Ch. 66..70: SCORNED EX WIFE Chapter 66-70
Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Camille's point of view
I stood by the floor-to-
ceiling windows in Victoria's penthouse office, watching the city lights flicker to life as dusk settled over Manhattan. Rain tapped against the glass, a gentle percussion accompanying the victory drumming throug On six massive screens behind Victoria's desk, Rose's destruction played out in real-
time. Every major news channel, every entertainment show, every social media feed, all consumed with the spectacular downfall of fashion's rising star.
"More champagne?" Victoria asked, appearing at my side with the bottle of Dom Pérignon we'd opened when the first reports broke this morning. Her smile, rare and genuine, made her look younger. "Please," I said, holding out my crystal flute.
Victoria clinked her glass against mine. "To justice," she said, voice warm with satisfaction. "Long overdue." "To justice," I echoed, turning back to the spectacle on the screens.
A reporter stood outside Rose's apartment building, rain dampening her hair as she struggled to maintain her professional demeanor despite the obvious joy in delivering the news.
"Fashion designer Rose Lewis remained inside her penthouse apartment all day as more allegations surfaced about affairs with married men, stolen designs, and
questionable financial ties to figures under investigation for money laundering, Sources close to Lewis say she is 'devastated' by what her legal team is calling a "coordinated character assassination.""
I couldn't help but laugh. "Devastated. I wonder if that's how she described me to Stefan when they were planning my replacement."
Victoria squeezed my shoulder. "This is only the beginning. By tomorrow, every major retailer will have canceled their orders. By next week, her investors will pull out completely. By next month, Rose Lewis will The satisfaction I felt should have been pure and sweet. This was what we'd worked toward for nearly two years, the systematic destruction of the woman who had stolen my husband, my life, my identity. The w So why did victory taste so complex? Why did the champagne feel both sweet and slightly bitter?
On the renter screen, footage played of Rose leaving her building through a service entrance, head high, crimson dress a slash of defiance against the gray day. Even in her downfall, she performed the role of wronged innocent perfectly.
"Look at her," I said, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. "Still playing to the cameras. Still manipulating perceptions."
Victoria moved to her desk, pressing a button that muted the screens. "That performance won't save her. Not this
time
I turned away from the windows, studying the woman who had rescued me, rebuilt me, guided me through the transformation from broken victim to powerful avenger.
"How did you find them all?" I asked, settling into a leather chair facing her desk. "Jonathan Hayes, Lord Hartley,
Anton Bessonoy's assistant.. they all disappeared from her life years ago."
Victoria's smile tumed almost predatory. "Money opens mamy doors, but information is the true currency of revenge. For nearly one years, I've had investigators tracking down everyone Hose ever used, betraye "And the banking records? The evidence of money Laundering?"
"More challenging, but nothing is truly hidden from those who know where to look." Victoria studied me over her glass. "You're troubled. Why? This is what we've worked toward "
I sighed, frustrated by my own complicated emotions. "I should feel only happiness seeing her suffer. Only satisfaction watching her world crumble. But there's something else... something I can't quite name." Victoria leaned forward, her expression turning serious. "Don't confuse justice with vengeance, Camille. What we've done isn't about making you feel better. It's about balance. About consequences for actions. "I know," I said, standing to
pace. “But part of me expected to feel... more. Some profound sense of closure or healing."
"Healing doesn't come from what happens to others," Victoria said quietly. "It comes from what happens within you, Rose's destruction is simply the external manifestation
of justice. Your healing is a separate journey."
Her words settled over me, wisdom I hadn't expected from a woman whose focus had always been strategic rather than emotional. Perhaps there were depths to Victoria Kane I still hadn't fully discovered.
My phone buzzed. Alexander's name appeared on the screen, sending an unexpected flutter through my chest. "The lioness watches her prey fall. Satisfaction or emptiness? Perhaps both. Call when you're rea How did he always know my mind so precisely? I slipped the phone back into my pocket without responding, not ready to examine what Alexander Pierce represented in my life,
Victoria watched me with that penetrating gaze. "Alexander?"
1 nodded, not bothering to deny it.
"He remains a complication," she observed, her tone neutral but her eyes sharp. "A variable we didn't account for in our planning"
"He's not a threat to what we've accomplished," I said, more defensively than intended.
Perhaps not. But his interest in you goes beyond business. He wants something from you, Camille. Something he hasn't yet revealed."
Victoria pressed another button, switching the largest screen to a financial news
channel. The analyst was
cussing the impact of Rose's scandal on the fashion industry, specifically how several designers' stock prices had jumped as retailers looked to fill the gap left by her toxic brand.
"We should consider acquiring her manufacturer in Milan, Victoria said. "With their contracts canceled, they'll be desperate. We could get their facilities and workforce for pennies on the dollar."
The suggestion was perfect Victoria, seeing opportunity in destruction. Yet something in me résisted.
"Let someone else have it," I said, surprising both of us. "We've taken enough."
Victoria's eyebrows rose slightly. “That's... unexpected. I thought you
wanted complete dismantling of everything she built."
"I did. I do." I struggled to articulate my shifting emotions. But there's something about picking through the remains that feels... beneath us."
A small smile played at Victoria's lips. "Us. Not me, Us. You've truly become a Kane."
The observation should have pleased me. For months, becoming Victoria Kane's daughter had been my focus, my purpose, my new identity. Yet something about it now felt constricting, as if the perfect vengea Who was 1, when not defined by revenge? What would drive me, when Rose and Stefan had been thoroughly destroyed? What filled the void when hatred no longer consumed every thought? Victoria joined me by the windows again, her reflection appearing beside mine in the darkened glass.
"You're evolving," she said, her voice gentler than usual. “That's natural. For months, every decision has been filtered through the lens of justice for what they did to you. Now that justice is being served, you're "What comes next?" I asked, the question directed partly at her, partly at myself.
"That depends entirely on you." Victoria turned to face me directly. "When I found you half-
dead on that garage, 1 offered you a choice, disappear into a new life somewhere far away, or rise from the ashes transformed. You chose transformation. Now you face another choice." "Which is?"
"Whether Camille Kane exists only as an instrument of revenge, or as someone with a future beyond it."
Her words struck deep, touching uncertainties I'd been avoiding since our plan began yielding results. Since the single-
minded focus on destruction began making room for other possibilities.
"I don't know who I am without this," I admitted, gesturing toward the screens. "Without the goal of making them pay."
Victoria studied me, her gaze thoughtful rather than calculating. "Perhaps that's the next chapter of your journey. Discovering Camille Kane beyond revenge. Beyond the past Beyond even my careful molding." The suggestion surprised me. Victoria had always been directive, strategic, clear about who I should
become. This open-
ended possibility, this freedom to define myself beyond our shared
purpose, was unexpected.
"You would support that?" I asked carefully. "Even if it meant choices you didn't plan for?"
Something flickered in Victoria's eyes, an emotion I couldn't identify. "I saved you, Camille. Rebuilt you. Gave you the tools to achieve justice. But I never intended to own you"
She moved back to her desk,
picking up a thick folder I hadn't noticed earlier. "Which brings me to something I've been considering"
I followed her, curiosity momentarily displacing my existential questions. Victoria handed me the folder, its weight substantial.
"What is this?"
"Open it," she said simply,
Inside were legal documents. I flipped through them, understanding dawning slowly.
"You're giving me controlling interest in Kane Industries' Tech division," I said, looking up in shock. "Thirty percent ownership. Board chairmanship. Final approval on all acquisitions."
Victoria nodded. "Consider it your graduation present. You've learned everything I can teach you about business, strategy, and power. Now it's time for you to build something of your own." I stared at the documents, their implications staggering. This wasn't just a gift, it was independence. Authority Identity beyond being Victoria Kane's creation or Rose Lewis's destruction. "Why now?
"Because revenge is ending," Victoria said simply. "And your life needs to be beginning. Rose Lewis built her career stealing from others. I want you to build yours creating, something uniquely yours." Emotion tightened my throat, unexpected gratitude mixing with something like awe. For all her calculated coldness, Victoria Kane had given me more than tools for revenge. She had given me a future. "Thank you," I said, the words inadequate for the gift she was offering.
Victoria waved away my gratitude. "Don't thank me. Show me what you'll build. Show me who Camille Kane becomes when not defined by her past."
My phone buzzed again. Another message from Alexander: Dinner tomorrow? Something to celebrate your victory, and perhaps discuss what comes after.*
This time, I found myself smiling as I typed: "Yes. 8pm. You choose the place.*
Victoria noticed, of course. "Alexander Pierce represents a choice too," she observed. "One I hope you'll make with your eyes fully open."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning he has his own agenda, as everyone does. Including me." Victoria's honesty was refreshing and slightly alarming. "Just be certain you understand what you're choosing before you choose it."
On the screens, a new headline scrolled: "DESIGNER ROSE LEWIS: FORMER EMPLOYEES ALLEGE TOXIC WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT." The destruction continued its inexorable march, gathering mom
"I believe I'll
understand my choices better now," I said, looking at the documents in my hands. "Now that I have something to look forward to, not just something to avenge"
Victoria raised her champagne glass. “To the future, then. And to the woman you're becoming
"To the future," I echoed, clinking my glass against hers.
As night settled over Manhattan, the city lights blazed against the darkness. I studied my reflection in the window, Camille Kane looking back at me, Victoria's creation but increasingly my own as well. The surgi I was transforming internally too. Becoming someone
neither Camille Lewis nor Victoria's carefully crafted heir, but someone new. Someone undefined by either past trauma or present revenge.
My phone buzzed one final time. Alexander again: *Looking forward to tomorrow. The phoenix rises not just from asties, but toward something greater.*
For the first time since the Rose's men had nearly claimed my life, I found myself genuinely curious about what that "something greater" might be.
Chapter 67
Chapter 67
Stefan Rodriguez stared into his whiskey glass, watching the amber liquid catch the dim
bar light. This was his fourth drink of the night, or maybe his fifth. He'd lost count somewhere between the endless news alerts about Rose's scandal and the memories that wouldn't stop haunting him. The bar was nearly empty on this rainy Tuesday night. Just him, the tired-
looking bartender who had stopped trying to make conversation hours ago, and a couple in the far corner who seemed too wrapped up in each other to notice anything else. Perfect. The last thing Stefan wante letting the burn travel down his throat. The television above the bar played footage of Rose leaving her apartment building, surrounded by reporters shouting questions about her affairs, her stolen designs, her denials, her careful performance of wronged innocence.
"Turn that off," he muttered to the bartender, who glanced up at the screen and reached for the remote without
comment
The sudden silence felt heavier somehow. Without the distraction of Rose's public disgrace, Stefan was left alone with thoughts that had been circling his mind for days. How had he been so blind? So easily ma The bartender set another whiskey in front of him without being asked. "On the house," he said, his eyes reflecting something that might have been understanding. You look like you need it." Stefan nodded his thanks, too exhausted for words. The past week had hollowed him out. First the collapse of his family's shipping empire, then the discovery of Rose's deception, and now this public spectacle deep weariness that no amount of alcohol seemed to touch.
His phone buzzed on the bar top. His father, again. The third call tonight. Stefan silenced it without answering. What could he possibly say to the man whose legacy he had failed to protect? Whose family name The small Rodriguez Shipping operation in Seattle was still functioning, but barely. The employees who had remained loyal deserved better than a broken man drowning his failures in whiskey. They deserved a Stefan ran a hand through his disheveled hair, remembering when he had been that man. When he had believed himself worthy of the Rodriguez name. When he had thought himself in love with a woman who No, not a stranger. A predator.
The emails the investigator had uncovered had
revealed the truth with brutal clarity. Rose wasn't a kind
and good wornan. She had been plotting, manipulating, calculating for years. The calls from London. The "chance" encounters when she returned to New York. The perfectly timed comfort offered when his mar All deliberate. All strategic. All focused on achieving what she wanted, regardless of who suffered in the process. Including Camille.
Stefan closed his eyes as memories of his wife flooded back Camille, with her gentle smile and quiet determination Camille, who had loved him despite his flaws, despite his family's cold welcome, desnit
Charter K
distance he had placed between them as Rose's influence grew.
Camille, whose car had gone off that bridge two nights after he had asked for a divorce. The night after he had chosen Rose.
The guilt was a physical pain in his chest, sharper than any business failure, any public humiliation. The knowledge that he had thrown away something genuine for a carefully crafted illusion felt like swallowing
"You
okay, buddy?" the bartender asked, pausing in his task of wiping down glasses.
Stefan opened his eyes, surprised to find his vision blurred. "Fine," he managed. "Just... thinking,"
"Dangerous activity after midnight," the bartender said, not unkindly. "Especially with that much whiskey Involved"
Stefan attempted a smile that felt more like a grimace. "Some thoughts follow you no matter how much you drink.
The bartender nodded knowingly. "Those are the ones worth listening to, usually'
The simple wisdom hit harder than it should have. Stefan had spent nearly two
years not listening to his thoughts, not about his failing marriage, not about Rose's convenienttiming, not about the business decisions that had left Rodriguez Shipping vulnerable to
hostile takeover. He had silenced every warning, ignored every red flag, dismissed every instinct that might have saved him from where he sat now.
His phone buzzed again, not a call this time, but a news alert. Stefan knew he should ignore it, spare himself whatever fresh humiliation the media had uncovered about Rose or their relationship. But some mas
"ROSE LEWIS SCANDAL DEEPENS: FORMER CLASSMATE PROVIDES EVIDENCE OF DESIGN THEFT"
Accompanying the headline was a photo of Rose from her fashion school days, standing proudly beside what had been her breakthrough design, a design that, according to the article, had been stolen from a fe Stefan scrolled through the story, a strange numbness spreading through him. Every new revelation about Rose should have shocked him, but instead, each one simply confirmed what he now understood. The And what was most disturbing wasn't how thoroughly she had fooled him, but how easily he had allowed himself to be fooled
When had he become this man? This gullible, shallow person who had discarded a genuine wife for the flashier, more calculated attention of her sister? When had ambition and appearance begun to matter more than substance
and truth?
The questions burned through the alcohol haze, demanding answers he wasn't ready to face.
Stefan signaled for another drink, needing to dull the sharp edges of his self-
recrimination. The bartender hesitated, clearly weighing his professional responsibility against the desperation in Stefan's eyes.
"Lasi one," he said firmly, pouring a smaller measure than before. "Then I'm calling you a car."
Stefan didn't argue. He had lost the right to make good decisions for himself somewhere between signing divorce papers on his anniversary and watching Kane Industries systematically dismantle his family con Kane Industries. The name triggered something in his fog mind. A connection he had been trying to make for
days now. Victoria Kane had no history in shipping, no previous interest in Rodriguez Shipping assets. Yet her company had moved with surgical precision to acquire their debt, seize their assets, and block ever
recovery.
Why? What had prompted such targeted destruction?
And more puzzling was her daughter, Camille Kane. The mysterious heiress who had appeared less than two years ago, with no background information beyond
vague references to a European education. The woman whose dark eyes had seemed almost familiar when they had briefly meat that charity function months ago.
There was something there, some connection he couldn't quite grasp through the whiskey fog. Some explanation for why bane Industries had singled out Rodriguez Shipping for such complete destruction "Time to go, Mr. Rodriguez."
Stefan looked up, surprised to find the bartender standing before him with his coat. The bar was empty now, the couple in the corner long gone, the night pressing dark against the windows. "What time is it?" Stefan asked, voice rough from whiskey and silence.
"Nearly two. And you've had enough."
Stefan nodded, not trusting himself to stand without assistance. The bartender's steady hand helped him to his feet, guided him into his coat, and steered him toward the door. "Your car's outside. Already paid for."
"Thanks," Stefan managed, fumbling in his pocket for his wallet. "Let me...."
"It's covered." The bartender waved away his attempt to pay. "Someone called. Said to put it on their account." Stefan frowned, confused. "Who?"
"Didn't say. Just that you shouldn't be driving"
The mystery benefactor was probably his father, still monitoring him despite being ignored all evening. The thought should have annoyed him, but instead, it simply added to the weight of failure pressing down Outside, rain fell steadily, turning the city streets into rivers of reflected light. A black town car waited at the curb, driver standing patiently beside the open rear door. Not his father's usual service, Stefan noted d "Mr. Rodriguez," the driver said with a slight nod. "Where can I take you tonight?"
Stefan hesitated. Not back to the empty penthouse he had shared with Rose, still filled with her things despite her hasty departure days ago. Not to the family estate that now belonged to Kane Industries. Not to "Just drive," he said finally, sliding into the car's leather interior. "Anywhere."
The driver nodded again, closing the door and returning to the wheel without further
questions. The car pulled smoothly into the rain-
slicked street, wipers creating a hypnotic rhythm against the windshield.
Stefan leaned back against
the seat, letting exhaustion and alcohol pull him toward unconsciousness. The car moved smoothly through nearly empty streets, wipers still keeping their steady beat. Stefan felt consciousness slipping away d s sleep fing
As sleep finally claimed him, his mind still wrestled with
unanswered questions. Why had Kane Industries targeted him so precisely? What had triggered such a thorough destruction of everything he valued? And why did
he still
el there was something important he was missing some connection just beyond his grasp?
The car continued its journey through the rain-
washed city, carrying its unconscious passenger toward a destination neither of them yet knew.
Chapter 68
Chapter 68
The executive boardroom of Kane Industries buzzed with restrained energy as financial analysts and legal experts gathered around the massive oak table. All eyes focused on the presentation screen where Fa Victoria Kane sat at the head of the table, silver hair swept
into her signature severe bun. To her right, Camille Kane studied the financial projections, occasionally making notes on her tablet.
"Mr. Howard, please begin," Victoria said, nodding to the bead of acquisitions.
Daniel Howard cleared his throat. “Moretti Global Logistics is the primary shipping partner for Rose Lewis Designs, or what remains of it. They handle eighty-
seven percent of the brand's global transportation needs, plus warehousing and fulfillment."
He clicked to the next slide showing a world map dotted with distribution centers. "Moretti has built impressive infrastructure across twenty-
three countries, specializing in high-end fashion logistics. Their client list includes
Chanel, Versace, and numerous luxury brands."
"And their financial situation?" Victoria prompted.
"Overleveraged," Howard replied, advancing to a declining profit graph. "They expanded aggressively last year, taking on significant debt. With Lewis Designs' collapse, they've lost thirty percent of expected rev
Victoria turned to legal. "Ms. Chen, the ownership structure?"
Eleanor Chen opened her folder. "Fifty-
one percent owned by Fabio Moretti himself. Twenty-
two percent public shareholders. The remaining twenty-
seven percent held by various private investors, including a fifteen percent stake belonging to Rose Lewis, who joined their board last year."
A murmur ran
through the room. Victoria silenced it with a glance before turning to her daughter.
"Camille, your assessment?"
All eyes shifted to the younger Kane, who set down her tablet with deliberate care.
"Moretti Global represents a strategic opportunity on multiple levels," Camille began coolly. "First, their infrastructure complements our existing holdings. Second, their client relationships give us immediate entry their vulnerability makes this the optimal moment to acquire them below market-
value."
She passed, meeting her mother's gaze. "And fourth, Fabio Moretti is Rose Lewis's godfather and most loyal business ally. The last person still standing beside her."
The significance settled over the room. Everyone understood this wasn't purely business. This was personal, another calculated move in the systematic dismantling of Rose Lewis's world.
"Thank you, Camille," Victoria said. "Mr. Howard, the takeover strategy?"
Howard clicked to a flowchart. "We've prepared a two-
pronged approach. First, quietly acquire available public shares through subsidiaries. Simultaneously, approach private investors, excluding Ms. Lewis, with offers fifteen percent above current value."
"And Moretti himself?" Victoria asked.
"That's where
we'll face resistance," Howard admitted. "He's known for loyalty. His connection to the Lewis
family goes back decades. He's unlikely to sell willingly."
Victoria turned to research. "Dr. Patel, what vulnerabilities have you identified?"
Dr. Patel touched her tablet, bringing new information to the screen.
"Fabio Moretti has three pressure points. First, his son Marco's struggling startup has been kept afloat through his father's cash infusions. Second, Moretti Global's expansion into South America encountered re season and needs manufacturing and distribution partners."
"Excellent," Victoria said. "Leverage without anything too aggressive."
"Implementation timeline?" she asked Howard.
"We could have controlling interest within thirty days."
II
Victoria shook her head. "Too slow. Rose Lewis resigned yesterday. The embezzlement evidence becomes public tomorrow. Moretti will be preparing contingency plans. We need to move faster." She turned to Chen. "Legal implications of an immediate tender offer?"
"We'd pay a premium and telegraph our intentions, but there's no legal obstacle."
Victoria nodded. "Prepare the offer at twenty percent above current value, contingent on acceptance within forty-
eight hours."
She looked around the table. "Any other considerations?"
Camille spoke. "Fabio Moretti has been a
second father figure to Rose since childhood. Taking his company will hit her differently than other business losses. This is personal for her."
Victoria studied her daughter. "Does that concern you?"
"No," Camille replied steadily. “Just an observation. We should prepare for a more emotional response than her previous losses triggered."
Victoria stood. "I want the tender offer ready by market close. And ensure Ms. Lewis's stake is completely isolated in the new structure. I want her investment rendered worthless."
The executives filed out, leaving Victoria and Camille alone,
"You're quiet,” Victoria observed. “Having second thought?"
Camille shook her head. "No. Just appreciating the precision of it all. How each piece fits so perfectly into the larger strategy."
Victoria smiled slightly. “Like chess. The key is thinking multiple
moves ahead while your opponent is still reacting to your last action."
"And Rose Lewis is definitely reacting now," Camille said with satisfaction. "Her public statement yesterday was a disaster. All that talk about "industry norms' made her sound completely unrepentant." "As expected," Victoria replied. "Rose Lewis has never taken responsibility for anything in her life.”
Camille gazed out at the city. "After Moretti Global, what's left? What else does she have to lose?"
Victoria joined her at the window. "Her penthouse. Her investments. The remaining shreds of her social standing. But those are merely material losses. The real victory come when she finally understands."
"Understands what?"
"That someone deliberately orchestrated her destruction. That it wasn't bad luck or media bias. That someone with patience, resources, and intimate knowledge of her weaknesses methodically took everything "And when will we reveal that someone was us?"
Victoria smiled with genuine pleasure. "When it will hurt the most. When she has nothing left but questions about who destroyed her and why."
The intercom buzzed "Ms. Kane, Mr. Moretti is on line one. He's asking about unusual trading activity in his company's stock"
Victoria and Camille exchanged glances, showing slight surprise.
"Tell him I'll speak with him shortly," Victoria replied.
"He suspects already," Camille observed. "That complicates things."
Victoria shook her head. "It
accelerates things. Suspicion creates anxiety. Anxiety leads to poor decisions."
You want him to panic," Camille realized admiringly.
"Fear makes the simplest solution more attractive, Victoria confirmed. "In this case, accepting our offer before he fully understands our intentions." They moved to Victoria's office for
the call. As Victoria settled behind her desk, Camille took the chair beside her.
"Remember," Victoria said, "this is business. Not personal. At least as far as Fabio Moretti knows.
Camille composed her features as Victoria initiated the video call. Fabio Moretti appeared, a distinguished Italian man in his sixties with worried eyes. "Victoria," he began without preamble, "what are you doing with my company's stock?"
Victoria remained pleasantly neutral. "Good afternoon, Fablo. I see
news travels quickly."
"Don't play games," he replied, accent thickening with emotion. "Three banks have called about unusual trading patterns. Are you behind this?"
"Kane Industries is always exploring acquisition opportunities in complementary sectors," Victoria replied smoothly. "Your company's recent expansion aligns with our interests." Moretti's eyes narrowed. "This isn't about strategic interests. This is about Rose Lewis."
Victoria raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I understand the connection."
"You understand perfectly," Moretti countered angrily. "First Rodriguez Shipping. Then
the Lewis brand. Now my company. You're systematically
destroying everyone connected to Rose."
Camille leaned forward. "Mr. Moretti, business isn't personal. Our interest in your company is based on infrastructure and client relationships, not personal connections."
Moretti studied her with sudden intensity. "You're Victoria's daughter. The one who appeared so suddenly last year."
"Camille Kane," she confirmed. "I've been overseeing our expansion into luxury retail distribution."
Something flickered in Moretti's eyes, a flash of recognition quickly masked. "And now you want my company."
"We want to discuss a mutually beneficial arrangement," Victoria interjected. "Your company faces significant challenges after the Lewis brand collapse. We're prepared to offer stability and growth opportunities.
Moretti's face hardened. "My family's interests include supporting my goddaughter during the worst crisis of her life."
"Again, you misunderstand our intentions," Victoria replied cooling. "But since you've raised the subject, what do you plan to do with Rose Lewis's fifteen percent stake now that her business has collapsed and
Visible shock crossed Moretti's face. "Embezzlement? What embezzlement?"
"It hasn't hit the news yet," Camille said, almost sympathetically. "But financial irregularities at Lewis Designs. have been discovered. Significant funds diverted to personal use. The board will announce tomorro Moretti seemed to age before their eyes. "I don't believe it. Not Rose"
"The evidence is quite clear," Victoria said with false compassion. "I understand this puts you in a difficult position. Your goddaughter's reputation in tatters. Her stake now a liability. And Kane Industries making i She paused. "Perhaps we should discuss how to move forward in a way that protects what matters most to you."
Moretti's expression showed the beginning of resignation.
"What are you offering?" he asked finally.
"A premium on current share values. Continued operational autonomy. And a special consulting contract that would allow you to step back while maintaining influence and income." Victoria outlined efficiently. "Plus a guaranteed position for your daughter's new fashion line in our retail distribution network."
The mention of his daughter's business caught Moretti's attention, exactly as intended.
"And Rose's shares?" he asked, voice heavy with conflicted loyalty.
"We would purchase those at the same premium as all other shares," Victoria replied, not mentioning how that payment would be structured to trigger immediate tax liabilities for Rose while limiting her access t
"I need time to consider," Moretti said, though his tone suggested defeat.
"Of course," Victoria agreed. "However, our offer is time-
sensitive. The formal details will be delivered within the hour, with a forty-eight-
hour acceptance window."
Moretti nodded distractedly. "I'll review it with my board."
After ending the call, Victoria turned to Camille with satisfaction. "He'll accept within twenty-
four hours. The daughter's fashion line was the key. He won't risk her future even for Rose."
Camille nodded, impressed by Victoria's ability to exploit emotional vulnerabilities. "He suspected a connection. between our actions and Rose's troubles."
"Of course he did," Victoria replied. "He's known Rose since childhood. What he doesn't know is that her downfall Isn't random justice but calculated destruction."
She sent a quick message to the acquisition team. "Proceed with the formal offer immediately. Emphasize the benefits to Moretti's daughter.'
Camille watched afternoon light glitter against Manhattan's towers. "Rose will contact him the moment she hears about our offer." "Undoubtedly," Victoria agreed. "But by then, it will be too late."
"And Rose loses another person who might have helped her rebuild," Camille said with satisfaction tinged with complexity "Another pillar knocked away."
Victoria studied her protégée. "Does that trouble you? The systematic isolation?"
Camille met her mentor's gaze directly. "No. It feels like justice."
Victoria nodded, pleased. "Precisely. This isn't merely revenge. This is the universe rebalancing. Every person enabled Rose Lewis's deceptions, who helped her build success on lies, they all face consequences now."
"Including Fabio Moretti," Camille concluded.
who
"Especially Eabio Moretti," Victoria
confirmed. "He knew exactly who Rose Lewis was, yet gave her legitimacy. Made her theft and deception possible through his support.
She glanced at her watch. Rose Lewis will have lost her godfather's support, both emotional and financial."
www this time tomorrow, we'll own controlling Interest in Moretti Global Logistics. And
Camille moved toward the door. "Should I prepare a statement for when the acquisition is announced?"
Victoria smiled slightly. "Yes. Something about strategic synergies and expanded opportunities. Nothing that mentions Rose Lewis."
"And when she realizes what we've done?"
"She'll rage. She'll threaten. She may even try to fight back, Victoria's smile widened. "But with what resources? With what allies? With what reputation or credibility?"
The answer hung unspoken between them. Rose Lewis had nothing left. No company. No supporters. No credibility. Nothing but the growing realization that her destruction had been meticulously planned by so
"I'll draft the statement," Camille said, "and prepare
for tomorrow's announcements about the embezzlement evidence."
As the door closed behind her, Victoria turned back to the Manhattan skyline, satisfaction evident in her posture. Another piece in place. Another connection severed. Another blow landed against the woman wh
Until now.
Chapter 69
Rose point of view
I paced my penthouse living room, plone clutched so tightly in my hand that my knuckles turned white. The news notification still glowed on the screen: "Kane Industries Acquires Moretti Global Logistics in Surp Uncle Fabio's company. My last financial lifeline. Gone,
The vodka bottle on the bar called to me, promising temporary relief from the suffocating pressure
crushing my chest. Three weeks of systematic destruction had left me raw, exposed, and increasingly desperate. First my company. Then my reputation. Now my godfather's business
The doorbell rang, its shrill tone slicing through my spiraling thoughts. I ignored it, just as I'd been ignoring most intrusions from the outside world. Probably another reporter hoping to document my "fall from gra The bell rang again, followed by pounding that made the door shake.
"Rose! I know you're in there!"
Stefan. I froze, glass halfway to my lips. I hadn't seen him since the embezzlement news broke, since he'd looked at me with such disgust in my father's office.
The pounding continued. "Open this door, Rose! We need to talk!"
His voice held something I'd never heard before, not just anger, but a dangerous edge that sent shivers down my spine. Against my better judgment, I moved to the door and pulled it open.
Stefan looked terrible. His normally perfect appearance had deteriorated into something almost unrecognizable, wrinkled shirt, dark circles under bloodshot eyes, hair uncombed. But it was his expression that tr "Why aren't you answering my calls?" he demanded, pushing past me into the apartment.
"Hello to you too," I said, trying for sarcasm but achieving only a thin, brittle tone. "Please, come in."
"This isn't a social visit." He spun to face me. "I just got off the phone with your father."
My stomach dropped. "And?"
"He wanted to warn me that you were being difficult about the joint statement. Said you were refusing to sign the paperwork canceling our wedding plans."
I crossed my arms defensively. "Why should I? This will all blow over eventually. The media will find someone else to destroy. We can postpone the wedding, not cancel it Stefan stared at me like I'd grown another head. "Are you serious? After everything that's happened? After the lies, the affairs, the stolen designs, you still think there's a future for us?" "Of course there is," I insisted, moving toward him. "People have short memories, Stefan. In six months, no one will care about these ridiculous scandals."
"Ridiculous scandals?" He backed away from my approach You stole other designers' work. You slept with married men to advance your career. You embezzled from your own company!" "Those are just business realities!" Frustration made my voice rise. "Everyone does these things! They only look
BONUS
badd when someone packages them in the most negative light possible!"
Stefan shook his head, disgust plain on his face. "I don't even know who you are anymore. The woman I thought I was going to marry wouldn't recognize these things as 'bustness realities.“” "The woman you thought you were going to marry never existed!" I snapped, anger suddenly boiling over. "She was a character I played because that's what men like you want, some perfect, supportive access
"That's not fair...
"Fair?" I laughed, the sound verging on hysterical. "None of this is fair! Someone with unlimited resources has systematically destroyed everything I've built! My company, my reputation, my financial security, all "Maybe you do," Stefan said quietly.
The simple statement stopped me cold. "What?"
"Maybe you deserve exactly what's happening," he repeated, voice hardening. "Maybe these 'ridiculous scandals" are just your past catching up with you. Maybe this is what justice looks like." "Justice?" The word tasted bitter on my tongue. "Is that
what you think this is? Someone appointed themselves judge and jury of my life because they decided I needed punishment?"
"I don't
know what else to call it," Stefan replied. "Every revelation seems perfectly calculated to expose exactly who you really are. Someone who takes what they want regardless of who gets hurt."
"You're one to talk about hurting people!" The words burst from me as my control finally shattered. "You were married when we started sleeping together again! You signed divorce papers on your anniversary! Y future!"
Stefan stepped back as if I'd physically struck him. "That's different. I never...
"Never what? Never lied? Never manipulated? Never caused pain?" I advanced on him, years of carefully hidden resentment suddenly pouring out. "You were so eager to believe the worst about your marriage. it and you accepted it as truth!"
"Stop it," Stefan warned, his expression darkening. "Don't try to make this about our past. This is about who you are now. What you've done." "Who I am?" I laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. "I'm exactly who I've always been! The only difference is that now everyone knows it!"
"That not true," Stefan said quietly. "The Rose I thought I knew wouldn't have stolen designs. Wouldn't have embezzled money. Wouldn't have..."
"Wouldn't have what?" I challenged, stepping closer until we were inches apart. "Wouldn't have done everything necessary to get what she wanted? Wouldn't have removed obstacles in her path? Wouldn't have The words hung in
the air between us, impossible to retract Stefan's face drained of color as he stared at me, horror gradually replacing anger in his expression.
"What did you just say?" he whispered.
Too
late, I realized what I'd admitted in my fury. My mind raced for explanations, for clarifications, for ways to walk back the implication in my words.
Chapter 69
"I didn't mean... that came out wrong...." I stammered, cold fear replacing hot anger.
"Her accident," Stefan repeated, backing away from me. "You said her accident cleared the way. Like
you knew it would happen. Like you arranged it."
"No! That's not...."
"Did you have something to do with Camille's death?" His voice was barely audible, but each word struck like physical blows.
"It wasn't supposed to be death!" The truth burst from me before I could stop it, the pressure of weeks of destruction finally breaking my control completely. "He was
just supposed to scare her! To make her understand she needed to leave! To give up the life that should have been mine!"
Stefan looked at me as if seeing a stranger, or worse, as if seeing a monster wearing the face of someone he thought he knew.
"You" he whispered, horror evident in every syllable. "You arranged the accident that killed her?"
"He went too far," I said desperately, reaching for him. "It wasn't supposed to happen that way! She was just supposed to be frightened enough to leave New York, leave you, leave the fashion world I belonged Stefan recoiled from my touch, stumbling backward until he hit the wall. "You had your own sister run off the Toad?"
"She was ordinary!" The words tore from someplace dark and ugly inside me. "She didn't deserve you! Didn't fit into your world! She was holding you back, making you settle for less than you were meant for!"
"Less than I was meant for," Stefan repeated, his voice hollow. "And who decided what I was meant for? You?" "We belonged together!" I insisted, desperation making me reckless. "We always did! Everything I his face. "There is no 'us' There never will be again."
He moved toward the door, each step putting more distance between us.
“Stefan, wait!” Panic overwhelmed me. "You can't just leave! We need to talk about this!"
"There's nothing to talk about," he replied, not looking back "Our engagement is over. Whatever connection we had died the moment you admitted what you did."
"Please," I begged, all pride abandoned in the face of
complete loss. "I love you! Everything I did... everything. was because I love you!"
Stefan paused at the door, turning to look at me one last time. The expression
on his face would haunt my nightmares for years to come, not anger, not hatred, but something worse. Something like pity mixed with profound disgust.
"Love?" he said quietly. "You don't know the meaning of the word."
The door closed behind him with a soft click that somehow hurt more than any slam would have. I stood frozen in the middle of my beautiful penthouse as the full impact of what had just happened crashed over I had admitted my role in Camille's accident.
Thad lost Stefan forever.
And whoever was systematically destroying my life now had the final piece they needed to complete my ruin.
Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Camille's point of view
I stood in Victoria's darkened office, staring at the files spread across her massive desk. The penthouse windows behind me reflected my silhouette against Manhattan's nighttime skyline, a solitary figure surrou I'd never suspected.
Victoria was in Tokyo closing the Moretti Global acquisition, leaving me alone with access to her private servers, supposedly to prepare for my new role heading Kane Industries' fashion division. Instead, I'd stur Now my world was tilting on its axis.
The first document had seemed innocent enough, a standard background report on Alexander Pierce and his business holdings. But the next had stopped my breath in my lungs: detailed accounts of Alexander the-
scenes manipulation of markets to prevent Rose's company from securing emergency financing last month.
And it didn't stop there.
Email exchanges between Alexander's chief of security and private investigators tracking down Rose's former lovers in London. Financial records showing how Alexander's shell companies had purchased cont For more than a year, Alexander Pierce had been secretly advancing our revenge plan, removing obstacles, closing escape routes, ensuring that Rose and Stefan's destruction was absolute and inescapable.. All without ever telling me.
My hands
trembled as I picked up the most damning document of all, a detailed memo from Alexander to his chief financial officer, dated three weeks after I'd first appeared publicly as Camille Kane.
"Proceed with liquidation of all Rodriguez Shipping stock," it read. "Strategically release holdings to drive share price down. Coordinate timing with Kane Industries' debt acquisition plan. Maintain maximum deni I sank into Victoria's chair, mind spinning with implications. Had Alexander been using me? Had his apparent interest been just another manipulation, another way to advance his own agenda? Or was there som My fingers hovered over my phone, torn between fury at his deception and a strange, growing warmth at the thought of what his covert assistance might truly mean.
Before I could decide how to respond, the office door swung open.
"I see you found my Alexander file."
Victoria stood in the doorway, coat still on, clearly just returned from the airport. Her face revealed nothing as she moved into the room, setting her bag on a side table with deliberate calm. "You're supposed
to be in Los Angeles," I said, not bothering to hide the evidence spread across her desk.
"The Moretti signing finished early. I took the company jet back." She
poured herself a scotch from the bar cart without offering me one. "So. Now you know."
"Know what exactly? That Alexander Pierce has been secretly helping destroy Rose and Stefan? That he was the mysterious benefactor closing financial doors and buying up their business connections? That h alongside us this entire time without either of you telling me?"
Victoria sipped her drink, studying me over the rim of her glass. "All of that, yes. The question is what you plan to do with this information"
I stood, gathering the documents into a neat pile. "I don't know yet. Depends on why everyone's been lying to me."
"Not lying," Victoria corrected. "Selectively withholding."
"Explain the difference," I challenged, anger finally breaking through my shock.
Victoria moved to the windows, looking out at the city spread beneath us. "When I proposed our plan to destroy Rose and Stefan, you agreed under one condition, that it would be strategic, not emotional. Busin
"I remember."
"Alexander Pierce complicated that clean narrative."
Victoria turned back to face me. "His involvement wasn't part of our original strategy. His assistance, while valuable, introduced variables I couldn't fully control."
"So when he suddenly appeared at that charity gala..."
"It wasn't sudden at all," Victoria finished for me. "He'd been monitoring your progress for months. Watching Rose and Stefan's destruction
from a distance. Helping accelerate it in ways I couldn't track until recently."
I sank back into the chair, trying to process this new reality. "Why? What does he get out of this?" Victoria's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "That's a question better asked directly to Alexander." "Did y Victoria shook her head. "Not until three months ago. His security is remarkably thorough, but my people are better. Once I discovered his assistance in our project, I confronted him directly." "And?"
"And we came to an understanding " Victoria finished her scotch. "His help was valuable. His resources extended our reach. His motivation, while personal, didn't interfere with our objectives." "His motivation," I repeated. "Which was?"
"As I said, that's his story to tell." Victoria moved toward the door. "I've arranged for James to drive you to Pierce Tower tomorrow evening at eight. Whether you go is your choice."
She paused, hand on the doorknob. "For what it's worth, Camille, Alexander Pierce is perhaps the only person I've ever met whose strategic thinking matches my own. But his actions regarding our plan, regard "Which is?"
"Genuine." Victoria's mouth curved into a brief, almost sad smile. "Now that is truly valuable. Far more than revenge."
She left me alone in her office, surrounded by evidence of Alexander's secret assistance, a partnership that had beer advancing my goals without my knowledge or consen
My phone buzzed. Alexander,
as if summoned by my discovery: "Dinner tomorrow? I have news about our Rose situation
Our Rose situation. As if we'd been partners all along. As if he hadn't been secretly orchestrating her downfall without ever mentioning his involvement.
I stared at the message, tom between the sense of betrayal at being manipulated yet again and the undeniable truth that Alexander had committed extraordinary resources to advancing my revenge against Ros I typed back: We need to talk. I know everything."
His reply came immediately: *1 expected you would, eventually. Would you like to hear my side of the story?"
*Tomorrow. Spm. Your place.
As I gathered the documents into Victoria's confidential file box, one thought kept circling in my mind: Why would Alexander Pierce, one of the world's wealthiest and roost powerful men, secretly dedicate a year Tomorrow night, I would finally get my answers.