SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 137

Chapter 137

Camille stared at the wall of screens in Kane Industries' crisis management room. Each one showed a different news channel, all broadcasting the same images: smoke pouring

from the damaged substations, firefighters battling flames, and worried faces of New York citizens wondering if their power would fail next. Three hours had passed since the second explosion. The sun would rise soon, bringing with it questions they needed answers for.

"The press is gathering downstairs," Hannah said, placing a tablet in front of Camille. 'Over forty reporters. All major networks."

Camille nodded, her eyes never leaving the screens. The headline crawling across the bottom of Channel 7's broadcast made her stomach clench: "PHOENIX GRID FAILURE? KANE INDUSTRIES FACES QUESTIONS AFTER TWIN EXPLOSIONS

"Stock futures are dropping." Alexander added quietly from behind her. "Down twelve percent already."

Victoria, still pale from her recent surgery but standing straight-

backed and defiant, turned to Camille. "You need to address them. Now. Before the market opens."

Camille felt the weight of all eyes in the room. The engineering team. The security personnel. Victoria. Alexander. All waiting for her to fix this nightmare.

"What do we know for certain?" Camille asked, her voice steadier than she felt.

Hannah stepped forward. "The Grid didn't fail. Our safety systems worked exactly as designed. Despite two major attacks, ninety-

three percent of the network remains operational."

"And the power supply?"

"Stable.

We've rerouted through secondary pathways. No service disruptions to critical infrastructure."

Camille stood, smoothing her blouse with trembling hands. "I need five minutes to prepare. Then I'll speak to them."

In the small bathroom off the crisis room, Camille splashed cold water.on her face and stared at her reflection. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. Her skin looked pale under the harsh fluorescent light. Fear gnaw "You can do this," she whispered to herself. "You've faced worse than reporters."

But had she? Facing Rose's betrayal, Stefan's cruelty-

those were personal wounds. This was different. The Phoenix Grid wasn't just a business project. It represented everything she'd become since Victoria had rescued her. It was her rebirth, her transformation fro And now Rose was trying to destroy that too.

A soft knock interrupted

her thoughts. Alexander stood in the doorway, his tie loose, his face tired but determined.

you might need this," he said, handing

the beginning of her transformation. Camille touched

can't fix this," she whispered, the

"Everything we

hands gentle on her shoulders.

broken. The Grid worked. The safety systems

"But the public perception..."

"Remember who you are, Camille.

clasped the pendant around her neck, drawing strength from its familiar weight. The woman who had worn it when Victoria first gave it to her had

"I'm ready," she said.

her back straight. Dozens of reporters shouted questions, their voices blending into a wall

clear: these were not accidents. These were not

paused, scanning the room, meeting the gaze

"They failed."

simple statement hung in the air. A reporter from the Wall Street Journal

can you claim they failed

the question. "Because destruction

goal. Whoever did this

which flickered to life showing a real- time map of the city's power grid. 'As you

raised her

last week? Could those vulnerabilities have

flash of rage at the mention of the fabricated safety concerns Rose and Herod had planted. She pushed it down, keeping

as we demonstrated at

prevented these attacks from having their intended effect. The Phoenix Grid was designed with multiple layers of protection precisely because we understood the c we

"What about

the back. "Will Kane Industries stock

small smile. "The Phoenix Grid was named for a reason. The mythical phoenix bums and is reborn stronger. By this afternoon, our repair teams will have restored the damaged section: to eighty percent

so the reporters had to lean in to hear her. "Whoever attacked us clearly doesn't understand what

it's a new

parts, but

Camille felt the mood in the room shifting. The initial skepticism gave way to something

something with you." She nodded to Hannah, who tapped

this morning, this building. our headquarters is running entirely on Phoenix Grid power. Not backup generators. N A murmur

you're sitting under, the microphones

the cameras recording this, all powered by the same system that was attacked last night." Camille spread her hands. "We're not just talking about our confidence in this

The press conference ended

walked from the podium, she caught sight of

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