SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 153

Camille crouched beneath a table with three young women in evening gowns, all sobbing in terror. The second explosion had blocked their path to the main exit with burning debris.

"Listen to me," Camille said firmly, her voice cutting through their panic. "There's another way out. Through the service corridor. But we need to stay low and move fast."

The women nodded, their faces streaked with tears and soot.

"Follow me," Camille ordered. "Stay close. Cover your mouth with your dress if you can."

They crawled from under the table into the thickening smoke. Camille led them along the perimeter of the room, away from the worst of the flames. Her eyes burned. Her lungs screamed for clean air. But she pushed forward, guiding the terrified women toward safety.

The service door appeared through the smoke, its outline barely visible. Camille reached it first, pulling it open to reveal a relatively clear corridor beyond.

"Go!" she urged the women. "Straight ahead. You'll reach an exit in thirty seconds."

As the last woman stumbled through, Camille turned back to the ballroom. Were there others still trapped? Anyone she had missed?

A third explosion rocked the building, this one closer than the others. The force of

it sent Camille flying backward into the wall. Pain exploded across her back and shoulder. Her vision blurred.

When it cleared, she saw the ceiling directly above her beginning to crack. In seconds, it would collapse.

Camille tried to move, but her body refused to respond. The smoke was too thick now. Each breath brought more pain than air.

So this was how it would end. Not in victory over Rose, but buried beneath the rubble of her triumph.

As consciousness began to fade, Camille thought she heard someone calling her name. A familiar voice, desperate and determined.

"Alexander?" she whispered, the word lost in the roar of the flames.

Then strong arms were around her, lifting her from the floor. A voice close to her ear saying, "I've got you. Stay with me."

Alexander had found her. Even through the smoke and flames and chaos, he had found her.

As he carried her toward safety, Camille's last thought before darkness claimed her was that Rose had failed again. Failed to destroy what mattered most.

Because even in this moment of destruction, she was not alone.

***

the west wing of the Grand Plaza Hotel. Emergency vehicles surrounded the building, their lights painting the night in flashes of red

sign of

had turned white. She

calm. "If you don't let me out of this car

could respond, Victoria's driver pointed toward the hotel's side

smoke emerged a figure carrying what appeared to be a body. As they moved closer, Victoria

Victoria's heart stopped.

pushing past Curtis to open

ever admit, and hurried toward Alexander. As she approached,

gasped as Victoria reached them. "Smoke inhalation. Some

with trembling

Victoria, recognition dawning. "You... should be... in the car," she whispered,

lips. "And you should have followed

placed Camille on it, reluctant to let her go even for a

her," Victoria told him. "I'll follow

his eyes never leaving Camille as the paramedics began treating

aware of the weight of her own exhaustion. The excitement, the fear, the relief, all of it came crashing

then another. The

her vision. The last thing she heard was Curtis

Then nothing.

ambulance, oxygen mask covering her face, monitors beeping steadily around her. Alexander sat beside her, holding

pulling the mask

taking

tried to sit up, panic giving her strength.

her back down. "She collapsed after seeing you were safe. Could be exhaustion, could be smoke inhalation, could be..."

be the cancer. The disease that was already killing

be with her," Camille

ambulances are heading to the same hospital. We'll find her

hold of

is destroyed. The ballroom...

but most guests

picturing the beautiful ballroom in flames, the charity gala turned to ash, all her

Camille was

survive too.

heard the driver curse,

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