SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan) novel Chapter 209

Chapter 209

In a sterile office overlooking Manhattan's financial district, the Guardian stared at his computer screens with growing rage. Red error messages flashed across multiple monitors, each one marking another failure in his carefully orchestrated plan. Bloomberg, CNN, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal - every major outlet that should have published his fabricated evidence about Victoria Kane was now showing system errors.

His hands trembled as he typed frantically, trying to regain control of the media distribution network he'd spent months infiltrating. But every command was blocked, every file upload rejected, every communication pathway severed.

"No, no, no," he whispered, his voice echoing in the empty office. "This can't be happening."

The Guardian pulled off his black mask, revealing a face twisted with fifteen years of hatred and obsession. His graying hair was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot from sleepless nights, and deep lines carved by stress and anger marked his features. This was a man who had dedicated half his life to a single purpose: destroying Victoria Kane.

He slammed his fist against the desk, sending coffee cups and documents flying. The pain in his knuckles felt good - a physical outlet for the rage burning in his chest like acid.

Fifteen years. Fifteen years of planning, watching, waiting for the perfect moment to make Victoria Kane pay for what she had done. Fifteen years of building false identities, creating fake evidence, manipulating grieving relatives like Alexander Pierce. Fifteen years of his life consumed by the need for revenge.

And now it was crumbling around him like sand.

The Guardian moved to another computer terminal, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he tried to access backup servers. Maybe he could still salvage something from this disaster. Maybe he could still get the false story published through smaller outlets, through social media, through any platform that would spread his manufactured truth about Victoria's crimes.

But every pathway was blocked. Whoever had interfered with his plan wasn't just some amateur hacker. They knew exactly what they were doing, systematically dismantling fifteen years of preparation with surgical precision.

His phone buzzed with an encrypted message from Alexander: *Something went wrong. News outlets are publishing real court documents instead of our evidence. They're saying Richard Pierce was responsible for the factory deaths. What happened?*

The Guardian stared at the message, his hands shaking with fury. Alexander still believed their cause was just, still thought they were fighting for truth and justice. The naive fool had no idea he'd been used as a weapon in someone else's war.

He typed back: *Technical difficulties. Stand by for new instructions.*

But there were no new instructions. The Guardian's master plan lay in ruins, his carefully crafted false evidence replaced with documentation that made Victoria Kane look like the victim of a smear campaign.

He walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city where Victoria Kane had built her empire. Somewhere out there, she was recovering in a hospital bed, probably laughing at his failure. Somewhere out there, her adopted daughter was celebrating another victory over the forces trying to destroy her family.

The Guardian pressed his forehead against the cold glass, his breath fogging the window as memories flooded back. Fifteen years ago, when Victoria Kane had destroyed everything he cared about. When she had used her wealth and influence to crush an honest man who had only wanted to expose the truth.

He remembered the phone call that had changed his life forever. The voice on the other end, broken and desperate: "She's going to destroy me. Victoria Kane is going to take everything I've worked for and leave me with nothing. Promise me you'll make her pay. Promise me she won't get away with this."

That promise had consumed twenty years of his existence. He had given up relationships, career advancement, personal happiness - everything sacrificed on the altar of revenge against Victoria Kane.

The Guardian had studied her company, her associates, her weaknesses. He had built a network of contacts and resources spanning multiple countries. He had created false identities and elaborate schemes, all leading to this moment when Victoria Kane would finally face consequences for her crimes.

And it had all been for nothing.

His computer chimed with another alert. The Guardian turned back to his screens, hoping for some sign that his plan could still be salvaged. Instead, he found news articles with headlines that made his blood boil:

"Kane Industries CEO Vindicated in Historical Legal Challenge"

"New Evidence Clears Victoria Kane of Factory Death Allegations"

"Meridian Technologies Founder Responsible for Safety Violations, Court Documents Reveal"

The Guardian read each article with growing disbelief. Not only had his false evidence been blocked, but whoever had interfered had somehow obtained and published the real court records from the Meridian Technologies case. Records that made Richard Pierce look like a negligent criminal and Victoria Kane look like an innocent victim of false accusations.

"Twenty years," he said aloud, his voice cracking with emotion. "Fifteen years of my life wasted because of some hacker with a conscience."

But even as despair threatened to overwhelm him, the Guardian felt his rage hardening into something colder and more dangerous. If he couldn't destroy Victoria Kane with lies, he would find another way. If the legal system wouldn't punish her for her crimes, he would deliver justice personally.