SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 38

Camille's point of view

I sat in my private office at Kane Industries, watching; six screens track different aspects of my plan to destroy Rodriguez Shipping. Each monitor told part of the story, stock prices, trading volumes, news alerts, media sentiment, competitor reactions, and internal communications we'd managed to intercept. One year of meticulous preparation leading to this pivotal moment. The leather of my executive chair creaked so "Ready?" Victoria asked from the doorway, her tailored charcoal suit as impeccable as always. Her eyes gleamed with the predatory anticipation I'd come to recognize over our months working together. "Everything's in position." I pulled up the final numbers, watching as our algorithms predicted the coming cascade. "Our traders are standing by in London, New York and Singapore. The evidence of Rodriguez three seconds."

She moved to stand behind my chair, studying the screens with the careful attention of a general reviewing battle plans. Her subtle perfume, always jasmine with notes of sandalwood, filled the air between us. "Three different whistleblowers will contact financial reporters about questionable accounting practices at precisely staggered intervals. The evidence has already been planted in their internal systems, backdate written exposés. "If they somehow weather the safety scandal, the financial improprieties will finish them."

My hands stayed steady as I typed final commands into the trading system, muscle memory from countless simulations we'd run. Inside, emotions warred, satisfaction, pain, a strange kind of grief for the compa hand had been gone for months now, but sometimes I still felt its phantom weight.

"First article just dropped," Victoria noted as alerts started flashing across the primary monitor. "Wall Street Journal. 'Major Safety Concerns Plague Rodriguez Shipping Fleet: Internal Documents Reveal Years I allowed myself a small, controlled smile as other notifications followed in rapid succession. Reuters. Bloomberg. Financial Times. CNBC breaking news. Each one sharing damaging details we'd carefully leake "Trading volume spiking," my head trader

reported through the speaker, his voice betraying the excitement he was trying to contain. "Up four hundred percent above normal. Major institutional investors starting to sell. BlackRock just dumped twelve per On my main screen, Rodriguez Shipping's stock chart turned bright red, the downward trajectory steepening with each passing second. Down five percent. Then twelve. Then wenty. A freefall gaining speed with frequency trading programs reacting to the negative press.

My phone buzzed a message from our source inside the company: Total chaos here. Stefan locked in emergency board meeting. Conference room screens showing stock collapse. His father just arrived looking “Time for phase two,” Victoria said quietly, a manicured all tapping the edge

of my desk in perfect rhythm with the declining stock ticker.

I nodded, sending the encrypted signal to our trading team positioned around the globe. Kane Industries would start quietly buying shares through a complex network of shell companies, but only after driving th More alerts filled my screens in a

cascade of digital destruction. Industry analysts questioning the company's future viability. Suppliers nervously reviewing contracts. Customers making backup plans with Credit agencies placing Rodriguez Ship "Thirty percent drop," Victoria noted with undisguised satisfaction, her reflection in my monitor showing the slight smile she reserved for victories. "The margin calls will start soon. Their creditors won't wait." She was right. Rodriguez Shipping had leveraged their asses heavily for the

Asian expansion Stefan had championed against his father's wishes. As the stock price fell, their loan covenants would trigger, forcing immediate repayment. A cascade of financial disaster we'd carefully engine My phone buzzed again: *Stefan's father just walked out

of the board meeting. Never seen him so angry. Screaming about family legacy destroyed. Three generations of work ruined. Stefan looks shell-

shocked. CFO in tears.*

was what I'd planned, systematic destruction of everything Stefan valued. But memories kept intruding unbidden. His father's pride when giving me

appeared: *Rodriguez seeking emergency credit line.

Kane?" My assistant's voice through the

the financial bloodbath playing out on our screens. "Mr. Rodriguez Senior is attempting to contact you directly. He's called three times in the last five minutes." Victoria's eyes narrowed slightly. "Desperation

the turmoil inside. "And inform security that no Rodriguez family member is to be

carnage continued as more investors abandoned what was clearly becoming a sinking ship. News channels began running special segments on the "Rodriguez Collapse,” featuring experts we'd qu Fresh alerts flooded my screens. Rodriguez Shipping's board had called an emergency session Rumors of Stefan's possible

year-

in my office for special occasions. "Well

didn't drink, watching instead as our source continued to provide

updates from Inside the Rodriguez

appeared: Stefan's office

in boxes. Security escorting him from building, Executive team in complete

until they blurred together. Remembered Stefan's boyish

during our first

modernizing the fleet. The dreams he'd shared late at night about expanding their legacy across new shipping lanes, new countries, new possibilities. The way his eyes lit up when discussing th All ash now. All destroyed by my hand, methodically, deliberately, without mercy, just as he'd destroyed me. "Incoming call from Margaret Lewis," my assistant announced

be no going back. You understand that? "Those doors closed the moment Stefan and Rose decided

Victoria said, glancing at her watch. "Tomorrow we

left,"

a hollow satisfaction. "Isn't that

Stefan's legacy ended not with a bang but

everything before today rendered

being escorted out, box of personal items in his arms, face pale with shock and disbelief. The golden

who had promised me forever now

woman he'd discarded like yesterday's news. The

to his true desires.