SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 121

Rose hurled the crystal glass

across the penthouse. It shattered against the wall in a spray of liquid and glittering shards. On the television screen, Camille and Alexander stood side by side at their press conference, hands joined, faces com "How?" Rose screamed at the screen. "How is this happening?"

She grabbed the remote, increasing the volume to hear her sister's voice, calm, dignified, unashamed: "Yes, Alexander Pierce and I are in a relationship. It began recently, but it is genuine and important to both Genuine. Important. The words

burned in Rose's ears like acid. This was not how it was supposed to go. Camille should have been destroyed by this exposure, her reputation in tatters, her position at Kane Industries compromised. Instead, sl Rose grabbed another glass, ready to send it flying, when the penthouse door opened. Herod entered, his face a thundercloud of barely contained rage. He tossed his phone onto the coffee table, where it displ "They've turned it around completely," he said, his voice dangerously quiet. "The market is responding positively to their announcement. The financial

documents we planted are being questioned by every major outlet."

"I can see that," Rose snapped, gesturing to the television where financial analysts were now discussing the "Kane-

Pierce power alliance" with enthusiasm. "They're practically celebrating them!"

Herod loosened his tie with sharp, angry movements. "Victoria. This has her fingerprints all

over it. Only she would have the audacity to turn a scandal into a strategic announcement."

Rose paced across the penthouse, unable to contain the energy coursing through her. "I planned this perfectly," she hissed. "The photos, the timing, the fake emails, it should have destroyed them both!"

"Yet here we are," Herod said, pouring himself a drink from the bar. He didn't offer Rose one, knowing she was beyond such niceties now. "Our strategy has not only failed but backfired spectacularly."

On the screen, the camera showed Camille and Alexander leaving the press conference together. The commentator's voice gushed: *"In an age of spin and denial, the directness of Kane and Pierce's approach

has resonated deeply with the public. Social media is overwhelmingly supportive, with many praising their honesty and courage in the face of what appears to be a targeted attack.“*

"Turn it off," Rose demanded, her voice shaking with fury. "Turn it off now."

Herod obliged, the screen going black, leaving only their reflections staring back at them, Rose with her hair disheveled from running her hands through it repeatedly, Herod still outwardly composed but with rag "This was your strategy," he reminded her, a dangerous edge to his voice. "Your expertise in social manipulation. Your certainty that exposing their relationship would destroy them."

Rose whirled on him. "Don't you dare blame this all on me! You approved every step. You provided the resources, the connections to get

those photos, to plant those documents."

"Which we've now wasted," Herod replied coldly. "Hundreds of thousands of dollars for what? To make your sister and Pierce more popular than ever? To strengthen Kane Industries' stock position?" Rose's hands curled into fists, nails digging into her palms hard enough to leave half-

moon

marks. "It should have worked," she insisted. "No one recovers from a scandal like this. No one."

they do." Herod drained his glass. "The question is, what now? Our opening move has failed. We've lost the element

to the

her victory, laughing with Alexander about how they had turned Rose's attack against her. The

they can't spin

his reflection appearing behind her in

him. "Victoria.

the equation, and Camille loses her guide, her

said dismissively.

Rose insisted, a new fire burning in her eyes. "Everyone has secrets. Everyone has vulnerabilities.

13

Chapter 121

long moment. "You truly hate

snapped automatically. "And hate doesn't begin to describe what

"Camille took everything from me. My reputation, my business, my future. She exposed me to the world as a fraud, a cheat, a villain. And now sh

rage, with injustice, with the bitter taste of defeat. "I will not accept this. I will not let her win. Not after everything I've sacrificed, everything I've endured." Something shifted in

a dark appreciation for the fury burning through her.

and stepped

we'll find another way," he said, his voice lower now. "A more

"What do you mean?"

“།

Too focused on financial maneuvers and public opinion.

implication hung in the air between them. Rose felt her heart beat faster, not with fear but with

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was new territory, beyond anything they had discussed before. Not reputation destruction or financial ruin, but something far more permanent. The thought

up, fingers tracing the line

my family. I've waited years for my chance at justice." His touch sent an ele "And you?" he asked, his fingers still against her skin. "How far would you go to destroy your

hesitate.

to the back of her neck, pulling her toward him. Their lips met in a kiss

across the penthouse floor as they moved toward the bedroom. Rose welcomed the pain of his grip, the harsh press of his mouth against hers. This wasn't about pleasure or affectio Later, tangled in sheets damp with sweat, Rose

despite physical exhaustion. Beside her, Herod traced the line of

no coming back from it." Rose turned to face him, her eyes glittering in the dim light. "I crossed the point of no

crossed Herod's face. "You never told me the

meant for her to die," Rose admitted, the words sounding hollow even to her own ears. "I just wanted her scared enough to leave town, to disappear from my

"And now?"

left too much to chance." She sat

her, his expression unreadable. "Victoria