Chapter 138
Chapter 138
Rain pounded against the windows of Pierce Tower as Alexander pored over security reports. Three days had passed since the Phoenix Grid attacks, and the constant worry had etched new lines around his eyes. His phone buzzed. Unknown number. He almost ignored it.
“Pierce.”
“I need to see you.” A male voice, quiet but urgent. “It’s about Camille. And Rose.”
Alexander stiffened. “Who is this?”
“Stefan Rodriquez.”
The name sent a surge of anger through Alexander. His grip tightened on the phone. “You have nothing I want to hear.”
“Please,” Stefan’s voice cracked. “Rose has contacted people, dangerous people. Camille is in danger.”
Alexander checked his watch. “The Plaza Hotel. Thirty minutes. Come alone.”
He ended the call, his thoughts churning. Stefan Rodriguez, the man who had broken Carmille’s heart, who had chosen Rose over her. His instinct screamed to ignore him. But if there was even a tiny chance Camille was in danger…
Alexander made another call. “Double security on Ms. Kane. And run a background check on any criminal associates of Rose Lewis.”
The Plaza’s Oak Room was nearly empty at this hour. Alexander chose a corner booth with a clear view of all entrances. He ordered nothing, his body tense as he waited.
Stefan arrived five minutes early, soaked from the rain. His expensive suit hung poorly on his frame, as if he’d lost weight. Dark circles shadowed his eyes.
“Thank you for…” Stefan began.
“Sit. Talk. Make it quick.” Alexander cut him off, gesturing to the opposite seat.
Stefan sank into the chair, running a hand through his wet hair. “Rose has reached out to Anton Bessonov.”
Alexander raised an eyebrow. “The Russian?”
“Yes. He has ties to organized crime in Brighton Beach. I learned about it yesterday. One of my former shipping managers still has connections in the import business. He overheard something.” Stefan leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Rose asked about getting weapons. Serious ones.”
“And why would your manager tell you this?”
Stefan’s eyes dropped to the table. “Because he knows what I did to Camille. Everyone does now. He thought…” His voice faltered. “He thought I might want to make things right.”
Alexander studied the
information.”
man before him, looking for signs of deception. “You could have called the police with this
“And tell them what? That my ex fiance might be talking to a Russian businessman with shady connections? I have no proof. Nothing they could act on.” Stefan met Alexander’s gaze directly. “But I know Rose. I know how she thinks. When the bombings didn’t work, she’d escalate. Make it personal.”
“Why come to me? Why not go to Camille directly?”
Pain flashed across Stefan’s face. “You think she’d believe anything I said? After what I did?” He shook his head. “No. But she trusts you.”
Alexander remained silent, processing. The information aligned with their security team’s assessment. Rose had disappeared after the bombings. Herod Preston hadn’t been seen either.
“What do you want, Rodriguez?”
“To help.” Stefan straightened in his chair. “I have connections of my own. People who owe me favors. I can get information you can’t access through regular channels.”
“Out of the goodness of your heart?” Alexander’s tone dripped with skepticism.
Stefan flinched. “I know you won’t believe this, but I care what hannens to Camille. I always did, even when…” He trailed off. “I made terrible choices. I can’t undo them. But Successfully unlocked!
“You had your chance to protect her. You chose Ruse insteau.
“Yes.” The simple admission hung in the air between them. “I did. I was blind, selfish, easily manipulated. I’ve lost
everything because of those choices. My company. My reputation. My soul.” His voice broke on the last word. “I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m asking for a chance to do one decent thing.”
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Rain hammered against the windows, filling the silence that followed. Alexander studied the broken man before him. His instinct was to throw him out, to protect Camille from even the memory of this man. But his practical side recognized the potential value of Stefan’s information.
“If…. and it’s a big if….. we use your help, it would be on my terms, Alexander said finally. “You don’t approach Camille. You don’t call her. Everything goes through me.”
Relief flooded Stefan’s face. “Agreed. Whatever you need.”
“I’ll need names. Contacts. Every detail you can get on Bessonov’s operation.”
“I’ll get it.” Stefan produced a small flash drive from his pocket. “This has everything I know so far. Security footage from one of Bessonov’s clubs showing Rose entering three days ago. Cell phone records showing calls between them.”
Alexander took the drive, surprised. “How did you get this?”
“Like I said, people owe me favors. And money still opens doors, even when your name is mud.” A ghost of Stefan’s former confidence flickered across his face.
“If this checks out, I’ll be in touch.” Alexander stood, signaling the end of the meeting.
“Pierce,” Stefan called as Alexander turned to leave. “She deserves happiness. With you. I see that now.”
Alexander said nothing, pocketing the drive as he walked away.
*** ***
Two hours later, Alexander stood in Camille’s office at Kane Industries, the contents of Stefan’s drive displayed on her screen. She stared at the image of Rose entering Bessonov’s club, her face unnaturally still.
“Where did you get this?” she asked, her voice carefully controlled.
Alexander hesitated before answering. “Stefan Rodriguez brought it to me.”
Camille’s head snapped up, shock washing over her features. “Stefan? Why would he….”
“He’s worried about you.” Alexander moved closer, resting his hands lightly on her shoulders. “He came to me because he didn’t think you’d believe him directly.”
“He’s right about that.” Bitterness edged her words. She turned back to the screen, studying Rose’s face. “So she’s working with Bessonov now. After everything Victoria did to expose him.”
“There’s more.” Alexander swiped to the next file. “Phone records showing multiple calls. And this…” A document appeared, a transaction record. “A withdrawal of half a million dollars from an offshore account linked to Rose, the day before she met with Bessonov.”
“She’s buying something. Or someone.” Camille’s fingers tightened on the edge of her desk. “What did Stefan want in return for this information?”
“Nothing.”
Camille laughed, a sharp, harsh sound with no humor. “Stefan always wants something.”
“He wants to help. To make amends, in whatever small way he can.” Alexander watched her carefully. “I told him everything goes through me. He won’t contact you directly.”
“You believe him?”
Alexander considered the question. “I believe he regrets what he did to you. Whether that makes him trustworthy is another question.”
Camille rose from her chair, walking to the window that overlooked the city. The afternoon sun glinted off distant buildings, a stark contrast to the darkness of their conversation.
“I never expected him to care what happened to me. Not after everything.” Her voice was soft, almost wondering. “It feels strange. Like finding money in the pocket of a coat you haven’t worn in years. Unexpected, but ultimately meaningless.”
Alexander joined her at the window. “I told him I’d use his information, but that’s all. If you don’t want his help….”
“No.” Camille turned to face him. “Use him. Use whatever resources we have. Rose is escalating. If Stefan can help us stop her before anyone else gets hurt…” She paused, a complex mix of emotions crossing her face. “It doesn’t erase what he did. But it’s something.”
“I’ll handle him,” Alexander promised. “You won’t have to see him or speak to him.”
“Actually,” Camille said slowly, “I think I should meet with him. Once.”
Alexander frowned. “Are you sure? After everything he did…”
“I’m not the woman he betrayed anymore.” Camille touched the phoenix pendant at her throat, a gesture that had become almost instinctive. “That Camille died in a parking garage. I want him to see who I’ve become. And I want to look him in the eye when he explains why he’s doing this.”
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Alexander recognized the determination in her eyes. The same look she’d had when facing the press after the bombings. The look of a woman who had walked through fire and emerged stronger.
“I’ll arrange it,” he said. “Somewhere secure.”
Camille nodded, then returned to her desk, pulling up the security files Again. Half a million dollars buys a lot of damage she said, her focus returning to the threat at hand. “We need to increase security at all remaining substations. And at the main control hub.”
“Already done.” Alexander touched her shoulder gently. “We’ll stop her, Carille.”
She covered his hand with hers, drawing strength from his touch. “Yes, we will.” A faint smile touched her lips. “And then, when this is over, we’ll have that wedding we talked about.”
“Is that a promise, Ms. Kane?” Alexander asked, his voice softening.
“It’s a certainty, Mr. Pierce.”
The following morning, Stefan arrived at Pierce Tower, escorted by two security guards to a private conference room on the top floor. He’d expected to meet Alexander. He was not prepared to see Camille rise from her chair as he entered.
She looked different than he remembered. Stronger. Her posture straight and confident, her eyes clear and direct. The woman before him bore little resemblance to the broken creature who had signed divorce papers Twenty two months ago. “Camille,” he breathed, stopping in his tracks. “I didn’t expect….”
“Sit down, Stefan.” Her voice was cool, professional. Not angry, not sad. Simply distant.
He sank into a chair across from her, suddenly aware of his rumpled appearance, the weight he’d lost, the shadows under his eyes. Alexander stood by the window, his posture protective, watching Stefan like a hawk.
“Alexander showed me what you brought him,” Camille said. “Thank you for the information.”
Stefan nodded, his throat tight. “I’ll get more. I have a meeting with someone close to Bessonov tonight.”
“Why are you doing this?” Camille asked, the direct question catching him off guard.
Stefan looked down at his hands. “Because I owe you. Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“You never cared about the right thing before.”
The truth of her words stung, but he didn’t argue. “No. I didn’t.” He forced himself to meet her gaze. “I can’t fix what I broke, Camille. I know that. But I can’t stand by and watch Rose hurt you again.”
“Why now? After all this time?”
“Because I finally see clearly.” His voice dropped to nearly a whisper. “Because when I heard about the bombings, my first thought wasn’t about Rose or myself. It was about whether you were safe.”
Camille studied him, searching for deception. Finding none, her expression softened slightly. “You look terrible.”
A surprised laugh escaped him. “Thank you. I feel worse than I look.”
“Good.” But there was no malice in her voice. “Alexander says you’ve agreed to help. That everything goes through him.”
“Yes. Whatever terms you set, I’ll accept them.”
Camille glanced at Alexander, who nodded almost imperceptibly. She returned her gaze to Stefan. “Then I accept your help. But understand this, it changes nothing between us. The past is still the past.”
“I understand.” Relief flooded through him. “Thank you for this chance. I won’t let you down.”
“See that you don’t.” She stood, indicating the meeting was over. “Alexander will be your contact. If you learn anything about Rose or Bessonov, you tell him immediately.”
Stefan rose as well, knowing he’d been dismissed. At the door, he paused, turning back to look at the woman he’d once called his wife. “You found someone who deserves you,” he said quietly, glancing at Alexander. “I’m glad.”
Something flickered in Camille’s eyes, not forgiveness, but perhaps the beginning of peace. “Goodbye, Stefan.”
After he left, Camille turned to Alexander, emotion finally breaking through her composed facade. “That was harder than I expected.”
Alexander crossed the room, drawing her into his arms. “You were magnificent. As always.”
She leaned into his embrace, allowing herself a moment of vulnerability. “Do you think we can trust him?”
“I think he’s desperate to prove himself. To you, to himself.” Alexander stroked her hair gently. “We’ll use his information but verify everything. And I’ll make sure he never has access to anything sensitive.”
Camille nodded against his chest. “It’s strange. Seeing him try to do the right thing after everything. Part of me wants to believe he’s changed.”
V
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Chapter 138
“People can change,” Alexander said softly. “You did. I did.”
“The difference is, we changed for ourselves. Not for someone else’s forgiveness.” She pulled back slightly, looking up at him. “But if his information helps us stop Rose, I won’t turn it away.”
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