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Home / Romance / SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes / Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

All Chapters of SCORNED EX WIFE : Queen Of Ashes: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

154 Chapters

Chapter 11

Chapter 11CAMILLE'S POINT OF VIEW"Stanford University, class of 2016. Summa cum laude. Double major in Economics and Computer Science."I stared at the diploma in my hands, the heavy paper embossed with gold seals and signatures. My name, Camille Kane written in elegant calligraphy across the center. A degree I never earned from a university I'd never attended."How is this possible?" I asked, running my finger over the raised seal. It felt real. Everything felt real.Victoria sat across from me in her private office, walls lined with dark wood and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. A massive desk separated us, covered with documents spread out like puzzle pieces forming my new life."Money opens many doors," she said, sliding another folder toward me. "People are surprisingly willing to alter records when the price is right. The right donation to the alumni fund, the right conversation with the right dean."I opened the folder to find transcripts, teacher evaluations, even photos of "me

Last Updated : 2025-04-09

Chapter 12

Chapter 12Camille's point of view Rose had posted a "tribute" to me, a carefully filtered photo of us as teenagers, her arm around my shoulders, her face glowing while mine was partly in shadow. "Missing my angel sister every day. Your light was too bright for this world. #SisterLove #Forever"Beneath it, dozens of sympathetic comments. Friends who'd never questioned her role in my marriage's end. Acquaintances eager to attach themselves to her grief narrative.And Stefan, commenting with a simple heart emoji. The man who'd handed me divorce papers on our anniversary, now publicly mourning the wife he'd discarded."Enough," I said finally, closing the laptop. "I've seen what I needed to see."Victoria studied me carefully. "And what do you feel?"I searched myself, digging for the hurt, the rage, the betrayal that should be there. Instead, I found something colder, more focused. Like looking at specimens in a lab."Nothing," I answered honestly. "They're strangers performing in a pl

Last Updated : 2025-04-09

Chapter 13

Chapter 13CAMILLE'S POINT OF VIEW the "Hold still, please."Dr. Miranda Torres's gloved fingers touched my chin, turning my face gently to catch the light. Her dark eyes studied every curve and angle with the focus of an artist examining marble before the first chisel strike. We sat in her private clinic, a discreet facility hidden behind unmarked doors in a luxury Manhattan building. The consultation room looked more like an upscale spa than a medical office, with soft lighting, expensive artwork, and not a single diploma on display. The credentials were understood, not advertised. Dr. Torres didn't need wall decorations to prove her expertise, her client list of celebrities, politicians, and billionaires spoke for itself."Forgive my directness," she said, releasing my face and sitting back, "but you have excellent bone structure. We won't need to do nearly as much as I initially thought."I glanced at Victoria, who sat in a leather chair in the corner, tablet in hand, seemingly

Last Updated : 2025-04-09

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 : 2025-04-09

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 : 2025-04-09

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 : 2025-04-10

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 : 2025-04-10

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 : 2025-04-10

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 : 2025-04-10

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 : 2025-04-10

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