From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer novel Chapter 99

**Chapter 3**

I stumbled through the front door at 1 AM, the silence of the mansion enveloping me like a heavy blanket. The darkness was thick, punctuated only by the faint outline of Aiden, who was perched anxiously on the couch, his posture rigid with worry. It was clear he had been waiting for hours, his mind likely racing with thoughts that spiraled into the worst-case scenarios.

As soon as he heard the door creak open, he sprang to his feet, a mixture of relief and fear washing over his features. He rushed toward me, pulling me into an embrace that felt like a desperate plea for reassurance.

“Zoey, where on earth have you been?!” His voice quivered, laden with a tremor that betrayed his anxiety. “Why didn’t you let me know you were going out?”

“I’m sorry, Aiden. I went grocery shopping,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. I could feel the weight of his worry pressing down on me, and it was almost suffocating.

“You have no idea how worried I was,” he continued, his grip tightening as if he feared I might slip away again. “I thought… I thought he might have come back and…” His words trailed off, and I felt the warmth of his tears soaking into my shoulder, seeping through my shirt like a silent storm.

“Promise me you won’t just vanish like that again, okay? Please, Zoey. I’m begging you.” His voice cracked, and I could hear the sincerity in his plea.

“I can’t lose you again.”

His words struck a chord deep within me, and for a fleeting moment, I almost believed him. Since my return, he had taken to texting me hourly whenever he left for work, checking in to make sure I was still home, ensuring my ex-husband hadn’t come looking for trouble.

Just last month, I had gone out to pick up some groceries, neglecting to check my phone. He had abandoned a billion-dollar project, racing home in a panic. When he found me safe, the relief in his eyes had been palpable, and tears had brimmed there, reflecting a mix of love and fear.

“Zoey, thank God you’re okay…” he had whispered, his arms trembling around me, just as they were now.

After that incident, five bodyguards appeared at my side, shadows that followed me everywhere I went. Only after I complained about the constant surveillance did he finally relent and send them away. I thought this was his way of expressing love, but now I realized it had all been a façade. Those guards, supposedly there for my protection, were likely meant to keep me from running into Raven and uncovering the truth he so desperately wanted to hide.

Once, his love had felt genuine, but now it felt like a distant memory, a flicker of warmth extinguished by the chill of reality.

I forced a smile, gently prying his hands from my shoulders. “I’m really sorry. My phone died, and I just didn’t see your messages.”

Suddenly, the living room lights flickered to life, revealing a scene that took my breath away. Rose petals were scattered across the floor, a lavish three-tiered cake sat on the dining table, and in his palm, he clutched a wedding ring, the glint of the diamond catching the light.

Just like three years ago, Aiden dropped to one knee, his expression earnest and sincere.

“Zoey, will you marry me?” he asked, his voice steady but filled with a hopeful tremor.

“The wedding I promised you is three years late,” he continued, his eyes searching mine. “I was afraid you hadn’t fully recovered from your past trauma. Now, I want to make it up to you.”

I opened my mouth to ask if he truly wanted to marry me, to understand if this was real or just a desperate act. But before I could voice my thoughts, his phone erupted with frantic vibrations, cutting through the moment like a knife.

“Mr. Sinclair, it’s an emergency. Raven has a stomach hemorrhage and was rushed to the hospital. The surgery needs a family member’s signature—”

The caller’s words hung in the air, unfinished, as Aiden was already sprinting out the door, leaving me standing there, stunned.

Without so much as a glance back, he forced the wedding ring onto my finger, the diamond biting into my skin, drawing blood.

“Zoey, there’s an urgent company matter. Wait for me to return,” he called over his shoulder, his urgency palpable.

I stared down at my finger, where the ring now sat, a painful reminder of what was supposed to be a joyous occasion. Silent tears streamed down my cheeks, and in a daze, I slipped on my damp coat and followed him out into the night.

As I reached the emergency room entrance, I caught sight of Aiden for the first time, nearly unraveling at the seams.

“Didn’t I tell you to watch Raven? How did she drink until her stomach bled?” he shouted, frustration and fear mingling in his voice.

“What the hell were you thinking?”

His friend stood there, looking like a scolded child, unable to meet Aiden’s furious gaze.

“What could I do? Control your wife? She was upset and insisted we drink together. I couldn’t just abandon her, could I?”

“Look, they need a family member’s signature for surgery. Stop wasting time yelling at me.”

Aiden scrawled his signature across the paper, his voice icy and detached.

“Remember, Raven is my wife. Her surgery shouldn’t wait for my signature. If this happens again, you’re all going to regret it!”

The surgery stretched on for an agonizing hour, with Aiden pacing outside the door, his anxiety palpable. His friend, sensing the tension, made a hasty excuse and slipped away, leaving Aiden alone with his thoughts.

When Raven was finally wheeled into the recovery room, Aiden’s composure shattered.

“Why would you do something so reckless? Don’t you know your limits with alcohol?”

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