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."

voice

having time to prepare? From being

pain, Camille. I was protecting you from pain. You've had enough of that in your

to make!" Tears spilled down Camille's cheeks now, hot and angry. "We're supposed to be partners. Family. You don't keep something like this from family." Victoria flinched at

didn't tell me because you didn't want me to act like your daughter,” she said, the realization

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Chapter 148

to focus on the company. On

hand, but Camille stepped back. "That's not it at

"Why hide something

moved. "Because I couldn't bear to see you look at me the way you're looking at me now. With pity. With grief. Like

expected you to be strong. To be ready to carry on without me. That's what I've been preparing you for

preparing me to work beside you," Camille said. “Not

hands, her grip

"Listen to me. What we've built together,Kane Industries, the Phoenix Grid, your

do. It needs to continue. You need to

business at a time like this? We should be discussing treatments.

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

giving up?" Anger flared again, hot and desperate. "The Victoria Kane

fought." For the first

exterior. "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

she saw not the

her, but a woman facing her own

replaced by a wave of pure grief so powerful it nearly knocked her off her feet. She stumbled forward, wrapping her arms around

she sobbed against Victoria's shoulder. "Please

word slipped out without thought, a

Victoria had truly become to her. Not just a mentor. Not just a

But a mother who had saved her, protected her, loved her when

moment, then her arms came around Camille, holding her tightly. Camille felt

girl."

front of anyone. "My girl,"

a moment, there was no Kane Industries, no Rose, no upcoming gala.

them. They pulled apart

scene, Victoria's pallor,

medical files

happened?" he asked, closing the door behind

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

stained face suggested.

Victoria said.

Alexander's face. "I

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

one might approach a wounded animal. "It wasn't my place to tell you, Camille.

said bitterly. "My parents. You. Probably

corrected. "And only because I needed their

Camille spat the word. "You mean your will.

your death

reached for her, but Camille

moved quickly to her side, helping her back into her chair. "You should rest,"

what the doctor said, Victona

in a few hours, and my

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

Camille said suddenly "Not

me like this Victoria's voice regained its familiar steel "We don't show weakness, Camille Not

about flose right now Camille enapped

me at the gata. Show everyone that Kane Industries remains

expression told her he agreed with Victoria Of course he did. He always saw the

wiping tears from her cheeks. "The gala goes on. But afterwards, we talk about treatment options Real options, not just palliative

in her eyes suggested she was merely humoring

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