Chapter 178
Chapter 178:
The destruction had begun, faster and more completely than even she had hoped. By this time tomorrow, nothing would remain of Camille Kane’s carefully constructed new life. Nothing at all.
The Kane Industries executive suite had transformed into a war room. Phones rang without pause, and screens displayed financial tickers in red. In the center of the chaos stood Camille, her face a mask of calm.
“They’re calling from everywhere,” Hannah said, covering her phone. “Forbes, CNN, MSNBC. They all want a statement about the photos.”
Camille stared at the largest screen, showing the New York Spectator’s headline with her and Alexander’s private moment splashed across it. Their embrace on his yacht was now public property.
“Who leaked these?” she asked, her voice controlled despite the violation she felt.
“We’re working on it,” said Michael Chen, head of security. “The metadata suggests they were taken three days ago on Mr. Pierce’s yacht.”
Camille’s fingers tightened around her coffee cup. Three days ago. The afternoon she had allowed herself a few hours of peace. The first time she had felt truly alive since Victoria’s collapse.
Her phone buzzed. Alexander.
I’m downstairs. Security won’t let me up. She texted back: Coming down.
“I’ll be back in five minutes,” she told Hannah. “Keep monitoring the stock situation.”
“It’s still falling,” Hannah warned. “Down twenty-three points since the photos hit, and the financial allegations aren’t helping.”
The fabricated documents suggesting Alexander had pursued her for insider information had emerged just as the photo scandal peaked. A perfect one-two punch designed to destroy her reputation and their relationship.
Camille rode the private elevator down. When the doors opened, she spotted Alexander immediately.
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“This way,” she said, leading him to another elevator requiring her thumbprint. Once inside, away from prying eyes, her guard dropped slightly.
“I’m sorry,” Alexander said immediately. “I should have been more careful. My security team is trying to determine…”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Camille interrupted. “It was a targeted attack. The timing, the financial ‘revelations’ emerging right after the photos, this was planned.”
Alexander’s face darkened. “Rose and Herod.”
Camille nodded. “Who else would benefit from discrediting us both simultaneously?”
The elevator opened directly into Victoria’s office, now temporarily Camille’s. “The board is meeting in an hour,” Camille said. “Several members have already called for my resignation.”
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