SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

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. Bil

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 h 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. "The venue won't hold our date forever. We need to confirm..."

"The date? Stefan spun to face her, rage boiling over. "You want to discuss wedding dates while my company burns? While everything my family built over generations disappears?"

Rose stepped back, unused to seeing this side of him. "The business troubles are temporary. Your father will...”

"My father?" He laughed, a bitter sound that scared even himself. "My father hasn't returned my calls since the stock crash. The board is meeting tomorrow to discuss my removal as CEO. And you want to talk a "Stefan, please." She moved toward him, reaching for his arm. "We'll figure this out. Kane Industries can't..."

"Kane Industries." The name tasted like poison on his tongue. "That woman...

there's something about her. Something familiar that I can't place."

"Camille Kane? Don't be ridiculous. She's lived in Europe most of her life. We only met her recently at..."

"I know what she told

making Rose jump. "But every time I see her, every time she

replacing her previous concern. "Perhaps you're

about attraction. This is about our entire future disappearing while you plan parties and pick out china

Rose snapped back. "The right wedding, the

"Connections?" Stefan

forcing her to step back. "Is that what I am to you? A connection? A

absurd. I

laugh. "You mean since London Since you came back and

then, heavy with unspoken

agreed not to discuss Camille," she said quietly. "Not

away, unable to look at her. "Such a nice, clean word for

Another stock alert. Another drop. The numbers blurred before

postpone the wedding

voice rose

back to face

respect, my entire future!

too many times to trust

voice dropped dangerously low. "Like you helped Camille? Is

The color drained from Rose's face. For a moment, real fear

a lot of promises lately." Stefan moved to his bar, reaching for another glass. "Seems

her perfectly manicured nails digging into her palms. "What do you want me to

"Care about something real! Something beyond your next social event or

care about

bar's mirror. "Or do you care about what I represent? The name, the position,