Chapter 121Rose hurled the crystal glass across the penthouse. It shattered against the wall in a spray of liquid and glittering shards. On the television screen, Camille and Alexander stood side by side at their press conference, hands joined, faces composed, turning what should have been their greatest humiliation into a triumph."How?" Rose screamed at the screen. "How is this happening?"She grabbed the remote, increasing the volume to hear her sister's voice, calm, dignified, unashamed: *"Yes, Alexander Pierce and I are in a relationship. It began recently, but it is genuine and important to both of us."*Genuine. Important. The words burned in Rose's ears like acid. This was not how it was supposed to go. Camille should have been destroyed by this exposure, her reputation in tatters, her position at Kane Industries compromised. Instead, she stood there with perfect poise, Alexander at her side, accepting no blame, showing no weakness.Rose grabbed another glass, ready to send i
Chapter 122The Metropolitan Museum sparkled under crystal chandeliers as New York's wealthiest gathered for the annual Children's Hospital Benefit Auction. Camille stood just outside the entrance, her heart pounding against her ribs. Tonight marked their first public appearance as an acknowledged couple since the press conference three days ago."Nervous?" Alexander asked beside her, his hand warm against the small of her back.She smoothed her midnight blue gown. "A little. Everyone will be watching us.""Let them watch," he replied. "We have nothing to hide anymore."The double doors opened. A hundred heads turned as they entered together. Conversations paused. For one breathless moment, the entire room seemed frozen, assessing, judging.Then applause broke out, scattered at first, then spreading until it filled the hall. People were actually clapping for them, smiling in approval. Camille felt Alexander's hand tighten slightly on her back, a silent signal of shared surprise."Well
Chapter 123Herod stared at the monitors, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of his desk. The data scrolling across the screens made no sense. According to every parameter, the Phoenix Grid should be showing signs of stress by now. The modified circuits James Walsh had installed were designed to create power fluctuations after seventy-two hours. That deadline had passed yesterday.Yet the Grid ran perfectly.He pulled up news footage of Victoria Kane's press conference from that morning, where she proudly announced the successful activation of the Grid's third section. Her silver hair gleamed under the lights as she promised New York "the most reliable power system in the world." The reporters applauded. The stock climbed higher.Something was very wrong."Damn it," he muttered, slamming his palm against the desk. The coffee cup beside his keyboard jumped, spilling dark liquid across his papers.Behind him, the penthouse door opened. Rose entered, carrying shopping bags from ex
Chapter 124Camille sat in the back of the town car, watching familiar streets pass by outside the window. Each turn brought her closer to the mansion she had grown up in, the place she had once thought safe until Rose had shattered that illusion forever."You're sure about this?" Victoria asked from beside her.Camille turned, still surprised that Victoria had insisted on accompanying her to dinner with her parents. She had announced her decision that morning, brooking no argument when Camille had tried to dissuade her."I'm not sure about anything where my family is concerned," Camille admitted. "But my mother has called every week since the press conference. They've apologized multiple times. At some point, I have to at least hear them out."Victoria's expression remained neutral, but her eyes held a protective wariness. "Apologies are easy. Changed behavior is what matters."The car slowed as they approached the Lewis estate, an imposing limestone mansion set back from the street
Chapter 125Hannah Zhao stared at her computer screen, the blue light reflecting off her glasses as she analyzed access logs to the Phoenix Grid's secure database."I found it," she said as Camille approached with coffee. "The leak in our team."Camille set down the cups, suddenly alert. "Show me."Hannah displayed a series of highlighted entries. "Someone's been accessing our secure servers between 2:00 and 3:00 AM three times weekly. Always the same nights, always looking at Grid specifications, safety protocols, activation sequences.""Do you know who?" Camille asked, leaning closer.Hannah nodded grimly. "I installed a silent tracker last week." She opened another window showing screenshots. "It's Walsh.""The maintenance technician who installed the modified circuits?" Camille's eyes narrowed."The same. We were watching his physical access, but overlooked his digital footprint." Hannah pulled up financial records. "He's still receiving payments from an offshore account.""Rose,"
Chapter 126"Where are we going?" Camille asked as Alexander's car turned onto an unexpected street. They had left Kane Industries after a long day of final preparations for the Phoenix Grid launch.Alexander smiled, eyes on the road. "A small detour. Something I want to show you."They rounded a corner, and Boston Memorial Hospital came into view, its glass façade gleaming in the late afternoon sun."The hospital?" Camille's brow furrowed. "Why here?""This place matters to us," Alexander said simply, parking the car. "Where everything began."He turned to face her, his expression unusually nervous. "I wanted to bring you back here for a reason."Without further explanation, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. Camille's heart stuttered in her chest."Alexander," she breathed."I've been carrying this for weeks." He opened the box, revealing a stunning ring, a brilliant diamond set in a platinum phoenix, its wings curving to cradle the stone, ti
Chapter 127Rose stared at the photos spread across the marble countertop of Herod's penthouse kitchen. Grainy images captured through a long-distance lens, yet clear enough to show what mattered. Camille and Alexander outside Boston Memorial Hospital. His hand holding something small. Her visible shock. Their embrace. And most damning of all, her hand afterward, a distinctive ring glinting on her finger."She's engaged," Rose whispered, the words burning her throat like acid. "He proposed and she said yes."She'd sent one of their hired men to follow Camille that afternoon, a precaution after Walsh had provided them with the misleading Grid information. She hadn't expected this."Are you certain?" Herod asked, examining the photos over her shoulder. "The quality isn't great."Rose's fingernail stabbed at the clearest image. "Look at her finger. That's an engagement ring."Herod squinted. "Could be any ring.""It's not just any ring." Rose's voice sharpened. "I know what an engagement
Chapter 128The Phoenix Grid control room hummed with activity. Massive screens displayed real-time data from thousands of connection points throughout the city. Engineers moved between workstations, checking and rechecking every system.Hannah Zhao stood in the center, tablet in hand displaying the master checklist. Three days until the official launch, and the pressure weighed on her shoulders."Junction forty-three, status?" she called."All green," came the response. "Power flow nominal, security protocols active, redundancy systems standing by."Hannah marked it off her list. They had been working for twenty hours straight, methodically testing every component. The sabotaged systems that Walsh had compromised required particularly careful attention.Camille entered, immaculate in a tailored suit despite the early hour. Only the shadows under her eyes betrayed her exhaustion."Progress report?" she asked, moving to Hannah's side."Eighty-seven percent complete," Hannah replied, ha
Chapter 146Pain came first. A deep, burning ache in his chest that seemed to pulse with each heartbeat. Then sounds filtered in, the steady beep of machines, the squeak of rubber-soled shoes on linoleum, hushed voices just beyond his reach.Herod Preston opened his eyes.The hospital room swam into focus slowly. White ceiling. Blue curtains. Clear tubes running into his arms. And a man in a dark suit sitting beside his bed, watching him with tired eyes."Mr. Preston," the man said, leaning forward. "I'm Special Agent Morgan with the FBI. Can you hear me?"Herod tried to speak, but his throat felt like sandpaper. A nurse appeared, holding a small cup of water with a straw. He sipped, the cool liquid both painful and soothing as it went down."Yes," he managed finally, his voice a raspy whisper. "I hear you."Agent Morgan nodded to someone Herod couldn't see. A woman stepped into view, also in a dark suit. "Agent Chen," she introduced herself. "You've been unconscious for four days, Mr
Chapter 145Rose paced the tiny motel room, her expensive boots wearing a path in the cheap carpet. The walls closed in on her, yellow from decades of cigarette smoke, spotted with water stains. How had it come to this? She, Rose Lewis, hiding in this filthy place while her sister lived in luxury.The TV blared the noon news. Rose turned up the volume when she heard the words "Kane Industries.""The annual Phoenix Foundation charity gala will proceed as planned this Friday night, despite recent security concerns," the reporter announced. "Camille Kane released a statement today confirming that the event, which raises funds for the Children's Hospital, will not be postponed."The camera cut to Camille standing at a podium, looking confident and polished. "We refuse to let fear dictate our actions," she said, her voice strong. "The children who benefit from this gala need our support now more than ever."Rose hurled her coffee mug at the TV screen. It shattered, coffee splashing across
Chapter 144Camille stood at the window of her office, a cup of coffee cooling in her hands as she watched the city below. The Phoenix Grid had fully recovered from the bombings, with the repairs finished ahead of schedule. In two days, Kane Industries would host its annual charity gala, celebrating both the Grid's success and raising money for the children's hospital. Everything was going according to plan.Until Alexander Pierce walked in, his face grim."We need to talk," he said, closing the door behind him.Something in his voice made Camille's stomach tighten. She set down her coffee cup. "What happened?"Alexander loosened his tie, a gesture he only made when upset. "Herod Preston was shot three times in a motel room yesterday. He'd called the FBI to turn himself in, but before they got there, someone tried to kill him.""Rose," Camille said immediately. It wasn't a question.Alexander nodded. "The motel room was registered under her name. She escaped through the bathroom windo
Chapter 143Rose ran across the motel parking lot, her mind racing faster than her feet. The worn soles of her expensive shoes slapped against cracked asphalt as panic clawed at her chest. Herod was going to tell the FBI everything. Her plan, her revenge, her future, all of it would crumble if he talked.She reached her car, not her car, really, but one of Herod's cars. Her hands shook as she fumbled with the keys. The recorder. The damned recorder he'd shown her. How long had he been recording their conversations? What exactly had she said?Rose stopped, the key halfway to the lock. She couldn't run. Not yet. Not while Herod sat in that motel room with a phone pressed to his ear, her name on his lips, and evidence of her crimes in his pocket.In the distance, sirens wailed. Still far away, but coming closer.Rose looked back at Room 17, its faded blue door visible from where she stood. Behind that door sat the man who could destroy everything she'd built. Everything she'd sacrificed
Chapter 142The morning news blared from the small TV in their latest hideout, a run-down motel on the outskirts of the city. Herod sat on the edge of the bed, watching his own face flash across the screen. The reporter's voice filled the cramped room."Federal authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Herod Preston, naming him as the primary suspect in the Phoenix Grid bombings. Officials cite overwhelming evidence found in Preston's apartment, including detailed plans and materials matching those used in the attacks."Rose emerged from the bathroom, her wet hair wrapped in a towel. "Turn that off," she snapped. "We already know what they're saying."Herod didn't move. His eyes remained fixed on the screen as the reporter continued."Sources close to the investigation reveal Preston had a long-standing grudge against Victoria Kane, whose company developed the Phoenix Grid. If convicted, Preston faces terrorism charges that could carry multiple life sentences without possibility o
Chapter 141Victoria Kane stared at the medical report on her desk, the words blurring as her eyes filled with unwanted tears. The cancer had spread faster than expected. Six months, maybe less, was all the time she had left. She pushed the papers away and stood to look out her office window.Her own reflection stared back at her, thinner now, her face pale and drawn from the treatments that weren't working. The doctor had suggested stopping them, focusing instead on comfort measures. "Quality of life over quantity," he'd said gently.Victoria had walked out without answering. Quality wasn't enough. She needed time. Time to secure Camille's future. Time to make sure her daughter by choice would be protected when Victoria was gone.Her assistant's voice came through the intercom. "Mrs. Lewis has arrived."Victoria straightened her jacket, checked her reflection once more, and squared her shoulders. No one, not even Margaret Lewis, would see her weakness today."Send her in."Margaret L
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
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
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