SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 159

The phone buzzed on the hospital nightstand. Just once. A single text message.

Camille glanced at it, expecting another update from Alexander, who had stepped out to take a call from the security team. Victoria was asleep, her breathing finally even after a difficult morning of treatments. The room was quiet except for the steady beep of monitors and the soft hiss of the oxygen machine.

Camille reached for the phone, grateful for the distraction from her worried thoughts. The screen lit up.

Unknown number.

She opened the message and froze.

*You took everything from me twice. Now I'll take everyone from you.*

The words burned into her eyes. No signature. None needed. Camille knew exactly who had sent it.

Rose.

Her hand shook as she stared at the message. The phone suddenly felt hot, dangerous, as if it might explode in her palm. She wanted to throw it across the room, to smash it against the wall, to destroy the link between her and the sister who would not stop hunting her.

Instead, she took a deep breath and pressed the screenshot button. Evidence. The FBI would need it.

Victoria stirred in the hospital bed, her eyes opening slowly. "Camille? What's wrong?"

Camille tried to smooth her expression, to hide the fear that must be written across her face. But Victoria had always seen through her masks.

"Show me," Victoria said, her voice stronger than her frail body suggested.

Camille hesitated, then turned the phone screen toward Victoria. No point hiding it. Not from the woman who had taught her to face threats head-on.

Victoria read the message, her face hardening. "She's desperate," she said finally. "Cornered. The FBI is closing in, and she knows it."

"That makes her more dangerous, not less," Camille replied, her voice tight with fear she couldn't quite hide. "She's threatening everyone I love."

"Which is why we have security," Victoria reminded her. "And why the FBI is hunting her day and night."

Camille stood, suddenly unable to sit still. She paced the small hospital room, the phone clutched in her hand like a grenade with the pin half-pulled. "She found a way to contact me despite everything. Who knows what else she can do?"

The door opened, and Alexander stepped in. One look at Camille's face told him something was wrong.

"What happened?" he asked, closing the door firmly behind him.

Wordlessly, Camille handed him the phone. His expression darkened as he read the message.

"When did this come in?"

"Just now," Camille said. "Can you trace it?"

"I'll have my team try, but if Rose is being careful, she'll have used a burner phone." Alexander was already typing on his own phone, alerting his security personnel. "We need to move you both to a more secure location."

"I'm not leaving the hospital," Victoria said firmly from her bed. "My treatment protocol requires specific equipment that can't be moved."

this floor," Alexander decided. "No one in or out

limbs, making her feel heavy and slow. Rose had found a way to reach her despite

parents," Camille said suddenly. "She'll

this morning, before this message came in. Standard precaution

relieved, but the fear only grew, taking root in her heart like a poisonous weed. "What about you?" she asked Alexander, her voice barely audible. "She'll come

in his. "I can take care of myself, Camille. I've been

Camille insisted. "You don't understand how she

Alexander said gently. "But I'm not going anywhere. We face this

her eyes sharp despite her weakened state. "Call Agent

and stepped away to make the call. Camille resumed her pacing, unable to

her tone leaving no room

body tense as a drawn

she's caught," Victoria agreed. "Or until

simple truth of those words hit Camille like a physical blow. Rose wouldn't stop. Not

is never going to end," Camille whispered, the realization settling

countered. "Even Rose's obsession. Even her freedom to

still in Alexander's hand, at the message glowing on the

seduced? A life Rose had tried repeatedly to destroy? In Rose's

Everyone. The

parents. Anyone who mattered

thin. Camille struggled to

through the fog of fear. "Look at

meeting Victoria's steady

you afraid," Victoria said firmly. "She wants you paralyzed. Reactive. Don't give her that

torn from someplace deep and vulnerable. "I can't lose

Victoria promised. "We're prepared now. We're ready for

"Agent Chen is sending a team

until then?" Camille

was calm, matter-of-fact, a counterpoint to the storm of emotion raging inside. Camille. "No one enters this floor without biometric verification and direct approval from me. All staff are being vetted again. Guards at every entrance, exit, and

about my parents?"

is sending FBI agents to supplement their security team.

safe house

take comfort in these concrete measures. But the

Alexander moved to answer it, his hand inside his jacket where Camille knew he carried a weapon. He checked the security monitor beside

of the floor. All clear. Additional

"Any updates on

The tech team says the message was routed through multiple

to this exchange, the professional calm of the two men both reassuring and somehow terrifying. They were preparing for

Somewhere out there, Rose was watching. Waiting. Planning her next

a mistake," Alexander said, coming to stand beside

replied, her voice hollow. "She's patient. Careful.

that the entire country is looking for her. Every law enforcement agency. Every airport. Every border

when she's this close to what she

she want?"

suffer. To take

Alexander said simply. "We protect each other.