SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

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?"

Hannah's face grew pale as she pulled up another set of documents. "According to the coroner's report, Richard Pierce died by suicide. But look at these medical records from his final weeks."

The screens showed detailed medical reports, toxicology results, and witness statements that painted a very different picture of Richard Pierce's final days.

"James had been feeding Richard false information for months," Hannah continued. "Convincing him that Victoria was responsible for Meridian Technologies' problems. But when Richard started questioning the narrative, when he wanted to go to the authorities with the truth..."noveldrama

"James couldn't let that happen," Stefan finished grimly. "Richard knew too much about James's manipulation."

Alexander felt rage building in his chest like molten lava. "The toxicology report. What does it show?"

"Traces of sedatives that weren't prescribed to Richard," Hannah said quietly. "Enough to incapacitate someone but not enough to show up as obvious poisoning."

Victoria examined the medical records, her business instincts recognizing the patterns of systematic deception. "James drugged Richard and staged his death to look like suicide. He murdered your uncle to protect his own criminal conspiracy."

The words hit Alexander like physical blows. His uncle hadn't died by suicide, overwhelmed by guilt and despair. Richard Pierce had been murdered by the man who had spent months manipulating him, who had convinced him to blame Victoria for problems James himself had created.

"Fifteen years," Alexander said, his voice breaking. "I spent 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 uncle's killer."

Camille felt tears burning her eyes as she watched Alexander's world collapse around him. Despite everything he had done to her, despite the surveillance and betrayal and months of deception, she couldn't help feeling compassion for the man who had been so thoroughly manipulated.

"Alexander," she said softly, "you couldn't have known."

"I should have questioned everything. I should have investigated independently before acting on James's information." Alexander's hands clenched into fists. "I should have honored my uncle's memory by seeking truth instead of accepting convenient lies."

Stefan studied Alexander's face, seeing the raw pain and growing fury in his expression. "What are you thinking?"

Alexander turned to face the group, his eyes blazing with a rage that went beyond anything they had seen before. This wasn't the jealous anger that had driven him to punch Stefan, or the desperate fury that had motivated his attacks on Kane

Industries. This was something colder and more dangerous.

"I'm thinking that James Whitfield murdered my uncle and used his death to manipulate me into destroying innocent people," Alexander said, his voice deadly quiet. "I'm thinking that he spent fifteen years planning this campaign of revenge, turning me into his weapon while laughing at how easily I could be controlled."

Hannah looked up from her computer analysis, concern evident in her voice. "Alexander, the communication patterns show James has been escalating his plans. The failed media attack, your defection to our side - he's probably planning something desperate."

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

Victoria leaned forward, studying Alexander's expression with growing alarm. "Alexander, you can't take justice into your own hands. We need to involve law enforcement, let them handle James Whitfield properly."

"Law enforcement?" Alexander laughed bitterly. "James has been committing crimes for fifteen years and no one has stopped him. He murdered my uncle and made it look like suicide. He manipulated me into nearly killing you with stress. He turned my grief into a weapon against innocent people."

"Which is exactly why we need to handle this legally," Camille said firmly. "We have evidence now. We can prove James's crimes and get real justice for your uncle."

Alexander looked at Camille, seeing the concern in her eyes, the fear that he was about to make another terrible mistake driven by rage and pain.

"Camille, this man 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 lawyers and hope the system works this time?"

Stefan stood up, moving 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 destroyed your uncle."

"My uncle was murdered," Alexander said, his voice rising. "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 by James to cover up his own crimes."

Hannah's computer chimed with an urgent alert. She looked at the screen and her face went white. "James is moving. Financial transactions, communications

patterns - something big is happening."

"What kind of movements?" Victoria asked sharply.

"Liquidating assets, closing accounts, erasing digital footprints," Hannah's voice

was tight with concern. "He's not planning to hide anymore. He's planning to disappear completely."

Alexander felt something cold settle in his stomach. The rage was still there, burning like fire in his chest, but it was joined by a calculating calm that surprised

him.

"He knows we've uncovered the truth," Alexander said.

"Which means he's either running," Stefan said, reading over Hannah's shoulder,

"or preparing for something final."

Alexander looked around at the four people who had been his enemies just days ago. Victoria, who he had tried to destroy based on lies. Camille, whose marriage he had sacrificed for false justice. Stefan, whose loyalty he had questioned and whose face he had damaged with his jealous rage. Hannah, whose dedication he had underestimated and whose relationship with Stefan he had nearly destroyed through paranoia.

"James Whitfield thinks he can escape justice," Alexander said. "He thinks he can complete his fifteen-year plan and disappear before anyone can stop him." "What are you suggesting?" Camille asked, though something in his tone made her afraid of the answer.

Alexander's expression hardened into something none of them had seen before. Not the desperate man seeking revenge for his uncle's death. Not the jealous husband attacking perceived rivals. This was someone who had finally understood the true scope of the enemy they faced.

"I'm suggesting we stop running from James Whitfield and start hunting him

instead."

The conference room fell silent as everyone processed Alexander's words. Outside the windows, the sun was setting over Manhattan, painting the sky in shades of red and gold that looked disturbingly like fire and blood. Somewhere in the city, James Whitfield was moving his pieces into position for what he intended to be his final escape from justice.

But for the first time since this war began, Alexander Pierce was ready to fight back with the full knowledge of who his real enemy was.

The question was whether they could stop a man who had spent twenty years planning his revenge, or whether James Whitfield would finally slip away from the consequences of his crimes.