SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan) novel Chapter 220

Chapter 220

The rooftop of Kane Industries stretched out like a concrete garden forty stories above Manhattan's glittering streets. Stefan stood at the edge, his hands gripping the safety railing as he looked out over the city that had witnessed so much pain and betrayal in recent months. The night air was cool against his face, carrying the distant sounds of traffic and the faint smell of rain that might come before dawn.

Hannah emerged from the rooftop access door, carrying two steaming cups of coffee from the break room downstairs. She had been working for sixteen straight hours, analyzing communication patterns and tracking James Whitfield's movements, but she moved with the determined energy of someone who refused to let exhaustion slow her down.P

"I thought you might need this," Hannah said, offering Stefan one of the cups.

Stefan turned from the railing and accepted the coffee gratefully. Their fingers brushed as he took the cup, and both of them noticed the brief contact. The warmth of Hannah's touch lingered on Stefan's skin even after she stepped back.

"Thank you," Stefan said. "I didn't realize how cold it was up here."

Hannah joined him at the railing, standing close enough that their shoulders almost touched. The city spread out below them like a circuit board, all glowing lines and blinking lights that seemed to pulse with electronic life.

"I needed air that didn't smell like stress and computer equipment," Hannah said, breathing deeply. "Sometimes I forget there's a world outside that conference room."

Stefan studied Hannah's profile in the starlight. Her usually perfect appearance was rumpled from hours of intense work, her hair escaping from its ponytail in soft strands that caught the light from the building's exterior illumination. But there was something beautiful about seeing her this way - not the polished professional engineer, but the real person underneath all the competence and dedication.

"You've been incredible through all of this," Stefan said quietly. "The way you tracked down James's real identity, the digital forensics work, stopping his media attack on Victoria. I don't think any of us would have survived without your skills."

Hannah turned to look at him, surprised by the admiration in his voice. "I was just doing my job."

"No, you were doing much more than your job. You were protecting people you care about." Stefan met her eyes. "You were protecting Camille and Victoria, yes. But you were also protecting me."

The words hung between them in the cool night air. Hannah felt her heart beating faster as she recognized the shift in Stefan's tone from professional gratitude to something more personal.

"Stefan," she said softly.

"I know I'm probably the last person who should be thinking about relationships right now," Stefan continued, his voice growing more uncertain. "I know I have a complicated history with Camille, and I know you've seen me at my worst moments. But Hannah, working with you these past weeks has been..."

He paused, searching for words that wouldn't sound inadequate.

"Has been what?" Hannah prompted gently.

"Has been the first time in years that I've felt like myself again. Not the man who betrayed Camille, not the man carrying guilt for destroying someone else's trust. Just Stefan, working alongside someone who sees my better qualities instead of my worst mistakes."

Hannah set down her coffee cup on the ledge beside her, giving Stefan her full attention. The starlight made her eyes look deeper, more mysterious than they appeared under the harsh fluorescent lights of the office.

"I do see your better qualities," she said. "I see someone who's dedicated to finding truth, who refuses to give up when things get complicated. I see someone who's worked harder than anyone to make amends for past mistakes."

"And is that enough?" Stefan asked, his voice vulnerable in a way that made Hannah's chest tight. "Is that enough to build something real on?"

The question carried weight beyond romance. Stefan was asking whether he was worthy of love again, whether someone could see past his history of betrayal to the person he was trying to become.

Hannah moved closer to him, close enough that she could see the uncertainty in his expression, the fear that she might reject him the way he probably felt he deserved to be rejected.

"Stefan, can I tell you something?"

"Of course."

"When I first started working at Kane Industries, I thought I understood what loyalty meant. I thought it meant doing your job well, following company policies, being professional with your colleagues." Hannah's voice was soft but clear. "But watching you these past weeks has taught me that real loyalty is much more complicated."

Stefan waited for her to continue, afraid to interrupt what felt like an important moment.