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Chapter 8: The First Regret?
Last Updated:
2025-04-03 02:19:49
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No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 9: Ex-Bestfriend Wants a Favor
Fedora had seen a lot of desperate people in her line of work. Men who needed a quick wedding to satisfy an inheritance clause. Men who needed to fend off meddling families with an impressive fiancée on their arm. Clients who offered her small fortunes to play the perfect role in their carefully constructed lies.But nothing—nothing—compared to the desperation in Cynthia’s eyes now.Fedora took her time. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, gaze unreadable. She was dressed in a satin robe, hair pulled into a loose bun, as if she had all the time in the world. Meanwhile, Cynthia stood there like a beggar at her door.“I wouldn’t have come if I had another option,” Cynthia said, hands wringing together. “But you’re the only one who can help me.”Fedora arched a brow. “Now, that is interesting.”Cynthia inhaled sharply. “I know I’m the last person you want to see, but—”Fedora tilted her head, pretending to be thoughtful. “You know, I could’ve sworn the last time we spoke, you
Last Updated : 2025-04-03No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 10: Judah Enters the Picture
Fedora Smith had seen it all.Desperate men needing a quick fix—fake marriages to secure inheritances, land multimillion-dollar contracts, or pacify overbearing families. It was never personal. Just business.She ran Bridal Fix with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. No real emotions. No real attachments. Just temporary vows and airtight contracts.Then came Judah.Tall, confident, and unreadable. He wasn’t like the others. He didn’t fumble with nervous excuses or present rehearsed requests. He simply slid a contract across the table and met her gaze with an intensity that unsettled her.Judah Carlstone wasn’t just a name. It was a legacy. A brand. A force that left an imprint wherever it touched.Born into a family of power and wealth, Judah carried the weight of two worlds—the Carlstone dynasty of America and the imperial bloodline of Japan.His father, Anthony Carlstone, was a man of both privilege and grit. He had been born into the wealth of the Carlstone family, owners of C
Last Updated : 2025-04-03No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 11: His Request Is Different
“I need a wife,” he said, his voice smooth but firm. “For six months. No complications. No exceptions.”Fedora Smith had heard those words before.Men came to her for many reasons—dodging prenuptial clauses, securing an inheritance, keeping their families off their backs. But something about Judah Carlstone made those same words feel different.Maybe it was the way he said them.No desperation. No bargaining. Just absolute control.Or maybe it was him.Judah Carlstone wasn’t just another client.He was tall, at least 6’2, his build effortlessly commanding without looking overworked. His black tailored suit fit like it had been designed on his body, the crisp white shirt beneath unbuttoned just enough to hint at the lean muscle beneath.But it wasn’t just his looks.It was the energy he carried.The kind of presence that stole the air from a room without even trying. The quiet confidence in his posture. The way his sharp blue-gray eyes studied her, cool and unreadable, as if he could a
Last Updated : 2025-04-03No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 12: Business, Not Personal
Feelings don’t belong here.Fedora repeated the words again and again to herself.She had done this before—played the role of a devoted fiancée, a doting wife, a woman head over heels in love.It was all just business. A performance. A transaction.So why did Judah Carlstone make it feel… different?Why, after days had passed, could she still feel the warmth of his lips ghosting over hers?She had asked for the kiss. She had dared him to prove that he could sell it—that he could make her and any other person believe it.And he had.God, had he.Judah hadn’t hesitated. Hadn’t smirked or teased.He had closed the space between them in a way that stole her breath, his fingers threading into her hair with an ease that shouldn’t have felt so natural.No rush. No force. Just patience. Precision. Possession.The first brush of his lips had been devastatingly slow—a mere whisper of a touch, meant to pull her in, to make her want more.And she had.Because when he angled her face just so, deep
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His touch. His gaze. It’s all for show. Right?Fedora had faked a lot of things in her life.But this? This was on another level.Judah Carlstone hadn’t just made her his wife—he had crafted a world around her.A Love Story That Didn’t ExistIt started two weeks before the wedding.One by one, he wove her into his life, his world, his legacy.He took her to meet his father, Anthony Carlstone—a man of few words but deep presence, a billionaire who built an empire from the ground up. His mother, Aika Carlstone, was softer, warmer, yet carried the quiet regality of a woman born into Japanese royalty. His sister, Maria, was sharp-eyed and skeptical, clearly protective of her older brother.Through it all, Fedora played her part—the loving girlfriend, the perfect fiancée.Judah made it easy.He spoke about her as if he had known her for years. As if she were truly the woman he wanted forever.“She’s in real estate,” he told them over an intimate family dinner. “Brilliant, strategic, and pr
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Maria Carlstone had always been the kind of woman who saw beyond the surface.At 30 years old, Maria Carlstone had built a formidable career as an investigative journalist based in Washington, D.C., known for unearthing secrets powerful people wished would stay buried. She had an instinct for deception—a sixth sense that had never failed her.Before marrying her high school sweetheart and relocating to California, she was a firebrand reporter for one of D.C.'s most fearless investigative entertainment magazines, Capital Truth Weekly. Her sharp pen and unrelenting curiosity carved her name into circles where truth was a dangerous currency.Her biggest breakthroughs came while covering the rapidly growing African diaspora entertainment scene in the U.S.—particularly the booming Nollywood-America crossover industry that had taken root in Atlanta, Houston, and Los Angeles.The first was “The Gold Circle Scandal.” Maria had uncovered a secret cabal of directors and producers operating unde
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The wedding ring on Fedora Smith’s finger felt heavier than it should. Maybe it was the weight of the $70,000 deal—or the weight of pretending to be a devoted wife to Judah Carlstone, the elusive undercover agent determined to bring down one of the deadliest drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere: La Sombra Negra.The plan had been clear: blend in, play house, and charm their way into the cartel's good graces. Especially its secretive and calculating leader, Don Mateo "El Padre" Rivas, a man known for only doing business with “family men.” Judah knew if he had any chance of infiltrating that inner circle, he had to look the part—and Fedora, with her polished smile and spotless reputation, was perfect for the role.But this wasn’t just a fake marriage with staged photos in a studio somewhere.No—Judah Carlstone had made it official.He paid her $70,000, yes—but he also gave her a ring that glittered in the spotlight of real commitment. The ceremony had been luxurious - Fedora’s entire
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The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a warm, amber glow over the sprawling mansion nestled on the outskirts of Mexico City. Judah and Fedora stood side by side, their fingers intertwined, their hearts heavy with the weight of what was to come. They had spent days preparing for this moment—no longer just a ruse of a marriage, but an operation that could change everything.It had started with a message—a quiet, discreet invitation delivered by one of Judah’s most trusted connections in the underground world. Marco de la Cruz, a man with ties deep in the cartel and an eye for opportunity, had relayed the news that the infamous drug lord, El Padre Rivas, had heard rumors of Judah’s reputation.The world believed Judah Carlstone was a rogue agent—a man still on the CIA’s payroll but with a reputation for bending the rules and letting certain drug shipments slide through. In truth, Judah was the best of his kind: a highly decorated operative with a spotless record and an unshakable sen
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No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 31: The Line Between Love and War
In the days that followed, the atmosphere between Fedora and Judah shifted. The intimacy they had shared was now replaced by a palpable tension. Every glance lingered a moment too long, every touch was avoided. They moved around each other with a newfound caution, as if afraid that proximity might reignite the flames they were desperately trying to smother.Judah, ever the professional, buried himself in the mission. He coordinated with the CIA, ensuring that every detail of the final drug delivery of El Padre Rivas was flawless. His days were consumed with briefings, surveillance, and contingency plans. He needed the distraction, needed to focus on something other than the memory of Fedora's touch, the sound of her voice whispering his name in the dark.Fedora, too, threw herself into the role she had to play. She rehearsed her lines, perfected her smiles, and reminded herself of the stakes. This was more than just a mission; it was a game of life and death. And there was no room for
No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 30: Emotions Aflame!
And the world between them caught fire.His lips found hers with the urgency of a man who had come too close to losing the only thing that had ever made him feel alive. Her fingers slid up his chest, curling into his T-shirt, and he deepened the kiss, cupping her face with both hands like she was something sacred. Something he’d once prayed for but never thought he’d deserve.The spatula forgotten, the food ignored.The only heat that mattered now was the one sparking between them.Fedora gasped against his mouth, and he took it as invitation. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down, pulling him in. Every kiss he gave her was both like an apology and a confession. I’m sorry for falling in love with you. I can't help my feelings. I'm gone too deepBut even as her body leaned into his, her mind screamed, This is a mistake. This breaks the rules. This wasn’t supposed to happen.Still… it was Judah.And he was thinking the same—This shouldn’t happen. This changes everything
No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 29: The Ex. Must Bleed!
Seven days after the rescue, Fedora sat in the debriefing room.The room was silent, heavy with the kind of stillness that follows trauma. A chill clung to the air despite the spring sun warming Langley outside. Fedora sat wrapped in a thick gray sweater, her figure still visibly frail. But her gaze—tired, sharp, unflinching—held more strength than most people in the room could bear to meet for long.Judah wasn’t allowed inside.His supervisor, Trenholm, had pulled him aside that morning.“You’re too close,” he said. “We need her mind, Judah—not your heart flooding the room.”Judah clenched his fists but said nothing.He understood—but that didn’t mean it didn’t tear at him.So now, he paced outside the room like a caged animal, catching every muffled word that slipped through the vents.Inside, Agent Mowe sat across from Fedora. Calm. Clinical.“You were in Korben’s custody for four days,” He began. “Anything you remember—voices, names, faces—could matter.”Fedora blinked slowly. “He
No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 28: Her Voice, His Salvation
“Stay on the line with me, Fedora,” Judah said, voice trembling, pacing the CIA ops center like a man walking a tightrope between hope and insanity. “Don’t hang up. Please.” “I won’t,” came her faint, exhausted voice. “I promise.” His throat closed, but he forced words out. “Are you safe now? Where are you exactly? Are you inside a building? Are there people with you?” “I’m in a house. A kind farmer brought me in. His family’s kind. They gave me food… a place to sleep. I think it’s somewhere in the outskirts. I—I don’t really know.” Judah turned to the team. “Trace her call. Get satellites aligned. Move now.” “Fedora, look around. Anything you can tell me—street signs, landmarks?” There was shuffling on her end. A moment of silence. “There’s a sign… says ‘Little Haven.’” “Copy that!” shouted one of the techs. “We’re narrowing it down!” Judah’s voice softened again. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” She was quiet for a moment. “I’ve got cuts. Bruises. But I’m alive,
No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 27: Where is Fedora?
The rope was tight, digging into the skin of Fedora’s wrists, but not impossibly so. She’d been still for hours—breathing, counting, watching the patterns of the guard who stood at the door of the dingy fifth-floor room. The old textile factory was a crumbling skeleton of rust and rot, but it gave her something Korben hadn’t counted on: silence. Silence that let her hear every footstep. Every whisper. Every opportunity. Korben had gone out for food. The guard was bored. And Fedora… was ready. She shifted in the chair slowly, careful not to draw attention. Earlier, while Korben ranted about demands and consequences, she’d swiped the tiny piece of jagged metal from the broken vent behind her. Now, she pressed it against the rope, sawing back and forth behind her back. Her wrists bled, but she didn’t stop. Her arms trembled from the strain. Still, she kept cutting. Minutes felt like lifetimes Then—snap. The rope gave. She moved fast. Before the guard could react, she was on him. T
No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 26: The Release
“Dammit!” Korben snarled, kicking over a rusted pipe as he stormed into the room. The bowl of street noodles he brought crashed to the floor, splattering the wall. The guard he’d assigned to Fedora lay writhing, bloodied and dazed, clutching his jaw and muttering incoherently. The ropes were on the ground—cut clean through. The window? Shattered.The air was rank with rage and panic.“Where is she?!” Korben bellowed, grabbing the man by the collar, shaking him violently. “You had one job!”He didn’t wait for an answer.Upstairs. Downstairs. Through the stairwell. Behind crates and rotten furniture. He tore through every room in the crumbling warehouse. No Fedora. He charged outside, diving into the dense brush behind the building, gun drawn, scanning for movement. Nothing.She was gone.She’d outmaneuvered him.And the handover to Judah was in just a few hours.He paced, breathing hard. Options flickered in his mind like static. He couldn’t show up empty-handed. That would mean he ca
No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 25: Kidnapped
Judah’s knuckles were white on the conference table. The room was dim, tension slicing through the air like a scalpel to the throat.“Confirmed?” he asked.Trenholm’s expression was grim, jaw set. “Confirmed. Korben Lyle isn’t just back—he’s activated. He’s reached out to Rivas' network. He’s offering names, files, ops. Everything.”Judah stood slowly. His voice was a whisper soaked in fury. “He’s selling me out.”Trenholm nodded. “And Fedora.”Judah’s eyes narrowed into slits. “I should’ve ended him in Tel Aviv.”But this wasn’t about failed missions anymore.This was personal.This was Fedora.***Judah knows Korben very well. In fact, he had worked with him on several cases before he went rogue. Before he became the agency’s most hunted asset, he was one of their best.Operative-classified. Special activities division. A handler’s nightmare and a field agent’s legend. He didn’t follow rules—he rewrote them. Missions that should’ve failed became ghost stories whispered in Langley’s
No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 24: The Shadow That Watched
The text came through at 2:03 a.m.Unknown Number: “She looked happy with you. Let’s see how long that lasts.”Judah stared at the screen, fingers tightening around his phone. The air in his apartment suddenly felt colder. He rose from the couch, checked the windows. All locked. Still, something didn’t feel right.Someone had seen them. Someone had watched.And that someone wasn’t Rivas.***In her room, Fedora stood in front of her bathroom mirror, brushing her teeth in silence. Her phone buzzed on the counter.Anonymous: “You were always too soft, Fedora. I’m surprised you’re still alive.”She froze, foam drying on her lips. The number was untraceable.Another message followed.Anonymous: “Cynthia said you couldn’t stomach blood.”Her grip on the toothbrush loosened. It clattered into the sink."Cynthia? What does she have to do with this? How did this stalker know she hated the sight of blood?" She quizzed rhetorically.She knew that Cynthia was vengeful, but not to this extent. Or
No Apologies, No Regrets Chapter 23: Jealousy in the Horizon…
It started as an ordinary Saturday. Fedora and Judah were at the mall, doing something as simple as picking out curtain swatches. They blended into the crowd—Judah in his dark glasses and cap, Fedora in jeans and a cropped sweater—relaxed for the first time in days after what they went through during the first consignment delivery for Rivas.They were laughing at something silly—a pretzel vendor who insisted his snacks had “marriage-saving salt”—when a voice called out, slicing through the peace.“Fedora?”Her smile froze.Fedora turned to see the one face she’d never hoped to see again.Tyler.There he was, in jeans and a button-down, older and clearly worn out. Fedora’s heart stuttered, not because she still felt anything for him—but because she didn’t.“I just need fifteen minutes,” Tyler said, desperation bleeding through his words.“Who is he?” Judah asked.“He is my ex. We broke up about five years ago.” She answered“Fedora, please, can you give me fifteen minutes of time, if y
