SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Victoria Kane sat alone in her office, the glow from her computer screen the only light in the room. Outside her windows, dawn painted the Manhattan skyline in hues of pink and gold, but she hadn't noticed the sunrise. She hadn't moved from her chair in hours.

On her screen, financial records filled page after page, stock purchases, company

acquisitions, shell corporations nested within shell corporations like

Russian dolls. A tangled web of financial transactions that

had taken her team of investigators days to

unravel.

Victoria's mouth tightened as she scrolled through the data. The pattern was unmistakable once you knew what to look for. Small stock

purchases, never more than one percent at a time. Different buyer names. Different banks. Different countries. But

all ultimately tracing back to one man.

Herod Preston.

7

She slammed her hand against the desk, the sharp crack echoing through the empty office. Victoria Kane did not lose control. Not ever. But seeing Herod's name, the son of the man who had killed her daughte blood boiling.

Her intercom buzzed. "Ms. Kane? Mr. Pierce is here."

Victoria took

a deep breath, smoothing her features into their usual mask of calm. Send him in."

Alexander

entered, impeccable as always in a tailored suit despite the early hour. His expression shifted when he saw her face.

"You found something," he said, closing the door behind him.

Victoria swiveled her computer screen toward him. "Herod Preston has been buying Kane

Industries stock for the past six months."

Alexander crossed to her desk, studying the financial

data. “Through shell companies. Clever. Staying under the radar."

"Clever?" Victoria's voice sharpened. "He's infiltrating my company, Alexander."

"How much has he acquired?"

"Just

over five percent, according to what we've traced so far." Victoria stood, too agitated to remain seated. "He's positioning himself for a hostile takeover."

Alexander

leaned closer to the screen, scrolling through the transactions. "Pequod Ventures, Ahab Holdings, Queequeg Capital... all literature references. Easier to track than he thinks."

"This isn't a literary analysis, Alexander." Victoria paced behind her desk. "This

is Herod

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Chapter 105

Preston making his next move against me. Against my

family. First the Grid sabotage, now this."

Alexander straightened, his expression serious. "Victoria, he can't take Kane Industries from you. You personally own sixty percent of the company."

"I'm aware of my stock holdings," she snapped.

"And I've

recently acquired ten percent," Alexander continued, unfazed by her tone. Which means that even if Herod

managed to buy every remaining share, which he can't without triggering SEC notifications he would still be a minority shareholder." Victoria paused her pacing. She knew this. Of course she knew this. She ha holdings precisely to prevent hostile takeovers. But the sight of Herod Preston's name connected to Kane Industries had triggered something primal in her, a mother's rage at the family that had taken her daugh "It's not about the stock," she said finally. "It's about his audacity. His... invasion. After what his family did to Sophia.”

Alexander's expression softened slightly. "I understand. But we need to think

strategically. If Herod is buying

stock, it means he's planning for something beyond the Grid sabotage."

the window, watching the city come to life below. She knew Alexander was right. This wasn't just about emotion, it

"He wants inside

"Board meeting minutes.

agreed. "And he'll use a proxy to

five

turned back to face him, her mind racing

need

they make a move. And we need to

his phone. "I'll

may be other shell companies we haven't traced

have them

He may be

launch is imminent." Victoria returned to her desk,

with cold calculation.

against me, he'll

his phone. "There's

"Which is?"

we've found them, Herod will assume we're focused on protecting

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Chapter 105

"Which may

plan might

considered this.

"Possibly. The Grid-

neither is his primary goal?" Alexander crossed to

of Victoria's office, pouring

always has multiple strategies in

the coffee he offered, warming her

master sacrificing pieces

took a sip of his coffee.

hurt you the most? Not just financially,

the air between them. Victoria knew the answer immediately, though she would never say it aloud. There

asked quietly,

"About the stock purchases?"

her head. "She has enough to worry

her too. Alexander's

heard the

had shifted, deepened. He was no

her,"

shadow engineering team finishes

apparently satisfied

meantime, I

"I'm listening."

leak information about a major

Industries. Something vague but significant sounding." A slight smile touched Alexander's mouth. "Make Herod think we're planning a move he

the suggestion. "A false flag operation. Force him to react rather

And when he reacts, we may learn

morning, Victoria felt the tight knot

loosen slightly. This was familiar territory, strategic maneuvering, creating traps for her

Sarah draft a press release," she

a significant upcoming

just enough to make

blogs speculate."

have my publicist do

at cooperation between

Industries on

Victoria noted. "Costing Herod more if he continues buying

him to accelerate

her coffee cup and moved back to

"Let him come. Whatever Herod Preston is planning, he'll find I'm not the easy target his

fell silent. Victoria rarely mentioned

watched her, his expression

more thing we should consider," he

an eyebrow.

stock purchases began six months ago, long before the Grid sabotage.

still, the implications racing

Herod. Herod

said. "What if Rose wasn't

motivation to hurt Camille, who could be

and

tightened. If Alexander was right,

the entire situation. Rose wasn't the snake they needed to

a much more

to-" Victoria began, but was interrupted by

her security

face had gone

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