Chapter 165

Chapter 165:

Camille took a sip of wine, letting the rich taste linger on her tongue. Beyond the bow of the yacht, the water stretched endlessly, sunlight dancing across the surface like scattered diamonds.

“It’s beautiful,” she admitted.

“Come see the rest,” Alexander said, holding out his hand.

She hesitated only briefly before taking it, allowing him to lead her across the polished deck. The yacht, as Alexander had called it, was smaller than she’d expected, designed for intimate gatherings rather than ostentatious displays of wealth. Its gleaming surfaces and elegant lines spoke of quiet luxury rather than excess.

He guided her through the main cabin with its panoramic windows, past a dining area where a table had been set for two, and out onto a smaller deck at the stern. Here, away from the wind, the afternoon sun warmed Camille’s skin. Cushioned loungers invited relaxation—something she had almost forgotten how to do.

“You bought this after your company went public,” Camille said, recalling a detail Alexander had once mentioned.

He nodded. “My one indulgence. Everyone expected me to buy a mansion or a fleet of cars. Instead, I wanted something that could take me away from everything, even if just for a few hours.”

Camille settled onto one of the loungers, tucking her legs beneath her. “Is that what we’re doing today? Running away?”

Alexander sat across from her, his eyes reflecting the blue of the ocean. “Not running away. Running toward…”

“Toward what?”

“That,” he said, gesturing toward the horizon, “is the question I brought you here to explore.”

Camille raised an eyebrow. “I thought you brought me here because Victoria ordered you to keep me from working myself into exhaustion.”

Alexander laughed. “That too. She called from her hospital bed specifically to instruct me to ‘get Camille off-premises before she terrorizes the entire staff.'” The thought of Victoria issuing commands while recovering from major surgery made Camille smile. “She knows me too well.”

“She knows you need to breathe,” Alexander corrected gently. “Just for a moment. To remember there’s a world beyond Kane Industries and the war with Rose and Herod.”

Camille looked away, her gaze finding the distant horizon where the sea met the sky in a seamless blue line. “Sometimes I can’t remember what that world looks like anymore.”

Alexander leaned forward. “What did you want? Before all of this. Before Stefan and Rose’s betrayal. Before Victoria, before revenge became your north star.”

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