Twisted Lies (Twisted, #4)

by Ana Huang

“I want to make a few things clear.” Christian’s lips brushed mine with each word. “Touch another man, he dies. Let another man touch you, he dies. Tell me I can’t touch you…” His grip tightened on the back of my neck as his voice dropped. “And I will fucking die.” An

Only for you.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“I believe in everything when it comes to you.” Including love.

who the fuck visited their friend with a fucking stuffed unicorn?—if

The turquoise ring weighed heavy in my pocket. A symbol of the secrets I’d kept and the lies I’d told.

“Because the first time I saw you wasn’t the day you signed the lease at the Mirage,” I said. “It was five years ago.”

“Are you sure?” The police officer looked at the brunette like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You want to give him the money?” “Yes.” She glanced at the surly teen. He glared back at her, but I spotted the tiniest glint of hope in his eyes. “The cash means more to him than to me.” “He tried to steal from you.” The officer sounded as baffled as I felt. I leaned against a nearby building and scrolled through my phone, but all my attention was focused on the interaction playing out less than ten feet away. I didn’t know what’d compelled me to stick around after the kid had been caught, but I was glad I had. I’d been bored all day, but this…this was interesting. Why the fuck would someone give money to the person who’d tried to rob them? “Yes, I know,” the brunette said patiently. “But he’s just a kid, and he needs the cash. Charges aren’t necessary.”

The officer shook his head. “It’s your money.” I tuned him out as he closed out the case and examined the brunette, fascinated. I’d heard her give her name when the police first arrived. Stella Alonso. She looked like she was in her early twenties, with curly dark hair, green eyes, and a quick, warm smile. She was gorgeous, but that wasn’t what enthralled me. It was the gentleness with which she spoke. The absurdity of her action. The unwavering optimism in her eyes even when an attempted robbery in broad daylight should’ve shaken her faith in humanity. The way she’d reacted hadn’t been at all what I’d expected. If there was one thing that never failed to spark my interest, it was people who subverted my expectations. A smile curved my lips for the first time that day. Eventually, the officer left after giving the teen a stern warning. The kid lingered like he wanted to say something. He must’ve thought better of it because he soon scampered off without a word, not even a thank you. Stella didn’t appear perturbed. She simply hiked her bag higher on her shoulder and walked away like nothing had happened. As she did, something slipped off her hand. I didn’t call after her to alert her to the missing item. Instead, I waited until she disappeared around the corner before I walked over and retrieved the turquoise ring from the ground.

“It reminded me of you.”

The calm to my chaos, the silence to my storm.

would give Stella anything she wanted, even if it killed me in the process.

Alex and Ava, who glowed with pregnancy.

“I couldn’t decide whether to do this in Hawaii or Italy, but it seems I made the right choice.”

Christian Harper on one knee, velvet box open in hand to reveal a dazzling diamond ring set with emeralds. Tears

“Stella, will you marry me?”

“Sure you don’t, Mr. I Don’t Believe in Love.”