SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 102

Rain streaked down the windows of Herod Preston's penthouse, turning Manhattan's skyline into a blurry watercolor painting. Rose stood at the glass, watching lightning flash between the clouds. Her reflection Behind her, Herod ended his phone call and set his cell on the marble counter with a soft click. The sound pulled Rose from her thoughts.

"Well?" she asked, not turning around.

"It's confirmed." His voice carried that smooth confidence that had first drawn her to him. "Walsh says construction is proceeding exactly according to our modified plans. He installed the final set of altered circui Rose pressed her palm against the cool glass. "And no one noticed the changes?"

"No one. Not even the chief engineer." His footsteps approached, slow and measured. "The beauty of our modifications

is their

subtlety. Each change looks legitimate on its own. Only when viewed collectively do they create the perfect storm."

A smile touched Rose's lips. Perfect storm. How fitting. She'd spent her entire life creating storms in Camille's perfect world..

"How long until it fails?" she asked.

"The Grid goes fully operational in six days." Herod now stood directly behind her, close enough that she could feel his body heat. "The safety systems are designed to run seventy-

two hours of testing before full power integration. Once they connect to the city's main power supply..."

"Boom," Rose whispered, watching lightning split the sky.

"Precisely." His hand came to rest

on her shoulder. "And Camille Kane will be held responsible for the greatest engineering disaster in New York's history."

Rose turned to face him. Herod's dark eyes held hers, intense and unreadable. She'd worked with him for weeks now, plotting Camille's destruction, yet sometimes he remained a mystery. A dangerous one. "Victoria will protect her," Rose said, her old bitterness rising. “She always protects her precious new daughter."

"Not this time." Herod's thumb traced a small circle on her shoulder, the gesture oddly intimate. "The evidence will be overwhelming. Criminal negligence at minimum. Potentially even charges of knowingly endangering public safety for profit."

"Prison," Rose breathed, the word sweet on her tongue.

"If she's lucky." Herod's mouth curved into a smile that never reached his eyes. "More likely, Victoria Kane's empire will collapse trying to defend against the lawsuits. The stock will plummet. The board will remo He moved to the bar, pouring amber liquid into two crystal glasses. "A perfect revenge for both of us. Victoria loses everything, just as my family did. And your sister..." He handed Rose a glass. "Your sister lose Rose accepted the drink, the crystal cool against her fingers "To perfect revenge," she said, raising her glass.

"To mutual satisfaction." Herod clinked his glass against hers, his eyes never leaving her face as they both drank.

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Chapter 102

The liquor burned pleasantly down Rose's throat. She wandered to the large desk where multiple screens displayed different angles of the Phoenix Grid construction site. Workers in hard hats moved about like "Look at them," she murmured. "No idea what's coming."

Herod moved beside her, setting his glass down on the desk "Do you ever wonder," he asked, his voice lower now, "what you'll do after?"

The question caught Rose off-

guard. She'd been so focused on destroying Camille, on taking back what should have been hers, that she'd given little thought to what came next.

"After?" she repeated.

falls." His eyes studied her face. "After

Camille's destruction. But working with him had awakened something

for nothing, what then?"

it. Turn

facing her. "But businesses are only as

how close they stood, how alone they were in the vast penthouse

a partnership." His eyes darkened. "We work well together, Rose. We understand each other in ways

could. We both know what it means to be overlooked,

Lightning

that flash, Rose saw something in Herod's face, hunger, yes, but

business partnership?" she asked,

"Though I find myself wondering if it might become

planning,

hint of personal interest was

she echoed, testing the words. "Like

brushing a strand of hair from her face. The gesture was tentative, almost gentle,

he said quietly. "When I agreed to help you destroy Camille Kane, I saw it as a means to my own revenge against

asked, her

find myself thinking about you. Not just about our plan. About you." His fingers lingered at her jawline. "About your mind. Your

easily swayed by flattery and attention. But Herod was different. Sharper.

And infinitely more interesting.

aren't exactly romantic qualities," she

corner of his mouth lifted. "I don't want some fragile flower, Rose. I want

so clearly before. Not her adoptive parents, certainly not Stefan, and especially not Camille. They'd

don't want a

our plan. Destroy Kane Industries. Get

conspirators?"

away after it was done, of never seeing Herod again left

up, covering his hand with hers where it rested against her

if I do want it?" she asked

triumph, desire, relief? Rose couldn't tell. Before she could analyze it further, Herod leaned forward

was nothing like she expected. Not calculated or controlling or cold. It was hungry, almost desperate, as if he'd been holding himself back

her fingers gripping the lapels of his expensive suit. For so long, she'd channeled all her passion into hatred, into destroying Camille. This new outlet for

had intensified.

voice rougher than usual. "I suppose

bitterness that usually colored

hair behind her ear. "You're not.

the black leather sofa facing the wall of windows. They sat close, the electricity between them almost as palpable as the lightning outside. "You know," Rose

"How so?"

business. Revenge. Clean and simple." She traced a pattern on the leather between them. "Now

finished

She looked up at him. "Is