From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer novel Chapter 49

**Chapter 13**

An emergency meeting was abruptly convened at the precinct, the air thick with tension as officers filed in, their expressions grave.

As the projector whirred to life, a chilling image flickered onto the screen. It was a photograph sent by the kidnappers, and the sight of it sent a shiver down everyone’s spine.

There stood Chloe, her body chained to a corner, her face marred by bruises and blood, her eyes wide and filled with an unmistakable terror that gripped the room.

In the corner of the photo, a vicious symbol was scrawled—a mark that screamed of the cartel remnants, a reminder of the darkness they faced.

The fact that Chloe was involved left the police with no choice but to summon Alexander to the precinct, a decision that would force Olivia and Alexander into a confrontation laden with unresolved emotions.

Captain Donovan rapped sharply on the table, his voice cutting through the heavy silence. “The kidnappers have taken Chloe Vaughn. They demand that Olivia Hayes make the exchange alone. If she doesn’t comply… they will execute her.”

A suffocating silence descended upon the room, the weight of the situation palpable.

Olivia’s gaze remained fixated on the photo, her heart racing as she processed the implications.

The history between her and Chloe was fraught with complications, but there was no denying the urgency of the moment. A life hung in the balance, and saving Chloe was paramount, no matter the past.

“It’s precisely because the kidnappers are aware of your history that this situation is so perilous,” Donovan continued, his voice steady but urgent. “They wouldn’t have named you otherwise.”

Ethan interjected, his eyes sharp behind his glasses, cutting through the tension like a knife. “They know you’ll go—that’s the trap. You need to think this through. It’s almost certainly an ambush waiting to happen.”

Olivia’s voice, surprisingly calm, filled the room. “No matter how dangerous it is, I have to go. It’s my duty as a police officer.”

At her declaration, Alexander sprang to his feet, a surge of desperation fueling his words. “Send me instead.”

All eyes in the room turned toward him, surprise etched on their faces.

Dressed impeccably in his role as a police consultant, he tapped his knuckles on the table, urgency radiating from him. “What do the kidnappers want? Money? Pierce Industries will pay ten times the amount.”

Olivia met his gaze, a flash of anger igniting in her eyes.

“Mr. Pierce. Police work is not a business negotiation.”

The formal address stung like a slap, each syllable slicing through the air.

Alexander felt the words pierce his chest, a roughness creeping into his voice. “Olivia…”

“The plan is set,” she replied, resolutely closing her folder, refusing to meet his eyes again.

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From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer: Smile, Ex

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**Chapter 13**

“I’ll pose as the ransom courier. Snipers will be in position on the high ground.”

As the meeting drew to a close, Alexander seized her wrist, desperation flaring in his chest.

For a fleeting moment, Ethan noticed the silent struggle that passed between them. But ultimately, with a displeased expression, he turned and walked away, leaving a silence that felt heavier than before.

“Olivia, do you hate me that much? You won’t even look at me?”

At his words, Olivia finally met his gaze, and for the first time since she had left, Alexander saw her eyes clearly.

There was no love reflected in them, nor was there hatred. Instead, they held a calm detachment, as if he were merely a stranger.

Yet, he remembered a time when those same eyes had looked at him with adoration, a time when they had shared the most intimate of moments.

“Mr. Pierce,” she said, prying his fingers off her wrist, one by one. “Please save your personal feelings for after the mission.”

Her voice was chillingly cold. “I have work to do. I’m leaving.”

Bleeding out, Olivia’s vision blurred, yet she could vaguely see Ethan, berserk with fury, gunning down the remaining kidnappers with a relentless determination.

Chloe’s scream pierced the factory’s silence: “Alexander!! Save me!! They’re trying to kill me!!”

In that moment, Alexander burst into the room with a SWAT team, his presence like a bolt of lightning.

His first sight was of Olivia, drenched in blood, the horror of the situation crashing over him like a tidal wave. Only then did he see the bound Chloe, and his heart sank.

Alexander froze, his gaze darting between Chloe’s pitiful face and Olivia, who was barely clinging to life, the horrific wound on her shoulder making his heart shatter into pieces.

“Olivia!!”

Her journal entry flashed in his mind: [Task One Hundred complete. We’re square.]

“Olivia… no… we’re not square…”

With a staggering step, Alexander moved towards her, a desperate urge to hold her, to comfort her. But Ethan was faster, scooping her up and shoving a bloodied hand against Alexander’s chest.

“Move.”

Their gazes locked, and in that moment, Ethan’s face was a mask of agony and fury. He bit out each word with a fierce intensity:

“Alexander Pierce, you useless bastard… The person you couldn’t protect? I’ll protect her.”

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From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer: Smile, Ex

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