SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 13

CAMILLE'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, exper 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. " 1 glanced at Victoria, who sat in a leather chair in the corner, tablet in hand, seemingly absorbed in emails but missing nothing.

"What exactly will you be doing?" I asked, trying to keep the nervousness from my voice.

Dr. Torres touched a screen on her desk, and a 3D model of my face appeared on the wall display. I stared at the digital version of myself, the me I'd been living with for the past five weeks of Victoria's transformation program. "We're not planning a complete overhaul," Dr. Torres explained, manipulating the image with practiced gestures. "That would be obvious, unnatural, and frankly, unnecessary. Instead, w "Your cheekbones, for instance," she continued. "Already well-

defined, but we can enhance them slightly

to create more dramatic shadows." The digital face shifted, the cheeks becoming more sculpted. "It changes how light hits your face, how others perceive your strength."

Victoria finally looked up. "Show the jaw adjustment as well."

Dr. Torres nodded, manipulating the image again. My jawline became slightly more defined, stronger.

"The goal isn't disguise," the doctor said, eyes meeting mine directly. "It's transformation. We're not erasing you, we're amplifying your power. People

see what they expect

to see, and no one looking for a victim will recognize a queen."

The words hit something deep inside me. No one looking for a victim will recognize a queen. Wasn't that exactly what Victoria had been teaching me these past weeks? That power came not just from wealth or "What about recovery time?" I asked, surprising myself with how clinical my own voice sounded. When had I started accepting this

as necessary rather than extreme?

weeks for the Initial healing. Six weeks before

use minimally Invasive techniques, fillers, fat transfers, thread lifts, and

her overview. "Sabtle refinement of the nose bridge. Enhancement of the lips, not overfilled, just a slight increase in definition. row lift to open the

+25 BONU

Chapter 13

slightly."

Each change was small, almost imperceptible on its own. Together, they created someone new, someone who looked like me but somehow... more. Stronger. Sharper. A face

you begin?" Victoria asked, setting aside her

already cleared my schedule for tomorrow morning. Assuming blood

different hairstyle, but physical changes to my very face. Victoria must have noticed my reaction. "Do you need more time to consider?" Her tone was neutral, but I recognized the test beneath the

NO, Tomorrow is fine

"Excellent. My nurse will draw blood now, and I'll provide detailed pre- operative instructions. No food after midnight, no alcohol for 24 hours before, no aspirin or anti- inflammatories for

Ms. Kane," she added, using my new name with

the mirror afterward will look different, yes, but how you carry her, how you embody her, that's what

James drove us back to

Manhattan streets, trying to memorize my own face in the reflection. By this time tomorrow, it would be

"Just thinking"

"Having doubts?"

her directly. "Would you stop

your answer tells me I won't need to force

wasn't having doubts, not really. Just trying to process the finality of what was happening. Every step until now had been theoretically reversible Different But altering my face, that was permanent. A physical manifestation of my

"She's discreet, skilled, and understands our objectives completely. She's also the only surgeon who has ever worked on

naturally elegant, her

cosmetic intervention.

work done?" I asked

course. Beauty is a weapon, Camille, Only

Chapter 13