Novels by ARILLE MOON

CHAPTER 4: WELCOME HOME, MRS. KMy hand trembled as I placed it in Mr. K's. His palm was warm... surprisingly warm for someone whose words could cut like ice."Welcome home..." he said quietly. "...Mrs. K."The word home settled heavily in my chest, because home to me was a small wooden house in Maguindanao, where the roof leaked whenever it rained and Lola would place old pots on the floor to catch the water. Home smelled of freshly cooked arroz caldo and the jasmine flowers growing outside our window.This house had towering black gates slid open without a sound, revealing an enormous mansion that looked as though it belonged in a magazine. Warm golden lights spilled from every window, illuminating perfectly trimmed hedges, marble fountains, and gardens so immaculate they looked untouched by human hands.I stared through the car window, unable to blink. The car rolled to a smooth stop beneath a massive stone portico supported by towering white columns. Before the driver could step

chapter 3:The stranger closed his umbrella with a soft click and dripped from the tip onto the ground between us."You're hurt," he said. His eyes dropped to the red marks on my wrist where the debt collector had grabbed me.nI quickly pulled my arm back and hugged myself."I'm fine." I responded but he didn't believe me. Of course he didn't."One hundred and fifty thousand pesos," he said quietly. "You need it in three hours."the questioned and my heart stopped."How do you know that?" I asked him."I know everything about you, Maya Reyes."The rain continued falling between us. Every instinct told me to run, but where would I go?"Who are you?" I whispered."Someone who can help you." He took one slow step closer.Despite the heavy rain, his charcoal suit looked untouched. Not a wrinkle. Not a drop out of place."Or," he continued, "someone who can make things much worse. Your choice." A chill crawled down my spine."What do you want from me?" I asked. He reached into his coat and p

Manila ApartmentThere was a knock at the door, it wasn't the polite kind that came with patience. It was loud enough to rattle the thin wooden door of my apartment... loud enough to make my stomach twist into knots. Whoever stood outside wasn't asking, they were demanding.I stood frozen a few steps away from the door, barely daring to breathe and another knock echoed through the apartment."Maya!" a man shouted. "Open the door! We know you're in there!" His rough voice cut through the silence and my heart slammed against my ribs. I pressed my back against the wall beside the door and squeezed my eyes shut for a second.Maybe if I stayed quiet... maybe they'd think I'd already left. Another bang shook the door."No more hiding!" the man yelled.I swallowed hard. I was twenty-four years old, hiding inside my own apartment like a criminal. My name was Maya Reyes ...and I was broke. Not the kind of broke where you skipped takeout for a week.I was the kind of broke that kept you awake

I left Lola's room before she could wake up and see me crying but the envelope felt heavier than it should have. It was only a single piece of paper, yet it carried the weight of my entire world.Three hours was all I had left to find one hundred and fifty thousand pesos. I walked down the hospital corridor in a daze, barely noticing the people brushing past me. A little girl laughed as she chased her father toward the elevator.I stopped beside a vending machine and opened my handbag...two hundred pesos, that was it. I stared at the worn bills for a long moment before slowly putting them back. A lump formed in my throat as I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes."Think, Maya. There had to be someone." I thought to myself. I pulled out my phone, the cracked screen flickered to life. The battery was barely holding on as scrolled through my contact and called anyone. Still the answer was ' No'.'My thumb hovered over one final numb, the bank, but I laughed bitterly. Afterall, I ow