Mag-log inShare
Chapter 104
Huling Na-update:
2025-04-27 15:52:53
Kaugnay na kabanata
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 105
Chapter 105Victoria Kane sat alone in her office, the glow from her computer screen the only light in the room. Outside her windows, dawn painted the Manhattan skyline in hues of pink and gold, but she hadn't noticed the sunrise. She hadn't moved from her chair in hours.On her screen, financial records filled page after page, stock purchases, company acquisitions, shell corporations nested within shell corporations like Russian dolls. A tangled web of financial transactions that had taken her team of investigators days to unravel.Victoria's mouth tightened as she scrolled through the data. The pattern was unmistakable once you knew what to look for. Small stock purchases, never more than one percent at a time. Different buyer names. Different banks. Different countries. But all ultimately tracing back to one man.Herod Preston.She slammed her hand against the desk, the sharp crack echoing through the empty office. Victoria Kane did not lose control. Not ever. But seeing Herod's na
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-28SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 106
Chapter 106Water closed over Camille's head. Cold. So cold it burned her skin. She kicked toward the surface, arms flailing, lungs screaming for air. But something held her down, hands gripping her ankles, dragging her deeper into the darkness.She looked down. Rose stared back at her, grinning, her hair floating around her face like seaweed. Beside her, Herod Preston, his eyes flat and lifeless as a shark's. They pulled harder. The pressure in Camille's chest built to unbearable levels.She opened her mouth to scream, but only bubbles escaped as water rushed in ..Camille jolted upright in bed, gasping. Her nightgown stuck to her skin, soaked with sweat. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was. Then the familiar outlines of her bedroom at the Kane mansion took shape in the darkness.Just a dream. The same dream that had haunted her for months after Rose's betrayal. The one Victoria's training had eventually banished.Until now.Camille switched on the bedside lamp, chasing
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-28SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 107
Chapter 107The restaurant occupied the entire top floor of a Midtown hotel, overlooking Central Park. Camille arrived fifteen minutes early, a tactic Victoria had taught her, secure the position of power, choose your seat, control the encounter from the first moment.She selected a corner table with her back to the wall, facing both elevators. The host seated her with a professional smile, leaving her alone with her thoughts and a sparkling water she wouldn't drink.Camille smoothed her navy dress, a simple design that concealed the tension in her body. The silver rose pendant Alexander had returned to her hung at her throat, a reminder of who she had been before Rose's betrayal, before Victoria's transformation.Her phone buzzed with a text from Alexander: *Everything okay?*She typed: *They haven't arrived yet.**I'm in the lobby if you need me.*A small smile touched her lips. Alexander hadn't questioned her decision to face her parents alone, but he'd insisted on accompanying her
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-29SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 108
Chapter 108Stefan Rodriguez waited at the corner table of the dimly lit bar, nursing a drink he didn't want. The place reeked of stale beer and cheap perfume, nothing like the upscale establishments he'd frequented during better days. But that was the point. No one would recognize him here. No reporters lurking in corners, no business associates to witness his fall from grace.No one except the woman who had helped destroy his life.The door swung open, letting in a blast of chill evening air. Rose Lewis stood framed in the doorway, scanning the room with narrowed eyes. When she spotted Stefan, her face hardened into the mask he'd grown too familiar with, beautiful and cold as carved ice.She wore black from head to toe, her outfit probably costing more than most people's monthly rent despite her recent financial troubles. Always keeping up appearances. Always the perfect facade.Rose threaded her way between tables, ignoring the appreciative glances from men seated at the bar. She s
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-29SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 109
Chapter 109The Kane Industries private meeting room felt too small for the four people inside it. Camille sat at the head of the polished table, Victoria to her right, Alexander to her left. Stefan Rodriguez stood awkwardly near the door, as if unsure whether to step further in or keep his escape route close."Sit, Mr. Rodriguez," Victoria said, her voice cold as winter steel. "You requested this meeting. Let's not waste time."Stefan lowered himself into a chair at the far end of the table. His once-confident posture had vanished, shoulders curving inward like a man carrying an invisible weight."Thank you for seeing me," he said, his voice rougher than Camille remembered. "I know I'm the last person you want to hear from.""Second to last," Victoria corrected. "Your former lover ranks below you."Stefan flinched. "That's why I'm here. I want to help stop Rose. And Preston."Alexander's jaw tightened. His hand moved slightly closer to Camille's on the table. "And why would we need y
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-29SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 110
Chapter 110The clock on the wall of the control room read 3:17 AM as Camille stood by Hannah Zhao's workstation, watching streams of code flicker across multiple screens. A faint blue glow bathed the room in ethereal light, casting long shadows across the faces of the twelve engineers who had been working without pause for nearly thirty-six hours."It's time," Hannah said, looking up at Camille with red-rimmed eyes that nonetheless sparkled with determination. "The first section of the Grid is ready for activation."Camille nodded, her heart pounding against her ribs. "Everyone in position?"Through her earpiece, Alexander's steady voice confirmed, "Security teams are in place. The suspected saboteur is working on the east junction, thinking he's alone while preparing the final circuits.""And whoever it is has no idea we've replaced everything?" Camille asked Hannah.Hannah's lips curved into a smile that held no humor. "Not unless they actually test the components, which doesn't ap
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-29SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 111
Chapter 111Herod Preston stood at his Tribeca penthouse windows, studying three monitors displaying data from the Phoenix Grid's first section. The screens cast an eerie blue glow across the dimly lit room."It doesn't make sense," he muttered, bourbon untouched in his hand.Rose entered, wrapped in a silk robe the color of blood, her hair damp from the shower. She moved toward him with predatory grace."What doesn't make sense?" she asked, examining the displays.Herod gestured toward the center screen. "The Grid. These readings are exactly what we expected to see. Minor fluctuations, small power surges, tiny irregularities in the data flow. All perfectly in line with our sabotage timeline.""Isn't that good?""Too good," Herod set his glass down sharply. "No unexpected variables, no human error, no deviations. It's as if someone wants us to see exactly this data." He pointed to a jagged blue line. "The fluctuations are consistent to the decimal point, repeating in an almost mathema
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-30SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 112
Chapter 112Morning light streamed through Victoria's office windows, turning the silver in her hair to platinum. She stood at the head of the conference table, reviewing the Phoenix Grid's reports."Power distribution remains stable," she noted, flipping through papers with practiced efficiency. "No anomalies detected overnight."Camille watched from across the table, noticing something off about Victoria. Her normally flawless complexion had a grayish tinge, and faint shadows underlined her eyes."Are you feeling alright?" Camille asked quietly while Alexander studied technical readouts beside her.Victoria dismissed the question with a sharp wave. "I'm fine. Let's focus on Section B. The activation is scheduled for noon."Alexander glanced up. "My security team reports no suspicious activity. If Rose and Herod are planning something, they're being extraordinarily careful."Victoria nodded, but the movement seemed to throw her off balance momentarily. She steadied herself against th
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-30
Pinakabagong kabanata
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 140
Chapter 140Herod's phone rang at 3:17 AM. The cheap motel room was dark except for the blue light of his burner phone cutting through the blackness. He squinted at the screen. Unknown number. His finger hovered over the decline button, but something made him answer."Hello?""They found everything." The voice on the other end was hushed, stressed. Derek Martinez, his contact at the FBI. "Your business card in the wreckage. Your fingerprints on the detonator parts. Plans for the bombings in your apartment."Herod sat up, suddenly wide awake. "What plans? I never kept anything in the apartment.""Well, someone did. Blueprints of the substations. Notebooks with blast calculations. A journal talking about your hatred for Victoria Kane.""That's impossible. I never wrote any journal." Herod's mouth went dry. "What else?""Your emails. Detailing everything. The FBI has enough to lock you away forever." Martinez paused. "I'm risking everything telling you this. My career, my freedom.""I ap
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 139
Chapter 139Special Agent Diana Chen ducked under the yellow tape surrounding what remained of Substation 12. The smell of burnt metal and melted plastic filled her nose. Five days after the explosion, the site still smoldered in places. FBI evidence techs in white suits moved through the wreckage, marking and collecting anything that might help identify who had done this."What do we have so far?" her partner, Agent Trent Morgan, asked as he joined her, notebook in hand.Chen pointed to a corner where three techs huddled around something. "They found pieces of the detonator. Military grade, just like at Substation 8.""So we're looking at the same person for both bombings," Morgan said, scribbling in his notebook."It gets better." Chen led him toward a table where collected evidence sat in clear plastic bags. She picked up one containing a twisted piece of metal. "Look at this."Morgan squinted at the bag. "Is that a business card?""What's left of one." Chen nodded. "Fire damaged i
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 138
Chapter 138Rain pounded against the windows of Pierce Tower as Alexander pored over security reports. Three days had passed since the Phoenix Grid attacks, and the constant worry had etched new lines around his eyes. His phone buzzed. Unknown number. He almost ignored it."Pierce.""I need to see you." A male voice, quiet but urgent. "It's about Camille. And Rose."Alexander stiffened. "Who is this?""Stefan Rodriguez."The name sent a surge of anger through Alexander. His grip tightened on the phone. "You have nothing I want to hear.""Please," Stefan's voice cracked. "Rose has contacted people, dangerous people. Camille is in danger."Alexander checked his watch. "The Plaza Hotel. Thirty minutes. Come alone."He ended the call, his thoughts churning. Stefan Rodriguez, the man who had broken Camille's heart, who had chosen Rose over her. His instinct screamed to ignore him. But if there was even a tiny chance Camille was in danger...Alexander made another call. "Double security on
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 137
Chapter 137Camille stared at the wall of screens in Kane Industries' crisis management room. Each one showed a different news channel, all broadcasting the same images: smoke pouring from the damaged substations, firefighters battling flames, and worried faces of New York citizens wondering if their power would fail next. Three hours had passed since the second explosion. The sun would rise soon, bringing with it questions they needed answers for."The press is gathering downstairs," Hannah said, placing a tablet in front of Camille. "Over forty reporters. All major networks."Camille nodded, her eyes never leaving the screens. The headline crawling across the bottom of Channel 7's broadcast made her stomach clench: "PHOENIX GRID FAILURE? KANE INDUSTRIES FACES QUESTIONS AFTER TWIN EXPLOSIONS.""Stock futures are dropping," Alexander added quietly from behind her. "Down twelve percent already."Victoria, still pale from her recent surgery but standing straight-backed and defiant, turn
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 136
Chapter 136Rose stared at the television screen, her eyes bright with a feverish glow as breaking news footage showed smoke billowing from Substation 12. The explosion had done exactly what she wanted. Chaos. Fear. The perfect beginning to Camille's downfall."It's beautiful," she whispered, running her fingertips over the screen as if caressing a lover. "Look at them scramble."Herod stood behind her, his face ashen as he watched emergency vehicles rushing to the scene. This wasn't what he had signed up for. Sabotage was one thing. Corporate espionage, stock manipulation, those were the weapons of business warfare he understood. But this... this was terrorism."We've made our point," he said, his voice tight. "The market will respond. Kane Industries stock will plummet. We can...""Point?" Rose spun around, her eyes wild. "We haven't even started." She crossed to the hotel room's small table where she'd spread out maps of the Phoenix Grid's infrastructure. The maps were covered in r
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 135
Chapter 135A thunderous boom shook the early morning quiet. Orange flame shot into the dark sky as Substation 12 of the Phoenix Grid exploded. Pieces of metal and concrete flew in all directions. The night security guard, having stepped outside for a cigarette moments earlier, stared in shock from the parking lot.Three blocks away, Rose watched from the passenger seat of a stolen van, her face lit by the distant flames. A small smile played on her lips as smoke rose into the night sky."Beautiful," she whispered. "Just like I planned."Beside her, Herod gripped the steering wheel, his face tight. "Drive now, admire later," he said, shifting the van into gear. "Security cameras might have caught us."As they sped away, emergency sirens began to wail in the distance. Fire trucks and police cars raced toward the burning substation."Phase one complete," Rose said, her voice filled with satisfaction. "Now we wait for phase two, the system collapse."Herod kept his eyes on the road, his
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 134
Chapter 134Camille's penthouse glowed with warm light against the evening sky. Floor-to-ceiling windows displayed the city below, where thousands of lights now powered by the Phoenix Grid sparkled like earthbound stars. The dining table, set for twelve, gleamed with crystal and silver.Hannah arrived first, bringing a bottle of champagne and a shy smile. She looked different outside the control room—softer somehow in a simple blue dress, her usual ponytail replaced by loose waves."It's strange to celebrate," she said as Camille welcomed her. "Part of me is still waiting for another crisis."Camille squeezed her hand. "Tonight, we just enjoy our success."The others arrived in quick succession, Mike from Hannah's team, board members who had supported the Grid from the beginning, Alexander's chief engineer who had helped design the power relays. Each brought congratulations, small gifts, happy exhaustion from the work finally completed.Camille moved among them easily, the perfect hos
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 133
Chapter 133Rose hurled the empty bottle against the wall. It shattered into tiny pieces, much like their plans. On the television, news channels couldn't stop talking about the Phoenix Grid's successful launch. Camille's face appeared on every station, her triumph complete."Turn it off!" she screamed, her voice raw from hours of rage.Herod stood by the window of their shabby motel room, his back to her. They had been forced to hide here after abandoning his penthouse. His finger pressed the remote button, silencing Camille's voice mid-sentence about "transformation" and "rising from the ashes.""All of it," Herod said, his voice hollow with defeat. "All my planning, all my resources, all the time spent cultivating Walsh as our inside man, wasted.""We knew they discovered Walsh," Rose paced the worn carpet, her movements sharp and erratic. "But how did they block the signal jammer too? That was supposed to be foolproof!"Herod turned to face her. His expensive suit looked out of pl
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 132
Chapter 132The sun shone bright over Kane Industries plaza as thousands gathered for the Phoenix Grid launch. News vans lined the streets. Cameras from every major network pointed at the stage. Reporters from six continents spoke into microphones, broadcasting to viewers around the world.Behind the stage, Camille took deep breaths. Her navy suit felt tight against her skin despite its perfect fit. In minutes, she would step out to face not just New York, but the world.Victoria approached, regal in silver gray. "Nervous?""A little," Camille admitted. "It's not just about the Grid anymore. It's about everything we've overcome to get here."Victoria nodded, understanding in her eyes. "Sometimes our greatest achievements come from our hardest battles."Alexander appeared, handsome in his dark suit. "Security reports everything looks clear so far.""That doesn't mean they're not out there," Camille said. Her hand moved to her pocket where she carried the phoenix ring. Once today was ov
