SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan) novel Chapter 192

Chapter 192

The morning rain pounded against the windows of Pierce Enterprises as Alexander reviewed the latest energy forecasts. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached for his coffee, the weight of last night's discoveries still pressing down on his chest like a stone. Across the city, Victoria Kane was discovering that someone had been probing her company's deepest secrets.

His phone buzzed against the mahogany desk. Victoria's name flashed on the screen, sending ice through his veins. He let it ring twice before answering, his voice carefully controlled.

"Victoria. Good morning."

"Alexander." Her tone was sharp, cutting through the phone like a blade. "I need to see you. My office. One hour."

The line went dead. Alexander stared at the phone, his heart hammering against his ribs. Had they traced the cyberattacks back to him? Had someone discovered his connection to "Guardian"?

He stood and walked to his office window, watching the city blur through streams of rain. Twenty stories below, people hurried along sidewalks, unaware that the foundations of two major corporations were about to shift beneath their feet.

*** ***

Kane Industries' headquarters rose like a steel and glass monument to Victoria's empire. Alexander had been here countless times since marrying Camille, but today the building felt different. Hostile. Like walking into enemy territory.

Victoria's assistant led him through familiar halls that now seemed to stretch endlessly. His footsteps echoed on polished marble, each sound marking time toward a confrontation he'd been dreading since he first opened that envelope months ago.

Victoria sat behind her massive desk, her silver hair gleaming under the office lights. Cancer had made her thinner, but her eyes burned with the same intensity that had built her empire. On the desk before her lay several printed reports, their contents hidden from his view.

"Sit," she commanded, not looking up from the documents.

Alexander took the chair across from her, his hands resting calmly on his knees despite the storm raging inside him. Years of business negotiations had taught him to hide his emotions behind a mask of professional composure.

"Someone has been trying to access our financial records," Victoria said, finally raising her eyes to meet his. "Sophisticated attempts. Professional level. The kind that requires inside knowledge of our security protocols."

Alexander's throat felt dry as sand. "I'm sorry to hear that. Has your team identified the source?"

"Not yet." Victoria leaned back in her chair, studying his face with the intensity of a predator examining prey. "But the attempts have been focused on very specific files. Records related to acquisitions from fifteen years ago."

The air in the room seemed to thicken. Alexander forced himself to breathe normally, to maintain eye contact, to show nothing but appropriate concern for his wife's family business.

"That's troubling," he said. "Do you think it could be connected to the Phoenix Grid expansion? Competitors trying to find weaknesses in your past deals?"

Victoria's expression didn't change, but something flickered behind her eyes. Relief? Suspicion? Alexander couldn't tell.

"Perhaps," she said slowly. "Speaking of the expansion, I understand you've been researching our historical energy projects for the joint venture with Pierce Enterprises?"

Here it was. The moment that would determine whether his cover held or everything came crashing down.

"Yes," Alexander replied without hesitation. "My team needs to understand Kane Industries' approach to major infrastructure projects. Learning from your past successes, and any challenges you faced, helps us avoid similar pitfalls."

Victoria nodded, though her gaze remained fixed on his face. "And you've been looking specifically at the Meridian acquisition?"

Alexander's blood turned to ice, but his voice remained steady. "Among others. Meridian was one of your first major tech acquisitions, wasn't it? The foundation for what became your clean energy division."

"Indeed." Victoria gathered the reports on her desk, aligning their edges with precise movements. "I trust you've found the information useful?"

"Very much so. Your team's approach to due diligence was thorough. Almost aggressive, one might say."

The words hung in the air between them. Victoria's hands stilled on the papers, and for a moment, Alexander saw something raw cross her face—surprise, perhaps, or recognition that he knew more than he was letting on.

"Business was different fifteen years ago," she said finally. "More competitive. Less... regulated."

"Of course. I understand completely."

Victoria stood, moving to the window that overlooked Manhattan. "I'm glad we cleared that up. I was concerned that someone might be trying to dig up old business matters for malicious purposes."

"I can't imagine why anyone would do such a thing," Alexander lied smoothly. "Kane Industries has always conducted business with the highest ethical standards."

When Victoria turned back to face him, her smile was sharp as a knife's edge. "Exactly. Which is why I'm confident this cybersecurity issue will resolve itself quickly."

Alexander rose from his chair, recognizing the dismissal. "I'm sure it will. If there's anything Pierce Enterprises can do to help..."