SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan) novel Chapter 233

Chapter 233

The gardens at Victoria's estate bloomed with late spring flowers as guests gathered under white silk tents for an occasion that felt both familiar and entirely new. Six months had passed since James Whitfield's arrest, six months of healing and rebuilding and learning to trust in love again.

Camille stood in the estate's master bedroom, looking at herself in the antique mirror as Victoria helped her adjust the simple cream-colored dress she had chosen for the ceremony. This wasn't the elaborate wedding gown she had worn for her first marriage to Alexander - this dress was elegant but understated, chosen for comfort rather than spectacle.

"Are you nervous?" Victoria asked, fastening the pearl necklace that had belonged to her own mother around Camille's neck.

"Not nervous," Camille replied, touching the pearls gently. "Excited. Ready. This feels different from the first time."

"Different how?"

Camille turned to face Victoria, seeing her adoptive mother looking healthy and strong for the first time since her cancer diagnosis. The months of recovery had been good for both of them, allowing them to rebuild their relationship on foundations of truth rather than the secrets that had almost destroyed them.

"The first time I married Alexander, I was marrying the man I thought he was. Today I'm marrying the man I know he is - flaws and mistakes and all." Camille's voice carried a certainty that hadn't been there during her first wedding. "I'm marrying someone who has hurt me and disappointed me, but who has also fought for us when it mattered most."

Victoria smiled, remembering her own second chance at love after her husband's death. "That's what real love looks like. Not the fairy tale version where everything is perfect, but the grown-up version where you choose each other despite knowing exactly who you're choosing."

A soft knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Alexander's voice came through the wood, warm with affection and anticipation.

"Camille? I know it's bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony, but I have something for you."

Camille opened the door to find Alexander standing in the hallway, handsome in his dark suit but somehow more relaxed than she had ever seen him. He held a small wrapped box in his hands.

"What is this?" Camille asked, accepting the gift.

"Something I should have given you the first time we got married, instead of surveillance equipment and hidden agendas." Alexander's voice carried both regret for the past and hope for the future.

Camille unwrapped the box to reveal a delicate bracelet made of intertwined silver and gold bands. The craftsmanship was exquisite, but it was the engraving on the inside that made her breath catch: "To new beginnings and honest love - A."

"Alexander, it's beautiful."

"I had it made by the same jeweler who created your engagement ring. But this time, there are no hidden meanings or secret purposes. It's just a gift from your husband to his wife, given with complete honesty about who I am and what I'm promising you."

Camille felt tears starting as Alexander fastened the bracelet around her wrist. The weight of it felt perfect, substantial enough to remind her of his presence but delicate enough to wear every day.

"What are you promising me?" she asked softly.

"I'm promising you that I will choose our marriage over everything else, every day, for the rest of my life. I'm promising you complete honesty, even when the truth is difficult or painful. I'm promising you that I will never let anyone come between us again."

Victoria watched this exchange from the doorway, feeling her heart swell with happiness for the couple who had survived so much manipulation and betrayal to find their way back to each other.

"And what are you promising him?" Victoria asked Camille.

Camille looked into Alexander's eyes, seeing the man who had been manipulated into betraying her, who had nearly lost her to his own need for revenge, who had fought desperately to save her when she was kidnapped.

"I'm promising him that I will trust in our love even when it's tested. I'm promising him that I will fight for our marriage instead of running away when things get difficult. I'm promising him that I will love him not just for who he could be, but for who he is right now."

Alexander felt overwhelming emotion wash over him as he heard Camille's vows. This was what he had always wanted but had been too consumed by grief and manipulation to recognize - unconditional love from someone who saw his flaws and chose him anyway.

"I should go," Alexander said, stepping back from the doorway. "The guests are starting to arrive, and I want everything to be perfect for you."

As Alexander walked away, Camille felt a deep sense of peace settle over her. This ceremony wasn't about erasing the past or pretending their first marriage hadn't been poisoned by lies. It was about acknowledging what they had learned and choosing to build something stronger from the foundation of truth.

An hour later, Camille walked down the garden path between rows of white chairs filled with the people who mattered most to them. Her parents sat in the front row, their faces showing pride and relief that their daughter had found happiness again. Senator Alvarez had flown in from Washington to witness the ceremony, his presence a reminder of the family support that had helped save Kane Industries.

Victoria walked beside Camille, serving as both mother of the bride and officiant for the ceremony. As the head of the family that had been rebuilt through choice rather than blood, Victoria had asked to be the one to speak the words that would renew Alexander and Camille's commitment to each other.

But it was the sight of Alexander waiting at the flower-covered arch that made Camille's heart race with joy. He stood with his best man Stefan, both men looking nervous and happy as they watched her approach.