SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

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?

dying, and you didn't tell

"I was protecting you."

Camille's voice rose. "From

From having time to prepare?

showing a vulnerability Camille had rarely seen. "From pain, Camille. I was protecting

make!" Tears spilled down Camille's cheeks now, hot and angry. "We're supposed to be partners.

didn't want me to act like your daughter,” she

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Chapter 148

me to focus on the company. On becoming your

Victoria reached for Camille's hand, but Camille stepped back. "That's

"Why hide something this

pain as she 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 I'm already gone." "How did you expect me to look when I found out the woman who saved my life is dying?" Camille's voice

around the desk, closing the distance between them. "I expected you to be strong. To be ready to carry on without me. That's what I've been preparing you for

you were preparing me to work

hands, her

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

needs to

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

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

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

For the first time,

Some enemies can't be

she saw not the

transformed her, but a woman

pure grief so powerful it nearly knocked her off her feet. She stumbled forward,

against Victoria's

slipped out without thought,

to her. Not

her, protected her, loved her when she needed it

came around Camille, holding her tightly. Camille felt a dampness against her hair and realized Victoria

girl."

allowed herself to shed in front of anyone. "My girl," Victoria whispered, her voice thick

Kane Industries, no Rose, no upcoming gala.

pulled apart

the scene, Victoria's pallor,

medical files on

he asked, closing the door

Victoria answered for her, her voice steadier than

stained face suggested.

Victoria said. "About my

Alexander's face.

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

a wounded animal. "It wasn't my place to tell you, Camille. Victoria asked

but me," Camille said bitterly. "My

your mother knew," Victoria corrected. "And only

word. "You mean your

the details of your death that you kept from

her, but Camille stepped away.

edge of the desk. Alexander moved quickly to her side, helping her back into her chair.

what the doctor said,

gata in a few hours, and my daughter just received difficult news Resting can

her that before not directly. Just as

said suddenly "Not

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

flose right now

at the gata. Show everyone

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

relented, wiping tears from her cheeks. "The gala goes on. But afterwards, we talk

in her eyes suggested she was merely humoring