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Chapter 122
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2025-05-02 15:14:32
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SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 123
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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-02SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 124
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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-02SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 125
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,"
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-02SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 126
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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-03SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 127
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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-03SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 128
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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-03SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 129
Chapter 129Herod stared at his computer screen, forehead creased with confusion. The data from Walsh's latest information drop sat before him, schematics of the Phoenix Grid's western junction, maintenance logs, security protocols, power flow diagrams. Everything they would need to exploit the supposed vulnerability during the launch ceremony.It looked perfect. Too perfect.He zoomed in on a section of the access codes, his suspicion growing with each passing second. He had spent decades in the technology sector before turning his attention to Victoria Kane. He knew systems architecture like others knew their childhood homes. And something about these files felt wrong."What's the matter?" Rose asked, entering his home office with a cup of coffee. Her movements were jagged, tense, like a loaded spring ready to snap. Her obsession with Camille's engagement had only worsened over the past two days."I'm not sure yet," Herod murmured, not looking up from the screen. He pulled up anothe
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-03SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 130
Chapter 130Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Camille's penthouse, casting long silver shadows across the living room. The city sparkled below, millions of lights that would soon be powered by the Phoenix Grid. Camille stood by the window, a glass of champagne untouched in her hand, watching the world she was about to change.The door opened behind her. Alexander's reflection appeared in the glass, his tie loosened, jacket discarded. He moved toward her with quiet steps, his eyes never leaving her face."Hannah just called," he said, his voice low in the stillness of the room. "They found trackers in the files they fed to Walsh. Herod accessed them three hours ago."Camille turned, a smile spreading across her face. "So they took the bait.""Completely." Alexander closed the distance between them, taking her free hand in his. "The trackers activated and showed them at Herod's penthouse, but only briefly. They must have discovered the monitoring. By the time th
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-03
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SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 143
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
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 142
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
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 141
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
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
