From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer novel Chapter 88

**Chapter 2**

“Scarlett, you…” Rhett’s voice faltered, trailing off into a silence thick with disbelief and shock. I could see the emotions swirling in his eyes, a mixture of confusion and guilt that felt almost tangible.

He knew, deep down, that in another time, in a life unburdened by this wretched reality, I had longed for freedom—a desperate desire to escape the confines of this institution that felt more like a prison than a home.

But now…

I brushed off the weight of his guilt-ridden gaze, attempting to project an aura of calmness and resolve that I knew was merely a façade. “Sir, Ma’am, I wish to experience what it is like to be an only child. I would prefer that my adoptive family does not have any other children. I thank you for considering my request.”

Mr. and Mrs. Butler stood motionless, their expressions a canvas painted with regret and disbelief, as if they were grappling with the enormity of my request.

As the reality of my potential departure settled heavily in the air, Ashley approached me with calculated steps, her demeanor dripping with an unsettling sense of entitlement.

She lifted her chin slightly, a smug smile playing on her lips as if she held the world in her hands. “I warned you, Scarlett O’Hara. You simply cannot compete with me. I am destined to be a young lady of a wealthy family, and you? You will remain here, wallowing in your misery. You have no one to blame but yourself for your foolishness—you didn’t even have the sense to reveal my lies!”

With that, Ashley turned on her heel, her laughter trailing behind her like a mocking ghost, echoing in the stillness of the room.

Once she was gone, a dazed, strikingly handsome young man emerged from the shadows, his presence almost ethereal, cutting through the tension like a blade.

Rhett’s expression was one of shattered illusions. The realization that Ashley was not the innocent, pitiable girl he had imagined struck him like a thunderclap, leaving him reeling in its wake.

He turned to me, his eyes a tumultuous sea of confusion and desperation, silently pleading for some form of assistance, for a glimmer of hope.

In that moment, I understood—he was looking to me for solace, for reassurance in a world that seemed to conspire against us.

Yet, I made the conscious choice to turn away, my heart steeling itself against the urge to comfort him.

“Scarlett.”

I halted, my heart racing at the sound of my name, the weight of it hanging in the air between us.

“You’ve returned, haven’t you?”

Silence enveloped us, thick and heavy, as I searched for the right words.

“Scarlett, I’m truly sorry. You must understand—Ashley is still young. She’ll evolve, I promise.”

“Oh, is that so?” I replied, forcing a smile that felt hollow, a mere mask that didn’t reach my eyes. What did it matter to me now? I had no desire to entangle myself further with their lives, their expectations, and their disappointments.

“Scarlett!” Rhett’s voice rose in panic as he stepped closer, grasping for my hand with desperate urgency. He rifled through his pockets, finally producing a handful of cash, which he thrust toward me. “Take this. I know I’ve wronged you, and I owe you. I promise, within two weeks… no, within five days, no, three days, I will find a way to get you out of here.”

“There’s no need,” I replied, my voice steady, betraying none of the turmoil within.

“Scarlett, please! I will save you; just wait for me!” Rhett rushed off, his urgency palpable, not out of disregard for my refusal, but because Ashley’s distant cry of pain pierced the air, cutting through the tension like a knife.

I couldn’t help but smile at the irony of it all.

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