SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 198

Victoria's hands shook as she stared at the financial reports spread across her desk. Not from the cancer treatments, those were going better than expected. No, these tremors came from something far worse: the growing certainty that the man sleeping beside her daughter every night might be her greatest enemy.

The attacks on Kane Industries had started three weeks after Camille's wedding. Subtle at first, a few negative stories in financial blogs, some anonymous tips to reporters about safety concerns. Then the stock manipulation, the server outages, the leaked internal documents. Someone with intimate knowledge of their systems was bleeding them slowly, methodically.

Someone close enough to know their vulnerabilities.

Victoria picked up her phone with unsteady fingers.

"Stefan Rodriguez."

"Stefan, it's Victoria Kane. I need to see you. Today."

A pause. "Is Camille.."

"Camille is fine. But I need your help with something that could destroy her if I'm right."

Two hours later, Stefan sat across from Victoria in her private conference room. The guilt he'd carried since betraying Camille had changed him, made him quieter, more thoughtful. More willing to do whatever it took to protect the woman he'd failed so completely.

"You suspect Alexander," Stefan said. It wasn't a question.

cracked slightly. "The timing of these attacks... they started right after the wedding. Someone is using inside information,

slid a folder across the table. "Meridian Technologies. It collapsed fifteen years ago after a series of financial attacks that look remarkably similar

the documents. "Richard Pierce. The founder who died by suicide after losing

Victoria's voice was barely a whisper.

her to get revenge on you." Stefan's face went pale. "Jesus, Victoria. The engagement, the wedding, everything, it could all be

air like poison. Victoria thought of Camille's radiant smile on her wedding day, the way she'd looked at Alexander like he'd hung the stars. The idea that it might all

investigate him," Victoria said. "Quietly. Thoroughly. Use

Alexander Pierce's background. Any connection to Meridian Technologies, any evidence he's targeting

You have

trail that could tip him off. And because..." Victoria met his eyes. "Because you understand betrayal from the inside.

thought of the night Camille found those divorce papers, the way her face had crumbled when she realized the scope of his betrayal. The possibility that she might be living through something even worse, might be sharing her bed with

Camille? She has a

can't know. Not yet." Victoria's voice was firm despite the pain in her

alone could destroy her marriage. If I'm right, we need irrefutable proof before we shatter her world

at the folder in his

If there's a connection, if there's any evidence Alexander is behind these attacks..." Stefan looked up, his expression grim. "I'll find it. Not for you. For her. To protect her from going through what

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see the city Camille was learning to love, the life she was building with the man who might be her

buzzed with a text from Camille: *Having lunch with Alexander. He's being so supportive about the