Chapter 92The private dining room at Per Se glowed with amber light, Manhattan's skyline twinkling beyond floor-to-ceiling windows. Camille swirled her wine, watching the deep red liquid catch the light. The remnants of their nine-course meal and two bottles of Bordeaux scattered across the table."To resurrection," Victoria said, raising her glass, platinum hair shimmering in the candlelight."To truth," Alexander added from beside Camille."To unexpected allies," Camille said, joining the toast with a delicate clink of crystal, thinking of her parents and Stefan defending her when she least expected it.After days of crisis management, simply sitting and breathing felt like luxury."The board has officially reversed their position," Victoria said. "The emergency meeting lasted ten minutes. Gordon couldn't backpedal fast enough."Alexander smiled. "Amazing how quickly principles dissolve when stock prices recover.""They never had principles," Victoria replied. "Just fear. And fear
Chapter 93Camille's phone buzzed against the boardroom table, its vibration cutting through her presentation. She glanced at the screen and felt her stomach drop."Excuse me," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "Let's take a five-minute break."As the engineering team filed out, Camille opened the alert.*BREAKING: Kane Industries (KI) down 8.7% on rumors of Phoenix Grid safety concerns*She scrolled quickly to a financial blog post: "SOURCES CLAIM PHOENIX GRID POSES UNPRECEDENTED FIRE RISK."The article cited "anonymous whistleblowers inside Kane Engineering" who allegedly provided documents showing the power distribution nodes could overheat under certain conditions. The claims were vague but specific enough to sound credible.Camille called Victoria. No answer. She tried Alexander next."I've seen it," he said immediately. "PR is already crafting a response.""Who would do this?" Camille demanded, pacing the empty boardroom. "Three days before groundbreaking? This isn't c
Chapter 94Rose stepped onto the balcony of Herod's penthouse, a glass of champagne catching the golden light of sunset. Below, Manhattan sprawled in all its glittering glory, oblivious to the small victory celebration taking place sixty floors above."To successful beginnings," Herod said, joining her with his own glass. The evening breeze ruffled his dark hair, softening his usually severe appearance."Six percent," Rose replied, satisfaction warming her voice. "Six percent drop in a single day. Millions wiped from Kane Industries' value."Their glasses clinked, crystal meeting crystal with a delicate ring. Rose sipped the expensive champagne, bubbles dancing on her tongue. The taste of revenge was even sweeter than the Dom Pérignon."You should have seen Victoria's face during that press conference," she said, leaning against the railing. "So controlled on the surface, but I know that look in her eyes. She's rattled."Herod studied her, his expression curious. "You enjoy this, don'
Chapter 95Three hours later, Rose gazed out the window of a private dining room in Montreal's most exclusive restaurant. Snow fell gently outside, illuminated by street lamps and café lights. Inside, candles flickered on their table, casting warm shadows across fine linens and crystal."You seem surprised to be enjoying yourself," Herod observed, watching her over the rim of his wine glass.Rose turned from the window. "I am, a little. I haven't thought about anything but revenge for so long. It feels strange to just... exist.""Vengeance is consuming," Herod agreed. "It leaves little room for ordinary pleasures.""Is that why you collect books? To remember there's life beyond revenge?"He considered this. "Perhaps. Though I began collecting long before Victoria Kane entered my life."Rose studied him in the candlelight. Without the hard edges of their planning sessions, Herod Preston revealed different facets, cultured, thoughtful, even charming in his precise way."Tell me about th
Chapter 96The city lights twinkled below Camille's penthouse like fallen stars trapped on earth. She stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows, arms wrapped around herself, watching the tiny cars move through the streets forty floors below. Behind her, Alexander poured two glasses of red wine, the soft gurgle of liquid filling the comfortable silence between them.It had been three days since the press the Phoenix project has issue and they sorted it out. Three days of relative peace. The thought felt strange to Camille, peace was not something she had known since finding those divorce papers twenty five months ago."Your thoughts seem far away," Alexander said, approaching with the wine glasses. His footsteps were quiet on the plush carpet.Camille accepted the glass, her fingers brushing his. That small touch sent warmth spreading up her arm. "Not far. Just... processing everything."Alexander stood beside her at the window. Unlike many men who felt the need to fill silence, he seemed
Chapter 97Rain lashed against the windows of Victoria Kane's office, matching her dark mood. She sat rigid in her leather chair, eyes fixed on the large screen mounted on the wall. The security footage playing before her sent ice through her veins despite the warmth of the room.Martin, her head of security, stood nearby, his face grim as they watched Rose Lewis slip into a side entrance of an upscale restaurant. The timestamp showed 9:43 PM, two days ago."Pause it," Victoria commanded.Martin pressed a button on the remote. The image froze, capturing Rose mid-step, her face partly hidden by large sunglasses despite the late hour. Even in disguise, the hatred Victoria felt for this woman burned in her stomach like acid."Continue."The footage resumed. Rose moved through the restaurant, head down, until she reached a private dining area in the back. A waiter pulled aside a curtain, revealing a booth where someone already waited. The camera angle only showed the back of a man's head,
Chapter 98Rose stared at the screens covering the wall of Herod Preston's penthouse office. Six displays showed different angles of the Phoenix Grid construction site, live feeds that shouldn't exist. Workers in yellow hard hats moved across the site like ants, unaware of the predatory eyes watching their every move."Your security access is impressive," Rose said, stepping closer to examine a monitor showing the main control center where engineers hunched over computers. "How did you get these feeds?"Herod's mouth curled into the barest hint of a smile. "Money opens doors. Especially when those doors belong to underpaid security guards with gambling debts."He stood beside her, close enough that she could smell his expensive cologne. In the three weeks since they'd begun working together, Rose had grown to appreciate his attention to detail. Unlike the men she'd manipulated before, Herod Preston understood the value of patience. Of precision."And our man?" she asked, tapping a fi
Chapter 99:Morning sunlight bathed the construction site in golden light as hundreds gathered for the Phoenix Grid groundbreaking ceremony. Camera crews swarmed like bees, jostling for position around the stage erected at the center of what would soon become the most advanced power distribution hub in the country. Massive red banners bearing the Kane Industries logo and the Phoenix Grid emblem fluttered in the spring breeze.Behind the stage, in a temporary structure serving as a preparation area, Camille stared at her reflection in a full-length mirror. Her cream-colored suit was impeccable, her makeup flawless, the perfect corporate image Victoria had taught her to project. Yet beneath this polished exterior, unease churned in her stomach.Hannah Zhao, the chief engineer, poked her head through the doorway. "Five minutes, Ms. Kane."Camille nodded, adjusting the phoenix pin on her lapel. Even after discovering the blueprint discrepancies, Victoria had insisted the ceremony proceed
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
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