All Chapters of All Because I Kissed a Stranger: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

My stomach turned to lead. He refused. This was a script from my worst nightmare. I could feel the blood draining from my face. Had I been too arrogant in thinking he might agree? Perhaps I was only fooling myself. I wasn't presentable enough. I had no true value to him. Still, I wanted to know. I needed to hear it. “Why?” I choked out. “Is it because I'm not Italian?”He shook his head. “If I'd wanted someone to act as my wife, I would have hired an actress.” His cold voice echoed through the room.“Then what else do you want?” My hands shot up in frustration. “You want me to become your assistant? Your personal maid? Or maybe you want me to bake you fucking cookies?!”His lips curved, but the smile that formed was dark... feral. “What you offer is still only the wrapper. What I want is the whole package.”I swallowed, suddenly feeling naked despite the layers of fabric covering my skin. “There are limits to what I am willing to sell,” I gritted out.A soft chuckle escaped him. “Do y

HUNTERI stood by the wall-to-ceiling window, looking at the sun setting over Manhattan. I should have been celebrating. The first part of my plan had succeeded. Instead, the mix of emotions I felt put me on the edge.The sun was bloody as if to emphasize the recently spilled blood. Exhaling slowly, I looked at my hand and the itching skin on my healing, still-reddish knuckles. A faint smile stretched my lips. At least one good thing happened today. One piece of shit less in this fucked-up world.The door behind my back slid open, and Rowan stormed into my office. “The news about the police finding Marchetti's body is now everywhere,” he said through his teeth. “I bet that the old fucker is already heading here.”I could feel the incoming headache. I glanced at my hand again and turned around to face Rowan. “How much do you think he knows?”Rowan dragged his hand over his face and slumped down on the sofa. “He knows that Giulio was last seen at the wedding. Apparently, Giulio told one

CATHERINE“And this will be your bedroom.” Marcello Salvo, the maggiordomo, opened the door and gestured for me to enter.I gave him a nervous nod before passing the threshold. My breath caught at the sight of a beautiful chamber filled with light. A slow smile rose on my face as I took in the large, dark wooden floor, cream-white furniture, large canopy bed, and carefully chosen accessories. My feet moved on their own, heading to the row of arched windows. They overlooked the stunning garden. God… I could paint this place for hours and hours.“I hope you'll find this place comfortable,” Marcello's voice sounded behind me. Only then did I realize he was still here, waiting for my reaction and perhaps acceptance.I turned around and smiled at the gray-haired man. “This room is amazing. This whole place is mesmerizing.”Marcello slightly bowed at the waist before pointing at the door on the right. “The bathroom is over there. I took the liberty of filling it with a few cosmetics worthy

This had to be some seriously fucked-up joke. Why, of all people, did I have to run into the one I was supposed to avoid?! Calvin closed the door behind him as his father—the hoarse voice I had heard before—continued to yell at the poor doctor.Grinding my teeth, I stepped back and squared my shoulders. “I heard about Connor. Sorry for your loss,” I clipped. Then I offered him a shallow bow and tried to walk past him.He was faster, stepping in front of me and blocking my way again. “So that's it? You say your sorry-ass condolences and walk away? Why are you here, Catherine?”I saw his fisted hands and clenched jaw. I could almost feel the acidic rage radiating from him. “My mother's in this clinic,” I explained quietly. “I need to go back to her, so…” I turned around, but he grabbed my arm, forcing me to a halt.“What are you doing here, on this floor?” he hissed.I jerked my arm, freeing myself from his grip. “I don't need to answer your questions.”He leaned over me, fury burning i

I hated to leave Catherine in the hospital. I was supposed to gain her trust, and staying with her while she visited her mother would have brought me closer to my goal. Leaving before her mother was brought back from the tests was against the plan I made. But if Rowan's suspicions were correct... The cunt responsible for bringing some untested shit to my club should start praying. Then again, no god would save him from my fury.I strode into my office, the doors sliding behind me. Rowan, Enzo, and Remo were already inside. They were here because their loyalty was unquestionable. They were the few who had my absolute trust.Normally, we would have left the entire search to the security team in the monitoring control room, but we all knew the evidence would rather be in the footage from our newest cameras—ones only a few people knew about. Rowan and I had them installed two months ago. Most of the staff had already learned about all the blindspots in the club's surveillance. The new cam