Chapter 84Rain pounded against the windows of Kane Industries as Camille reviewed the quarterly reports for the Phoenix Grid project. The soft glow of her desk lamp created a bubble of light in the darkening office. Most employees had gone home hours ago, but Camille found comfort in the solitude of these late hours. Here, in the quiet, she could focus on creation rather than destruction.Her phone buzzed with a text from Alexander: *Still working? The world won't change in a single night.*A smile tugged at her lips. She typed back: *Says the man who probably hasn't left his lab yet.*Three dots appeared, then: *Guilty. Dinner tomorrow?*Before she could respond, a sharp knock echoed through her office. Camille glanced up, expecting her assistant with the financial projections she'd requested.Instead, Rose stood in the doorway.Time seemed to slow as their eyes locked. Rose looked different—thinner, harder. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. Her designer clothes had been replaced by a
Chapter 85Rose stepped out of the black sedan, her eyes adjusting to the fading daylight as she gazed up at the gleaming skyscraper. The doorman nodded respectfully as she entered the marble lobby, her heels clicking against the polished floor,the last vestige of her former life's confidence. The private elevator climbed sixty floors without stopping. She studied her reflection in the mirrored walls, barely recognizing the woman staring back. Her cheekbones jutted sharply beneath skin that had lost its glow. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. Only her expression remained unchanged, cold determination etched into every line."You made it," Herod Preston said as the elevator doors slid open directly into his penthouse. He stood framed against floor-to-ceiling windows, Manhattan sprawled behind him like a glittering carpet. "Welcome to your new home.""Temporary arrangement," Rose corrected, stepping into the vast space. Her gaze swept across Italian furniture, original artwork, and views
Camille woke to her phone's insistent buzz. Seventeen missed calls. Forty-two texts. Hundreds of news alerts.Her stomach tightened as she read the first notification: "BREAKING: Kane Heiress Mental Health Crisis Exposed."The Daily Chronicle headline screamed across her screen: "CAMILLE LEWIS: THE DISTURBING TRUTH BEHIND THE REVENGE PLOT."Below it, a photo of Rose looking vulnerable and tearful, alongside an image of Camille from the Phoenix Gala, her expression caught in a moment that appeared almost manic.She scrolled down, each paragraph hitting her like a physical blow:"Anonymous sources close to the Lewis family have revealed a decades-long history of mental health concerns regarding Camille Lewis. Medical records suggest diagnoses of paranoid delusions and persecution complex dating back to her teenage years.""These conditions reportedly worsened after her marriage to Stefan Rodriguez, culminating in violent outbursts and fabricated accusations against her adopted sister, R
Rose lifted her champagne flute, the bubbles catching the afternoon sunlight that streamed through the penthouse windows. Across the table, Herod mirrored her movement, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. On the television behind them, muted news channels cycled through images of Camille's face alongside headlines questioning her mental state. The stock ticker at the bottom showed Kane Industries down fifteen percent and falling."To bringing down giants," Herod said.They clinked glasses. Rose savored the expensive champagne, allowing herself this moment of triumph. "I must admit," Herod said, settling back in his chair, "your media contacts exceeded my expectations. The coverage is... spectacular."Rose smiled, running her finger along the rim of her glass. "Money talks. But so do old favors." She nodded toward the television where her tearful interview was replaying. "Eliza Jenkins has hated Victoria Kane for a decade. Ever since Victoria blocked her husband's appointment to the
Chapter 88The executive boardroom of Kane Industries fell silent as Victoria Kane entered, Camille following close behind. Ten pairs of eyes tracked their movement, calculating and wary. The morning sunlight streaming through the windows did nothing to warm the atmosphere.Victoria took her place at the head of the table. Camille sat to her right, feeling the weight of scrutiny press down on her shoulders. She had dressed with particular care that morning—a structured navy suit, minimal jewelry, hair pulled back severely. The outfit of a serious businesswoman, not an unstable heiress.James Whitley, the longest-serving board member, cleared his throat. "Thank you for meeting on such short notice. Given the extraordinary circumstances, we felt immediate discussion was necessary."Victoria's face remained impassive. "The circumstances being?""Don't play games, Victoria," snapped Eleanor Price from across the table. The former federal judge had always maintained professional distance.
Chapter 89Alexander Pierce's car slid to a stop outside the modest apartment building in Brooklyn. He checked the address on his phone again, confirming this was indeed where Stefan Rodriguez now lived. The fall from grace had been steep, from a penthouse overlooking Central Park to this brick walkup with peeling paint."Wait here," he told his driver, stepping out into the brisk afternoon air.The security buzzer was broken. Alexander pushed through the lobby door, grimacing at the smell of old cooking oil and cigarettes that hung in the narrow hallway. Apartment 3B was at the end of the third-floor corridor, its door as shabby as the rest of the building.Alexander straightened his tie, a habit from childhood when facing difficult situations, and knocked.Footsteps approached from inside, followed by the click of locks. The door swung open to reveal Stefan Rodriguez, unshaven and bleary-eyed in wrinkled clothes. Recognition dawned slowly on his face, followed by confusion."Pierce?
Chapter 90Camille sat frozen in Victoria's private office, eyes fixed on the television. Alexander paced behind her chair while Victoria stood near the window. The screen showed the Plaza Hotel ballroom converted into a press area, camera flashes pulsing across the room."Are you sure you want to watch this?" Alexander asked, touching Camille's shoulder.Camille nodded, unable to speak, her throat tight and hands cold."They might still side with Rose," Victoria warned. "Be prepared."The camera shifted to show Margaret and Richard Lewis entering. Camille sucked in a breath. Her parents looked older than she remembered, her father's shoulders stooped, her mother's face drawn. Behind them, unexpectedly, came Stefan Rodriguez."What is he doing there?" Camille whispered."Alexander's handiwork, I suspect," Victoria replied.Richard adjusted the microphone, his hand trembling slightly. "Thank you all for coming. My wife and I have called this press conference to address the disturbing a
Chapter 91The crystal vase shattered against the wall, water and roses exploding across the cream-colored paint. Rose grabbed the next item within reach, a heavy silver photo frame and hurled it at the television where her parents' faces still filled the screen."Liars!" she screamed, her voice raw. "Filthy, worthless liars!"The frame cracked the television screen, splitting her father's image in two before the picture went black.Rose stood in the middle of Herod's penthouse living room, chest heaving, hair wild around her face. The elegant space lay in ruins around her, furniture overturned, glass broken, papers scattered across the floor. Her hands trembled with rage as she searched for something else to destroy."Fourteen years!" She kicked over a side table, sending a lamp crashing to the floor. "Fourteen years playing the perfect daughter! The supportive sister! And they throw it away for her?"She grabbed a leather-bound book and tore it in half, pages fluttering around her 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
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
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
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
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
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
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