From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer novel Chapter 41

**Chapter 5**

The days that followed felt like an endless stretch of silence, as if Alexander had chosen to erase Olivia from his life entirely.

Not a single phone call pierced the stillness. No assignments were handed her way. Not even a casual, half-hearted inquiry of “How are you?” to break the monotony.

In the solitude of her recovery, Olivia found herself healing, but it was a lonely journey. She eventually made the decision to check herself out of the hospital, her heart heavy with unspoken words and unfulfilled promises.

Returning to the villa, a place now haunted by echoes of their past, she withdrew into its walls. The air was thick with memories that clung to her like a second skin, and she waited in silence for the moment when she would finally complete the task that had been set before her.

Then, one fateful night, everything changed.

The rain lashed against the windows like a thousand tiny fists, drumming a chaotic rhythm that matched her racing heart. Olivia had just flicked off the light, surrendering to the quiet darkness, when she heard the unmistakable sound of stumbling footsteps echoing from downstairs.

Her senses heightened, she rose from the couch, her pulse quickening. As she opened her door, a tall figure lurched into her, nearly knocking her off balance.

The sharp, pungent scent of expensive alcohol assaulted her senses, wrapping around her like a heavy fog.

“Alexander?” she gasped, instinctively reaching out to steady his swaying form.

He was utterly inebriated, his forehead resting against her shoulder, his hot breath ghosting over her neck in a way that sent shivers down her spine.

As if drawn by an invisible force, his arms slipped around her waist, pulling her closer. He mumbled against her skin, “Don’t move… just let me hold you…”

The familiarity of his embrace was both a comfort and a torment. Memories surged through her mind like a tidal wave: the nights spent wrapped in his warmth, the way he became clingy when he drank too much. Those feelings threatened to engulf her, dragging her under.

“You’re drunk. I need to take you to your room,” she said, her voice strained as she pushed against him, trying to create some space.

But in a sudden, reckless moment, Alexander cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.

The taste was overwhelmingly of liquor, yet there was a tenderness that broke her heart all over again.

His lips moved over hers with a desperate urgency, the tip of his tongue tracing her own in a way that was achingly familiar. It mirrored all those times when passion had ignited between them: it was intimate, deep, and intoxicating.

For a fleeting second, Olivia was lost in the haze of their connection.

She was transported back to their first kiss on the villa terrace, the cool night air wrapping around them, his fingers tilting her chin as he whispered, “Close your eyes.” She recalled the way he had cared for her through a fever, finally pressing his lips to her burning forehead. She remembered the joy in his eyes when he returned from his trips, always greeting her with a kiss and the words, “I missed you…”

But just as quickly, reality crashed back in, sharp and unyielding. She turned her head, breaking the kiss, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and sorrow. “Let go…”

He had Chloe now. Why was he doing this to her?

“You always loved it when I kissed you like this,” Alexander slurred, his gaze unfocused and hazy. His long fingers brushed against her trembling lips, as if trying to memorize her. “Why did you pull away?”

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