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.

empire falls." His

extended only to Camille's destruction. But working with him had awakened something new in her,

for nothing, what then?"

it. Turn it

against the desk, facing her. "But businesses are only as strong as the

Rose set her glass down beside his, suddenly aware of how close they stood, how alone they were in the vast penthouse with the storm raging outside. "Are you offering me

His eyes darkened. "We work well

it means to

Lightning

Rose saw

business partnership?" she asked,

start." His voice dropped lower. "Though I find myself wondering

their weeks of planning, Herod

of personal interest was unexpected,

echoed, testing

of answering, Herod reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. The gesture

he said quietly. "When I agreed to help you destroy Camille

asked,

plan. About you." His fingers lingered at her jawline. "About your mind. Your determination. Your willingness

flattery and attention.

And infinitely more interesting.

aren't exactly romantic

some fragile flower, Rose. I

had ever seen her so clearly before. Not her adoptive parents, certainly not Stefan, and especially not Camille. They'd all wanted her to be something else, grateful But Herod did. He saw

don't want a

hardened slightly. "Then we finish our plan. Destroy Kane Industries. Get our revenge. And part ways as...

conspirators?"

thought of walking away after it was done, of never

covering his hand with hers where

I do want

desire, relief? Rose couldn't tell. Before she could analyze

expected. Not calculated or controlling or cold. It was hungry, almost desperate, as if he'd been holding himself back for weeks. His hands

For so long, she'd channeled all her passion into hatred, into destroying Camille. This new outlet for her

apart, both breathing heavily, the storm outside had intensified. Rain lashed against the windows, and thunder rumbled through the

said, his voice rougher than usual. "I suppose

laughed, a real laugh, without the bitterness that usually colored her humor. "I'm not that

he agreed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You're not. That's part of what fascinates

wall of windows. They sat close, the electricity between them almost as palpable as the lightning

"How so?"

was purely business. Revenge. Clean and simple." She traced a pattern on

finished for

up at him.