Chapter 79

Chapter, one where she would no longer be fighting for Stefan or social status or a fashion empire.

Now, she was fighting for pure survival. And there was nothing more dangerous than a woman with nothing left to lose.

Rose smiled as she stepped into the shower, letting hot water wash away the blood and tears and makeup. Let Camille think she had won. Let Victoria Kane believe they had destroyed her completely.

They had no idea what she was capable of.

As steam filled the bathroom, Rose struggled to formulate a plan. She had no leverage against Victoria Kane or Camille. She had no hidden information to use as a weapon. Her finances were her burning desire for revenge and the stubborn refusal to accept defeat.

She shut off the water and wrapped herself in a towel, suddenly feeling more energized than she had in months. There was clarity in complete destruction.Freedom in having nothing left to protect.

Rose looked at herself in the mirror, her appearance disheveled but her eyes burning with determination.She splashed cold water on her face again, washing away the last traces of mascara.

"This isn't finished," she whispered to her reflection."Not by a long shot."

She returned to the living room, stepping through the wreckage of her former life. The broken glass Victoria Kane, the woman was too powerful,too protected. She had no dirt on Camille that hadn't already been exposed. She had no money, no allies,no escape plan that would truly work.

But she had her rage. And her determination. Arre the knowledge that she had rebuilt herself once before, when she had nothing.

"I will find a way," she said to the empty room. "I don't know how yet, but I will."

Rose curled up in the chair as dawn broke over Manhattan, illuminating the destruction around her.She had no plan yet, no clear path forward. But one thing was certain, this wasn't over. Not while she still drew breath.

She would wait. She would watch. And eventually she would find Camille's weakness.

The game had changed, but in Rose's mind, it wasn't over.

Not even close.