Chapter 249
Chapter 249:
“Alexander showed me what you brought him,” Camille said. “Thank you for the information.”
Stefan nodded, his throat tight. “I’ll get more. I have a meeting with someone close to Bessonov tonight.”
“Why are you doing this?” Camille asked, the direct question catching him off guard.
Stefan looked down at his hands. “Because I owe you. Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“You never cared about the right thing before.”
The truth of her words stung, but he didn’t argue. “No. I didn’t.” He forced himself to meet her gaze. “I can’t fix what I broke, Camille. I know that. But I can’t stand by and watch Rose hurt you again.”
“Why now? After all this time?”
“Because I finally see clearly.” His voice dropped to nearly a whisper. “When I heard about the bombings, my first thought wasn’t about Rose or myself. It was about whether you were safe.”
Camille studied him, searching for deception. Finding none, her expression softened slightly. “You look terrible.”
A surprised laugh escaped him. “Thank you. I feel worse than I look.”
“Good.” But there was no malice in her voice. “Alexander says you’ve agreed to help. That everything goes through him.”
“Yes. Whatever terms you set, I’ll accept them.”
Camille glanced at Alexander, who nodded almost imperceptibly. She returned her gaze to Stefan. “Then I accept your help. But understand this: it changes nothing between us. The past is still the past.”
“I understand.” Relief flooded through him. “Thank you for this chance. I won’t let you down.”
“See that you don’t.” She stood, indicating the meeting was over. “Alexander will be your contact. If you learn anything about Rose or Bessonov, you tell him immediately.”
Every journey starts at gⱯlnσν𝓮𝓁s﹒𝒸о𝗺
Stefan rose as well, knowing he’d been dismissed. At the door, he paused, turning back to look at the woman he’d once called his wife. “You found someone who deserves you,” he said quietly, glancing at Alexander. “I’m glad.”
Something flickered in Camille’s eyes, not forgiveness, but perhaps the beginning of peace. “Goodbye, Stefan.”
After he left, Camille turned to Alexander, emotion finally breaking through her composed facade. “That was harder than I expected.”
Alexander crossed the room, drawing her into his arms. “You were magnificent. As always.”
She leaned into his embrace, allowing herself a moment of vulnerability. “Do you think we can trust him?”
“I think he’s desperate to prove himself. To you, to himself.” Alexander stroked her hair gently. “We’ll use his information but verify everything. And I’ll make sure he never has access to anything sensitive.”
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