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?

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

"I was protecting you."

voice rose.

prepare? From being able to

seen. "From pain, Camille. I was protecting you from pain. You've had

partners. Family. You don't keep something like this from family." Victoria flinched at the word "family,"

me to act like

1/4

Chapter 148

the company. On

Camille

"Why

With pity. With grief. Like I'm already gone." "How did you expect me

be strong. To be ready to carry on without me. That's what

me to work beside

hands,

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

when I do. It needs to

her hands away. "How can you talk about business at a time like this? We should be discussing

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

and desperate. "The Victoria Kane I

For

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

her anger. Suddenly, she saw not

a woman facing her own mortality. Afraid. In pain.

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

she sobbed against Victoria's shoulder. "Please

out without thought, a raw, honest

her. Not

who had saved her, protected her, loved her

arms came around Camille, holding her tightly. Camille felt a dampness

girl."

tears she had probably never allowed herself to shed in front of anyone. "My girl," Victoria whispered, her

Kane Industries, no Rose, no upcoming gala. Just

at the door interrupted them. They pulled apart as Alexander entered,

Victoria's

medical files

closing the door behind

for her, her voice steadier than

stained face suggested.

said.

Alexander's face.

spun toward him, fresh betrayal cutting through her grief. "You knew? You knew and you didn't

wasn't my place to tell you, Camille.

said bitterly. "My parents. You. Probably half the board

Victoria corrected. "And only because I needed their help

spat the word. "You mean your will.

plans. All the details of your death

Camille stepped away. "Don't.

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

doctor said, Victona interrupted.

few hours, and my

between them Victoria had never called her that before not directly.

suddenly "Not tonight. Not with

don't show weakness, Camille Not to the world. Hot to our enemies. And certainly not

care about flose right now Camille enapped "" care about

honar my wishes Victoria said "Stand beside me at the gata. Show everyone that Kane Industries remains strong, regardless of what happens to me

agreed with Victoria

tears from her cheeks. "The gala goes on. But afterwards,

suggested she was

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