SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan) novel Chapter 215

Chapter 215

The Metropolitan Children's Hospital charity gala buzzed with the quiet energy of New York's elite gathering for a worthy cause. Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over designer gowns and expensive suits while waiters moved silently through the crowd carrying silver trays of champagne and canapés.

Camille stood beside the auction display table, examining the donated items while trying to focus on anything other than the constant ache in her chest. She wore a simple black dress that made her look elegant but understated, as if she was trying to disappear into the background of her own life.

Stefan and Hannah stood nearby, their conversation about the hospital's new cardiac wing punctuated by small gestures that revealed their growing connection. Hannah's hand briefly touched Stefan's arm when she laughed at something he said. Stefan's eyes lingered on her face when she wasn't looking. The ease between them was obvious to anyone paying attention.

"They look happy together," Camille said quietly, nodding toward Stefan and Hannah.

Victoria, who had insisted on attending despite her recent hospitalization, followed Camille's gaze. "They do. Stefan deserves someone who sees his better qualities."

"We all deserve that," Camille replied, her voice carrying the weight of recent heartbreak.

The crowd shifted around them as more guests arrived for the evening's program. Camille was reading the description of a donated vacation package when she felt someone approach from behind. She turned and found herself face to face with Alexander.

He looked terrible. His usually perfect appearance was replaced by rumpled clothes that hung loose on his frame. Dark circles under his eyes spoke of sleepless nights, and his hair showed days without proper care. But it was his expression that caught Camille's attention - raw vulnerability mixed with desperate hope.

"Camille," Alexander said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Could I... could I speak with you for a moment?"

Victoria stepped protectively closer to Camille, her eyes cold as they fixed on Alexander. "I don't think that's appropriate."

"Please," Alexander said, looking directly at Victoria. "I know I have no right to ask. But there are things I need to say. Things that might change how you understand this situation."

Stefan and Hannah had noticed Alexander's presence and moved closer, forming a protective circle around Camille and Victoria. Stefan's jaw was still slightly bruised from Alexander's punch, a visible reminder of their last encounter.

"Alexander," Stefan said carefully, "this isn't the place for..."

"I know," Alexander interrupted, his voice cracking slightly. "I know this isn't the place, and I know I don't deserve your time. But I've discovered things that make me question everything I thought I knew."

Hannah looked between Stefan and Alexander, her engineering mind analyzing the situation with scientific precision. "What kind of things?"

Alexander looked around at the four people surrounding him - the wife he had betrayed, the woman he had tried to destroy, the man he had attacked, and the engineer whose loyalty he had underestimated. Each face showed varying degrees of suspicion and pain.

"The evidence I was given about Victoria," Alexander said slowly, "it doesn't match what I'm finding when I investigate independently. Someone has been lying to me, manipulating the facts to make Victoria look guilty of crimes I'm not sure she committed."

The words hung in the air like smoke from an extinguished candle. Victoria's expression remained carefully neutral, but Camille could see surprise flickering in her eyes.

"You're saying you were wrong about Victoria?" Camille asked, her voice barely steady.

"I'm saying I might have been wrong about some things. The situation appears more complex than I understood." Alexander's hands shook as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "This is an apology I wrote. For Stefan."

He held the paper toward Stefan, who made no move to take it.

"I don't need your written apology," Stefan said quietly. "But I'll listen if you have something real to say."

Alexander crumpled the paper slightly, his composure beginning to crack. "I hit you because I thought you were trying to win Camille back. I was jealous and paranoid and I completely misread what was happening between you and Hannah."

Stefan and Hannah exchanged a quick glance, their relationship no longer a secret they needed to hide.

"I saw what I expected to see instead of what was actually there," Alexander continued. "And I reacted like a man who had already lost everything important to him."

"You lost everything because of your own choices," Camille said, her voice carrying both pain and anger. "Because you chose revenge over trust, lies over honesty, surveillance over love."

"I know." Alexander's voice broke completely on those two words. "I know I destroyed our marriage. I know I violated your privacy and used your love as a weapon against your family. I know I nearly killed Victoria with the stress of my attacks."

Victoria studied Alexander's face, looking for signs of deception or manipulation. "If you know all that, why are you here? What do you want from us?"

"I want to tell you that the evidence against you has inconsistencies I can't explain. I want to admit that my contact - the person who gave me information about your supposed crimes - becomes evasive when I ask for verification." Alexander looked directly at Victoria. "I want to say that I might have been manipulated into believing you were a killer when you might actually be another victim."

The charity gala continued around them, but their small group felt isolated in a bubble of tense conversation. Other guests moved past without paying attention to the drama unfolding near the auction table.

"Might have been?" Hannah asked. "You're still not certain?"

"I'm not certain of anything anymore," Alexander admitted. "For months, I believed I was seeking justice for my uncle and seventeen innocent people who died in a factory explosion. Now I'm finding evidence that suggests someone else might have been responsible for those deaths."

Stefan leaned forward slightly. "Someone else like who?"

"My uncle's former business partner. James Whitfield. He sold his shares in Meridian Technologies six months before the explosion. The timing seems... convenient."

Victoria went very still at the mention of James Whitfield's name, but she said nothing.

"You think James Whitfield was involved in the factory explosion?" Camille asked.

"I think James Whitfield knew more about the safety problems than he admitted. I think he might have influenced my uncle's understanding of events. And I think the person who has been feeding me evidence against Victoria might not be who he claims to be."