Chapter 112

Victoria Kane sat propped against white hospital pillows, her silver hair swept back from her face in a neat chignon. Even in a hospital gown, connected to monitors that beeped rhythmically in the background, she maintained an air of command. The room, the hospital’s finest private suite, had been transformed with fresh flowers, silk sheets from her home, and a mahogany lap desk now balanced across her knees.

Her lawyer, Frederick Winters, a man who had served the Kane family for thirty years, sat in an armchair beside the bed. His silver-rimmed glasses caught the afternoon light as he arranged documents with practiced precision.

“You’re certain about this?” he asked, his voice low and measured. “The board will have questions.”

Victoria’s mouth thinned. “The board’s questions are not my concern, Frederick. My decision is final.”

The door opened, and Camille entered, dressed in a tailored navy suit that Victoria recognized as one she had selected for her. Thei