SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 160

Dr. Sharma knocked twice before entering Victoria's hospital room, her face unreadable as she carried a folder of test results. Camille sat up straighter in her chair, her heart speeding up. Two weeks had passed since Rose's threatening message. Two weeks of heightened security, constant fear, and waiting for Victoria's latest test results.

"Good morning," Dr. Sharma said, her voice giving away nothing. "How are you feeling today, Ms. Kane?"

Victoria, sitting up in bed for the first time in days, nodded slightly. "Better than yesterday. Less pain."

Camille studied her mother's face, hardly daring to believe the small

improvements she'd noticed over the past few days. The color returning to Victoria's cheeks. The clarity in her eyes. The way she'd begun asking about Kane Industries again, as if planning for a future she might actually see.

Dr. Sharma pulled up the bedside chair and sat down, opening the folder on her lap. "I have your latest scan results."

Camille reached for Victoria's hand, bracing for bad news. They'd been through this routine before, brief improvements followed by crushing setbacks. Hope was a luxury she could barely afford.

"The treatment is working," Dr. Sharma said, her professional mask finally breaking into a genuine smile. "The tumors have shrunk by nearly thirty percent." The words hung in the air. Camille stared at the doctor, afraid she'd misheard. "Thirty percent?" Victoria repeated, her voice steadier than it had been in weeks. "Yes. Your body is responding remarkably well to the combined therapy approach." Dr. Sharma turned the folder, showing them the scan images. "Here's the primary tumor from three weeks ago. And here it is now."

Even to Camille's untrained eye, the difference was clear. The dark mass that had been stealing Victoria's life was noticeably smaller.

"What does this mean?" Camille asked, afraid to voice the real question burning in her heart: *Is she going to live?*

"It means the treatment is working better than we expected," Dr. Sharma explained. "Your mother's body is fighting back with surprising strength."

Victoria's hand tightened around Camille's. "Give us the full picture, Doctor. No sugar-coating."

Dr. Sharma nodded, respecting Victoria's directness. "The cancer is still serious. But this response changes your prognosis significantly. With continued treatment and your current response rate, we could be looking at years of good quality life rather than months."

Years. The word echoed in Camille's mind like a bell, clear and bright and almost too beautiful to believe.

"And the smoke damage to her lungs?" Camille pressed, needing to understand the complete situation.

"Also improving faster than expected. Your mother has remarkable resilience, Ms. Kane." Dr. Sharma closed the folder. "I believe we can start discussing discharge plans within the next week, with continued outpatient treatment, of course."

After the doctor left, promising to return with more details that afternoon, silence filled the room. Camille stared at Victoria, tears building behind her eyes but not falling.

"Don't look so shocked," Victoria said finally, a hint of her old dryness returning. "I told you I wasn't finished yet."

The simple statement broke the dam. Camille's tears flowed freely now, her body shaking with sobs that were half laughter, half pure relief.

"Camille," Victoria said, her voice softening. "Come here."

Camille moved from the chair to the edge of the bed. Victoria reached up, wiping tears from her daughter's cheeks with a gentleness few people had ever seen from the formidable businesswoman.

Victoria promised. "Not for a long

was so afraid," Camille admitted, the words barely

what you thought." Victoria's hand moved to cover Camille's. "I thought it too, at first. But it seems we're both too stubborn to give up so

beat cancer and

held Camille's. "Now, help me

got good news. You

resting for weeks," Victoria countered. "It's

inside Camille, touching a place that had been frozen with fear since Rose's threat. *Time to start living again.* Not

Victoria's pillows, helping her sit more upright. "Alexander will want to know about the test results. He's

more than

Camille up short. Even recovering from cancer, even celebrating good news, Victoria's mind remained sharp, tactical, always evaluating weaknesses

there," Victoria continued, reading Camille's thoughts with her usual accuracy. "My recovery doesn't change that. If anything, it makes me a

in," Camille reminded her. "Every day they

Rose has always been patient when it

patrolling the hospital grounds. "I can't live like this forever. None of us can. Looking over our shoulders.

Victoria agreed. "Which is why we need to be

studying Victoria's face. "What

in? weeks. "What she doesn't expect is for

night. Victoria was right. Rose wanted them paralyzed with fear. Wanted them isolated, separated, vulnerable. Every day they spent simply waiting for her

small victory

Foundation," Camille said, the words coming unbidden to her

evident in her eyes. "Exactly. Not just the foundation. Everything. Kane Industries initiatives. Your wedding plans with Alexander.

something other than fear fluttered in Camille's chest. Something that felt dangerously like

the door interrupted them. Alexander entered,

looking stronger

he said,

"Dr. Sharma just gave us the test

slipped around Camille's waist, offering silent support. "That's the best news I've heard

discussing next steps," Victoria said, her business tone returning. "Specifically, how to move forward instead of

said, the words feeling right as they left

Victoria added pragmatically. Alexander's expression grew thoughtful. "It's risky. Rose is still out there, still

people like us. That never stopped me before, and it won't stop

her emotions as clearly as if she'd spoken them aloud. "What

Rose wants us afraid. Wants us hiding. Wants us to put our lives on hold while she plots and plans." She straightened her shoulders, feeling strength returning with each word. "I think it's time we stopped giving

a slow spreading of warmth across his face.

find my phone. I need to call the board members and let them know

not dead yet."

met