A Fine Balance

"Fine, I’ll do it, but only on the condition that my grandma gets proper treatment. If you don’t hold your end of the bargain,” Sandra said as her tone quieted down before adding, “even the stars won’t save you from me.” ******* He wanted a bride, and unknown to him, he’d married the wrong bride. Aztec Marshall was cruel, and toxic for a powerful alpha, but that was how he reigned. Many who knew him were too scared to even look in his direction. Women who loved his dangerous aura wanted him, but all he needed was for his pack to be strong. She was a simple human, with simple desires, though her greatest challenge was to finance her sickling grandma, the only family that truly cared about her. Adopted into a werewolf family, Sandra Franzel didn't know that she was just a contingency plan for them, until the dreaded day came, when she had to fit herself into a damn gown, thanks to her sister, Scarlet who had made a run for it on her wedding day. However, for the sake of her grandma, Sandra wasn't scared to be the devil’s wife. Bound by a marriage of convenience, they both have to learn to live with each other, even though the longer they stay married, the more secrets come to the surface.

My wife, Vivian Lane, is the wealthiest woman. Her assistant had made it clear he had three "do-not-disturb" rules: no messages after work, no calls on weekends, and absolutely no contact when he was in a bad mood. Because of this, the company lost a major deal—one worth over a hundred million. Yet the assistant looked completely unbothered. "Sorry, I had no idea one phone call could make such a difference. If something goes wrong and I have to be the one to take the blame, fine—I'm just another cog in the machine." My wife snapped, "Who said anything about blaming you? You did exactly what you were told." She shot me a look of pure irritation. "You take the profits from the project, and when things fall apart, you dump it on the regular employees? Is that how you run a business? If your company folds over something this small, it just proves you're not fit to be in charge." It suddenly clicked, and I let out a quiet laugh. So she thought this project belonged to my company? I didn't bother correcting her. To be honest, I couldn't really hold it against her—after all, it wasn't my company going under.

They say there is a fine line between love and hate, but where does one end and the other begin? When does something so pure become something so toxic that even you yourself cannot fathom when things changed? This story starts on the day that my parents were killed. That was the day that I felt like my entire life had ended. If only I knew then that it was only the beginning of the storm I would be made to endure. Struggling to grasp onto the threads of my unraveling life, I found comfort in the arms of someone I didn't truly know. His dangerously handsome looks and his lethal allure consumed me, and, despite my every instinct, I fell. He became my world, the very air I needed to breathe, the only one that I thought I could rely on... but then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. When the truth of my very existence and reality was revealed, he cast me aside and lit my world ablaze, leaving me to burn in the flames of his hatred. Even then, we were still intertwined together by one fate. My name is Yileyna De'Lacor, and this is my story. For updates, character aesthetics and more follow me on author.muse on IG and author muse on

Vanessa Carmichael never dreamed she would marry a man like Alexander Cole, the ruthless, untouchable CEO who commands respect and fear in equal measure. But when her mother’s life hangs in the balance, desperation forces her into an unthinkable deal: a three-year marriage contract with the coldest man she has ever met. Alexander makes one thing clear, this is business, not love. Yet from the moment Vanessa steps into his glittering mansion, their worlds collide in ways neither expected. At high-society galas, he shields her with icy authority. Behind closed doors, he lays down rules she refuses to follow. She pushes back; he pulls her closer. Theirs is a dangerous dance of control, passion, and secrets. But as cracks form in Alexander’s perfect mask, Vanessa begins to wonder, what is he hiding behind those dark, guarded eyes? And will she survive the fire she’s walking into…or burn for him completely?

In a world ruled by an empire built on lies, Eva Blackthorn is determined to uncover the truth. When she infiltrates the heart of the Empire to expose its darkest secret—Project Requiem—she discovers that her own sister, Lyra, is at the center of a twisted experiment designed to create the perfect soldiers. Forced into a battle against time, Eva must confront not only the Empire’s corrupt leaders but also the rebels who seek to use the chaos to their advantage. With the fate of her sister and the future of the world hanging in the balance, Eva forms an unlikely alliance with the stoic general, Ryder Coldclaw. Together, they navigate a treacherous path, racing to stop Project Requiem before it is too late. But as the lines between enemy and ally blur, Eva faces a choice that will determine not only her survival but the survival of those she loves. *Echoes of Requiem* is a gripping tale of betrayal, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bond between sisters, set in a world on the brink of collapse. In the fight for freedom, the greatest weapon is the truth.

Walang permanente sa mundo ng showbiz. Ito ang isang bagay na natutunan ni Selene nang pansamantala nitong iwan ang showbiz. Sa muling pagbabalik nito, kakailanganin n'yang gampanan ang isang mahalagang papel sa likod ng camera: maging butihing maybahay ng kapwa artista na si Marion Altamirano. Marion Altamiro is one fine man. At dahil sa kasikatan nito, nasa kanya na ang lahat. Halos. Isang eskandalo ang kinasangkutan nito kaya't ang dati'y tinitingala ay tila isang putik ngayon kung tapakan dahil sa pagkakamaling iyon. Saving grace ang teleseryeng pagbibidahan ng dalawang artista dahil ito ang magsasalba sa naghihingalo nilang kasikatan. Kailangan din nilang magpakasal upang maging kapani-paniwala ang chemistry ng mga ito. Hindi magiging madali para sa kanila na pangatawanan ang napagkasunduan; unti-unti na rin kasing mawawala ang boundary sa pagitan ng totohanan at kasinungalingan. All for show pa rin ba na maituturing ang pagsasama nila kung kapwa na silang nahuhulog para sa isa't isa?

"It's just...I don't think this is working out,” he gestured at the empty space between us. My mind reeled. "What do you mean? We're fine, aren't we?" I asked, holding onto hope. "Honestly, Kalynda, I deserve better." "What's wrong with me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Jake's gaze dropped to my body, and he didn’t even try to hide his disgust. "It's just...your weight, Kae. It's...unattractive." Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. "You're ashamed of me," I stated, my voice cracking. Jake shrugged. "I'm just being honest, Kae. You need to lose weight if you want to keep a guy like me.” "You're breaking up with me because of my weight?" I asked, incredulous. Jake nodded. Kalynda hits rock bottom when her boyfriend breaks up with her and she realized he’d been using her all along. The bullying and ridicule from her peers, including her step sister, increased, and Kae wants to end it all. But the brooding Max steps in and stops her. She sees life in a new light and works in herself. What happens when she returns as a completely different person?

After my father died, my mother remarried and took my younger sister and me with her. But her new husband had one condition—she could only bring one child. From people who used to hang around my dad, I later learned that my grandfather was actually a wealthy antique collector. My sister clung to him for her own future, refusing to let go. But in his eyes, her only job was to get straight A's; everything else—her clothes, her meals, her allowance—was kept to the bare minimum. I went with my stepfather instead. His business took off, and we eventually moved into a huge mansion. He even set me up with an engagement to the heir of a powerful, wealthy family. My sister was eaten up with jealousy. One day, she doused me in gasoline and dragged us both back in time to that day we had to choose our futures. This time, she lunged for my stepfather's hand and held on tight. "I want to stay with Mom and Dad," she announced. I didn't miss a beat. I immediately ducked behind my grandfather. 'Fine, Phoebe. You're the one who chose a life as a bargaining chip. Don't blame me for it. You can have it.'

"A brilliant, aloof lawyer, Phin Younger has focused solely on his career and on helping people less fortunate. Living his life without romance? He’s just fine with that. Phin knows all too well how relationships make life messy and complicated. Until the day Emily Lassiter begs Phin to help her teenage brother. Beautiful but as fierce as a lioness, Emily is like no other woman he’s met. Suddenly, all of Phin’s plans to avoid romantic entanglements are thrown out the window the moment he sets eyes on Emily. A former model, Emily now struggles to make ends meet for herself and for her teenage brother Josh. When Josh commits a crime that could put him behind bars for years, she turns to her brother’s court-appointed lawyer, Phin Younger, for help. But Emily never expected that her brother’s lawyer would be young and handsome. And she definitely never expected that Phin’s kiss would heat a need inside her that soon transforms into a conflagration. When these two can no longer deny their feelings for each other, an embittered rival of Phin’s threatens to destroy his career, dragging Emily into the scandal. Now these star-crossed lovers must overcome the fears that hold them captive—or face a future without the love that could set them both free."

The day my mother brought her childhood sweetheart back to the villa, my father—who had already quit smoking—stood on the balcony and smoked through the entire night. Back then, his colleagues at the research institute all envied him for having a wife who was a CEO. They said he should have stayed home and enjoyed life—why work so hard outside when all he needed to do was keep a firm grip on the household finances? But my father never agreed. "Those things are all external," he would say. "As long as the feelings are still there, we'll be fine whether we're rich or poor. And if one day she no longer loves me, I'll leave with nothing and walk away alone." He never expected his words to become prophecy. My mother truly did stop loving him. Later, when she appeared before the media, arm in arm with that man, my father didn't look back. He boarded a flight overseas and disappeared from our lives. And as I stared at the photo in my social feed—my fiancée's hand entwined with someone else's—I knew it was time for me to leave too, just like my father had.