SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

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 and blue. Paramedics treated injured guests on the plaza. Police officers established a perimeter. Firefighters battled the blaze with seemingly little

sign of

hand gripped her phone so tightly her knuckles had turned white. She had

me out of this car right now, I will ensure you never work

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

appeared to be a body. As they moved closer, Victoria recognized Alexander, his face blackened with soot, his clothing torn and burned. In his arms lay Camille,

Victoria's heart stopped.

Curtis to

legs weaker than she would ever admit, and hurried toward Alexander. As she approached, she saw

as Victoria reached them. "Smoke inhalation. Some burns. Maybe a concussion

Camille's face with trembling fingers. "Camille? Can

recognition dawning. "You... should be... in the car," she whispered, her voice hoarse from

lips. "And you

gently placed Camille on it, reluctant to let

him. "I'll follow in

leaving Camille as the paramedics began

toward her vehicle, suddenly aware of the weight of her own exhaustion. The excitement, the fear, the relief, all of it came crashing down at once. Her vision

step, then another. The third step never

Darkness edged her vision. The last thing she heard was Curtis shouting for

Then nothing.

around her. Alexander sat beside her, holding her

Camille asked, pulling the mask

"They're taking her

tried to sit up, panic giving

Could be exhaustion, could be smoke inhalation, could be..." He

be the cancer. The disease that was already killing her, now accelerated by tonight's

with her," Camille

time, Alexander didn't stop her. "The ambulances are heading to the same hospital.

keeping hold of Alexander's hand. "How bad was

is

but most guests got out before the

in flames, the charity gala turned to ash, all her hard

taken what mattered most. Camille

to survive too. She

heard the