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Chapter 30
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2025-04-14 15:06:05
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SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 31
Chapter 31Camille's point of view "Ms. Kane." A deep voice interrupted my thoughts. "Andrew Hargrove, Meridian Investments. I've been hoping to speak with you about your approach to the TechVault integration."I turned to find a middle-aged executive with expensive dental work and even more expensive cufflinks. One of many who had dismissed me during my first attempt at the MicroLink negotiation, now eager to discuss strategy with Victoria Kane's heir."Mr. Hargrove," I replied, extending my hand. "I believe we met briefly at the Barrett negotiations last year."His expression flickered with confusion, then embarrassment as he failed to recall our previous encounter. "Did we? I apologize for not remembering.""No apology necessary," I assured him, satisfaction warming my chest. "I was observing rather than participating at that point in my training."Training. As if I'd been Victoria's protégée all along, not a broken woman she'd rescued and transformed for mutual benefit."Of cours
Last Updated : 2025-04-14SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 32
CAMILLE'S POINT OF VIEWHis words hung in the air between us, dangerous and sharp. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Ms. Kane. Or should I use your previous name?"I 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 in me focused on not revealing the bolt of fear that shot through my body."I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else," I said, withdrawing my hand from his grasp. My voice stayed perfectly steady, cool and distant. "I don't have a previous name."Alexander Pierce studied me with 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, examining me as 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 ch
Last Updated : 2025-04-14SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 33
Camille's point of view Everyone else saw what I wanted them to see. What Victoria had crafted me to show. Alexander Pierce had somehow looked past all of that to the woman beneath, the woman I thought was safely buried.I showered, letting hot water wash away the last traces of tonight's performance, then changed into silk pajamas and moved to the sitting area of my suite. Sleep would be impossible with my mind in such turmoil. Instead, I poured a small glass of bourbon from the decanter on my side table, a habit adopted from Victoria, and curled into the window seat overlooking the grounds.The estate spread below me, perfectly manicured gardens now shadowed in moonlight, security lights marking the perimeter in the distance. Beyond the gates, the city glowed against the night sky, millions of lives unfolding in patterns I would never know.*"I suspect we'll be seeing more of each other, Ms. Kane."*His words played in my mind, the confidence in them suggesting he'd already decided
Last Updated : 2025-04-14SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 34
Chapter 34 "You'll attend the Bellamy Gallery auction in my place tonight," Victoria said, not looking up from the documents spread across her desk. The statement carried the weight of command rather than request. Camille paused by the doorway of Victoria's home office. "The Bellamy auction? Isn't that where..." "Yes," Victoria confirmed, finally glancing up with calculating eyes. "According to my sources, both Rose and Stefan will be in attendance. Rose has been desperately trying to secure a meeting with Kane Industries' investment team for weeks. This presents an... opportunity." Camille's heart quickened. "To see them?" "To observe their dynamics in a neutral setting. To understand exactly what you're up against." Victoria rose from her chair, moving to stand before Camille with critical assessment. "The question is whether you're ready." "I've spent months preparing," Camille replied, steadying her voice. "I've changed everything about myself. They won't recognize me." Vict
Last Updated : 2025-04-15SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 35
ALEXANDER POINT OF VIEW The soft hum of my car's engine fills the silence as I watch the gallery entrance. Rain taps against the windows, turning the city lights into blurred stars. My thoughts keep returning to her - to the moment she collided with me outside that powder room, to the brief flash of raw emotion in her eyes before her careful mask slipped back into place.Camille. Even her name feels different on my tongue now.My security team thinks I'm obsessed. Maybe they're right. I've spent a year tracking her transformation, gathering every scrap of information about who she was before Victoria Kane molded her into this new creation. The photos tell a story Victoria doesn't understand, a story of survival, not victimhood.I pull up an old photo on my phone. Camille Lewis at her engagement party, standing slightly behind Rose while Stefan's attention clearly drifted toward her sister. Even then, something in her eyes spoke of quiet strength. They never saw it. Never recognized w
Last Updated : 2025-04-15SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 36
Chapter 36 Camille's point of view There's a particular satisfaction in watching something fall apart from a distance, in witnessing the precise moment when confidence shatters and reality crashes down. Victoria had taught me that. "True power isn't in the destruction itself," she'd told me once, "but in knowing you orchestrated it while they never saw you coming." As I sat at the head of the conference table in Kane industries' executive boardroom, I savored that lesson, watching the faces of Pacific Maritime's leadership crumble under the weight of their impending ruin. I watched the numbers change on my tablet as Pacific Maritime's stock price plummeted. Each drop represented another piece of Stefan's empire crumbling. The company's board members sat across from me in Kane Industries' main conference room, their faces growing paler by the minute. "Your company lost forty percent of its value in the last hour," I said, my voice carrying through the silent room. "In fifteen minut
Last Updated : 2025-04-15SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 37
Stefan hurled his crystal tumbler against the wall of his home office. The sound of shattering glass matched the chaos in his mind. Forty percent. His company stock had dropped forty percent in a single day. Billions wiped out in hours.His phone kept buzzing, board members, investors, his father. All demanding answers he didn't have. How had Kane Industries outmaneuvered them so completely? The takeover of Pacific Maritime shouldn't have been possible. Their defenses had been solid. Their contracts secured.Yet here he sat, watching his family's legacy crumble through real-time stock updates on his phone screen. Each notification drove the knife deeper."Darling?" Rose's voice drifted through his office door. "Can we talk about the wedding plans? The planner needs final numbers for-""Not now." His voice came out harsh, rough from hours of emergency calls.She entered anyway, dressed for the evening in a red designer dress that probably cost more than his employees made in a month.
Last Updated : 2025-04-15SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 38
Chapter 38Camille's point of view I sat in my private office at Kane Industries, watching six screens track different aspects of my plan to destroy Rodriguez Shipping. Each monitor told part of the story, stock prices, trading volumes, news alerts, social media sentiment, competitor reactions, and internal communications we'd managed to intercept. One year of meticulous preparation leading to this pivotal moment. The leather of my executive chair creaked softly as I leaned forward, my reflection in the darkened glass showing a woman I sometimes barely recognized."Ready?" Victoria asked from the doorway, her tailored charcoal suit as impeccable as always. Her eyes gleamed with the predatory anticipation I'd come to recognize over our months working together."Everything's in position." I pulled up the final numbers, watching as our algorithms predicted the coming cascade. "Our traders are standing by in London, New York, and Singapore. The evidence of Rodriguez Shipping's safety vio
Last Updated : 2025-04-16
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SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 146
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
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 145
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
SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes Chapter 144
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
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
