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."

knew Alexander was

"He wants inside

she said. "Board meeting minutes. Financial projections.

Alexander agreed. "And he'll use

once he reaches the five percent threshold that

turned back to face him, her

"We need to

a move. And we need to know how

typing on his

may be other shell companies we

And have

patterns in Kane Industries stock. He may be

Victoria returned

of control now replaced with

me, he'll discover just

pocketed his phone. "There's another angle

"Which is?"

are discovered-and they will be, because we've found them, Herod will assume we're focused on

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Chapter 105

"Which may distract

plan

this.

"Possibly. The Grid-

What if neither is his primary goal?" Alexander

Victoria's office, pouring two cups. "Herod

man who always has

coffee he

cup. “Like a chess master sacrificing pieces to disguise his

Alexander took a sip of his coffee. "We need

most? Not just financially, but

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

you told her?" Alexander asked quietly, seeming to read her

"About the stock purchases?"

her head. "She has enough to worry about with the

should know. This affects her too.

heard the

with Camille had shifted, deepened. He was no longer just an

her," Victoria agreed,

"After the shadow engineering team finishes

nodded, apparently satisfied

the meantime, I have

"I'm listening."

leak information about a

sounding." A slight smile touched Alexander's mouth.

considered the suggestion. "A false flag operation. Force him

And when he reacts, we may learn more about

that morning, Victoria felt

familiar territory, strategic maneuvering, creating

press release,"

a significant upcoming

just enough to

blogs speculate."

"I'll have my publicist do

at cooperation between

Enterprises and Kane Industries on a 'revolutionary

"Costing Herod

accelerate his plans, whatever

down her coffee cup and

clicks. "Let him come. Whatever Herod Preston is planning, he'll find I'm not

fell silent. Victoria rarely mentioned Sophia

watched her, his expression

thing we should consider,"

raised an eyebrow.

desk. "Herod's stock purchases began six

went still, the implications racing through her mind. "You

find Herod. Herod

considering," Alexander said. "What if Rose

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

direction and

Alexander was right, they

snake they

for a much

but was interrupted by her

as her security chief spoke. When

her face

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