5 Second Rule

Sa inis ni Aura Beatriz Diaz, nakuha niyang makipag-usap sa kaklase at kapitbahay niyang iniiwasan ng lahat. Sa ngalan ng plus points, pinilit niya si Shintaro Terrano na magpalit sila ng points sapagkat ito ang dahilan kung bakit siya na-late sa klase. “Sino naman ang nagsasabi sa iyong ayaw ko ng points? Pasensiya ka na, ‘di ko magagawa iyan...” Sagot ni Shintaro sa kanya. “Pero may ibang paraan ako para makakuha ka nito...” Namangha niya nang namalayan niyang kaya naman palang makipag-usap nito sa mga tao. “Babaguhin natin ang nakaraan.” Sinabi pa nito. Napatigil siya nang hawakan nito ang kamay niya at literal na umikot ang kanyang mundo. Pumikit siya ng mariin at noong sa tingin niya'y tumigil na ang pag-ikot. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya sa nakita. Wala na sila sa paaralan. Nasa waiting shed na sila kung saan sila nag-agawan ng pwesto sa jeep kanina. “P-Paano mo nagawa ito? I-Isa ka bang w-wizard? G-Guardian? Guardian angel?!” Halos pasigaw na tanong niya. Mababaliw na siya. Paano ito nagawa ng isang Shintaro Terrano? Ano nga ba si Shintaro Terrano? Umangat ang gilid ng labi nito. “Akala ko ba matalino ang isang Aura Beatriz Cortes Diaz? Bakit hindi mo napagtagping maaaring isa akong manglalakbay sa kahapon, kasalukuyan at hinaharap… Oo, manlalakbay ako. Kaya kong baguhin ang nangyari na. Itong kaharap mo ngayon ang totoong Shintaro. Ikaw lang ang nakakaalam ng totoong Shintaro Terrano… Ikaw lang ang hahayaan kong makaalam.”

Divorce was a nightmare she never envisioned, especially not with the man who held her heart. Born into a world of wealth and influence, Tyra Ralene Sandoval was groomed for leadership, her every move calculated to secure her place at the helm alongside her brother, Tyler Rale Sandoval. Their paths collided in the bustling halls of college, where Tyra found herself captivated by Laxus Miguel Villafuerte, the charming heir to V Corps. Their love blossomed, culminating in a whirlwind romance that led to marriage within two years. The discovery of Laxus's infidelity shattered Tyra's world, leaving her with nothing but the painful remnants of a love that had once promised forever. Desperate to mend the pieces of her shattered heart, Tyra sought refuge in a foreign land, hoping to find love and a chance to move on from the betrayal she had endured. The news of her father's illness forced Tyra's return, but she wasn't alone. By her side someone stood, who meant more to her than anything in the world. Fate had a twist in store, bringing Tyra and Laxus face-to-face once more, and with it, a revelation that would rewrite their destinies. Would she give him a second chance, or would she embrace the love that had healed her broken heart? Could forgiveness bridge the chasm between them, or would they be forever bound by the pain of the past?

She saved him, she loved him, she gave her life for him. What did she get in return? He stepped on her heart, he turned everyone against her, they almost killed her. But... She was reborn. Not to ten years in the past, nor to a time before everything started. But she was reborn as a devil, a devil who came to take everything away from those who hurt her. He would help her; he would do anything for her. Even kill for her. When a naive woman meets a cruel man, she becomes so cruel that he won't be able to fight against her. How does that saying go? Nothing is more dangerous in this world, than a human who has nothing to lose, especially a woman who has been scorned. She has come back for revenge, and she will get her revenge. In the worst way possible.

Life has a funny way of throwing curveballs, and for Ella Blake, it was a fastball right to the heart. On the same day she discovered she was pregnant, her husband, Lucas, dropped a bombshell: his childhood sweetheart, Amy, was also expecting—and he wanted Ella to raise the child. Talk about a double whammy! Devastated and feeling utterly betrayed, Ella packed her bags and left the life she once knew, vowing never to look back. Fast forward six years, and she's back, but with a new look and a fierce attitude. Lucas can’t believe his luck when he spots her, mistaking their chemistry for a chance to rekindle their past. But with secrets, old feelings, and Amy reappearing with her own bombshell, can Ella find a way to reclaim her heart, or will revenge take the wheel? What will happen when the past collides with the present?

Princess Elara was destined to rule the Mooncrest Pack—until betrayal stole everything from her. Her so-called mate chose power over love, leaving her to die with a shattered heart and a stolen crown. But the Moon Goddess is not done with her. Reborn into her younger self, Elara remembers every lie, every deception, every knife in her back. This time, she will not be the naive princess who trusted the wrong wolf. This time, she will seize her destiny with fangs bared. Yet fate has its own cruel twist. The mate bond burns again… not with the traitor who destroyed her, but with his greatest rival—a ruthless Alpha prince feared across the lands. Torn between revenge and the pull of an irresistible bond, Elara must decide: will she risk her heart once more, or use her second chance to rewrite both her fate and the kingdom’s future?

The day after my best friend, Sarah Blunt married Patrick, the second son of the Brosnan family, I too became a bride and wed Matthew, his older brother. She married a swimming champion, and I, the rock-climbing coach. We thought we had our futures all figured out. Then, something happened that summer. The four of us planned a getaway but Matthew and Patrick’s baby sister, Megan joined us and our peaceful trip became a crowded affair.  While rock climbing, disaster struck—the rope snapped, and all five of us plummeted into the river below. The brothers rushed frantically to save Megan, leaving Sarah and me at the mercy of the river’s current, battered and tossed like driftwood. By the time the rescue team pulled us from the water, we were bruised, scraped, and utterly spent. In the hospital, Megan and I received devastating news that would change everything.  “You’ve been pregnant for 40 days, Ma’am. How could you put yourself in such a risky situation? Your baby survived, but your friend lost hers.” Shaken, I called Matthew to tell him about the pregnancy. His anger cut through the line. “You’re angry that I went to Megs first and now you’re trying to fool me with a fake pregnancy? She’s my sister—it’s my duty to protect her!” Sarah faced her own storm. Patrick practically scoffed at her grief. “Miscarriage? Do you expect me to believe that? The doctors said you only had a 30% chance of conceiving. I can’t stand women who create drama out of nothing.” Both calls ended abruptly, leaving us stunned as we stared at each other in the sterile light of the hospital room. In that shared silence, we made our decision—we would leave these men behind and start anew, launching a business together. But when the brothers received our divorce papers, they showed up at my door in the middle of a storm, kneeling in the pouring rain, crying through the night for a second chance.

After three years of secret marriage, Reginald Thompson suddenly proposed a divorce to Elizabeth Smith. Elizabeth chuckled, took her share of the property, and left the home of the past three years—using her skills to thrive in the antique world. Some time after the divorce, the former dictator Reginald saw his beautiful ex-wife Elizabeth stunning the audience on television, regretting his past actions. He regretted the divorce and pursued her all over the world, declaring, "My dear Elizabeth, my heart is yours, my life is yours. Come back to me!" Elizabeth Smith's rosy lips parted, "I'm sorry, Reginald!" Later, she encountered the man, Mayo John Brown, who had once saved her life. On the day of their wedding, news arrived. She abandoned the groom John, holding the injured body of Reginald Thompson in sorrow. Until Reginald proposed again, "My beloved Elizabeth, can we get married again?"

Eidolon Avenue: Where the secretly guilty go to die. One building. Five floors. Five doors per floor. Twenty-five nightmares feeding the hunger lurking between the bricks and waiting beneath the boards. The sequel to Eidolon Avenue: The First Feast (“a great read...powerful and jarring” - Cemetery Dance) returns to the voracious Eidolon as it savors The Second Feast. A narcoleptic man in apartment 2A battles a vengeful past determined to rob him of everything as he runs from the barbaric disaster of a delusional love. A woman in 2B, reinventing herself to please a callous boyfriend, discovers the horrors that wait in the shadows of her self-renovation. The man in 2C, a teacher at the nearby Catholic girl’s school, collapses beneath the brutal consequences of his lecherous desires. An older woman in 2D, after decades dedicated to the church, is cornered at last by the grisly carnage beating at the hollow center of her faith. And a college student in 2E, hungry to escape an ignored life of invisible anonymity, finds herself captured between the pages of a ravenous book. All thrown into their own private hell as every cruel choice, every drop of spilled blood, every silent, complicit moment of cowardice is remembered, resurrected and relived to feed the ancient evil that lives on Eidolon Avenue. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

I was in love with Ethan Black, a brilliant man with big dreams. I gave him my twenties, my body, my loyalty. I worked three jobs while he chased his startup dreams. And when he finally made it, he became a stranger. Then I found out he got another woman pregnant, the same woman who dumped him in college when his family lost everything. That nearly destroyed me. But I stayed. I told myself love was worth it. But nothing could prepare me for the day he left our four-year-old daughter home alone… to go see her. And our little girl died. I buried my child and with her, the woman I used to be. Now, I live for one thing only: Revenge. He took everything from me. Now I’ll take everything from him. He doesn’t know it yet… but I’m not the same woman he left behind. And by the time I’m done, he’ll wish he never met me.

He lost his mate. She lost her past. Now fate is forcing them together… and someone wants her dead. Lyra wakes in a strange territory, blood on her hands and no memory of who she is. The only thing she knows? The dangerously cold Alpha watching her like she doesn’t belong. Kael doesn’t believe in second chances. His first mate is gone and so is the part of him that could love again. But when Lyra crosses his border, something in him snaps back to life. She’s not just a rogue.She’s a threat.She’s a bond fate never intended.And someone in the shadows will kill to keep her truth buried. Can they survive the secrets tying them together or will this forbidden bond destroy them both?