SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

The sunlight streaming through the windows of the Rodriguez Seattle family estate felt like a mockery to Stefan. Once, this light had illuminated generations of family success. Now, it merely highlighted the dust Stefan sat alone in his father's study, nursing a glass of whiskey despite the early hour. The room still smelled of Eduardo's cigars and leather-

bound books, a scent that had once meant security

and legacy. The carved mahogany desk where his father had taught him to review shipping manifests seemed smaller now, diminished like everything else in his life.

The sound of tires on gravel jolted him from his stupor. He moved to the window, watching the black town car roll to a stop. His stomach tightened. His parents were home.

Eduardo Rodriguez emerged first, his once-

commanding posture now slightly stooped. The past weeks had weathered him visibly. He helped Emily from the car with practiced tenderness, his hand at the small of her back. Stefan's mother looked thinner, her designer outfit hanging loosely where it once fit perfectly. The Italian retreat meant to shield them from the public humiliation of their family's downfall had clearly failed to provide sanctuary. Stefan took a long swallow of whiskey, steeling himself, and strode to the foyer.

"Mother. Father." His voice echoed in the entrance hall.

Emily's eyes found his, hardening instantly. "Where is she? That woman who destroyed us?"

No greeting. No embrace. Stefan expected nothing less.

Eduardo sighed heavily, passing their luggage to the remaining housemaid. "Emily, please. Let's at least sit down first.”

Stefan led them to the sitting room, once the pride of his mother's decorating prowess. The crystal decanters caught the light as he poured drinks with shaking hands.

"Camille isn't here," he answered finally. "She has no reason to be."

Emily snatched the glass from his offering hand. “She has every reason! To gloat, to witness our suffering. Isn't that what she wanted?"

"That's not who she is," Stefan said quietly.

"Who she is," Emily spat, "is a vengeful, manipulative...."

“Enough!” Eduardo's palm struck the side table, rattling the decanters. "Our son betrayed her, Emily. Or have you conveniently forgotten that part?"

The silence that followed felt volatile. Stefan sank into an armchair, suddenly exhausted.

"The board called an emergency meeting," Eduardo said flatly. "While we were away, they voted to accept Kane Industries' offer to purchase our remaining assets." Stefan nodded numbly. "I know."

"You know?" Emily's voice rose. "And you did nothing to stop it?"

"What would you have me do, Mother? The debt they've acquired gives them controlling interest. It was always going to end this way."

Emily's face flushed with rage. "This estate has been in the Rodriguez family for four generations! Your great-

grandfather built it with his bare hands after arriving with nothing but determination."

"And I lost it with nothing but arrogance," Stefan finished bitterly.

the window, gazing out at the gardens his wife had meticulously designed. "We have three weeks before we must vacate." The finality of those words hung in the air like

Camille," Stefan admitted.

brittle. "Of course she wouldn't! She's Victoria Kane's puppet now. That woman has

Stefan said, meeting his mother's gaze directly. "Camille orchestrated this. Victoria gave her the tools, but

for it?"

methodically dismantling everything he'd taken for granted? For revealing herself not as a victim but as an architect

amber liquid streaking

happens when you marry beneath you," she hissed. "I warned you about her. She was never good enough for this family. No class, just a pretty face with ambition from a rich family." Stefan felt something shift inside him, a quiet rage replacing

he'd wallowed in

treated her as an accessory. She built

How you practically pushed me into her arms with your constant praise of her sophistication, her fashion sense, her social graces." His voice "Don't you dare blame your mother for your failings," Eduardo interjected, but

I ruined us. Rose helped. All Camille did was make us face the

crossed to the bar and refilled his glass. The silence between them stretched painfully before

night before your

doubts. Not about her, about

a measured sip. "I

the unexpected truth of those words like

Eduardo continued 'It's modest by our standards, but

me?" Stefan asked, though he

expression was uncharacteristically gentle. "You need to

nothing to fix! That woman

If our son has any hope of salvaging his future, it lies with her." "She won't take

she

there might be a path to redemption that doesn't

collapsed onto the sofa, burying her face in her hands. "This is a

had when you welcomed her into this family, before you decided Rose was the superior

up, her eyes flashing. "Rose was one of us! She understood our world, our obligations. She wasn't going

seeing her perhaps for the first time. The shallow values, the

"Did you know that? She paid them to attack her own sister in a parking

of

of me. She wanted Camille gone so badly she was willing to have her murdered." Eduardo slumped heavily into

Mother,

and

"1

continued, a bitter smile twisting his lips, "is that if Rose had simply waited, she would have had everything

our anniversary and she signed it. I betrayed her, but

this confession seemed to press the oxygen from the

the gesture of a man who

said, surprising himself with the steadiness of his voice. "Both of you. Take what