SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 218

The Kane Industries conference room felt suffocating as Hannah's computer displayed the final pieces of information that would change everything they thought they knew. For hours, they had been tracing digital footprints, following money trails, and uncovering layers of deception that stretched back twenty years.

Now, the truth stared back at them from multiple screens, devastating in its clarity.

"James Smith," Hannah said quietly, reading from her laptop. "Born James Thomas Smith. Changed his legal name to James Whitfield in 2006 two years after his father Thomas Smith died in federal prison."

Alexander stared at the screen showing his uncle's business partner's real identity. The man he had known only as the Guardian, the person who had fed him lies for months, had been hiding behind a false name from the beginning.

"Thomas Smith Construction," Stefan read from another document. "Convicted of federal fraud, bribery, and safety violations. The company was systematically cheating municipal contracts by using substandard materials and exploiting immigrant workers."

Victoria sat back in her chair, pieces of a twenty-year-old puzzle finally clicking into place. "I remember Thomas Smith. Richard and I were competing against his company for the hospital contract when we discovered his illegal practices."

"You reported him to the authorities," Camille said, understanding beginning to dawn.

"We had to. Workers were being injured on his construction sites because he was using defective concrete and steel. Families were being cheated out of their life savings through inflated contracts." Victoria's voice carried the weight of old memories. "When we found evidence of his crimes, we turned it over to federal investigators."

Alexander's hands shook as he processed what he was hearing. "James Whitfield is Thomas Smith's son. The Guardian is the son of a criminal who was legitimately convicted for fraud."

Hannah pulled up more records, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "Thomas Smith died in prison in 2004. Killed by other inmates after they discovered he had been stealing money from a children's hospital construction fund."

The silence in the room was deafening as everyone absorbed the implications. Alexander felt like the ground was shifting beneath his feet, everything he had believed crumbling into dust.

"James wasn't seeking justice," Alexander whispered. "He was seeking revenge for his father's criminal empire being destroyed."

Stefan leaned forward, studying the financial records Hannah had uncovered. "Look at this timeline. James started planning his revenge campaign almost immediately after his father's death. He spent years building resources, creating false identities, gathering information on Victoria and Richard."

"And waiting for the perfect weapon," Camille added, looking at Alexander with a mixture of pity and understanding.

Alexander stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. The sound echoed in the quiet room like a gunshot. "My uncle. What really happened to my uncle?"

to the coroner's report, Richard Pierce died by suicide. But look at these medical records from

toxicology results, and witness statements that painted

him that Victoria was responsible for Meridian Technologies' problems. But when Richard started questioning the

happen," Stefan finished grimly. "Richard knew too much about James's

in his chest like molten lava. "The toxicology report. What

weren't prescribed to Richard," Hannah said quietly. "Enough to incapacitate someone but not enough

and staged his death to look like suicide. He murdered your uncle to protect

hadn't died by suicide, overwhelmed by guilt and despair. Richard Pierce had been murdered by

fifteen years believing my uncle killed himself because of guilt over the factory explosion. I destroyed my marriage, nearly killed Victoria with stress, betrayed everyone I should have protected... all based on lies told by my

her, despite the surveillance and betrayal and

she said softly, "you

acting on James's information." Alexander's hands clenched into fists. "I should have honored

studied Alexander's face, seeing the raw pain and growing fury in his expression.

with a rage that went beyond anything they had seen before. This wasn't the jealous anger that

was something colder

deadly quiet. "I'm thinking that he

has been escalating his plans. The failed media attack, your

Alexander said, surprising everyone with the venom in his voice. "Let him come. Let him try whatever move he's planning

justice into your own hands. We need to involve law enforcement,

"James has been committing crimes for fifteen years and no one has stopped him. He murdered my uncle and made it look

Camille said firmly. "We have evidence

eyes, the fear that he was about to make another terrible mistake

destroy our marriage. He turned my love for you into a tool for his revenge. He made me betray everything I should have protected." Alexander's voice cracked with emotion. "How can I just hand him over to

closer to Alexander. "Because that's what separates you from him. James Whitfield has spent twenty years choosing revenge over justice, manipulation over truth. Don't become the same kind of person who

"Richard Pierce was drugged and killed by the man who had been feeding him lies for months. The factory explosion, the financial problems, the stress that supposedly drove him to suicide - all of it was orchestrated

an urgent alert. She looked at the screen and her face went white.

something big is