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Correcting the Deal
Last Updated:
2025-01-07 19:40:36
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All Because I Kissed a Stranger Fragile Trust
CATHERINEI could see Hunter's shoulders tense as I mentioned Grasso. His jaw clenched, and an obvious discomfort filled every inch of him. It took him a moment, but he inched closer and stretched his lips into a faint smile. “It's nothing to worry about,” he said, taking my hand in his and guiding me back to the ballroom.“Hunter.” I dug my heels into the floor and jerked my hand away. “Please, don't keep me in the dark. If there's something about Grasso, I need to know about it.”He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It's really nothing important.”“Even if it's not important, please… tell me,” I pressed.He drew a deep breath and looked at me. “Grasso believes he can get me the names of those fuckers who kidnapped you… and the name of that guy with a snake tattoo.”I gasped, studying him for a moment. “But you said you asked him about those people, and he didn't tell you anything you could use.”Hunter smiled wryly. “Well, now he thinks he can get me something.”My brows k
Last Updated : 2025-01-08All Because I Kissed a Stranger First Answers
HUNTERFor the last two days, Enzo and Remo had been trying to find anything useful in the material registered by our listening devices. Rowan and I spent long hours checking each lead they'd found and discovering their meaning. Perhaps we should have been grateful that Grasso was too lazy to hang away the suit jacket he had worn at the party. Instead, he kept it in his office, giving us a chance to hear all his conversations. For the first few hours, we'd thought we might have hit the jackpot, but the more time passed, the more we realized luck was not entirely on our side…As we expected, the first thing Grasso did after he'd returned from the party was to contact the so-called leader. We heard how he tried to use several different numbers, but all the calls remained unanswered. Twenty-four hours had passed before he received a message. Certainly, we couldn't see it, but Grasso was dumb enough to read it out loud for us.“New phone will be delivered shortly,” was what the message sa
Last Updated : 2025-01-09All Because I Kissed a Stranger Guido's Offer
Dozens of grim scenarios swirled inside my mind. A huge army of people driven by hatred, people who had the Pink Opium in their hands…I blew out a breath, trying to contain the storm inside me. Unfortunately, Guido saw right through me. He knew me too well not to spot the uneasiness crawling out to the surface. “I heard those fuckers tried to mess with your business, too.” A faint smirk curved Guido's lips. “I'm sure you're aware that these acts were only to test you, just like they were testing me. The true attack will come soon. Perhaps they're waiting for you to take over your position as Don Cartelli.”I considered his words, then asked, “Your clubs were also attacked, weren't they?”He nodded. “Two clubs were almost completely demolished a month ago, and now those fucking drugs…” He dragged his hand over his face. “I don't even want to start on how much money I had to spend on bribes. I made the police close the case, but one reporter wrote an article, and that fucking thing wen
Last Updated : 2025-01-09All Because I Kissed a Stranger Nox Aurea
CATHERINE“I still can't believe this old bastard tried to force Hunter to divorce you.” Fifi huffed over the phone. “I promise you. I'll make sure no Pelligrini ever finds a room in our hotels.”“You don't have to go that far.” I chuckled, putting my phone on the speaker and placing it on the bedside table. “As weird as it might sound, I'm partially glad it happened,” I said, stepping into the walk-in closet.There was a beat of silence. Then Fifi muttered, “You're… happy about it?”“I mean…” I snatched my jeans, a tee, a few skirts, and dresses and tossed them on the bed. “I wasn't thrilled when I heard about Guido's offer, but Hunter's answer was... a relief.”I bit my lip as I recalled everything he'd said last night. Just thinking about the velvet and sultry sound of his voice brought wickedly pleasant shivers. He had shattered my insecurities and chased away the restlessness I'd felt.Fifi considered my words for a moment. “Well… you're right, I guess. At least the next time you
Last Updated : 2025-01-10All Because I Kissed a Stranger Her Payback
HUNTERI followed Catherine's line of sight. She was staring at one of the alcoves, her eyes locked on the two people sitting on the sofa. From where I stood, their faces were obscured by the shadows. Catherine, however, seemed to know exactly who they were.I stepped down from the dais and lined up with her. Only then did I understand what made her frown and clench her fists. That cunt, Calvin Rollins, was splayed on the sofa, drink in hand. A slim blonde in a slutty glitter-covered dress was sitting on his lap. I might have seen her in Thorn Club once or twice.I wrapped my arm around Catherine's waist, pulling her to my side. “Your shitty ex lost his wife somewhere, I see.”She gave me a wry smile. “Fifi told me Calvin is trying to divorce my sister.” Then she pointed at the blonde bimbo. “And that's Naomi, one of Portia's besties, or rather, an ex-bestie.”“Now I remember her.” My lips curved in disdain. “I saw her the night we met, right? She was that dumb bitch who came to me af
Last Updated : 2025-01-11All Because I Kissed a Stranger Feverish
CATHERINEHad I crossed the line? Had I officially gone bad this time? I had let the wicked side of me take the lead and savored every second of the terror in Calvin's eyes. After Calvin and weeping Naomi had been dragged out of the club, I heard the crowd calling me the Red Queen, as if I were walking around the club, shouting, “Off with their heads!”I would have lied had I said it didn't make me nervous and uncomfortable. I began to second-guess my decision. Maybe I should have just ignored them and waited for some godlike powers to grant them the fate they deserved…No. Enough was enough. Calvin had not only been a cheating scum but also tried to harm me, sent Giulio to rape me… My hands fisted as I recalled those moments. A part of me wanted to tell Hunter I changed my mind and wanted someone to drag Calvin back and beat the crap out of him.My nervousness lasted a few more minutes and ended as I finished my second drink. The tension finally disappeared and my party mood slowly cr
Last Updated : 2025-01-12All Because I Kissed a Stranger Messing With My Head
Hunter released my hand and inched closer to Augustin. “Are you telling me there's a bomb in the club?”The manager winced. “Not quite… I mean, there might have been a bomb if the fucker armed it. One of the guards interrupted him, though.”I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved. The fact that someone entered the club with the explosives was terrifying enough.Hunter raked his fingers through his hair. “How did he enter the basement unnoticed?”“Well… you know we still have an issue with the owner of the neighboring building. Two weeks ago that fucker broke a hole in the wall on the basement level. We sealed it, but as we can see now, not well enough. Our wannabe bomber used that hole to get in,” Augustin explained, wincing.Hunter worked his jaw, processing his words. Then he asked, “Why didn't the alarms go off?”“We're still trying to figure that out,” Augustin muttered, rubbing the nape of his neck.Hunter muttered a curse. “Tell me you at least caught the bastard.”Augustin nodd
Last Updated : 2025-01-13All Because I Kissed a Stranger The Message
HUNTERFury hummed in my veins, awakening all the violent urges. I had made a mistake trusting that Augustin would handle all the issues concerning Nox Aurea. Surely, he had failed to notify me he hadn't been doing the job he had been fucking paid for, but I wasn't without guilt either. I should have seen the problem sooner and fired him.I had bought this place nearly six years ago. I had changed roughly everything about the old club and reopened it, turning it into a profitable business. Yet there had always been problems here and there, and some things—like the owner of the neighboring building—had been harder to fix than others.The alarms in the basement had been cut off. Why? Because Augustin—who would soon become the ex-manager—had ignored my order to replace the old system with the improved version. For that, I debated ripping him to shreds. That, unfortunately, had to wait…My eyes zeroed in on the fucker tied to a chair. He was dressed in a gray fitter's uniform with the nam
Last Updated : 2025-01-14
Latest chapter
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Mr. and Mrs. Thorne
CATHERINEI had a dream. I was running through a dark tunnel. Shouts and rough grunts echoed behind me. I couldn't understand them. I only knew that if I stopped, I would die. So I kept running, even though my lungs burned and my muscles turned into stone. I was cold. I was hopeless. I was alone…‘You can stop now, Catherine,’ someone's voice coaxed. ‘You can go back.’The voice sounded familiar, although it was etheric and breathy. It didn't seem to come from one place. It vibrated around me. It pierced through me. I wasn't even sure if it came from the tunnel or I heard it in my mind.‘Catherine, stop.’ The sound was gentle, pleasant, and yet filled with strength and confidence.I slowed my pace, then dug my heels into the cold ground. “Mom?” I whispered, looking around as if the voice could somehow materialize.‘Go back,’ she said. ‘He's waiting for you.’Hot tears gathered in my eyes. “He?” I croaked.‘It's over, Catherine.’ A warm smile filled every note. ‘Go there. Celebrate your
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Waiting
A hand on my shoulder jerked me awake. Wincing in discomfort, I straightened up in my seat and blinked, adjusting my vision. The sympathetic smile on Lazar's face told me I must have looked like shit. His eyes drifted to the side of the bed where I held Catherine's hand.“No changes, I see,” he muttered.I looked at his sleeping great-niece and shook my head. Then I turned to him and cleared my throat. “The doctors say this might take a while before she wakes up.”The night she had gotten shot, I'd nearly lost my mind. Luckily, Lazar's doctors had taken care of her immediately. Ironically, the shot might have been the thing that saved her. The massive blood loss had lessened the Pink Opium's effect, and after the blood transfusion, the poisonous drug had left her body.Lazar fixed his eyes on me. “But… she will wake up.” I wasn't sure whether it was a statement or a question, but I still nodded. A sliver of relief relaxed his features, but then he clenched his fists. “I should have pr
All Because I Kissed a Stranger To Death
My finger turned heavier, curling on the trigger as I imagined his brain splattered all over this fucking corridor. But I wasn't the only one feeling bloodthirst. Dante wanted to kill me just as badly; I saw it in his rage-burning eyes. He tried to mask it with cold amusement, but I could nearly taste the fury radiating from him.“Is she inside?” he purred, jerking his chin at the ajar-open door to the storage. “Such a stubborn little thing, isn't she? She's dying because of that stubbornness.”Every fiber within me filled with lethal calm. “You did this to her? You gave her the Pink Opium?”The fucker smiled, triggering a new urge. No. He wouldn't die from a single bullet. He deserved to be skinned alive and torn to fucking little pieces.He lifted his gun, aiming at my head. “She will die within an hour. The latest booster works that way. Although, I have to admit she used it well. Did she tell you she killed five of ours until the initial effect wore off?” Cold laughter slipped free
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Anything For Her
HUNTER“Explain to me again, why do we trust this guy?” Rowan grunted as we marched through the tunnel.“We don't trust him,” I corrected. “We're taking a necessary risk.”Rowan glanced at Remo and Ferro as if hoping they would back him up. Luckily for them, they kept their mouth shut. Rowan, however, chose otherwise. “This looks like a trap. Why would this guy, who's apparently Lagunov's general, help us get into their fortress through some backdoor? It doesn't make sense!”I gave him a wry smile but didn't slow my pace. “I don't get it either. Then again, he had a chance to kill me twice. He didn't even try. Maybe he actually wants to switch sides.”Rowan gave me a look. “He killed Arianna without remorse.”“Perhaps he can't work around every order Lagunov gives him,” I reasoned. “Or maybe he simply hated Arianna.”“That I can imagine,” Remo commented dryly.Rowan lined up with me. “Basically, you dragged us into those tunnels because he wrote something about the documents signed by
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Survive
Twenty-four hours had passed without Dante showing up in my prison cell, but that hadn't made me relax even for a second. I had been on constant alert, listening to every sound coming from the corridor. My muscles tensed every time I heard someone approaching my door, but I knew that I finally had to get some sleep…I'd used Maxim's trick to block the handle, but even then I allowed myself to rest for merely three hours. Drifting into a deep sleep wasn't an option, although I realized my body would soon run on fumes.My anxieties threatened to devour me, but each time I was close to panic, Maxim's words appeared in my mind. “They're coming, Catherine,” I mumbled to myself. “Just hold on a little longer.”A few more hours had passed, and I was slowly losing the fight to keep my eyes open. I was on the verge of falling into unawareness when the sound of heavy footsteps made me jerk up to my feet. Barefoot, I rushed to unblock the door. A second later, the door slammed open, and three me
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Breaking the Leash
My whole body began to rattle, and a high-pitched tone rang in my ears. It was a struggle not to fall apart as I silently prayed Hunter was alive. But if they had attacked the estate in Scarsdale, how many people had they killed? What about Gianna, Ferro, Enzo, Remo, or Rowan?“Thank you, Maxim.” Aleks Lagunov's icy laugh tore me out of my frantic thoughts. “That's great news,” he crooned as his eyes shifted to me. “Not so great news for you, I'm afraid. You see, Catherine, I can assure you that no one will come for you. Tomorrow, we will attack the Fedorov's estate and crush Lazar's little army. We know more than a little about your plans…” He pointed at one of the Italians sitting by the table. “Mr. Messino was kind enough to share more than a few details.”My hands fisted into tight balls. “Fucking traitor,” I strained through my teeth.Messino glared at me, but Lagunov laughed. “Such feistiness… Just like Katerina.” Then he locked his eyes on me, a grim smile stretching his lips.
All Because I Kissed a Stranger The Predators and the Prey
CATHERINEI couldn't sleep. Drifting into unawareness in this place was more terrifying than Dante's presence in my room. I was exhausted, but my adrenaline levels were high enough to keep me constantly awake.Nearly every sound coming from the corridor made me flinch. The heavy steps brought chills down my spine, and the deep, cold laughter caused my stomach to roil. Dante hadn't visited me again so far, but I knew he would come and demand my answer. As if he had given me a choice…Three times a day someone walked into my room, bringing me food—mostly a slice of bread and water, sometimes an apple. Those servants never looked at me or spoke except for barking out a few commands. They had uncuffed my hand twice. Only for a minute, and only so I could take care of my physiological needs. Then I was cuffed again.I began to think I might lose my mind should I stay in this room and in this bed another day. My whole body began to ache, and I spent hours trying to shift the chain to make m
All Because I Kissed a Stranger The Siege
“Where are the fucking darts?!” Remo shouted through the communicator. “I've literally stuffed those fuckers with bullets, and they're still attacking the gates!”“Get a grip. You're not the only one pissed off by those zombie cunts,” Rowan hissed as he released another empty clip.All my men had been trying to fend off the attack at our gates for over an hour now. So far, the defenses we had installed around the estate turned out to be unbreachable, but those drug-fueled soldiers were relentless in their attempts to bring our fences down.“Enzo said the darts are on the way,” I said, aiming my gun at one of the bloodshot-eyed fuckers charging at the western gate. “In the meantime, aim for the heads.”Most of my suit was coated with blood. I hadn't had the time to change, and those renegades didn't die easily. Blood formed a red mist around our borders, and countless bodies lined the ground. Their losses were far greater than ours, but they kept coming, kept attacking…“Guys, I'm runn
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
