From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer novel Chapter 50

**Chapter 14**

The clock struck 3 AM, casting a surreal stillness over the hospital corridor. Alexander stood just outside the ICU, his eyes fixed on the frail form of Olivia, visible through the glass barrier. Tubes coiled around her like serpents, a stark reminder of the battle she was fighting.

Her complexion was ghostly pale, a stark contrast to the vibrant life he once knew her to embody. Thick bandages enveloped her shoulder, and each shallow breath she took echoed the fragility of her existence.

The reality struck him like a dull blade, slowly carving away at the remnants of his heart. She had come so close to death, and the thought alone was unbearable.

He had to confront the truth: over the course of three years, he had unwittingly fallen deeply in love with her.

Pressing a trembling hand against the cold, unyielding glass, he felt a surge of desperation.

“Right now, I need you to do two things for me,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “First, find out who orchestrated this kidnapping. Second…”

His gaze fell upon her fragile figure, and his heart ached with a profound sadness.

“Second, acquire the Central Hospital.”

Jones blinked in disbelief. “Acquire the hospital?”

The weight of Ethan’s scornful farewell loomed over him, a reminder of his own failures. It felt as if he were being skinned alive, piece by piece.

How could he have let the woman he cherished step into such peril, allowing her to suffer so grievously?

“From this moment forward, every medication she receives must be personally approved by the top specialists,” he declared, his voice firm yet laced with fear.

Three days later, Olivia was finally transferred to a regular room.

Emerging from the haze of her second surgery, the remnants of anesthesia still clouded her mind. She felt someone gently lifting her head, bringing water to her parched lips.

“Slowly…” came the soothing voice of Ethan.

With great effort, she pried her eyes open, her vision blurry at first. There he was, sitting beside her, his eyes red-rimmed and weary, as if he had fought his own battles.

“…How long was I out?” she croaked, her voice barely audible.

“Twenty-seven hours,” he replied, moistening her lips with a cotton swab. “Alexander camped outside your door all night. The doctors just kicked him out.”

At the mention of Alexander, Olivia’s eyelashes fluttered, but she remained silent, feeling a mix of emotions swirl within her.

**11:05**

Ethan leaned down, tucking the blanket snugly around her.

His presence enveloped her like a warm embrace. Instinctively, Olivia felt the urge to pull away, but he gently held her wrist, grounding her.

“Don’t move. You’ll tear the stitches,” he cautioned, his touch warm and reassuring, a stark contrast to Alexander’s possessive grip.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Alexander appeared in the doorway, a thermos clutched tightly in his hand. The moment he laid eyes on them, he froze, his heart sinking.

Ethan was practically cradling Olivia, and she… she was not resisting at all.

Completing the injection with care, he took a moment before responding. “Three years ago, it was a joint operation with Interpol. I saw you through my scope… surrounded by cartel thugs.”

Olivia’s pupils dilated, her mind racing back to that darkest day of her life. Shot three times, teetering on the edge of death.

“I was ordered to pull out. I thought you were gone for good,” he continued, removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose, a gesture of weariness. “It wasn’t until three months ago, while reviewing old files, that I discovered you had survived…”

He lifted his gaze to meet hers, his eyes burning with an intensity she had never seen before. “Olivia Hayes. I crossed continents to find you. And it wasn’t to simply be your colleague.”

The room fell into a profound silence, the only sound the rhythmic beating of their hearts.

Olivia searched his weary, gentle eyes, and in that moment, everything clicked into place.

The cold drinks that had ‘coincidentally’ appeared on her patrol route. The ‘accidental’ brushes of their hands during missions. Even the sacrifice of taking a bullet for her this time…

All of it was intentional. Every action calculated, deliberate.

But she was still in the process of healing. How could she possibly accept such raw, open feelings from him?

After a moment’s hesitation, she whispered, “Ethan… I’m not ready for a new relationship right now…”

A faint smile graced his lips as he adjusted his glasses, an understanding flickering in his eyes. “I know.”

He stood, meticulously packing up the medical kit, his posture straight and resolute. “I respect all of your decisions.”

“And I’ll… always be waiting for you,” he added softly, a promise hanging in the air between them.