From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer novel Chapter 23

Chapter 6

When they reached the morgue behind the clinic, Soren stopped in his tracks.

His face was pale.

He mechanically picked up his phone. A cacophony of voices erupted from the speaker, all demanding to know why he had

left without a word.

I could even hear Isabelle’s sobbing.

“Soren, where are you? The wedding is about to start! Why aren’t you here?”

Soren was about to snap back, “Since when do I have to report my whereabouts to you…”

But the door was suddenly thrown open, and the doctor said irritably.

“Go on, take a look. You’re the one who said you needed to see the body for yourself.”

Soren strode inside.

He was still trying to be tough. “How much did she pay you to play along with this little act of…”

The moment he turned his head, he collapsed to the floor as if struck by lightning.

His face was as white as a sheet of paper.

I watched myself lying stiffly on the wooden cot. My face had been wiped clean, but my hands and feet were still covered in

soot.

I was still clutching the wedding gown.

The doctor scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “I didn’t cover her with a sheet. She once told me she hated having her face covered. She said if the worst happened, I should just wipe her face clean so her father would be able to recognize her at a glance.”

Soren’s mouth opened, but no sound came out.

His whole body was trembling, his eyes turning red. He struggled to get up from the floor, but his legs wouldn’t cooperate.

Finally, he pulled himself up using the edge of the cot and reached out a trembling hand, wanting to touch my cheek.

Before his fingers could reach me, tears began to fall.

He tilted his head back, fighting to hold them in.

Forcing a smile onto his face, he reached out and gently touched my already stiff arm.

“Alright, you scared me. Tessa, come on, get up now. I lose, okay? I admit it.”

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From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer: Smile, Ex

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Chapter 6

“Tessa…”

“Tess… wake up. Feigning sleep any longer is just too much. I… I drove all night to find you…”

He finally broke, sinking to his knees by the cot and sobbing.

He gripped my ice–cold hands, holding on as if he was afraid I would disappear if he let go.

The phone call was still connected, buzzing with noise.

Isabelle sounded incredulous, stammering, “Soren, you… you went to find her?”

It sounded like Ryan snatched the phone. “Dude, you can’t be serious. You drove back all night for her? What are we supposed to do now? Your parents are livid!”

“I’m begging you, just come back. Pulling a stunt like this on your wedding day…”

But it was as if Soren couldn’t hear a thing.

He just held my hand tightly, rubbing it over and over, as if he could will the warmth back into it.

The doctor stood by, his voice dispassionate.

“Her name was Tessa. When she came to town, she didn’t bring anything but a bunch of those couture gowns. Everyone laughed at her. Who wears such expensive things in a place like this? She said her father left them to her. It’s a shame. Couldn’t even take care of herself, but she treated those gowns like they were more important than her own life.”

He continued, as if speaking up on my behalf.

“She never made any friends here. Didn’t smile, didn’t talk much. Who’d want a shopkeeper like that? So young, too. She insisted on having me sign a contract to give me the shop, all in exchange for scattering her ashes.”

He clicked his tongue. “How could a person be so hard on herself?”

Hard on myself?

I didn’t think I really understood death. My mother died when I was too young to remember, and my father’s death was so sudden I couldn’t process it.

When I knew it was my turn, I figured I should at least make some arrangements.

This town was nice, but it was lonely. I didn’t want to stay here forever.

The doctor was now relaying my casual words to Soren verbatim, even as he knelt there, his face ashen, mechanically rubbing my hand.

“She said I should scatter her ashes so she could be free. Go wherever she wanted, with no one to stop her. See anyone she wanted to see.”

As soon as he finished, Soren froze. Tears welled up in his bloodshot eyes and began to fall, one after another.

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From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer: Smile, Ex

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Chapter 6

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