Chapter 73
Chapter 73
+25 BONUS
Camille’s point of view
The Kane mansion gleamed like a jewel against the night sky, every window ablaze with light, every entrance adorned with arrangements of fire lilies and black orchids. Limousines lined the circular driveway, depositing New York’s elite in a parade of designer gowns and custom tuxedos. Security guards with earpieces and impeccable suits directed the flow of guests toward the grand ballroom, where waiters circulated with champagne and delicate hors d’oeuvres.
I watched it all from Victoria’s private study, a closed–circuit feed showing me every entrance, every reaction, every whispered speculation about why Kane Industries had gathered such an illustrious crowd on this particular evening.
“They’re calling it the event of the season,” Victoria said, adjusting the diamond clip in my hair. “Everyone who matters in New York is here, wondering what magnificent announcement Camille Kane plans to make.”
I barely heard her, my eyes fixed on the feed showing the main entrance. Rose had just arrived, looking thinner than I remembered but still maintaining that perfect poise that had once made me so jealous. Her designer dress, likely one of the few remaining from her collapsed fashion line, was a study in understated elegance. No one watching her would guess that her company had failed, her reputation was in tatters, and her engagement had ended in scandal.
Only I could see the strain around her eyes, the slightly too–tight smile, the carefully hidden desperation of a woman clinging to the last threads of her social standing.
“She almost didn’t come,” Victoria noted, following my gaze. “The invitation was returned twice before being finally accepted yesterday.”
“Pride,” I said softly. “She couldn’t bear being excluded from an event everyone would be talking about. Even if it meant facing the woman she believes orchestrated her downfall.”
Victoria nodded. “And Stefan?”
I switched to another camera feed, scanning the growing crowd until I found him. Stefan Rodriguez stood near a pillar, looking uncomfortable in his tuxedo, a glass of champagne untouched in his hand. The past months had aged him visibly, his once confident posture now slightly stooped, his face lined with stress and failure,
“Southwest corner,” I said. “Alone. Watching.
11
Victoria studied the feed, a small smile of satisfaction curving her lips. “Perfect positioning for what’s to come.” She turned to me, her expression growing serious. “Are you ready?”
Was I ready? After two years of planning, of careful transformation, of systematic revenge, was I ready for the moment when everyone would finally know the truth?
“Yes,” I said, surprised by the steadiness in my voice. “It’s time.”
Victoria nodded once, then moved toward the door. “I’ll make the introductory remarks at nine o’clock precisely. You’ll enter from the left side of the stage. Everything is prepared exactly as we discussed.”
After she left, I stood before the full–length mirror, taking in my appearance one final time. The woman who Jooked back at me was both familiar and strange, Camille Kane’s surgically perfected features overlaying Camille Lewis’s expressions. My midnight blue gown was simpler than the elaborate designs worn by many guests, its clean lines emphasizing the transformation of my body from soft to strong. At my throat, a simple phoenix pendant, Victoria’s gift when I chose rebirth over disappearance.
Chapter 73
+25 BONUS
“Ready or not,” I whispered to my reflection.
The hidden door connecting Victoria’s study to the backstage area of the ballroom opened silently. I moved through the passage, hearing the murmur of three hundred voices growing louder with each step. At the stage entrance, I paused, watching as Victoria approached the microphone set center stage.
The crowd quieted immediately, all eyes turning to the woman whose business acumen and ruthless strategies had built an empire few dared to challenge.
“Distinguished guests,” Victoria began, her voice commanding complete attention without apparent effort. ” Thank you for joining us on this special evening. For those who know Kane Industries‘ history, you understand that we rarely host events of this magnitude without significant purpose.”
I watched the crowd from my hidden position, noting how they leaned forward slightly, anticipation building. My eyes found Rose again, standing now near the bar, her expression a careful mask of polite interest that couldn’t quite hide her resentment at Victoria’s success contrasted with her own recent failures.
“Two years ago,” Victoria continued, “I made a decision that would transform not only Kane Industries but my personal life as well. Tonight, we celebrate not just a business evolution, but a more meaningful transformation, one of identity, purpose, and justice.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd. This wasn’t the standard corporate announcement they had been expecting. “Most of you know my daughter, Camille Kane,” Victoria said, her voice warming slightly. “Since her introduction to New York society, she has demonstrated exceptional business acumen and strategic vision. What none of you know is her true story. Her true identity. Her true purpose in assuming the Kane name.”
The murmuring grew louder. I saw confusion on many faces, calculation on others. Rose had gone perfectly still, her champagne glass frozen halfway to her lips.
“Tonight,” Victoria said, her voice dropping to ensure complete attention, “the masks come off. The truth emerges. And justice, long deferred, is finally acknowledged.”
She turned toward where I stood waiting. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you not Camille Kane, but Camille Lewis.”
My cue. I stepped onto the stage, the spotlight finding me instantly, three hundred faces turning in perfect unison to stare in my direction. For a moment, complete silence filled the ballroom, a collective intake of breath as the implications of Victoria’s introduction registered.
Then chaos erupted.
Gasps. Exclamations. The crash of a dropped champagne glass. Voices rising in shock and disbelief. Through it all, I walked calmly to center stage, taking my place beside Victoria, accepting the microphone she handed me with steady hands.
