Chapter 96

The city lights twinkled below Camille's penthouse like fallen stars trapped on earth. She stood at the floor-

to-

ceiling windows, arms wrapped around herself, watching the tiny cars move through the streets forty floors below. Behind her, Alexander poured two glasses of red wine, the soft gurgle of liquid filling the comfo

It had been three days since the press the Phoenix project has issue and they sorted it out. Three days of relative peace. The thought felt

strange to Camille, peace was not something she had known since finding those divorce papers twenty five months ago.

"Your thoughts seem far away," Alexander said, approaching with the wine glasses. His footsteps were quiet on the plush carpet.

Camille accepted the glass, her fingers brushing his. That small touch sent warmth

spreading up her arm. "Not far. Just... processing everything."

Alexander stood beside her at the window. Unlike many men who felt the need to fill silence, he seemed content to share it with her. That was one of the many things she had come to appreciate about him. "Victoria called earlier," Camille said after taking a sip of wine. "The latest reports show Kane Industries stock has fully recovered. The

Phoenix Grid project is back on schedule."

Alexander nodded. "That's good news."

"Yes." Camille turned from the window. "But that's not what I want to talk about tonight."

She moved to the cream-

tired body, Alexander followed, sitting close enough for comfort but with space between them, always respec "What would you like to talk about?" he asked, his dark eyes studying her

breath. "Us. This thing between us that

tightened slightly around the wine

that why

He set his glass on the coffee table. "I didn't want to rush you.

to you

didn't sting like it once had. Progress, Camille

"I thought that part of me was dead. The part that could feel... this." She

you when you're not there. Wanting to tell you things as soon as

Tibe

does it

Chapter 96

her glass beside his. "Because I trusted before, and it almost destroyed me. Because Victoria warned me not to let emotions cloud my judgment. Because I'm not sure who I am when I'm not fighting an "Camille," he said, her name soft on his lips, "do you remember when we first met? At the hospital in Boston?" She nodded slowly, memories stirring from a time that felt distant now, belonging to

describing sounds like a stranger

her hand in his. "She's still there. I see her

her palm. The simple touch sent waves of warmth through her entire body. "That's why I've never pushed," he continued. "I wanted you to find your own way back to that woma The word hung in the air between them. Love. Not spoken

hand, to retreat behind the walls Victoria had helped her

head. “She trained you to survive, to fight back. That was necessary. But Victoria Kane didn't create you, Camille. She helped shape you, but your core, who you truly are, that was always t He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small. When he opened his palm, Camille gasped Lying there was a silver pendant

left this with me," Alexander said softly. "In the hospital. You said it would protect me like it

remembered it now, a gift from her grandfather, when she was sixteen. She had worn

"Waiting for the right

palm

I can be that woman again," Camille

who you were," Alexander replied "None of us can go backward. But you can bring the best parts of who you were

closer, the space between

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