Chapter 190

Chapter 190

Alexander stood on their villa's balcony, watching the Italian sunset paint the sky

in shades of orange and purple. Behind him, Camille slept deeply, exhausted from their day exploring Capri's winding streets and hidden coves. Her soft breathing carried through the open door, a steady rhythm that should have brought him

peace.

Instead, his mind wandered back to New York, to a day that had changed everything. Two days before his engagement party. Two days before he'd committed to building a life with Camille.

The memory hit him with physical force, as vivid now as it had been then.

*** ***

Rain had pounded the windows of his Manhattan penthouse. Alexander had been reviewing contracts when his doorman called up.

"Package for you, Mr. Pierce. No delivery service, just left at the desk."

The plain manila envelope sat on his kitchen counter for an hour before he opened it. No markings, no return address. Just his name typed on a white label.

When he finally slit it open, several documents slid out onto the marble surface. The top sheet, a typed note, said only: *The truth about your uncle's death and the woman who caused it.*

His first instinct had been to trash it. Crackpot conspiracy theories about his family weren't uncommon when you had Pierce's money and profile. But something made him look at the second page.

An internal Kane Industries memo with Victoria's signature. Subject line: *Meridian Technologies - Pierce Vulnerability Assessment.*

Alexander's coffee had gone cold beside him as he read through each page. Internal psychological profiles of his uncle. Strategy documents outlining how to exploit Richard Pierce's financial weaknesses and "known emotional instability." A systematic plan to isolate him from business allies and financial lifelines.

Meeting minutes with Victoria's handwritten notes in the margins: *"R.P. showing signs of extreme stress. Push harder."*

The final document had been a photocopy of his uncle's suicide note, with a section highlighted: *"Victoria Kane has taken everything. There's nothing left."* Alexander remembered dropping into a chair, room spinning around him. Each breath had felt like drowning. The coffee cup had slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor, the sound barely registering.

Victoria Kane. The woman who had saved Camille from death. The woman who had rebuilt her. The woman whose company he was meant to celebrate with in two days at his engagement party.

Alexander had gathered the papers with shaking hands, placing them back in the envelope. He'd walked to his office safe and locked them away. Then he'd called the only person who might know if they were real.

uncle's former

these?" James had asked, voice tight with emotion when Alexander described the

Are

everything before James even spoke. "Yes. I've been trying to prove what she did for years. After Richard's death, she buried everything. Paid people off. Threatened others. I had

had gripped the phone so hard his fingers ached. "Why

you're really dealing with before you marry into her

in forty-eight hours. Months of planning. Hundreds of guests. And Camille,

do when you found out?" Alexander

had. She buried me, just like she buried Richard. Made sure I couldn't work in

had looked out his window at the rain-soaked city. "I need to confirm these

what she values. And she values her relationship

security without leaving traces. By midnight, he'd had confirmation, the documents were genuine. Victoria Kane had deliberately targeted his uncle, knowing his vulnerabilities, pushing until he

and stepped off a chair in his home office, where

*** ****

balcony, Alexander stared at his reflection in the glass door. Behind him, Camille stirred in their bed, murmuring something in her

morning after confirming the documents authenticity, he had stood in front of his bathroom mirror making a vow. He would see

destroyed for what

dismantle everything she had built, piece by piece. He would make her feel the same helplessness his uncle had felt

get close enough. Close enough that she would never see him

He'd smiled. He'd thanked Victoria for her heartfelt toast. He'd kissed Camille under glittering chandeliers while photographers captured the

had noticed the cold hatred burning inside him as Victoria embraced him, welcoming him to the

months since. Something unexpected and dangerous. He had fallen truly,

own life. Each new piece of evidence his team uncovered from

stepped onto the balcony, hair tousled from sleep, wearing only his

she said, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "I could hear your

planning our day tomorrow." She studied his face with those perceptive eyes that missed nothing. Victoria

kept in his encrypted phone. Explaining why he sometimes woke

The moment passed.

her forehead. "Just missing home a little." "We can

weeks with you have been the happiest

mission, despite the daily communications with his team digging through Kane Industries' past, despite

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