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?"

"According to the coroner's report, Richard Pierce died

and witness statements

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

finished grimly. "Richard

in his chest like molten

prescribed to Richard," Hannah said quietly. "Enough to incapacitate someone

and staged his death to

been murdered by the

my uncle killed himself because of guilt over the factory explosion. I destroyed my marriage, nearly killed Victoria with stress, betrayed

he had done to her, despite the surveillance

she said softly, "you couldn't have

hands clenched into fists. "I should

pain and growing

his eyes blazing with a rage that went beyond anything they had seen before. This wasn't the

something colder

voice deadly quiet. "I'm thinking that he spent fifteen

James has

his voice. "Let

justice into your

and made it look like suicide. He manipulated me into nearly

legally," Camille said firmly. "We have evidence now. We can prove

concern in her eyes, the fear that he was about to make another terrible mistake driven by rage and

used my uncle's death to 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

that's what separates you from him. James Whitfield has spent twenty years choosing

for months. The factory explosion, the financial problems, the stress that supposedly

chimed with an urgent alert. She looked at the screen

- something big is