Chapter 188
Chapter 188:
Herod loosened his tie with sharp, angry movements. “Victoria. This has her fingerprints all over it. Only she would have the audacity to turn a scandal into a strategic announcement.”
Rose paced across the penthouse, unable to contain the energy coursing through her. “I planned this perfectly,” she hissed. “The photos, the timing, the fake emails, it should have destroyed them both!”
“Yet here we are,” Herod said, pouring himself a drink from the bar. He didn’t offer Rose one, knowing she was beyond such niceties now. “Our strategy has not only failed but backfired spectacularly.”
On the screen, the camera showed Camille and Alexander leaving the press conference together. The commentator’s voice gushed: “In an age of spin and denial, the directness of Kane and Pierce’s approach has resonated deeply with the public. Social media is overwhelmingly supportive, with many praising their honesty and courage in the face of what appears to be a targeted attack.”
“Turn it off,” Rose demanded, her voice shaking with fury. “Turn it off now.”
Herod obliged, the screen going black, leaving only their reflections staring back at them. Rose, with her hair disheveled from running her hands through it repeatedly. Herod, still outwardly composed but with rage simmering beneath the surface.
“This was your strategy,” he reminded her, a dangerous edge to his voice. “Your expertise in social manipulation. Your certainty that exposing their relationship would destroy them.”
Rose whirled on him. “Don’t you dare blame this all on me! You approved every step. You provided the resources, the connections to get those photos, to plant those documents.”
“Which we’ve now wasted,” Herod replied coldly. “Hundreds of thousands of dollars for what? To make your sister and Pierce more popular than ever? To strengthen Kane Industries’ stock position?”
Rose’s hands curled into fists, nails digging into her palms hard enough to leave half-moon marks. “It should have worked,” she insisted. “No one recovers from a scandal like this. No one.”
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“Apparently, they do.” Herod drained his glass. “The question is, what now? Our opening move has failed. We’ve lost the element of surprise. They’ll be watching for our next attack.”
Rose walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the city lights. Somewhere out there, Camille was probably celebrating her victory, laughing with Alexander about how they had turned Rose’s attack against her. The thought made her stomach twist with hatred.
“We need something bigger,” she said, her breath fogging the glass. “Something they can’t spin into a positive.”
“Such as?” Herod asked, his reflection appearing behind her in the window. Rose turned to face him. “Victoria. She’s their weak point. Remove her from the equation, and Camille loses her guide, her mentor, her backup plan.”
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