SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 140

Herod's phone rang at 3:17 AM. The cheap motel room was dark except for the blue light of his burner phone cutting through the blackness. He squinted at the screen. Unknown number. His finger hovered ove

"Hello?"

"They found everything." The voice on the

other end was hushed, stressed, Derek Martinez, his contact at the FBI. "Your business card in the wreckage. Your

fingerprints on the detonator parts. Plans for the bombings in your apartment." Herod sat up, suddenly wide awake. "What plans? I never kept anything in the apartment."

"Well, someone did. Blueprints of the substations. Notebooks with blast calculations. A journal talking about your hatred for Victoria Kane."

"That's impossible. I never wrote any journal." Herod's mouth went dry. "What else?"

"Your emails. Detailing everything. The FBI has enough to lock you away forever." Martinez paused. "I'm risking everything telling you this. My career, my freedom."

"I appreciate it." Herod's mind raced. "Any mention of Rose Lewis in the evidence?"

"Nothing. Not a trace." Martinez's voice dropped even lower. "Look, I can't help you anymore. They're searching for you everywhere. Airports, train stations, the works. I need to disappear from your life now."

The line went dead before Herod could respond.

He sat motionless in the darkness, the truth settling over him like a heavy blanket. Rose had set him up. Completely. Thoroughly. She'd planted evidence while he was out. Created a fake journal. Fabricated em And made sure none of it pointed to her.

Herod got up and flicked on the light. The motel

room was small and dirty, nothing like the luxury he was used to. Rose had insisted they move here two days ago, claiming they needed to stay hidden.

Now he understood why.

She'd wanted him in this dump, away from his resources, while she set her trap. And he'd walked right into it, blind and willing.

The bathroom door opened. Steam escaped as Rose emerged, wrapped in a thin

towel, her hair wet from the shower. She smiled when she saw him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"You're up early," she said, toweling her hair. "Couldn't sleep?"

"I just got a call from Martinez." Herod watched her face, looking for any reaction. "The FBI found evidence in my apartment. Evidence I never put there."

Rose's expression didn't change. "What kind of evidence?"

"Plans for the bombings. A journal. Emails detailing everything."

"Someone must have broken in," she said, turning away to look for her clothes. "Planted

that stuff to frame you."

voice deadly quiet, "Martinez said your

moment before continuing to sort through her clothes.

not luck." Herod stood up. "Planning. Careful, detailed

him, her mask finally slipping. The coldness in her eyes

spreading through Herod's body.

you

the air between them. "You arranged for evidence that points only to me. You made sure you had alibis for

him like a scientist might observe a lab specimen. "And if I did?

him off guard. He

Not this

go to the FBI," he said. "Tell

proof?" Rose laughed, a

against the mountain of evidence

attempt to shift blame

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Chapter 140

prove her involvement, while she had carefully built a case

his voice breaking slightly. "I thought we were in this together. I thought..." He couldn't

began dressing, unconcerned with her nakedness. "Poor Herod. Always wanting what

expected. Despite everything, some foolish part of him had believed their connection was real. The nights they'd spent planning,

said. "Money. Resources. I helped you go

Rose pulled

to take the blame, and it was never going to be me. I've spent my life being careful, covering my tracks. Did you really think I'd risk everything now?" "So what happens

the bed, crossing her legs. "Or we could make a new

tone made him wary. "What kind of

still need to hit the main control center. One final blow to bring down Camille

"You're already facing life in prison for the first two bombings. What's one

me to keep helping

offering you a chance to complete what we started." Rose stood and moved toward him, placing her hand on his chest. "To make Victoria and Camille pay, just like we

now made his skin crawl. Yet he couldn't pull away.

her approval, her

"And afterward?" he asked.

escape. Get you out of the country with new

knew it was a lie. Yet he found himself

knew it

to lose by playing along with her plan a

you," he said. "After learning

fingers moved to his face,

what

you no longer

"Everyone

with me, the ride is exciting

searched her face, looking for any sign of genuine feeling, any

nothing but