From Mob Princess to Mugshot Photographer novel Chapter 60

**Chapter 4**

The realtor was remarkably efficient, securing a buyer in what felt like no time at all.

Once the paperwork was finalized and the money transferred, I found myself checking into a hotel, a temporary refuge from the chaos of my life.

I made it a point to keep my therapy appointments, and on days when I felt a flicker of energy, I would venture out for long walks, letting the fresh air wash over me.

Stellan and Leah, once so central to my existence, seemed to have faded into the background, ghosts of a past I was trying to escape.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I experienced a sense of tranquility—an elusive peace that wrapped around me like a warm blanket.

But then, like a thunderclap shattering the calm, Stellan’s voice pierced through the silence.

“Get to the hospital. Now. Right now.”

An involuntary shiver ran down my spine. I hesitated, a part of me reluctant to return to that world.

But I knew I owed him at least a face-to-face conversation to tell him that we were finished, that it was over.

As I arrived at the hospital, the air felt thick with tension. A crowd of familiar faces was crammed into a small room, their energy palpable and charged.

Stellan’s gaze locked onto mine, filled with accusation and betrayal.

“Tell me why you did this to Leah.”

His words struck me like a physical blow.

“She’s been battling depression all this time, and you thought it was okay to send people to her hotel to threaten her? What the hell is wrong with you?”

His grip on my shoulders was unyielding, a vice that made it hard to breathe. I struggled to pull away, but he held fast, his eyes burning with fury.

No one intervened.

These were the same people to whom I had lent my life savings, the ones I had helped when they found themselves in desperate situations.

And now, they were all staring at me, their expressions twisted with disdain and hatred.

“It wasn’t me! I haven’t seen her in ages. I didn’t even know she was struggling until just now!”

Oceane, stepping forward with a fierce intensity, interrupted. “Don’t lie. You’re her legal guardian—you told the doctors not to give her medication!”

The accusation hung heavy in the air, suffocating.

“If Leah had been taking her meds, this wouldn’t have happened! And you’re still making excuses? She almost died!”

That’s when I caught sight of Leah, cowering behind Stellan, her body trembling as if she were a leaf caught in a storm.

“Leah? What’s wrong?”

As soon as my voice reached her, she flinched, her body jerking as if struck. Then, she froze, her head bowed low.

I stepped closer, my heart racing with concern, desperate to reach her.

Suddenly, she erupted, her voice a raw scream.

“Stay away from me!”

Before he could gather his thoughts to speak, I cut in, desperate to clarify.

“What happened to Leah—it wasn’t me.”

He shot back immediately, his voice sharp. “The guys who showed up at her hotel already said you sent them. Who else would it be? You think she scared herself?”

I fell silent, the weight of his words pressing down on me. “If that’s what you believe, there’s nothing I can do to change your mind.”

“I came here because I needed to tell you something. We’re—”

But before I could finish my thought, Oceane dashed over, breathless and frantic.

“Stellan! Leah woke up and you weren’t there. She’s having a breakdown!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned and sprinted back to her room, leaving me standing there, feeling like a ghost in my own life.

*Goodbye,* I thought, a bittersweet ache settling in my chest.

In just nine days, I would undergo my final memory erasure session. After that, all of this—the pain, the turmoil, the heartache—would fade into oblivion.

I turned away, determined to leave behind a decade of my life, along with all the suffering that accompanied it.

But just as I was about to step out of the hospital, a hand seized me from behind, yanking me back into reality.

Before I could react, something struck the back of my head, plunging me into darkness.

Everything went black.