Presumed Innocent Novel

Title: Guilty By Appearance Genre: Filipino Contemporary Romance / Psychological Drama In the pristine, clinical world of Bonifacio Global City, Dr. Snow Ford lives a quiet life structured by routine, forever standing in the shadow of her reckless twin sister, Scarlet. Bound by a complicated familial bond and the weight of old money, Snow has always been the one to sweep up the pieces. But when a fatal hit-and-run shatters the family name, and Scarlet suddenly dies of heart failure, Snow is left carrying the blame for a crime she didn’t commit. Enter Blake Buenaventura. A high-profile lawyer consumed by a quiet, burning thirst for vengeance, Blake vows to destroy the billionaire family that took away his world. He orchestrates a calculated, slow-burning courtship to trap the woman he believes is a heartless killer. But in this intense contemporary drama, hatred and real intimacy begin to blur. When Blake unleashes his trap at a high-society gala, a devastating tragedy of errors unfolds. The courtroom secrets reveal a horrific truth: Snow is entirely innocent, and Blake has systematically destroyed the only woman who gave him her whole heart. Written in a raw, deeply intimate first-person POV, Guilty By Appearance is a story of psychological trauma, unforgivable betrayal, and the agonizingly slow path to redemption. From the high-stakes elite world of Metro Manila to the storm-swept shores of Siargao, it explores whether a love tested by fire can survive the ultimate ruin.

I was never supposed to exist. For eighteen years, I was a secret—hidden away, locked behind walls, known only to my family and my father’s Beta. But on the eve of my eighteenth birthday, everything changed. I felt him. My mate. The bond was undeniable, a force stronger than anything I had ever known. I confided in my sister, Camilla, expecting support. But she saw an opportunity. She wanted him for herself. By the time I found Alpha Alexander Beaumont, the betrayal was already set in stone. He was bonded to her. Heartbroken and furious, I swore she wouldn’t get away with it. But before I could uncover the truth, Camilla was murdered—and I was the one they blamed. Now, the man meant to be my mate refuses to believe me, and I am facing punishment for a crime I didn’t commit. But I am not the villain in this story. And I will prove it...

When finding evidence is by the skin of one's teeth, what price are you willing to lay to find the culprit?~~~She was just a typical girl from a not so typical family, who will seek justice after her loved ones' death. She was the only survivor in that death trap or at least that was what she knew. Their death wasn't just a mere tragedy, it was intentional. The purpose was to eradicate her clan, but they failed when she survived.When her only reason for living was taken away from her... What was left in her being were: hatred, anger and the burning fire to have her revenge, but it was hard to find since no obtainable evidence could uncover the culprit behind the terrible scheme.When her boss, turned lover, started to show affection, a beam of light was flashed in her being. The newly found solitude with him gradually replaced her negative feelings. But as another guy entered into the picture and claimed her to be his, it drifted her back to her intentions which led her to unravel some secrets she never thought existed. Join me as I lay pieces of information about the Culprit's real identity.

•The story traces the transformation of a young woman as her otherwise ordinary life was rudely interrupted by one tragic event after another. She then used her sexual prowess, her innate ability to be one step ahead of her erstwhile adversaries in and out of the ob-lo, or the jailhouse where she was incarcerated, and her cunning to turn things around by unexpectedly aligning herself with her enemies and disposing of her seemingly most trusted friends and acquaintances. In other words, from an ordinary life, Nina transformed into a femme fatale. The story is also a steamy prison novel full of the unexpected romance and the exciting thrill of escaping the ob-lo and finally getting the much-sought justice served - before the deadline for innocence finally expires. Nina’s story also reveals the deep cracks in the judicial system of the country. But who are Nina’s real enemies and true friends? How could she prove her innocence to a crime she did not commit at all? The answers to these intriguing questions would somehow only be revealed in the final chapter of this story. In the end, a twist of fate led Nina’s luck to smile at her, but with the most dangerous of consequences; and no longer as a mere femme fatale, but the biggest drug lord this side of the world would now have to contend with.

My grandmother is, as far as the law is concerned, a dead woman. She faked her own death so she could go off with the boy she'd grown up beside, and she left evidence behind that made my grandfather her killer. He went away for twenty years. She sold his house and ran to Port Halcyon with the other man. One of them became a famous attorney who talks about justice in courtrooms. The other became a philanthropist who talks about compassion under television lights. My grandfather carried the word wife-killer for the rest of his life. My father grew up on whatever the neighbors could spare. He never spent a day in school, and he wore his hands raw laying brick until he'd put me through college. Two generations, two pairs of ruined hands, lifting me one step at a time out of Pinebarrow. Fifty years after my grandmother's fake death. I sit on the felony bench of the Dunstone Superior Court. In front of me are five young women charged in a murder. The case against the first four is airtight. Against the fifth, there's half a fingerprint at the scene and a witness who accounts for her entire night. Even the police call her the least likely of them. The murder charge won't hold. I go through her file. Under family, there's a name. Evelyn Harrow. My grandmother. I look at how much the two of them resemble each other. And when her lawyer moves to have her released from this courtroom a free woman, I bring the gavel down lightly. "This court denies the defense motion for dismissal. This court further recommends that the district attorney formally charge the defendant with murder."

My mate thinks I'm a murderer! "Do these things belong to you?" He poses his question, his eyes boring deep into mine. I can feel the heat of his gaze inside my body. It's frying every organ inside me and if he keeps looking at me like that, I'm going to drop dead on the floor. He's my mate and he's my only hope. If he also believes the lie that I killed my sister and his brother, then I'm doomed for life. "I…I…" I start to answer, but he quickly cuts me off. I’m sorry "Yes,or no!" Anger flashes in his eyes as he says those words. The tone of his voice sends shivers down my spine. He is angry. He most definitely hates me. This is the end for me! Aurora was locked up by her father for the first eighteen years of her life. He did that for his own selfish desires. On the day of her eighteenth birthday, she thought she would be waking up to a grand party organized for her as promised by her father, but she was dragged to a hall where she found out she was being married to a complete stranger. Confused and terrified by the idea, she ran away from the hall, only to be accused a few hours later for the murder of her sister and the man she was supposed to marry, who was the son of the Alpha of the pack. The only person who can save her from that mess is her mate, who is the future of Alpha of the pack. They both have to work together to prove her innocence and that marks the beginning of their love story.