SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 179

The silver wedding binder sat open on Camille's desk, pages filled with fabric samples and venue photos. After

months of courtrooms and business takeovers, the sight of something so normal, so hopeful, felt almost strange.

Camille ran her fingers over a scrap of ivory silk, allowing herself a small smile.

"Penny for your thoughts," Alexander said, entering her office with two coffee cups in hand.

"Just thinking how different this feels now." She accepted the coffee, breathing in its rich aroma. "Before Rose's

trial, planning felt... impossible. Like tempting fate."

Alexander settled into the chair across from her desk. "And now?"

"Now it feels real." She turned a page in the binder to reveal a lakeside estate. "What do you think of this one?"

"Beautiful," he said, studying the photograph. "But what really matters is if you like

it."

Camille considered the image, gardens sloping down to a private lake, mountains in the background, a grand

house with wraparound porches. Nothing like the ultra-modern Manhattan venues she'd initially considered.

"I do," she admitted. "It remindsof Cedar Lake. The good memories, before Rose."

The phone on her desk buzzed. Her assistant's voice cthrough the speaker. "Ms. Kane, your mother Victoria

is on line one."

Camille glanced at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow. Victoria rarely called during business hours, adhering

strictly to the boundaries she'd established since stepping down.

"Put her through," Camille said, pressing the speaker button.

"Camille," Victoria's voice filled the room, its usual crispness softened by the hint

of a smile. "I've made a decision that isn't up for debate."

Alexander smothered a laugh. Sthings never changed.

"Hello to you too, Victoria," Camille replied. "What non-debatable decision have you made now?"

"I'm hosting your engagement party. Two weeks from Saturday at my home." Camille and Alexander exchanged

glances. Though Victoria's cancer treatment was going well, she tired easily. Hosting a major social event would

tax her strength.

"Victoria, that's not necessary...."

"It absolutely is," Victoria cut in. "You two have been engaged for months while dealing with Rose's trial and my

treatment. It's tto celebrate properly."

Camille twisted her engagement ring, the diamond catching the morning light. The phoenix design Alexander

had commissioned glinted gold and platinum around her finger - a symbol of her transformation, her rise from

ashes.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" she asked gently.

Victoria's sigh crackled through the speaker. "Camille, | may have cancer, but I'm not an invalid. My doctors say

I'm responding exceptionally well to treatment. Besides," her voice softened further, "I want to do this for you.

For both of you." The unexpected tenderness in Victoria's voice made Camille's throat tighten. This was the

woman who had rebuilt her from broken pieces, who had taught her strength but never softness. Now, in her

illness, Victoria was changing too.

"Alright," Camille conceded. "But a small gathering."

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"Fifty people at most," Victoria agreed too quickly, making it clear she'd already planned for this number.

"And my parents will be there, of course?" Camille asked.

"I already spoke with Margaret last week," Victoria confirmed. "She's offered to handle the floral arrangements.

Your father and | discussed the wine selection yesterday."

Alexander raised his eyebrows, impressed by how Victoria had already set things in motion, including

coordinating with the Lewises.

"Good," Camille said, pleasantly surprised at how smoothly Victoria and her parents continued to work together.

Their cordial relationship had been one of the unexpected benefits of the reconciliation process.

"Then that's settled," Victoria declared. "My assistant will coordinate with yours for the remaining details. And

Alexander?"

"Yes, Victoria?" he answered.

"Make sure she actually takes tto enjoy this. She works too hard." The line clicked dead before either could

respond.

Alexander grinned. "Physician, heal thyself."

Camille closed the binder and leaned back in her chair. "She's really throwing herself into this."

"It's good to see her and your parents cooperating," Alexander remarked. "Their relationship may not be close,

but it's nice they can work together on something important to you."

"It's still strange sometimes," Camille admitted. "The Lewis ncarries weight in its own circles, but..."

"But Victoria operates in a different sphere of influence," Alexander finished. "Old money versus new power."

Camille nodded. Though her parents moved comfortably among Boston's elite and maintained their place in the

Social Register, Victoria's self-made empire represented a different kind of authority altogether. Both

commanded respect, but in vastly different ways. That they could maintain a cordial relationship despite these

differences spoke volumes about their shared priority: Camille's happiness. "Speaking of social positioning,"

Alexander said, pulling a newspaper from his briefcase, "have you seen this?"

He laid the society pages before her. The headline read: "Phoenix Rising: America's New Power Couple Emerges

from Ashes of Tragedy." Below it stretched a photo of Camille and Alexander at last week's charity gala, her

phoenix pendant gleaming at her throat.

"They're really leaning into the metaphor, aren't they?" Camille said dryly.

Alexander pointed to a paragraph midway through the article. "This part actually surprised me."

Camille read aloud:

"Sources close

to the couple reveal that Lewis has reconnected with her parents, Richard and Margaret Lewis of the New York

Lewises, bringing ful circle the remarkable story of family restoration. The couple was spotted dining with

Victoria Kane last month at Le Cirque, suggesting a surprising alliance between old New York aristocracy and

New York's corporate royalty. The phoenix, a symbol of rebirth embraced by both Kane Industries and Pierce

Enterprises in their joint ventures, seems an apt metaphor for this union, a relationship forged in fire, emerging

stronger and more brilliant than before."

She set the paper down. "Well, at least they noticed the effort everyone's making."

"The press loves a good dynasty story," Alexander said. "The combination of your family's old money heritage

and our corporate empires makes for irresistible coverage."

"I'm just glad they didn't exaggerate the tension between Victoria and my parents," Camille said. "Their

relationship may be strictly cordial, but they've been remarkably civil since the reconciliation began."

"They all want what's best for you," Alexander pointed out. "That's common ground no matter their differences."

Camille considered this. The press

had indeed shifted how they

portrayed her relationship with Alexander. What had begun as speculation about a business. merger or Victoria's

succession plan had evolved into something the public found irresistible, a love story emerging from tragedy,

two powerful individuals joining forces both personally and professionally, with the added dimension of family

healing across different social worlds.

The phoenix motif that had started with Camille's pendant, then appeared in their engagement ring design and

later in their joint business ventures, had captured the public's imagination. Where Victoria had once taught

Camille to use symbols to intimidate, now those ssymbols served a different purpose, inspiring hope and

possibility.

"Do you think the media attention will ever die down?" she asked.

Alexander shook his head. "Not completely. We're too visible now. But we can control the narrative better than

most."

"And what is our narrative?" Camille asked, genuinely curious about how he saw their story.

Alexander considered before answering. "That real strength isn't about revenge or power for its own sake. It's

about building something meaningful from pain. It's about choosing creation over destruction."

His words hit her with unexpected force. Wasn't that exactly what she'd been trying to do since Rose's

conviction? What she hoped to continue with their marriage and whatever cafter?

"I can live with that story," she said softly.

Returning to the wedding binder, Camille flipped through venue options with new purpose. "Let's visit the

lakeside property this weekend. Before Victoria persuades us to host at sultra-modern venue that wouldn't

suit us at all."

"Agreed," Alexander said, checking his calendar. "And perhaps we should call your parents. See if they want to

join us for the site visit."

Camille nodded, reaching for her phone. The invitation would be another small step in strengthening the bonds

between all parts of her life.

"Mom? It's me," she said when Margaret answered. "Alexander and | are going to look at a potential wedding

venue this weekend. Would you and Dad like to join

us?"

Her mother's voice cthrough, polished and warm. "We'd love to, darling. Actually, Victoria called this

morning about the engagement party. She mentioned you might be considering a venue outside the city."

"She did?" Camille wasn't surprised that Victoria had already touched base with

her mother. Their cordial relationship had evolved to include regular communication about matters concerning

Camille, though she knew they weren't exactly friends.

"Yes, she asked for my opinion on having live music versus a DJ for the engagement party. | suggested the string

quartet that played at the Whitfields' anniversary. | hope that's alright?"

"That's perfect, Mom. I'm glad you two are coordinating."

"Well, your father and Victoria have been discussing business opportunities lately, so we've been in more regular

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contact," Margaret explained. "Nothing serious, just exploring spotential philanthropic partnerships. It's

been... enlightening." Camille raised an eyebrow, surprised but pleased. Her mother's diplomatic phrasing told

her everything she needed to know: Victoria and her parents maintained their cordial relationship without forcing

artificial closeness, finding

appropriate ways to interact that respected their different backgrounds and perspectives.

"We'll be at Victoria's by ten on Saturday to discuss final arrangements for the engagement party," Margaret

continued. "Should we meet you at the venue after

that?"

"That would be perfect," Camille replied, jotting down the details. "I'll text you the address."

After she hung up, Camille sat quietly, absorbing the weight of that exchange. Alexander watched her, giving her

the space to process.

"It sounds like they're all working together better than | realized," she said finally.

"Your parents and Victoria have found their balance," he pointed out. "They each

bring something valuable to the table, and they all care about you."

Camille nodded, turning back to the wedding binder. As she flipped through options for flowers and music, she

felt a lightness she hadn't expected. Rose was in pri

Victoria's cancer was responding to treatment. Her parents and Victoria

maintained their cordial relationship without strain or pretense. And here sat Alexander, steady and sure

beside her.

For the first tin years, perhaps ever, Camille allowed herself to imagine a

future built not around survival or revenge, but around joy. A future where the past informed but did not dictate

her choices. Where damaged relationships could heal, though the scars would always remain.

"What are you thinking about?" Alexander asked, noting her pause.

"That it might actually be possible to be happy," Camille said. "Really happy, not

just safe or successful."

Alexander's smile warmed his entire face. "That's the whole point of all this, isn't

it?"

The wedding binder, the engagement party plans, the news articles celebrating their union, all of it suddenly felt

like more than mere details or publicity. They

were pieces of a life being built deliberately, thoughtfully, with love as its foundation rather than fear or

obligation.

The true test would cat Victoria's party, where the various spheres of Camille's life would intersect more

visibly than before. Victoria's corporate power. Alexander's innovative brilliance. Her parents’ old-money

pedigree. All circling around the woman who had been broken and reborn through fire. Camille looked down at

her phoenix ring, sunlight catching its facets and sending

tiny rainbows across her desk. "You know what? | think it is."

The future remained unwritten, with challenges ahead they couldn't predict. Victoria's health. The continued

attention of the press. The evolving dynamic between Victoria and her parents. But for now, in this moment,

planning a celebration of love felt like exactly the right thing to do.

A phoenix didn't rise from the ashes to live in fear of the next fire. It rose to soar.