pierce situation," Victoria said once the privacy screen was securely in place between

us and the driver. "He's more dangerous than | anticipated."

"How could he possibly know?" | asked, finally giving voice to the question that had hauntedall evening.

"The changes to my appearance are significant. Even Rose wouldn't recognizeif we passed on th Victoria

gazed out the window at the city lights, her profile sharp against the darkness. "Pierce has resources | can't

always track. Intelligence networks beyond the usual corporate espionage. And an almost sup

Chapter 32

"That's not an answer," | pressed, needing something more concrete than vague descriptions of Pierce's

capabilities.

“No,” she agreed, turning back to me. "It's not. The truth is, | don't know how he identified you. But | intend to

find out.”

The car moved through the late-night traffic, the silence between us growing

heavier with unspoken concerns. Finally, as we approached the gate to Victoria's estate, she spoke again.

"Whatever Pierce thinks he knows, he can't prove anything Your transformation is legally airtight. Camille Lewis

is officially dead. Camille Kane has documentation going back decades."

Her words should have reassured me, but something in her tone suggested she was trying to convince

herself as much as me.

Inside the mansion, Victoria retreated to her study with instructions not to be disturbed. | made my way to my

suite, dismissing the staff who waited to assist with my evening routine. | needed solitude. Needed s In my

dressing room, | stared at my reflection in the full-

length mirror. The woman who looked back atwas undeniably elegant, poised, beautiful in a striking rather

than conventional way. My emerald gown caught the light as | turned, the custom fabric moving like

Not a trace remained of Camille Lewis. Not the softer face, not the hesitant posture, not the apologetic smile. Dr.

Torres had seen to the physical transformation, Jason to the changes in how | carried myself, Vic "Welcback

to the land of the living, Ms. Kane. Or should | use your previous name?"*

| removed my jewelry, carefully placing each piece in its designated spot in my safe. The routine task did nothing

to quiet my racing thoughts.

Who was Alexander Pierce, really? The business publications described him as a wunderkind, a technological

genius who had built a trillion-

dollar empire before his thirtieth birthday. His companies spanned artificial intelligence, biotechnology, space

exploration, and media His personal life remained largely private, with occasional appearances at hig profile

events but few personal details shared with the press.

Arrival to Victoria in business, certainly. But something in their interaction tonight had suggested a history

beyond mere corporate competition.

As | removed my makeup, another layer of Camille Kane washing away with each gentle stroke of the cleansing

cloth, | found myself returning to the moment of our introduction. The Intensity in his gray eyes. T

My

hand tingled at the memory, an unexpected physical reaction that annoyedwith its adolescent quality

Attraction had no place in the life I'd built with Victoria. Emotional entanglements of any kind were distra

Yet | couldn't dismiss Alexander Pierce so easily. Couldn't fe him away as merely another obstacle to overcor

strategic variable to account for. Something about him had gotten under my skin in a way nothi

my

Perhaps it was the threat he represented. Perhaps it was the mystery of how

he'd identified me. Or perhaps it was something more primal, the shock of being truly seen for the first tin a

year.