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Chapter161 Chapter 161 Fourweeks.Twenty–eightdayswithoutasignofRose.Notatext.Notasighting.Notawhisper. Four weeks . Twenty – eight days without a sign of Rose . Not a text . Not a sighting . Not a whisper . CamillestoodatthewindowofherofficeatKaneIndustries,watchingthecitybelow.Securityguardsstillaccompaniedhereverywhere.TheFBIstillcheckedindaily.Alexander’steamstillsweptforbugsandbombseachmorning. Camille stood at the window of her office at Kane Industries , watching the city below . Security guards still accompanied her everywhere . The FBI still checked in daily . Alexander’s team still swept for bugs and bombs each morning . Butsomethinghadchanged.Thetightknotoffearinherstomachhadloosenedslightly.Notgone,shedoubteditwouldevertrulydisappear,butdifferentnow.Morelikeanoldinjurythatachedbeforerainthanthesharp,consumingpainofafresh But something had changed . The tight knot of fear in her stomach had loosened slightly . Not gone , she doubted it would ever truly disappear , but different now . More like an old injury that ached before rain than the sharp , consuming pain of a fresh wound. wound . Shecheckedherwatch.ThreehoursuntiltheywoulddrivetoVictoria’slakehouse.ThedoctorshadfinallyallowedVictoriatoleavethehospitaltwoweeksago,butinsistedsherecoversomewherequiet,awayfromthestressofthecity.Thelakehouse,withitsprivatesecurityandpeacefulsurroundings,hadbeentheperfectsolution. She checked her watch . Three hours until they would drive to Victoria’s lake house . The doctors had finally allowed Victoria to leave the hospital two weeks ago , but insisted she recover somewhere quiet , away from the stress of the city . The lake house , with its private security and peaceful surroundings , had been the perfect solution . Aknockonherdoorinterruptedherthoughts,Jason,Alexander’sheadofsecurity,enteredwithhisdailyreport A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts , Jason , Alexander’s head of security , entered with his daily report “Allclear,Ms.Kane,”hesaid.“Theroutetothelakehousehasbeensecured.We’llhaveteamsstationedateverycheckpoint “ All clear , Ms. Kane , ” he said . “ The route to the lake house has been secured . We’ll have teams stationed at every checkpoint alongtheway.” along the way . ” / <![CDATA[ / fpm_start( "true" ); / ]]> / “Thankyou,Jason,”Camillereplied.“AnyupdatesfromtheFBI?” “ Thank you , Jason , ” Camille replied . “ Any updates from the FBI ? ” Heshookhishead.“Nothingnew.They’vefollowedleadsinfivestates,butnothingconcrete.AgentChenbelievesMs.Lewismayhaveleftthecountry.” He shook his head . “ Nothing new . They’ve followed leads in five states , but nothing concrete . Agent Chen believes Ms. Lewis may have left the country . ” Camillenodded,unsurprised.TheFBIhadbeensayingsimilarthingsfor weeksnow.Rosehadvanished,likesmokedissipatingintoair. Camille nodded , unsurprised . The FBI had been saying similar things for weeks now . Rose had vanished , like smoke dissipating into air . PartofCamillewantedtobelieveit–thatRosehadrun,givenup,movedon.Butthepartthatknewhersisterbestremainedonguard.Rosenevergaveup.Neverabandonedherplans.Neverleftascoreunsettled. Part of Camille wanted to believe it – that Rose had run , given up , moved on . But the part that knew her sister best remained on guard . Rose never gave up . Never abandoned her plans . Never left a score unsettled . “We’llmaintainallsecurityprotocols,”Jasoncontinued,readingherthoughts.“Mr.Piercehasbeenveryclearaboutthat” “ We’ll maintain all security protocols , ” Jason continued , reading her thoughts . “ Mr. Pierce has been very clear about that ” “Ofcourse,”Camilleagreed.“Thankyou.” “ Of course , ” Camille agreed . “ Thank you . ” AfterJasonleft,Camillereturnedtoherwork.ThePhoenixFoundationrebuildingeffortsweremovingaheadsteadily.Newofficeshadbeensecured.Staffrehired.Projectsrestarted.Itfeltgoodtocreateagain,tobuildratherthanmerelysurvive. After Jason left , Camille returned to her work . The Phoenix Foundation rebuilding efforts were moving ahead steadily . New offices had been secured . Staff rehired . Projects restarted . It felt good to create again , to build rather than merely survive . Theafternoonpassedquickly.WhenAlexanderarrivedtopickherup,Camillewassurprisedtoseehimdressedcasually–jeansandalightsweaterinsteadofhisusual suit. The afternoon passed quickly . When Alexander arrived to pick her up , Camille was surprised to see him dressed casually – jeans and a light sweater instead of his usual suit . “Youlookdifferent,”shesaid,smilingdespiteherself. “ You look different , ” she said , smiling despite herself . before before “Victoria’sorders,”hereplied.“Nobusinessattireatthelakehouse.Apparentlywebothneedtorememberhowtorelaxbefoweturnintoworkaholicslikeher. “ Victoria’s orders , ” he replied . “ No business attire at the lake house . Apparently we both need to remember how to relax befo we turn into workaholics like her . Camillelaughed,thesoundstillunfamiliar toherearsafterweeksoftension.“Didsheactuallysay Camille laughed , the sound still unfamiliar to her ears after weeks of tension . “ Did she actually say “Wordforword.Completewithdirethreatsifwedisobey.” “ Word for word . Complete with dire threats if we disobey . ” +15Bonu +15 Bonu that?” that ? ” Camillegatheredherthings,includingasmallovernightbag.Victoriahadinsistedtheystaythenight,watchthesunriseovertlake,pretendforafewhoursthattheirlivesweren’tforeveralteredbyRose’svendetta. Camille gathered her things , including a small overnight bag . Victoria had insisted they stay the night , watch the sunrise over t lake , pretend for a few hours that their lives weren’t forever altered by Rose’s vendetta . th th Thedrivenorthtooknearlytwohours.Securityvehiclesprecededandfollowedtheircar,aprecautionthathadbecomesoroutin The drive north took nearly two hours . Security vehicles preceded and followed their car , a precaution that had become so routin Camillehardlynoticedanymore.Thecitygavewaytosuburbs,thentorollingcountryside,untilfinallytheyturnedontotheprivateroadleadingtoVictoria’slakehouse.. Camille hardly noticed anymore . The city gave way to suburbs , then to rolling countryside , until finally they turned onto the private road leading to Victoria’s lake house .. Nestledamongpinetrees,thehousewasn’tasgrandasCamillehad expected.VictoriaKane,knownforherluxurypenthouses Nestled among pine trees , the house wasn’t as grand as Camille had expected . Victoria Kane , known for her luxury penthouses andcorner offices,hadchosen somethingalmostmodestforherretreat.Thetwo–storystructureofwoodandglassfacedasmall and corner offices , had chosen something almost modest for her retreat . The two – story structure of wood and glass faced a small privatelake,itsdeckextendingoutoverthewater. private lake , its deck extending out over the water . Securitypersonnelwerevisiblebutdiscreet–ateamatthegate,anotherpatrollingtheperimeter,yetanotherstationednearthedock.Alexanderhadinsistedonthehighestlevelofprotectiondespitetheremotelocation. Security personnel were visible but discreet – a team at the gate , another patrolling the perimeter , yet another stationed near the dock . Alexander had insisted on the highest level of protection despite the remote location . Victoriawaitedforthemonthedeck,seatedinacomfortablechairwithablanketacrossherlapdespitethewarmevening.She Victoria waited for them on the deck , seated in a comfortable chair with a blanket across her lap despite the warm evening . She wasthinnerthanbeforeherillness,hercheekbonesmoreprominent,buthereyeswereclearandalert.Moreimportantly,she was thinner than before her illness , her cheekbones more prominent , but her eyes were clear and alert . More importantly , she wassmiling,somethingCamillehadseentoorarelyinrecentmonths. was smiling , something Camille had seen too rarely in recent months . “Finally,”Victoriacalledastheyapproached.“Iwasbeginningtothinkyou’dgottenlost.” “ Finally , ” Victoria called as they approached . “ I was beginning to think you’d gotten lost . ” CamilleclimbedthestepstothedeckandbenttokissVictoria’scheek.“Trafficwasheavyleavingthecity.” Camille climbed the steps to the deck and bent to kiss Victoria’s cheek . “ Traffic was heavy leaving the city . ” “Excuses,”Victoriadismissedwithawaveofherhand.“Come,sit.Dinnerwillbereadysoon.” “ Excuses , ” Victoria dismissed with a wave of her hand . “ Come , sit . Dinner will be ready soon . ” Alexanderjoinedthem,takingaseatacrossfromVictoria.“Thesecurityteamsreported allclear?” Alexander joined them , taking a seat across from Victoria . “ The security teams reported all clear ? ” Victoriashothimalook.“Weagreed,nobusinesstalktonight.Thatincludessecurityreports.” Victoria shot him a look . “ We agreed , no business talk tonight . That includes security reports . ” Alexanderraisedhishandsinsurrender.“Sorry.Oldhabits.” Alexander raised his hands in surrender . “ Sorry . Old habits . ” “Breakthem,”Victoriainstructedfirmly.“Foronenight,we’regoingto pretendwe’renormalpeopleenjoyingaquietevening atthelake.Isthatunderstood?” “ Break them , ” Victoria instructed firmly . “ For one night , we’re going to pretend we’re normal people enjoying a quiet evening at the lake . Is that understood ? ” CamilleexchangedaglancewithAlexander,asmiletuggingatherlips.ThiswastheVictoriasheremembered,commanding,brookingnoopposition,determinedtobendtheworldtoherwill.Cancerhadweakenedherbodybutnotherspirit. Camille exchanged a glance with Alexander , a smile tugging at her lips . This was the Victoria she remembered , commanding , brooking no opposition , determined to bend the world to her will . Cancer had weakened her body but not her spirit . “Understood,”Camilleagreed,settlingintoachairbesideVictoria.“Nobusinesstalk” “ Understood , ” Camille agreed , settling into a chair beside Victoria . “ No business talk ” Theeveningairwascoolbutpleasant.Thelakestretchedbeforethem,itssurfaceglassyinthefadinglight.Birdscalledfromthesurroundingtrees.Fromsomewhereinsidethehousecamethesoundofdinnerbeingprepared. The evening air was cool but pleasant . The lake stretched before them , its surface glassy in the fading light . Birds called from the surrounding trees . From somewhere inside the house came the sound of dinner being prepared . “It’sbeautifulhere,”Camillesaid,breathingdeeply.“Icanseewhyyouloveit.” “ It’s beautiful here ,” Camille said , breathing deeply . “ I can see why you love it . ” Victorianodded.“Iboughtthisplacethirtyyearsago,aftermyfirstmajorbusinesssuccess.Everyoneexpectedmetopurchase Victoria nodded . “ I bought this place thirty years ago , after my first major business success . Everyone expected me to purchase +15Bonus +15 Bonus somethingostentatious,amansion,apenthouse.Instead,Ifoundthis,” something ostentatious , a mansion , a penthouse . Instead , I found this , ” “Itsuitsyou,”Alexanderobserved.“Understatedbutimpressive.” “ It suits you , ” Alexander observed . “ Understated but impressive . ” Victoriaalmostsmiledatthat.“Thewaterhelpsmethink.Alwayshas.” Victoria almost smiled at that . “ The water helps me think . Always has . ” Theysatincomfortablesilenceasthesundippedlower,paintingthelakeinshadesofgoldandorange.Camillefeltsomethinginsideherslowlyunwinding,atensionsoconstantshe’dforgottenwhatitfeltliketobewithoutit. They sat in comfortable silence as the sun dipped lower , painting the lake in shades of gold and orange . Camille felt something inside her slowly unwinding , a tension so constant she’d forgotten what it felt like to be without it . Dinnerwasservedonthedeckasdarknessfell.Simplebut deliciousfood,grilledfish,freshvegetables,warmread.Battery-operatedlanternscreatedpoolsofgoldenlightaroundtheirtable.Ifsecuritypersonnelremainedvigilantintheshadows,theywereinvisibleenoughtomaintaintheillusionofnormalcy. Dinner was served on the deck as darkness fell . Simple but delicious food , grilled fish , fresh vegetables , warm read . Battery- operated lanterns created pools of golden light around their table . If security personnel remained vigilant in the shadows , they were invisible enough to maintain the illusion of normalcy . Victoriaateslowlybutsteadily,anothersignofherimprovinghealth.SheaskedquestionsabouttheFoundation,aboutKaneIndustries,aboutplansforthecomingmonths.Despiteherearlierruleaboutnobusinesstalk,sheclearlywantedtostayinformed. Victoria ate slowly but steadily , another sign of her improving health . She asked questions about the Foundation , about Kane Industries , about plans for the coming months . Despite her earlier rule about no business talk , she clearly wanted to stay informed .

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googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1744740134379-0'); }); canreturntothe officepart–timenextmonth,”shementionedbetweenbites.“Threedaysaweek,fourhours can return to the office part – time next month , ” she mentioned between bites . “ Three days a week , four hours “ThedoctorssayIcaaday.” “ The doctors say I ca a day . ” “Thatseemsambitious,”Alexandersaidcarefully. “ That seems ambitious , ” Alexander said carefully . Victoriaraisedaneyebrow,“Ididn’taskforyouropiniononmyrecoveryschedule,Alexander.” Victoria raised an eyebrow , “ I didn’t ask for your opinion on my recovery schedule , Alexander . ” “He’sright,though,”Camilleadded.“Thedoctorssaidtotakeitslow.” “ He’s right , though , ” Camille added . “ The doctors said to take it slow . ” “Fourhoursadayisslow,”Victoriacountered.“Forme.” “ Four hours a day is slow , ” Victoria countered . “ For me . ” Camillecouldn’targuewiththat.Beforeherillness,Victoriaregularlyworkedfourteen–hourdays.Fourhourswouldindeedfeel Camille couldn’t argue with that . Before her illness , Victoria regularly worked fourteen – hour days . Four hours would indeed feel likebarelyworkingtoher. like barely working to her . Afterdinner,theymovedtoafirepitnearthelake’sedge.Securityhadclearedtheareaearlier,ensuringitwassafe.Theflames After dinner , they moved to a fire pit near the lake’s edge . Security had cleared the area earlier , ensuring it was safe . The flames castdancingshadowsacrosstheirfacesastheysatincomfortablechairsarrangedinasemicircle. cast dancing shadows across their faces as they sat in comfortable chairs arranged in a semicircle . “I’vebeenthinking.”Victoriasaid,breakingalongbutpleasantsilence.“Aboutwhatcomesnext.” “ I’ve been thinking . ” Victoria said , breaking a long but pleasant silence . “ About what comes next . ” “Ithoughtweweren’ttalkingbusinesstonight,”Camilleremindedhergently. “ I thought we weren’t talking business tonight , ” Camille reminded her gently . “Thisisn’tbusiness.It’slife.”Victoria’seyesreflectedthefirelight.“Specifically,yours.” “ This isn’t business . It’s life . ” Victoria’s eyes reflected the firelight . “ Specifically , yours . ” Camilletensedslightly.“Whataboutit?” Camille tensed slightly . “ What about it ? ” “00 “ 00 “You’veputyourweddingplansonhold.Understandably,givenrecentevents.ButI’mwonderingwhenyoumightreconsider.” “ You’ve put your wedding plans on hold . Understandably , given recent events . But I’m wondering when you might reconsider . ” AlexanderreachedovertotakeCamille’shand,asilentshowofsupport.Thistopichadn’tbeendiscussedbetweenthemfor Alexander reached over to take Camille’s hand , a silent show of support . This topic hadn’t been discussed between them for weeks,notsincethebombing,notsinceRose’sthreat,notsinceVictoria’sillness. weeks , not since the bombing , not since Rose’s threat , not since Victoria’s illness . “Idon’tknow,”Camilleansweredhonestly.“Itdoesn’tseemliketherighttime.” “ I don’t know , ” Camille answered honestly . “ It doesn’t seem like the right time . ” +15Bonus +15 Bonus “Whenistherighttime?”Victoriapressed.“WhenRoseiscaught?Whenmycancerisinfullremission?Whentheworldstopsbeingdangerous?” “ When is the right time ? ” Victoria pressed . “ When Rose is caught ? When my cancer is in full remission ? When the world stops being dangerous ? ” Putthatway,Camillehadnogoodanswer.There wouldalwaysbeanotherreason towait,anotherfeartoovercome,another Put that way , Camille had no good answer . There would always be another reason to wait , another fear to overcome , another crisistoweather. crisis to weather . “Ijustwantyoutobesafe,”shesaidfinally.“Bothofyou.Aweddingwouldmakeustargets.” “ I just want you to be safe , ” she said finally . “ Both of you . A wedding would make us targets . ” “We’realready “ We’re already alreadytargets,”Victoriapointedout.“Hasbeen already targets , ” Victoria pointed out . “ Has been formonths. for months . monthsnow.Andyet,herewesit.” months now . And yet , here we sit . ” CamillelookedfromVictoriatoAlexander,seeingthesamequestionin boththeireyes:HowlongwouldsheletRosedictatethe Camille looked from Victoria to Alexander , seeing the same question in both their eyes : How long would she let Rose dictate the termsofherlife? terms of her life ? “Thinkaboutit,”Victoriasaid,hervoicesoftening.“That’sallIask” “ Think about it , ” Victoria said , her voice softening . “ That’s all I ask ” Camillenodded,gratefulwhentheconversationshiftedtolightertopics.Butthequestionremained,hoveringattheedgesofher Camille nodded , grateful when the conversation shifted to lighter topics . But the question remained , hovering at the edges of her mindlikeapersistentshadow. mind like a persistent shadow . AfterVictoriaretiredforthenight,CamilleandAlexanderremainedbythefire.Thesecurityteamhadwithdrawntoarespectfuldistance,givingthemtheillusionofprivacywhilemaintaining vigilance. After Victoria retired for the night , Camille and Alexander remained by the fire . The security team had withdrawn to a respectful distance , giving them the illusion of privacy while maintaining vigilance . “She’s “ She’s he’sright,youknow,”Alexandersaidquietly.“AboutnotlettingRosecontrolourlives.” he’s right , you know , ” Alexander said quietly . “ About not letting Rose control our lives . ” Camillepokedatthefirewithastick,watchingsparksriseintothedarkness.“Iknow.Butit’snotthatsimple.” Camille poked at the fire with a stick , watching sparks rise into the darkness . “ I know . But it’s not that simple . ” “Itneveris.”Hemovedhischairclosertohers.“Butatsomepoint,wehavetodecidewhatmattersmore,thefearofwhatRose “ It never is . ” He moved his chair closer to hers . “ But at some point , we have to decide what matters more , the fear of what Rose mightdo,orthelifewewanttobuildtogether.” might do , or the life we want to build together . ” Camillelookedupathim,studyinghisfaceinthefirelight.Thismanwhohadstoodbesideher througheverything,Rose’sbetrayal,thebombing,Victoria’sillness.Whohadneverwavered,neverbackedawayfromthedangerherlifeentailed. Camille looked up at him , studying his face in the firelight . This man who had stood beside her through everything , Rose’s betrayal , the bombing , Victoria’s illness . Who had never wavered , never backed away from the danger her life entailed. “Iamnotsayingweshouldignorethethreat,”Alexandercontinued.“Thesecuritywillremain.Theprecautions.ThevigilanceButwithinthoseparameters,wecanstill choosetolive,Camille.” “ I am not saying we should ignore the threat , ” Alexander continued . “ The security will remain . The precautions . The vigilance But within those parameters , we can still choose to live , Camille . ” Thesimpletruthofhiswordssankdeepintoherheart.Formonthsnow,shehadbeenexistingratherthanliving.Survivingratherthanthriving.EvenassherebuilttheFoundation,evenasshesupportedVictoria’srecovery,apartofherhadremainedfrozen,waitingforRose’snextstrike The simple truth of his words sank deep into her heart . For months now , she had been existing rather than living . Surviving rather than thriving . Even as she rebuilt the Foundation , even as she supported Victoria’s recovery , a part of her had remained frozen , waiting for Rose’s next strike “Whatwoulditlooklike?”sheasked,hervoicebarelyaudibleoverthecracklingfire.“Living,Imean.Withallofthisstillhangingoverus.“! “ What would it look like ? ” she asked , her voice barely audible over the crackling fire . “ Living , I mean . With all of this still hanging over us . “ ! Alexanderconsideredherquestionseriously.“Itwouldlooklikemakingplansmorethanaweekahead.Likecelebratingmilestonesinstead ofjustenduringdays.Likethis…”hegesturedtothefire,thelake,thenightskyabovethem,“….momentsofpeacethatweallowourselvestofullyexperience,ratherthanwaitingforthemtobeshattered.” Alexander considered her question seriously . “ It would look like making plans more than a week ahead . Like celebrating milestones instead of just enduring days . Like this … ” he gestured to the fire , the lake , the night sky above them , “ …. moments of peace that we allow ourselves to fully experience , rather than waiting for them to be shattered . ” Camilleclosedhereyes,lettinghiswordswashoverher.Howlonghaditbeensinceshe’dtrulyallowedherselftofeelanythingbeyondfearandvigilance?Sinceshe’dlookedforwardratherthanconstantlyglancingoverhershoulder? Camille closed her eyes , letting his words wash over her . How long had it been since she’d truly allowed herself to feel anything beyond fear and vigilance ? Since she’d looked forward rather than constantly glancing over her shoulder ? 44/6 44/6 +15Ber +15 Ber Whensheopenedhereyes,Alexanderwaswatchingher,patientas always.“Wecouldstartsmall,”hesuggested.“Dinnerout.weekendaway.Smallstepsbacktowardnormal.” When she opened her eyes , Alexander was watching her , patient as always . “ We could start small , ” he suggested . “ Dinner out . weekend away . Small steps back toward normal . ” “Normal,”Camillerepeated,thewordfeelingforeignonhertongue.“I’mnotsureIrememberwhatthatfeelslike.” “ Normal , ” Camille repeated , the word feeling foreign on her tongue . “ I’m not sure I remember what that feels like . ” “NeitherdoI.”Alexandersmiledslightly.“Maybewecreateanewnormal.Onethatacknowledgesthedangerbutdoesn’tgive “ Neither do I. ” Alexander smiled slightly . “ Maybe we create a new normal . One that acknowledges the danger but doesn’t give powerovereverything.” power over everything . ” Alogshiftedinthefire,sendingupashowerofsparksthatmomentarilyilluminated thetreesaroundthem.Inthatbriefflash, A log shifted in the fire , sending up a shower of sparks that momentarily illuminated the trees around them . In that brief flash , Camillecaughtsightofasecurityguardmoving betweentheshadows,areminderthatdangerstilllurkedattheedgesofthis Camille caught sight of a security guard moving between the shadows, a reminder that danger still lurked at the edges of this peacefulscene. peaceful scene . Yetsomehow,that knowledgedidn’t destroythemoment.Theguardwastheretoprotect,notthreaten.Thedangerwas Yet somehow , that knowledge didn’t destroy the moment . The guard was there to protect , not threaten . The danger was acknowledgedbutcontained.Forthisoneevening,theyhadcarvedoutaspacewherefeardidn’trule. acknowledged but contained . For this one evening , they had carved out a space where fear didn’t rule . “I’dliketotry,”Camillesaidfinally.“Tofindthatnewnormal” “ I’d like to try , ” Camille said finally . “ To find that new normal ” Alexandersqueezedherhand,understandingallshewasn’tsaying“Onedayatatime.” Alexander squeezed her hand , understanding all she wasn’t saying “ One day at a time . ” Theysattogetherasthefireburnedlower,thelakewaterlappinggentlyattheshorebeforethem.Starsappearedoverhead, They sat together as the fire burned lower , the lake water lapping gently at the shore before them . Stars appeared overhead , countlesspointsoflightinthevastdarkness.Thenightaircooled,carryingthescentofpineandwoodsmoke. countless points of light in the vast darkness . The night air cooled , carrying the scent of pine and wood smoke . Forthefirsttimeinweeks,Camillefeltsomethingclosetopeace,nottheabsenceofdanger,butthepresenceofhopedespite it.Victoriawasrecovering.TheFoundationwasrebuilding.Andhere,inthismoment,shehadallowedherselftosimplybe,without For the first time in weeks , Camille felt something close to peace , not the absence of danger , but the presence of hope despite it . Victoria was recovering . The Foundation was rebuilding . And here , in this moment , she had allowed herself to simply be , without constantfearshadowingeverythought. constant fear shadowing every thought . Itwouldn’tlast,ofcourse.Tomorrowwouldbringareturntoheightenedvigilance,tosecurityprotocols,totheknowledge that It wouldn’t last , of course . Tomorrow would bring a return to heightened vigilance , to security protocols , to the knowledge that Rosewasstillouttheresomewhere,planninghernextmove.Butfortonight,atleast,Camillehadreclaimedasmallpieceof Rose was still out there somewhere , planning her next move . But for tonight , at least , Camille had reclaimed a small piece of herselffromthefearthathadruledherlifefortoolong. herself from the fear that had ruled her life for too long . Asthefirediedtoembersandthenightdeepenedaroundthem,Camillerestedherhead onAlexander’s shoulder,allowing As the fire died to embers and the night deepened around them , Camille rested her head on Alexander’s shoulder , allowing herselfthis momentofnormalinalifethathadbeenanythingbut. herself this moment of normal in a life that had been anything but .

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