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First Ally
Last Updated:
2024-11-24 17:15:27
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All Because I Kissed a Stranger A Painting For Sale
A week had passed since I'd moved into Hunter's mansion, and I wanted to thank every higher power for Gianna as my ally. Due to some new evidence in Connor's death case, Hunter and Rowan had left New York. With them gone, Gianna and sometimes Ferro had become the only people I could talk to…I promised myself I would adapt to my new environment, but my surroundings turned out to be less than a little unwelcoming. Most of the servants working in the mansion avoided me like the plague, and if it weren't for Gianna, I was almost certain no one would bother to deliver food or fresh sheets to my room.“It's because Mr. Thorne had yet to officially announce your status as his fiancée,” Gianna explained, giving me a wry smile. “I know it's unfair, but most of the people working here used to serve the old Don Cartelli. At least half of them don't like Mr. Thorne as the new head, and with you not having an ounce of Italian blood…”“I know.” I sighed but then grinned. “The more I'm grateful you
Last Updated : 2024-11-25All 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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.”
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 2024-11-29
Latest chapter
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Accepting the Inevitable
The probability of Mom's operation succeeding was ten percent or less. Doctor Sinclair gave Mom a few hours to decide, but I already knew what her answer would be.Bitter laughter bubbled in my throat. How pathetic my bold declarations had been. I'd promised myself I would fight for her. I had been confident she would fight, too. But no victor would leave this battlefield. The choice she had was between likely dying within hours during the operation or simply waiting for the death to claim her…Unsurprisingly, my mom demanded Hunter stay out of her room. I couldn't blame her. If she were to accept him, it would require time… something we didn't have.As more time passed since she had woken up, her strength seemed to return. Superficially, she looked almost healthy. A gentle blush covered her cheeks, and her eyes shone as I remembered. She even moved and talked with more ease. But seeing every element of this façade only brought more pain…“I don't want to die on that table,” she final
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Waiting for the News
CATHERINEMom's words still rang in my head as I sat in the corridor, waiting for doctors to finish another series of her tests. I'd told her I would leave Hunter only if he hurt me. She had called me foolish and nearly kicked me out of her room.I knew she meant well, even if her methods were harsh. She was trying to protect me. She thought she needed to protect me from Hunter. I'd wanted to tell her I would always be safe with him, but as I'd started to speak, all my confidence had disappeared.I knew Hunter kept secrets from me. I'd known him long enough now to see the slight changes in his expression. It appeared each time he wasn't honest. I'd seen this change in Chicago after I'd asked about the meaning of the red-haired stranger's words.I was nearly certain he had lied to me then. Of course, I tried to tell myself that perhaps the stranger's words meant something insignificant, and he had said them to mess with my head, but a second later, my mind returned to his suggestion th
All Because I Kissed a Stranger The Ticking Clock
HUNTERI wondered if Catherine's mother had truly known my father or simply heard stories and all kinds of nasty rumors about him. I wouldn't have called him ruthless, but everyone had known he'd been a part of the Mafia world. I could understand Mrs. Lewis didn't want someone like Nicolas Thorne's son around her daughter. Too bad she didn't know that her daughter had already sunk into our world and she was becoming a part of it, too.Despite Mrs. Lewis's obvious lack of acceptance, I didn't want to leave the hospital. Catherine needed me around, even if her mother would never fully welcome my presence. Besides, we waited for the test results that would tell us more about Mrs. Lewis's condition…While Catherine and her mother talked, I found a conference room I could use and arranged my inner circle's emergency meeting. I had to know if the bugs we planted on Grasso were still working or if we had managed to get anything useful.We were running out of time. We needed answers, and we n
All Because I Kissed a Stranger Promise Me
CATHERINEI barely remembered the flight from Chicago to New York. I vaguely recalled Hunter holding my hand and repeating that it was going to be OK. I didn't know if I believed him or not. A frantic mass of thoughts swirled inside my mind, their weight slowly crushing my insides.“Breathe, firecracker,” I had heard him say several times, but the suffocating feeling remained.I felt guilty because I wasn't there. I hadn't been there to see her opening her eyes. I might have said it out loud since Hunter suddenly wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace.“Don't blame yourself. You couldn't be there all the time, and you'll see her soon,” he murmured, kissing the top of my head.I had remained in his embrace throughout most of the flight, as if I could have fallen apart if I hadn't. At one point, someone—probably Hunter—told me I should change my clothes and wipe off my makeup, so I did. I doubted I would have even thought about it otherwise.Once Hunter's private jet
All 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
All 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
All 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
All 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
All 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
