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Chapter 13
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2025-04-09 19:13:21
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SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 14
Chapter 14Camille's point of view Victoria watched with unreadable eyes as Dr. Torres led me to the large bathroom. A white cloth covered the full-length mirror. The doctor positioned me carefully, standing slightly behind my right shoulder."Remember," she said gently, "what you see today is still healing. There's swelling, bruising. The final results won't be visible for weeks. But you'll get a first impression of your new appearance."With that, she pulled away the cloth.I gasped.The woman in the mirror was me, but not me. My face but enhanced in ways that transformed my entire appearance. My cheekbones cast elegant shadows beneath them, giving my face a sculpted quality it had never possessed before. My jawline looked stronger, more defined. My brows arched slightly higher, making my eyes appear larger, more commanding.Even through residual swelling and faint bruising, I could see the changes Dr. Torres had created. Subtle individually, powerful collectively. My lips had a ne
Last Updated : 2025-04-09SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 15
Chapter 15CAMILLE'S POINT OF VIEWThe fist came at my face too fast to dodge. I tried to block like Jason had taught me, but my arms felt heavy as stone. His knuckles grazed my cheek as I stumbled backward."Too slow," he barked. "Again."My lungs burned. Sweat stung my eyes. We'd been at this for almost two hours, and the digital clock on the gym wall showed 5:47 AM. The sun wasn't even up yet.Jason Winters stood opposite me on the training mat, barely breathing hard. His military haircut and scarred face gave nothing away, no tiredness, no frustration, just cold assessment. As Victoria's head of security, he'd protected presidents and royalty before becoming my combat instructor three weeks ago."I can't," I gasped, hands on my knees. "Need water.""Your sister won't give you water when she's destroying everything you love," he said flatly. "Your ex-husband won't offer a break when he's laughing at your weakness."The mention of Rose and Stefan sent fresh anger coursing through me
Last Updated : 2025-04-09SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 16
Chapter 16Camille's point of view By four o'clock, my brain felt stuffed with French conjugations and pronunciation corrections. My third coffee of the day wasn't helping the shaking in my hands.Mrs. Harrington, the etiquette coach, noticed immediately. "A lady never allows fatigue to show," she reprimanded, straightening my already-straight spine. "Shoulders back. Chin parallel to the floor. Now, let's review the proper handling of difficult dinner conversations."For two more hours, we practiced responding to inappropriate questions, managing awkward silences, and the subtle art of steering conversations toward or away from specific topics. All skills Victoria deemed essential for navigating the society events that would soon fill my calendar.When James finally drove me back to the mansion at six, I had exactly forty-five minutes to prepare for dinner with the board members. My head pounded. Black spots danced at the edges of my vision. The thought of making small talk with twel
Last Updated : 2025-04-10SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 17
Chapter 17ROSE'S POINT OF VIEW"Ms. Lewis, do you think the police should reopen the investigation into your sister's death?"The reporter's question hit me like ice water as I stepped out of my boutique. Three months. Three months since Camille's car had been pulled from the river. Three months of playing the grieving sister while secretly celebrating my freedom. And still, these vultures wouldn't let it rest.I arranged my face into the perfect mask of dignified grief I'd perfected. "My family continues to cooperate fully with authorities," I said, voice carefully modulated to show emotion without appearing unstable. "But we've accepted the official conclusion. Sometimes we must find peace without all the answers."The reporter pressed closer, microphone extended. "Sources close to the investigation say no body was ever recovered. Some suggest the case should be treated as a missing person situation rather than a presumed drowning."My heart skipped a beat, though my expression rem
Last Updated : 2025-04-10SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 18
Chapter 18Rose point in viewBy evening, I was exhausted from maintaining the perfect balance of grieving sister and focused businesswoman. My driver took me to my parents' house for our weekly family dinner, a tradition I'd insisted on continuing "to help us heal together."In reality, these dinners served to monitor my parents, manage the family narrative, and remind everyone of my central role in holding things together post-tragedy. Tonight, however, I dreaded facing Mom's suspicious eyes.The house looked the same as always, manicured lawn, gleaming windows, tasteful luxury evident in every detail. The home I'd been brought to fourteen years ago, plucked from the foster system into privilege. The home where I'd systematically established my dominance over every aspect of family life.Helen, the housekeeper, opened the door before I could ring the bell. "They're in the sitting room, Miss Rose. Your mother's had... a difficult day." Mom was drinking again. Perfect. An inebriated
Last Updated : 2025-04-10SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 19
Chapter 19CAMILLE'S POINT OF VIEWFour months into my new life as Camille Kane, I finally had a day to myself. No combat training with Jason. No business lessons. No public appearances or meetings with Victoria's corporate associates. Just twenty-four hours of unscheduled time stretching before me like an unexpected gift.I'd almost forgotten what freedom felt like.The morning sun streamed through my bedroom windows as I lingered over breakfast on my private balcony. Below, gardeners tended the immaculate grounds of Victoria's estate, a sprawling property that occupied thirty acres of prime real estate just outside Manhattan. Despite living here for months, I'd seen only a fraction of it, my daily routine too packed with lessons and training to allow exploration.But not today.I dressed casually in jeans and a sweater, clothes I rarely wore now that my wardrobe consisted primarily of designer business attire and formal wear. My reflection in the mirror still startled me sometimes,
Last Updated : 2025-04-10SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 20
Chapter 20Camille's point of view The voice behind me sent the frame tumbling from my hands. It hit the carpet with a muffled thud as I spun around.Victoria stood in the doorway, her expression a storm of fury and pain. Her usually perfect appearance was disheveled, clothes wrinkled from travel, hair slightly mussed, as if she'd rushed home unexpectedly."I....I thought you were in Tokyo," I stammered, heart hammering against my ribs."Flight canceled due to mechanical issues." Her eyes swept the room, cataloging any disturbance I might have caused. "You didn't answer my question."I could have lied. Could have claimed I got lost, accidentally found the key, had innocent reasons for snooping. But something in Victoria's face, the raw wound exposed beneath her anger, demanded honesty."I was curious," I admitted, bending to retrieve the fallen photo frame. "About the locked wing. About why it was off-limits.""So you invaded my privacy. Searched my office for the key. Entered a spac
Last Updated : 2025-04-10SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 21
Chapter 21Camille's point of view Victoria's gaze sharpened. "Yes. Every lesson, every challenge, every seemingly excessive demand, they all serve that purpose. To make you stronger than Sophia was. More prepared for the dangers wealth and power attract.""And to make me capable of the revenge you've planned.""That too," she acknowledged. "The people who hurt you must pay for what they've done. But beyond revenge lies something more important, your future. What you'll build after justice is served."I considered her words, understanding for the first time that Victoria's vision extended beyond my usefulness as an instrument of revenge. She was investing in me for reasons beyond my resemblance to Sophia or my vendetta against Rose."I still shouldn't have come in here without permission," I said after a moment. "This space is sacred to you. I violated that."Victoria sighed, tension visibly leaving her shoulders. "Perhaps it was inevitable. Perhaps it was even necessary." She turned
Last Updated : 2025-04-11
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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
