SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

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."

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

"He wants inside

meeting minutes. Financial projections.

"And he'll use a

reaches the five

face him, her

"We need

a move. And we

typing on his phone. "I'll have my team

be other shell companies we haven't

And have them check

Industries stock. He may be accelerating his purchases now that

imminent." Victoria returned

replaced with

me, he'll discover

phone. "There's another

"Which is?"

his stock purchases are discovered-and they will be, because we've found

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Chapter 105

met hers. "Which

actual plan might

this. "A

"Possibly. The Grid-

if neither is his primary

in the corner of Victoria's office, pouring two cups.

man who always has multiple strategies

the coffee he offered,

cup. “Like a chess master sacrificing pieces

sip of his coffee. "We need to

hurt you the most? Not just

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

Alexander asked quietly, seeming to read

"About the stock purchases?"

has enough to worry about with the

This affects her too. Alexander's voice remained steady,

heard the

shifted, deepened. He was no longer just an ally but

tell her,"

"After the shadow engineering team

nodded, apparently

the meantime, I have

"I'm listening."

information about

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

operation. Force him to react rather than

we may

first time that morning, Victoria felt the

This was familiar territory, strategic maneuvering,

draft a press release,"

a significant upcoming

No specifics, just enough to

blogs speculate."

my publicist do

at cooperation between

Kane Industries

noted. "Costing Herod more

forcing him to accelerate his plans,

coffee cup and

Preston is planning, he'll find I'm not the easy target

silent. Victoria

her,

one more thing we should consider,"

an eyebrow.

against her desk. "Herod's stock purchases began six months ago, long before

still, the implications racing

Herod.

Rose wasn't the

Herod discovered? Someone with personal motivation to hurt Camille, who could be pointed

and

If Alexander was

entire situation. Rose wasn't the snake they needed to worry about, she

a much more

began, but was interrupted

her security chief

face