My Alpha Novel 151
Posted on May 26, 2025 · 0 mins read
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Chapter151 Chapter 151 Jasonmovedsilentlythroughtheservicecorridor,hisflashlightbeamsweepingacrossthewallsandfloor.Twentyyearsinprivatesecurityhadtaughthimtotrusthisinstincts,andrightnoweverynervein hisbodyscreameddanger.WhenAlexanderPiercehadorderedafullsweepofthebuilding,Jasonhadchosentocheckthebasementhimself. Jason moved silently through the service corridor , his flashlight beam sweeping across the walls and floor . Twenty years in private security had taught him to trust his instincts , and right now every nerve in his body screamed danger . When Alexander Pierce had ordered a full sweep of the building , Jason had chosen to check the basement himself . “Eastcorridorclear,”crackledavoicethroughhisearpiece. “ East corridor clear , ” crackled a voice through his earpiece . “Copythat,”Jasonreplied.“Movingtochecktheelectricalroom.” “ Copy that , ” Jason replied . “ Moving to check the electrical room .” The doortotheelectricalroomwasunlocked, the firstredflag.Hotelpolicyrequiredallmaintenanceroomstobesecuredatalltimes.Jasondrewhisweaponbeforepushingthedooropenwithhisshoulder. The door to the electrical room was unlocked , the first red flag . Hotel policy required all maintenance rooms to be secured at all times . Jason drew his weapon before pushing the door open with his shoulder . Theroomappearedemptyatfirstglance.Rowsofcircuitbreakerslinedthewalls.Theconstanthumofelectricityfilledtheair.Jasonmovedhisflashlightmethodicallyacrossthespace,checkingeverycorner,everyshadow. The room appeared empty at first glance . Rows of circuit breakers lined the walls . The constant hum of electricity filled the air . Jason moved his flashlight methodically across the space , checking every corner , every shadow . Thenhesawit. Then he saw it . Attachedtothemaincircuitpanelwasablackdevice thesizeofapaperbackbook.Asmallscreendisplayedglowingrednumbers:15:42…15:41…15:40… Attached to the main circuit panel was a black device the size of a paperback book . A small screen displayed glowing red numbers : 15:42 … 15:41 … 15:40 … Jason’sthroatwentdry.He’dseensimilardevicesduringhismilitary days. Jason’s throat went dry . He’d seen similar devices during his military days . / <![CDATA[ / fpm_start( "true" ); / ]]> / “Sir,”hesaidintohiscomm,voicetight.“I’vefoundsomethingintheelectricalroom.Southeastcorner,basementlevel.Itappearstobeanexplosivedevice.Timer showsfifteenminutes andcounting.” “ Sir ,” he said into his comm , voice tight . “ I’ve found something in the electrical room . Southeast corner , basement level . It appears to be an explosive device . Timer shows fifteen minutes and counting .” Alexander’sresponsewasimmediate.“Staythere.Bombsquadisonsite.They’recomingtoyounow.” Alexander’s response was immediate . “ Stay there . Bomb squad is on site . They’re coming to you now . ” Jasondidn’ttouchthedevicebutmovedclosertoexamineit.Thetimercontinueditsrelentlesscountdown.15:22…15:21…15:20… Jason didn’t touch the device but moved closer to examine it . The timer continued its relentless countdown . 15:22 … 15:21 … 15:20 … Hecouldhearfootstepsapproachingfast,thebombsquad,hehoped.Butfifteenminuteswasn’tmuchtimetodisarmadevice,especiallyiftherewereothershiddenthroughoutthebuilding. He could hear footsteps approaching fast , the bomb squad , he hoped . But fifteen minutes wasn’t much time to disarm a device , especially if there were others hidden throughout the building . TheGrandPlazaHotelhousedovereighthundredgueststonight,notcountingstaff.Eighthundredlivesnowhanginginthebalance. The Grand Plaza Hotel housed over eight hundred guests tonight , not counting staff . Eight hundred lives now hanging in the balance . Jasonhadneverbeenareligiousman,butinthatmoment,hefoundhimselfpraying. Jason had never been a religious man , but in that moment , he found himself praying .



AlexanderPiercestoodattheedgeoftheballroom,hisfacecarefullyblankdespitethechaoseruptinginhisearpiece.Reportsfloodedinfromhissecurityteam: Alexander Pierce stood at the edge of the ballroom , his face carefully blank despite the chaos erupting in his earpiece . Reports flooded in from his security team : “Suspiciousdevicefoundintheventilationroom.” “ Suspicious device found in the ventilation room . ” “Anotheronenearthemainsupportcolumninthewestwing.” “ Another one near the main support column in the west wing . ” “Devicelocatedinthekitchen,attachedtoa “ Device located in the kitchen , attached to a gas gas line,” line ,” Sixdevicesdiscoveredsofar.Sixhoscatteredthroughoutthebuilding.Allwiththesamecountdowntimer. Six devices discovered so far . Six ho scattered throughout the building . All with the same countdown timer . Alexandercheckedhiswatch.Fourt Alexander checked his watch . Fourt minutesuntildetonation. minutes until detonation . HecaughtStefanRodriguez’seyeacrosstheroomandgaveaslightnod.Stefanhadbeenright.Thethreatwasreal.Nowtheyneededtomoveeighthundredpeopletosafetywithoutcausingadeadlypanic. He caught Stefan Rodriguez’s eye across the room and gave a slight nod . Stefan had been right . The threat was real . Now they needed to move eight hundred people to safety without causing a deadly panic . Alexanderpressedabuttononhisphone,sendinga pre–arrangedsignaltothehotelmanager.Withinseconds,themanappearedat Alexander pressed a button on his phone , sending a pre – arranged signal to the hotel manager . Within seconds , the man appeared at Alexander’sside. Alexander’s side . “We haveaconfirmedthreat,”Alexandersaidquietly.“Multipleexplosive devicesthroughoutthebuilding.We needtobeginemergencyevacuationimmediately.” “ We have a confirmed threat , ” Alexander said quietly . “ Multiple explosive devices throughout the building . We need to begin emergency evacuation immediately .” Themanager’sfacedrainedofcolor,buthisvoiceremainedsteady.“Understood.We’llusethefirealarmprotocol.Securitywilldirectgueststotheappropriateexits.” The manager’s face drained of color , but his voice remained steady . “ Understood . We’ll use the fire alarm protocol . Security will direct guests to the appropriate exits .” “Noalarms,”Alexandercountered.“Thesoundmighttriggerthedevices.Weneedaquietevacuation.” “ No alarms , ” Alexander countered . “ The sound might trigger the devices . We need a quiet evacuation .” 1/5 1/5 Themanagernodded.“I’llalertthestaff.We’llannounceapowerissue,askgueststoexitcalmly.” The manager nodded . “ I’ll alert the staff . We’ll announce a power issue , ask guests to exit calmly . ” “Fourteenminutes,”Alexanderremindedhim.“Notasecond more.” “ Fourteen minutes , ” Alexander reminded him . “ Not a second more .” Asthemanagermovedaway,Alexandertouchedhisearpieceagain.“Statusonthebombsquad?” As the manager moved away , Alexander touched his earpiece again . “ Status on the bomb squad ? ” “They’reexaminingthefirstdevicenow,sir,”cameJason’svoice.“Butthere’saproblem.Theysayit’ssophisticated,booby–trappedtodetonateiftamperedwith.They’renotsuretheycandisarmallofthemintime.” “ They’re examining the first device now , sir , ” came Jason’s voice . “ But there’s a problem . They say it’s sophisticated , booby – trapped to detonate if tampered with . They’re not sure they can disarm all of them in time .” Alexander’sstomachdropped.“Understood.Continuethesearch.Findeverydevice.” Alexander’s stomach dropped . “ Understood . Continue the search . Find every device . ” Hescannedtheballroom,locatingVictoriaattheheadtable.Camillestoodnearby,surroundedbyadmirersafterherspeech.Neitherwomanknewthedangertheywerein. He scanned the ballroom , locating Victoria at the head table . Camille stood nearby , surrounded by admirers after her speech . Neither woman knew the danger they were in . Notyet. Not yet . Alexandermovedthroughthe crowdwithpurpose,noddingpolitelyatthosewhotriedtoengagehimbutneverstopping.WhenhereachedCamille,heplacedahandgentlyonherelbow. Alexander moved through the crowd with purpose , nodding politely at those who tried to engage him but never stopping . When he reached Camille , he placed a hand gently on her elbow . “Excuseus,”hesaidtothegrouparoundher.“IneedtoborrowMs.Kaneforamoment.” “ Excuse us , ” he said to the group around her . “ I need to borrow Ms. Kane for a moment .” Camille’ssmileremained fixed,buthereyesquestionedhimasheguidedher towardVictoria’stable. Camille’s smile remained fixed , but her eyes questioned him as he guided her toward Victoria’s table . “What’swrong?”shewhispered. “ What’s wrong ? ” she whispered . “Nothere,”Alexanderreplied,hisvoicebarelyaudible. “ Not here , ” Alexander replied , his voice barely audible . Victorialookedupastheyapproached,instantlyalerttothetensioninAlexander’sposture. Victoria looked up as they approached , instantly alert to the tension in Alexander’s posture . “Weneedtotalk,”hesaid.“Now.” “ We need to talk , ” he said . “ Now . ” Theymovedtoaquietcorneroftheballroom,Alexanderpositioninghimselftoblockothers‘viewof theirfaces. They moved to a quiet corner of the ballroom , Alexander positioning himself to block others ‘ view of their faces . “We’vefoundexplosivedevicesthroughoutthebuilding,”hesaidwithoutpreamble. “Sixsofar.Timersshowlessthanfourteenminutesuntildetonation.Bombsquadisonsitebutdoesn’tbelievetheycandisarmthemallintime.” “ We’ve found explosive devices throughout the building ,” he said without preamble . “ Six so far . Timers show less than fourteen minutes until detonation . Bomb squad is on site but doesn’t believe they can disarm them all in time .” Victoria’sfaceremainedcomposed,thoughhereyeswidenedslightly.Camillegasped,instinctivelymovingclosertoVictoriaasiftoprotecther. Victoria’s face remained composed , though her eyes widened slightly . Camille gasped , instinctively moving closer to Victoria as if to protect her. “Rose,”Camillewhispered,hervoicetightwithangerandfear. “ Rose ,” Camille whispered , her voice tight with anger and fear . Alexandernodded.“Mostlikely.We’rebeginningevacuationproceduresnow.Ineed youbothtoleaveimmediatelythroughthe privateexit.Acariswaiting.” Alexander nodded . “ Most likely . We’re beginning evacuation procedures now . I need you both to leave immediately through the private exit . A car is waiting . ” Victoriastraightenedherspine,yearsofcrisismanagementtakingover.“Howareyouhandlingtheevacuation?” Victoria straightened her spine , years of crisis management taking over . “ How are you handling the evacuation ? ” “Hotelstaffwillannounceapowerissuerequiringthebuildingtobeemptied.Securitywillguidegueststothenearestexits.”Alexandercheckedhiswatchagain.Wehavethirteenminutes.” “ Hotel staff will announce a power issue requiring the building to be emptied . Security will guide guests to the nearest exits . ” Alexander checked his watch again . We have thirteen minutes .” “Eighthundredpeopleinthirteenminutes,Victoriasaid,calculatingtheodds.“Itwillbeclose.” “ Eight hundred people in thirteen minutes , Victoria said , calculating the odds . “ It will be close . ” “Tooclose,”Camillemurmured,scanningthecrowdedroom.Peoplelaughing,drinking,completelyunawareofthedangertickingbeneaththeirfeet. “ Too close , , ” Camille murmured , scanning the crowded room . People laughing , drinking , completely unaware of the danger ticking beneath their feet . Thehotelmanagerhadreachedthestagenow.Hetappedthemicrophone,gainingeveryone’sattention. The hotel manager had reached the stage now . He tapped the microphone , gaining everyone’s attention . “Ladiesandgentlemen,Iapologizefortheinterruption.We’vebeeninformedofanelectricalissuethatrequiresustotemporarilyvacatethebuilding.Pleaseproceedcalmlytothenearestexit,whereourstaffwilldirectyou.Thisisonlyaprecaution,butwedoneedtomovequickly.” “ Ladies and gentlemen , I apologize for the interruption . We’ve been informed of an electrical issue that requires us to temporarily vacate the building . Please proceed calmly to the nearest exit , where our staff will direct you . This is only a precaution , but we do need to move quickly .” Murmursofconfusionrippledthroughthecrowd.Someguestsstoodimmediately,whileotherslingered,finishingdrinksor Murmurs of confusion rippled through the crowd . Some guests stood immediately , while others lingered , finishing drinks or conversations. conversations . “They’renotmovingfastenough,”Camillesaid,tensionbuildinginherchest. “ They’re not moving fast enough , ” Camille said , tension building in her chest . “Theywill,”Alexanderassuredher.“Nowplease,bothofyou,headtotheprivateexit.I’vealreadyarrangedforVictoria’smedicalteamto “ They will , ” Alexander assured her . “ Now please , both of you , head to the private exit . I’ve already arranged for Victoria’s medical team to

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googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1744740134379-0'); }); 2/5 2/5 meetyouatthesafehouse.” meet you at the safe house . ” Victorianodded.“Come,Camille.There’s nothingmore wecandohere.” Victoria nodded . “ Come , Camille . There’s nothing more we can do here . ” ButCamilledidn’tmove.Hereyesremainedfixedontheballroom,whereelderlyguestswerestrugglingtorisefromtheirseats,wherewaitstafflookedconfusedaboutwhethertohelporevacuatethemselves,wheremotherswerecallingforchildrenwhohadwanderedtothedesserttable. But Camille didn’t move . Her eyes remained fixed on the ballroom , where elderly guests were struggling to rise from their seats , where waitstaff looked confused about whether to help or evacuate themselves , where mothers were calling for children who had wandered to the dessert table . “Camille,Alexandersaidmoreurgently.“Weneedtogo.Now.” “ Camille , Alexander said more urgently . “ We need to go . Now . ” ShecouldfeeltheweightofVictoria’shandonherarm,tryingtopullhertowardsafety.Butadeeperinstinctheldherinplace. She could feel the weight of Victoria’s hand on her arm , trying to pull her toward safety . But a deeper instinct held her in place . “Icanhelp,”shesaid.“Icanmakethemmovefaster.” “ I can help , ” she said . “ I can make them move faster . ” “That’ssecurity’sjob,”Alexanderinsisted.“Yourjobistostayalive.” “ That’s security’s job , ” Alexander insisted . “ Your job is to stay alive .” Throughthegrowingchaos,Camillespottedherparentsnearthefarexit,helpinganelderlycouplenavigatethecrowd.Shesawdonorswhohadcontributedmillionstoherfoundation,staffwhohadworkedtirelesslytomakethisnightpossible,childrenwhohadnoideaofthedangertheywerein. Through the growing chaos , Camille spotted her parents near the far exit , helping an elderly couple navigate the crowd . She saw donors who had contributed millions to her foundation , staff who had worked tirelessly to make this night possible , children who had no idea of the danger they were in . Allthesepeoplehadcometonightbecauseofher.BecauseofthePhoenixFoundation.Becausetheybelievedinhervisionofhelpingothers. All these people had come tonight because of her . Because of the Phoenix Foundation . Because they believed in her vision of helping others . Howcouldsheruntosafetywhiletheyremainedatrisk? How could she run to safety while they remained at risk ? Thetimerinhermindcontinueditscountdown.Twelveminutes.Maybeless. The timer in her mind continued its countdown . Twelve minutes . Maybe less . “Alexander.”Camille’svoicehadchanged,takingonthesteelshehadlearnedfromVictoria.“GetVictoriaout.Now.I’llberightbehindyou.” “ Alexander . ” Camille’s voice had changed , taking on the steel she had learned from Victoria . “ Get Victoria out . Now . I’ll be right behind you . ” “Wegotogetherornotat all,”Victoriasaidfirmly. “ We go together or not at all ,” Victoria said firmly . “No.”Camillemet Victoria’sgazedirectly.“You’reill.Youneedtoleaveimmediately.I’llhelpwiththeevacuationandfollow.” “ No. ” Camille met Victoria’s gaze directly . “ You’re ill . You need to leave immediately . I’ll help with the evacuation and follow . ” Alexandersteppedbetweenthem.“Bothofyouneedtoleave.That’snon–negotiable.” Alexander stepped between them . “ Both of you need to leave . That’s non – negotiable . ” ButCamillehadalreadymadeherdecision.Sheturnedtowardthestage,towardthemicrophonethatcouldreacheverycorneroftheballroom. But Camille had already made her decision . She turned toward the stage , toward the microphone that could reach every corner of the ballroom . “Icanmakethemmovefaster,”shesaidoverhershoulder.“Icansavemorepeople.” “ I can make them move faster , ” she said over her shoulder . “ I can save more people . ” Alexandergrabbedherarm.“Camille,listentome.Rosedidthis.Shesetthesebombs.She’stargeting you specifically.” Alexander grabbed her arm . “ Camille , listen to me . Rose did this . She set these bombs . She’s targeting you specifically . ” “Iknow.”Camille’seyesflashedwithdetermination.“That’sexactlywhyIcan’trun.Shewantsmetobeafraid.Topanic.Iwon’tgiveherthatsatisfaction.” “ I know .” Camille’s eyes flashed with determination . “ That’s exactly why I can’t run . She wants me to be afraid . To panic . I won’t give her that satisfaction . ” Victoria’svoicecutthroughthetensionbetweenthem. “Alexander,getthecarready.We’llbethereintwominutes.” Victoria’s voice cut through the tension between them . “ Alexander , get the car ready . We’ll be there in two minutes . ” Alexanderhesitated,tornbetweenhisdutytoprotectbothwomenandtheknowledgethatVictoria’sauthoritystilloutrankedhisinCamille’smind. Alexander hesitated , torn between his duty to protect both women and the knowledge that Victoria’s authority still outranked his in Camille’s mind . “Twominutes,”he repeated,thenmovedtowardtheprivateexittopreparetheirescape. “ Two minutes , ” he repeated , then moved toward the private exit to prepare their escape . Oncehewasgone,VictoriaturnedtoCamille.“Youhaveoneminutetohelp,thenweleave.Together.Understood?” Once he was gone , Victoria turned to Camille . “ You have one minute to help , then we leave . Together . Understood ? ” Camillenodded,alreadymovingtowardthestage.Thehotelmanager lookedrelievedasshetookthemicrophonefromhim. Camille nodded , already moving toward the stage . The hotel manager looked relieved as she took the microphone from him . “Ladiesandgentlemen,”shebegan,hervoicesteadyandclear.“ThisisCamilleKane.Ineedyourattention.” “ Ladies and gentlemen , ” she began , her voice steady and clear . “ This is Camille Kane . I need your attention . ” Thecrowdquieted,alleyesturningtowardher. The crowd quieted , all eyes turning toward her . “Weneedtoevacuatethisbuildingimmediately.Thisisnotadrill.Pleasemovequickly tothenearestexit.Parents,carryyourchildren.Ifyouseesomeonestruggling,helpthem.Leaveallbelongingsbehind.” “ We need to evacuate this building immediately . This is not a drill . Please move quickly to the nearest exit . Parents , carry your children . If you see someone struggling , help them . Leave all belongings behind . ” Theurgencyinhervoicecutthroughtheconfusion.Peoplebeganmovingmorepurposefullytowardtheexits,staffsteppeduptoassistelderlyguests,thecrowd’spacevisiblyaccelerated. The urgency in her voice cut through the confusion . People began moving more purposefully toward the exits , staff stepped up to assist elderly guests , the crowd’s pace visibly accelerated . 3/5 3/5 Victoriaappearedattheedgeofthestage.“Time’sup,”shesaid.“Weneedtogo.” Victoria appeared at the edge of the stage . “ Time’s up , ” she said . “ We need to go . ” Camillelookedoutacrosstheballroom,stillhalf–fulldespitetheincreasedpaceofevacuation.Thebitterknowledgethatnoteveryonewouldmakeitoutintimetwistedinherstomach. Camille looked out across the ballroom , still half – full despite the increased pace of evacuation . The bitter knowledge that not everyone would make it out in time twisted in her stomach . “Camille,”Victoria’svoicegrewsharper.“Now.” “ Camille ,” Victoria’s voice grew sharper . “ Now . ” Fromsomewhereinthebuilding,amuffledboomsounded–thefirstdevicedetonatingearly.Screamseruptedasthelightsflickered,panicthreateningtoovertaketheorderedevacuation. From somewhere in the building , a muffled boom sounded – the first device detonating early . Screams erupted as the lights flickered , panic threatening to overtake the ordered evacuation . Camillegrabbedthemicrophoneagain.“Staycalm!”sheordered.“Continuemovingtowardtheexitsinanorderlyfashion.” Camille grabbed the microphone again . “ Stay calm ! ” she ordered . “ Continue moving toward the exits in an orderly fashion . ” Hervoiceseemedtosteadythecrowd,butnowpeoplewerepushing,theevacuationbecomingmorefrantic. Her voice seemed to steady the crowd , but now people were pushing , the evacuation becoming more frantic . Victoriahadreachedthestagesteps,herfacepalebutdetermined.“Thecariswaiting.Alexandersayswehavelessthantenminutes.” Victoria had reached the stage steps , her face pale but determined . “ The car is waiting . Alexander says we have less than ten minutes . ” Camillelookedatthefrightenedfacesbelowher,thenatVictoria,thewomanwhohadsavedherlife,whohadgivenherasecondchance,whowasnowdyingandstillthinkingofothersfirst. Camille looked at the frightened faces below her , then at Victoria , the woman who had saved her life , who had given her a second chance , who was now dying and still thinking of others first . “Yougo,”Camillesaid.“I’llberightbehindyou.Ipromise.” “ You go , ” Camille said . “ I’ll be right behind you . I promise .” Victoria’sexpressionhardened.“Iwon’tleaveyouhere.” Victoria’s expression hardened . “ I won’t leave you here . ” “Youhave to.”CamilleheldVictoria’sgazesteadily.“Thefoundationneedsatleastoneofustosurvive.Andyouneedmedicalattention.” “ You have to . ” Camille held Victoria’s gaze steadily . “ The foundation needs at least one of us to survive . And you need medical attention . ” Anothersmallexplosionsounded fromsomewheredeeperinthebuilding.Morescreams.Morepanic. Another small explosion sounded from somewhere deeper in the building . More screams . More panic . “Go,”Camilleurged.“Please.Letme dothis.Letmehelpthesepeople.” “ Go ,” Camille urged . “ Please . Let me do this . Let me help these people .” Victoriastoodfrozenforamoment,tornbetweenherinstincttoprotectCamilleandthelogicofherargument.Finally,shenodded. Victoria stood frozen for a moment , torn between her instinct to protect Camille and the logic of her argument . Finally, she nodded . “Twominutes,”shesaid.“Thenyoufollow.Swearit.” “ Two minutes , ” she said . “ Then you follow . Swear it .” “Iswear,”Camille replied,thoughtheybothknew itmightbeapromiseshecouldn’tkeep. “ I swear , ” Camille replied , though they both knew it might be a promise she couldn’t keep . Victoriamovedtowardtheprivateexit,whereAlexanderwaited.Asshedisappearedfromview,Camilleturnedbacktothecrowd. Victoria moved toward the private exit , where Alexander waited . As she disappeared from view , Camille turned back to the crowd . Nineminutesleft.Hundredsstillinside.Includingher. Nine minutes left . Hundreds still inside . Including her . Butshewouldn’tleave.Notyet.Notwhileshecouldstillhelp. But she wouldn’t leave . Not yet . Not while she could still help . RosehaddesignedthisattacktodestroyeverythingCamillehadbuilt. Tokillher,yes,butalso toshatterthefoundationthatborehername.Toturnanightoftriumphintooneoftragedy. Rose had designed this attack to destroy everything Camille had built . To kill her , yes , but also to shatter the foundation that bore her name . To turn a night of triumph into one of tragedy . Camillewouldn’tletthathappen.Evenifitmeantrisking everything. Camille wouldn’t let that happen . Even if it meant risking everything . W W “Keepmoving!”shecalledintothemicrophone.“Securitypersonnel,please assist withtheelderlyguests.Everyoneelse,pleaseallowchildrenandthoseneedingassistancetoexitfirst.” “ Keep moving ! ” she called into the microphone . “ Security personnel , please assist with the elderly guests . Everyone else , please allow children and those needing assistance to exit first . ” Fromthecornerofhereye,urgentlyforhertocome. From the corner of her eye , urgently for her to come . ,CamillesawAlexander , Camille saw Alexander reappearattheprivateexit,his face tautwithfrustrationandfear.Hegestured reappear at the private exit , his face taut with frustration and fear . He gestured Camilleshookherhead.Notyet.Notuntilshehaddoneeverythingpossibletosavethesepeoplewhohadtrustedherenoughtocometonight. Camille shook her head . Not yet . Not until she had done everything possible to save these people who had trusted her enough to come tonight . Notuntilshehadproven,onceandforall,thatRose’sattemptstodestroyherhadfailed. Not until she had proven , once and for all , that Rose’s attempts to destroy her had failed . Eightminutesremainedonthecountdown.Eightminutestodefinewhoshetrulywas. Eight minutes remained on the countdown . Eight minutes to define who she truly was . AndCamilleKanewouldnotrun. And Camille Kane would not run .

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