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A Painting For Sale
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2024-11-25 01:39:52
Bab terkait
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Damsel in Distress
Air escaped my lungs as if someone made tiny holes in them. Dante Cartelli, Hunter's cousin, stood before me with his hand outstretched.“Holy shit,” Fifi breathed out, a little too audible for Dante not to hear it.A soft chuckle escaped him as he turned his golden eyes to my friend. “And you must be Fifi Melott. Heard a lot about you,” he purred before shifting his gaze back to me.I cleared my throat and glanced at his hand before giving it a brief shake. “Pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Cartelli.”“I'd prefer you call me Dante. We'll be family soon, after all.” His smile widened, but its warmth seemed to disappear. “I hope you forgive me. I'd rather invite you out for lunch or dinner, but I doubted my cousin would allow that to happen. I had to use this… little ruse to see you in person.”I studied him. His trained expression, his lifted chin, his stance—every inch of him had been crafted to dominate his opponents. I swallowed and stepped back. “I assume you're not interested in any
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-25All Because I Kissed a Stranger Lunch
My restlessness grew by the second. Just when I thought I had my nerves under control, Hunter led me to his black Aston Martin. Seeing him behind the wheel did strange things to me. I kept staring at his confident grip on the wheel and the way he swiftly maneuvered the car through the traffic. Certainly, he caught me staring. The last thing I wanted was to boost his overgrown ego, but I failed miserably at this task…“This is the place.” Hunter motioned his chin at the large, glass doors, the entrance of his new restaurant.He quickly pulled over and helped me out of the car. I thought he would release my hand right after that, but he kept holding it, intertwining our fingers as we walked inside. All the employees bowed as we passed them by, as if Hunter and I were some damn royalty deserving their utmost respect. I felt awkward each time I saw it happen. Hunter, however, was clearly used to this kind of treatment.We passed the long hall with wall-to-ceiling windows on each side. The
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-26All Because I Kissed a Stranger Another Step Closer
HUNTERI had debated whether I should tell Catherine the truth and figured I wouldn't hide it, but only if she asked. She did. Now her face turned slightly pale as she processed my words and what they meant.“So… you know that your uncle killed your parents, and yet he is still alive and free,” she mused, fisting her hand. “And there's nothing you can do about it?”My lips stretched into a tense smile. “In my world, there are those you can eliminate and no one will ever ask you why, and those whose deaths will not go without consequences. The family heads might hate each other's guts, but there's an inner law we all need to stick to. I cannot touch my uncle without proof of his guilt accepted by at least five other heads.”Catherine nodded, analyzing... thinking. “If you don't have proof, how can you be sure it was your uncle?”I blew out a breath. “Everyone knew that he hated my father, and he was against his sister marrying him. Their conflict kept evolving as the years went by. He
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-26All Because I Kissed a Stranger An Unexpected Choice
CATHERINE“So someone contacted you and bought all your recent works?” Fifi looked at me as if I had just told her that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were real.We were in my workshop, waiting for Ace to arrive with my dress. Of course, I filled that time telling her about every little thing that had happened after the whole Dante the Art Buyer disaster.“Yes. He wanted all my paintings and offered a price I could never even dream of.” A nervous laugh bubbled in my throat. I still couldn't believe it had truly happened. When I got a call two days ago, I was willing to bet this was another trick.Fifi inched closer, frowning. “And you're sure it's not Dante or any of his goons this time?”I shook my head. “It's not him. This was some anonymous buyer, but I precautiously called Rowan. He checked the case and told me I had nothing to worry about. I signed all documents, and Rowan and Ferro will help me with the shipment. The buyer already transferred half of the money to my account.”
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-27All Because I Kissed a Stranger Fight or Surrender
I was sitting by my mom's bed, squeezing her hand. My chest tightened, turning every breath into a struggle. I kept my eyes locked on my mom's sleeping face as Doctor Sinclair's words swirled in my head.“We gave Mrs. Lewis the dose that is safest in her current condition. Of course, sometimes the body's reaction takes time, but we waited more than a week, and your mother's body doesn't respond,” he had said. “We can increase the dosage, but it carries a lot of risk. The drug can stimulate the brain, but the side effects might be lethal. Unfortunately, this is our only option. We can either stop the treatment or risk continuing with a high drug dose.”How was I supposed to make such a decision? I could sign the consent and risk watching my mom die, or I could give up and leave her in her sleep waiting for her body to naturally fade away. Doctor Sinclair had said it before: her chances of waking up from her coma without treatment were none. I heard a lot of stories about patients wakin
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-27All Because I Kissed a Stranger Jeopardy
HUNTERLeaving New York again was against everything I had planned those weeks ago. Chasing after a snake-tattooed guy had taken away the time I needed to prepare Catherine for what was about to happen. I knew she could talk back if she had to, but that wouldn't be enough to face those who had been schooled on how to become first-class assholes all their lives.I might have played it all wrong. Certainly, I needed her unconditional trust and devotion, but those treats would be useless if she got herself killed. A part of me hoped that the wedding would somehow go smoothly, but nothing in my life ever had. It was wiser to prepare for the worst.As most of my men had been working to secure the estate, Rowan and I had gone to find the fucker responsible for killing the kid. Rowan had received another hint, and we went to Pittsburgh to check if it could lead us anywhere. It hadn't led us anywhere, though. It was another dead end. We couldn't afford not to check that lead, but this call ha
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-28All Because I Kissed a Stranger Out of Control
CATHERINE“Bait…” I breathed out as my mind tried to process everything Hunter had just said. My head began to spin, and a high-pitched tone rang in my ears. I drew a deep breath and then another one. Someone tried to kill me. Someone planted a bomb to kill me! How was I supposed to leave this room knowing all this?! I wasn't sure if I could even stand on my damn two feet!“Focus, Catherine.” Hunter snapped his fingers, and I almost jumped in my seat. “You need to calm down. Now.”“Easy for… you to say,” I choked out.He grabbed my chin, forcing me to face him. “You can curse me later, but right now, you will listen and do as I say.”A shudder ran down my spine. He had never used such a cold, emotionless tone on me. Was this the true face of a man I was supposed to marry? Had I fallen for a fucking lie? Something within me snapped, and suddenly I couldn't determine whether I was scared, hurt, or pissed. Perhaps it was the combination of all three.“Normally, I would have prepared you
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-29All Because I Kissed a Stranger Till Death Do Us Part
I was still trying to figure out what had happened in that room fifteen minutes ago. The special task Hunter had given me should have pushed me to the verge of panic. But panic was nowhere to be found. Instead, I felt strangely focused and calm. A blush formed each time I thought about the reason behind it…I couldn't have been more grateful that Fifi and Ace decided not to comment on my state when they returned to my room. Of course, Ace barely stifled a laugh as he helped me smooth all the delicate layers of my gown. Fifi fixed my makeup quickly, but we no longer had time to tie up my hair.“Shouldn't your personal maid be here, helping us?” Fifi raised her brows as she looked at me with a wry smile.“Gianna took a few days off,” I explained. Truthfully, I found it a little strange since it was Marcello who had told me about it. He'd said that Gianna was sick, but she'd looked fine the day before. I couldn't help but think it was yet another one of Marcello's ways to mess with me. Fo
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-29
Bab terbaru
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Desperate
HUNTERTwenty-six hours passed since Catherine had been abducted, and we still couldn't locate where she was kept. Potentially, she could have been in one of over thirty estates owned by Aleks Lagunov. So far, we were trying to narrow that list down, but excluding each location took too much time…After more than a few hours of useless quarrels, Lazar and I had finally gathered all our allies under one roof—my roof. Certainly, this agreement hadn't eliminated the mutual hostility, which currently satiated the air in the meeting room so densely, breathing had become a struggle. Well, at least none of them had chosen to resort to violence… so far.We all sat at the large oval table with Lazar and me on the opposite sides. We exchanged meaningful looks, then Lazar cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. “My spies confirmed our previous suspicions… The Lagunov family's old estate was abandoned some time ago,” he said. “That means the renegades' main headquarters has to be elsewh
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Imprisoned
CATHERINEThe pulsing, sharp pain in the side of my head drew me toward awareness. The pounding seemed to increase each time I tried to open my eyes. My heart thundered, its rate matching the vicious pain in my head. I swallowed shallow breaths as if I were inches above the water and struggled to remain on the surface.Finally, my eyes jerked open, and I was blinded by the sudden brightness. I might have groaned, but I wasn't sure whether the sound left my throat or remained in my mind. My mouth was dry, and my tongue darted out, desperate to wet my lips.“Thirsty, Kitty Cat?”That voice sent chills down my spine. I blinked a few times, hoping my eyes would finally adapt to the light. I slowly turned my head to the source of the sound and saw Dante Cartelli's cold smile.I gasped, trying to move away from him. Only then did I realize I was lying on the bed with one hand cuffed and chained to the metal rod hanging above the headboard. The light filling the room was coming from the larg
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Security Protocol
The high-pitched tone kept ringing in my ears. My breath was labored, and my legs threatened to give up from under me. I failed her. I let them take her away. I should have done things differently. I should have assumed the worst and headed to that fucking lab faster. I shouldn't have hesitated. I should have just lunged at them and blown their fucking heads off.I forced another deep breath into my lungs, but my tightened ribcage refused to cooperate. I could barely focus on my surroundings. My mind kept replaying the moment the redhead had carried my unconscious firecracker into the van and then driven away…“They're all dead.” Rowan's voice dragged me out of my bewilderment. He walked over to me with a tight grimace twisting his lips. “A few we didn't kill committed suicide as soon as they figured out they lost. Others were killed by the drug.”“Fucking perfect.” I dragged my fingers through my hair. “Catherine is gone, and there's no one who could tell us where those fuckers took
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Emergency
HUNTERCatherine. Hearing she might be in danger knocked the air out of my lungs. I barked out several commands, grabbed my combat clothes and guns, and a moment later, I was inside the van, heading to the location Catherine had sent in her text.It wasn't far from Scarsdale, but we still needed time to get there. What if we came too late? No. We would make it. I couldn't let myself think otherwise.I shoved those thoughts away. I needed to focus. We rode in the column—five vans with my best men inside them. Ferro was driving the one I was in. I could see his firm grip on the wheel and rage burning in his eyes. I had rarely seen him this infuriated, but this was about Catherine, and I knew that he—just like the others in my team—would annihilate everyone who tried to hurt her.I called Lazar. His first team had just arrived and began to check the area, quickly confirming our suspicions: the renegades had surrounded the entire complex.My blood turned into molten lava. “Who else knew a
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Betrayed
My heart hammered against my chest. I looked around, but there was only him and me standing in that courtyard. I whirled around, trying to run, but then he grabbed my arm, violently pulling me to a halt.“Don't resist. It will hurt if you do.” His dark laugh sounded. He turned me toward him and pressed the gun to my temple. My breath hitched as I saw his finger slowly curling on the trigger. “He wanted you to live, but I could get away with killing you on the spot,” he purred.I believed him. He wanted me to give him a reason. Shit. I couldn't even risk calling out to Logan without provoking him. Not to mention that I would have been dead before Logan heard me…“I'll… behave,” I choked out.He huffed out a laugh. “Good girl.” He shifted his gun, pressing the barrel against my back as he pushed me toward a narrow passage. “Move,” he snarled.I was partially relieved he led me away from the lab, but that didn't exactly solve my problem. I started walking, cautiously glancing around. It
All Because I Kissed a Stranger So Close
CATHERINEI dropped the phone on the table and slumped down on the bed. My hands were shaking, and I could barely stop my hectic swirl of thoughts. The people I had laughed with a few days ago were slaughtered in their own house along with thirty members of the staff working for them.The renegades' attacks had become more frequent and more brutal than ever, and our new allies had grown impatient. My great-uncle told me to ignore them. He said he would handle them himself, but how could I let him when I caused it all?Vera or Nikolay had been coming to Lazar's office at least twice a day, asking for the Pink Opium. They kept pushing, demanding that Lazar tell them where our lab was. He wouldn't tell them anything, but I knew that their frequent visits had already been drawing too much attention. I would have lied had I said their reckless behavior hadn't made me anxious. I knew it was only a matter of time before the news about the complete Pink Opium formula reached the renegades' ea
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Building the Front
Exhaustion coated my feet like lead, turning each step into a struggle, but I couldn't allow myself to rest, not after what we had just found out. I rolled back my shoulders and walked into the salon where the rest of my Italian allies waited for the news.They occupied two leather sofas and two armchairs. Only Guido stood by the window, clearly avoiding my gaze as I entered. “Glad you're all here,” I said as my eyes swept through the room. Then I walked toward the seats, stopping in a place where I could see them all. “I bet you all want to know about the results of Arianna Pelligrini's interrogation.”I heard a quiet huff, and I didn't need to look to know it was Guido. He was the only one who already knew what Arianna had told us—he'd heard it all. Even now, a few hours after the interrogation had ended, I could feel the mix of rage and shame radiating from him.“Hope you learned something useful from your—as I believe—former fiancée.” Luca Barbieri gave me a meaningful look.I res
All Because I Kissed a Stranger First Answers
I walked over to Ferro, who leaned against the wall next to Arianna's cell. I jerked my chin at the door. “Did she behave?”A wicked smirk appeared. “She kept banging at the door and screaming for about an hour. Then she finally gave up and remained quiet ever since.”“I see.” I nodded before gesturing for him to open the door.He pulled out the key card but then halted and gave me a wry smile. “Boss… you don't have to do this. Remo and I can take care of the interrogation.”I almost laughed. “Your concern is unnecessary.” I clasped my hand on his shoulder. “Do you honestly believe I would feel sorry for someone who tried to kill me for my money?”“I see your point.” His lips formed a thin line. Then he nodded and opened the cell.The door creaked, revealing a dark cell. I pushed the door further, letting the dim light illuminate the small space. Then I noticed Arianna sitting on the floor with her legs curled up to her chest and hands wrapped around her knees. She was barefoot and dr
All Because I Kissed a Stranger One Step Closer
HUNTERI knew that showing up at this meeting was risky. Not to mention that my current allies had yet to find out about the changes they would be a part of. The mutual agreement would not come peacefully. They might have even more objections than the leaders at Lazar's table. But we had to start building this mutual front, and we had to do it now.I knew Catherine well enough to realize that something was off, and I knew I had to support her. It was crucial that none of the remaining Bratva leaders question her words. Fortunately, only Vera was overly curious about the drug and where it was produced. The new head of the Nikitin family helped shut her up. He seemed like a decent guy, and knowing the numbers of his family's soldiers, I wouldn't mind having him as my ally.The rest of the meeting had gone without incident. We all agreed we needed more information about Lagunov's army. A few shared the information they had on the renegades, but everyone was aware that this wasn't enough
