SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 148

Chapter 148

Camille knocked on Victoria's office door, files clutched under her arm. The security plans for the

gala needed one final approval, and despite Victoria's reluctance about the event, Camille knew she would want to review the details.

When no answer came, she knocked again.

Still silence.

Camille turned the handle, expecting to find the office empty. Instead, she found Victoria slumped in her chair, eyes closed, face pale as paper. A small bottle of pills had tipped over on the desk, its contents sca

Victoria's eyes fluttered open. For a moment, confusion clouded her face, then recognition dawned. "Camille. I was just resting my eyes."

But Camille wasn't listening. Her gaze had locked on the pill bottle. The label faced upward, the word "OXYCODONE" visible in bold print, along with Victoria's name.

"What are these?" Camille picked up the bottle, dread pooling in her stomach. "Why are you

taking such strong pain medication?"

Victoria straightened in her chair, composing

herself with visible effort. "It's nothing. Just some discomfort from the surgery."

"This isn't for 'some discomfort," Camille said, reading the dosage on the label. "This is for serious pain. And your surgery was months ago. You should be fully healed by now."

Victoria reached for the bottle, but Camille pulled it away.

"Tell me the truth." Camille's voice shook. "What's really going on?"

Something shifted in Victoria's

eyes, a surrender, a resignation. She sighed deeply, then opened her

desk drawer and pulled out a folder.

"I was going to tell you after the gala," she said, sliding the folder across the desk. "I didn't want to distract you. Not with Rose still out there. Not with everything at stake." Camille stared at the folder, afraid to open it. The hospital logo embossed on its cover told her everything she needed to know.

"How bad is it?" she whispered.

"Open it," Victoria said gently.

With trembling fingers, Camille opened

the folder. Medical terms jumped out at her: "metastatic pancreatic carcinoma," " stage four," "poor prognosis." Dates of treatments. Surgical notes. Oncologist recommendations.

But one sentence burned into her brain: "Estimated survival: 3-6 months."

The room tilted around her. Camille gripped the edge of the desk to steady herself.

"Three to six months?" Her voice sounded strange in her own ears, distant and hollow. "That's... that can't be right.”

"The estimates are often conservative," Victoria said, her tone matter-of-

fact. "I could have longer."

"Or shorter." The words escaped before Camille could stop them.

Victoria didn't answer, which was answer enough.

"How long have you known?" Camille asked, papers crumpling in her tight grip.

"Since before the bombing of

the substations. The first symptoms started even earlier."

Camille stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. "All this time?

these months, you've been dying, and you didn't tell

"I was protecting you."

Camille's voice rose.

to prepare?

Camille had rarely seen. "From pain, Camille. I was protecting you from pain. You've had enough of that in

be partners. Family. You don't keep something

didn't want me to act like your daughter,” she said, the realization bitter in her

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Chapter 148

focus on the

but Camille stepped back. "That's not

why?" Camille demanded. "Why hide

pity. With grief. Like I'm already gone." "How did you expect me to look when I found out

you to be strong. To be ready to carry on

preparing me to work beside you," Camille said.

Camille's hands, her

me. What we've built together,Kane Industries, the Phoenix Grid,

when I do. It needs to continue.

away. "How can you talk about business at a time

treatment with any chance of success. The cancer has spread too far, too

Anger flared again, hot and desperate.

For the first time,

"I have fought with everything I have. But some battles can't be won, Camille. Some enemies can't be defeated through sheer will." The vulnerability in Victoria's voice - something Camille

Suddenly, she saw not

rescued and transformed her, but a woman facing her

pure grief so powerful it nearly knocked her off

sobbed against Victoria's

thought, a

to her. Not just a mentor. Not just

a mother who had saved her, protected

around Camille, holding her tightly. Camille felt a dampness against her

girl."

probably never allowed herself to shed in front of anyone. "My

no Kane

pulled apart as Alexander entered, his expression changing instantly as he

Victoria's pallor,

face, the medical files

asked, closing the door

couldn't speak. Victoria answered for her, her voice

stained face suggested.

said. "About

on Alexander's

toward him, fresh betrayal cutting through her grief. "You knew? You

a wounded animal. "It wasn't my place to tell

me," Camille said bitterly. "My parents. You. Probably half the board members

and your mother knew," Victoria corrected. "And only

word. "You mean

All the details of your death that you kept

her, but Camille

the edge of the desk. Alexander moved quickly to her side, helping her back into her chair. "You should rest," he told her. "The doctor

what the doctor said, Victona interrupted. "But

hours, and my

had never called her that before not directly. Just as Camille had never called

said suddenly "Not tonight. Not with

Especially with me like this Victoria's voice regained its familiar steel "We don't show weakness, Camille Not to the world. Hot

care about flose right now Camille enapped "" care

the gata. Show everyone that Kane Industries

agreed with Victoria Of

cheeks. "The gala goes on. But afterwards, we talk about treatment options Real options,

eyes suggested she was merely

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