A Thousand Splendid Suns

Si Prince Cassius ang nakatakdang magmana ng trono ng mga bampira and he spent thousand of years preparing for the duty. However, his grandfather king Lukasz urged him to find a suitable wife and get married which he always rejected. Sa pagpupumilit nito ay napapayag siyang makipag-date at sa pagmamakaawa ng Prinsesa ng mga werewolves na kababata niya ay napilitan din siyang i-broadcast ang blind-date niya. Dito niya nakilala si Arriana Faye na sa simula pa lang ay alam niyang may kakaiba dito. Kalaunan ay nalaman niya ang itinatago nitong lihim. Si Arriana Faye Monroe ay isang mortal na aksidenteng napagkamalang isang bampira. Ang presensiya ng dalaga sa kingdom ng Astral ay makapagdadala ng panganib hindi lang sa mundo ng mga werewolves at bampira kundi sa mga mortal sa Pilipinas. Sa kabila ng kaalamang ito ay hindi pa rin magawang pakawalan ni Cassius ang dalaga. Mauulit bang muli ang blood war oras na magising ang lycan na si Darrius? Magagawa bang ipagtanggol ni Cassius ang dalagang mortal o dadating siya sa puntong kailangan niyang burahin ang alaala nito at pakawalan ang dalaga,? alang-alang sa kapakanan nito at ng mga nabubuhay sa Pilipinas o maging sa buong mundo.

Ryan Wayne—tuan muda keluarga konglomerat Wayne yang dibuang karena dianggap sampah dan memalukan. Dipaksa menikah dengan Eleanor Bennett di kota kecil Millbrook, dia memperlakukan istri yang setia itu dengan kejam, sering mabuk dan mengabaikannya meskipun Eleanor selalu melindunginya dengan tulus. Ketika koalisi musuh menyerang, Ryan hanya bisa menangis tak berdaya menyaksikan Eleanor dirudapaksa dan dibunuh di hadapannya oleh William Langdon dan pria bertopeng perak. Dengan penyesalan mendalam, Ryan tewas sambil berjanji—jika diberi kesempatan kedua, dia akan menjadi suami yang layak. Takdir memberikan kesempatan itu. Setelah 100.000 tahun berkultivasi di alam lain dan menjadi Kaisar Langit, Ryan gagal menerobos ke ranah berikutnya karena teringat penyesalannya pada Eleanor. Jiwanya terlempar kembali ke masa lalu—tepat satu tahun sebelum tragedi terjadi. Kini Ryan memiliki ingatan lengkap dan Teknik Devourers of Thousand Chaos Sources yang dapat menyerap segala jenis energi. Eleanor masih hidup, masih takut padanya, masih dingin karena perlakuan masa lalu. Tapi kali ini berbeda. Ryan bertekad menebus semua kesalahannya, melindungi Eleanor dengan nyawa, dan menghancurkan setiap musuh yang berani menyentuh keluarganya. "Di kehidupan sebelumnya, kalian menghancurkan keluargaku dan membunuh orang yang kucintai. Di kehidupan ini, aku akan membalas kalian jutaan kali lipat!"

A dark and gloomy villa stood in the middle of the barren landscape, hidden from sight by a perched hedge. It was phenomenal and spectacular, but it makes it appear to have succumbed to a sullen and ominous atmosphere, both inside and out. A lanky hedge and gnarled shrubs give off the impression that the house has indeed been overlooked. The rainstorm seeping from the sewer pipes made the place appear miserable and dispirited. Needless to say, the house appeared razed to the ground and devoid of life. The house was made of rune stone that had been smeared darker in spots by downpours, sending it an insidious demeanor even during the day. The window frames were all padlocked and bricked up in steel frames and woods, as if what was inside would have been too grotesque to see, trying to give the impression that someone must have attempted to prevent something horrible from escaping. People have claimed that the residence was plagued by the witch who died there, but there has been no tangible evidence to substantiate their claims. It was even widely speculated that the villa was venomous and mowed down the leaves of trees that come into direct contact with its concrete pillars. People also construed a terrifying presumption that whoever tries to enter the house will never make it out alive because there is something inside that you would never dare to see with your very own eyes. Whatever was real or not, it was unmistakably foreshadowing, exponentially cold and savage at a hundredth of a thousand glances. A breathtaking doll sat competently on a rocking chair inside the house. Waiting complacently for someone brave and heroic enough to unravel the abominable and ghoulish mystery and paradox behind her enchanting, spine-chilling smile.

Vivienne Duarte had spent her youth supporting her husband, pouring all her time and dreams into his ambitions. Married for years and neglecting her own life and career, she believed everything would be fine as long as she remained the dutiful wife. But she was wrong. She wasn’t enough. When Vivienne discovered her husband, Marco, was cheating on her with his first love, the same woman who had once left him for another man, her world shattered. And when she confronted him, Marco didn’t even deny it; instead, he coldly suggested a divorce, breaking her heart into a thousand pieces. Devastated and numb, Vivienne drowned her sorrows at a bar, where a single reckless night led her into the arms of a stranger. And by morning, she vanished without a trace. Five years later, she returned no longer the fragile woman she once was, but a brilliant, mysterious doctor with a new name and a heart hardened by betrayal. She came back for revenge. Yet fate dealt her a cruel twist, because the stranger from that night turned out to be Marco’s uncle… the very man who had been searching for her ever since. Now, Vivienne vows to stay away from him at all costs, for she has something that belongs to him, something he must never find out. But her plans spiral into chaos when Marco reappears, claiming the same thing as his own. Can Vivienne outsmart them both in this dangerous game of love, power, and vengeance, or will she become the pawn in their deadly game of chess?

King Lincoln was just a young man of 28, but he had the strength of a thousand men. His name had been written in the book of records as the youngest ruler of the Most Powerful Kingdom. His Kingdom was the envy of all the 11 Kingdoms. But One day, one of Lincoln's numerous enemies almost won over him. His attack had almost worked as he was able to hit Lincoln with an extremely poisoned arrow during a war. Lincoln didn't die at the battlefield, no. But when he was taken back to the palace, they got to see how badly injured he was. The arrow was poisoned with a rare substance and it's effect was draining the life out of Lincoln - bit by bit. Physicians tried all they could, but couldn't find a cure. His sister was worried, his three brides were paranoid as well. Everyone wanted a solution for their King because the fall of Lincoln would be the fall of the Kingdom. Finally, his sister found a solution. There was a healer - a young lady with special healing abilities who was likely to heal the King. But she was someone that was locked up and restricted from associating with outsiders by her father. Roseline was never permitted to go out for reasons best known to her father and she wondered why. Lincoln's sister was overly worried about her brother's life and figured she had to get the healer by all means to heal her brother. But would that be possible since Roseline's father particularly hated the King? And even if it was possible, there was going to be a little consequence if Roseline succeeded in healing the King. He'd become a sex addict; addicted to her alone.

He whispered her name nine hundred and ninety-nine times in his sleep. Never mine. For five years, I gave everything to Vincent Bonanno—the heir to one of the most powerful mafia dynasties in Europe. I turned his house into a home, remembered every careless detail he let slip, even abandoned my dream of becoming an artist—believing that one day, he would finally choose me. But whenever Alessia appeared, his loyalty bent toward her. The night boiling fondue scarred my arms, he rushed to shield her from a scratch that barely reddened her skin. In public, his gaze never stayed with me—it drifted to her. I was the wife on paper, but never in truth. So I walked away. With nothing but a suitcase, divorce papers he signed without noticing, and a secret I never planned to share—three months pregnant. He discovered too late. The divorce was real. The clinic file was real. And by the time he realized, I had vanished. Now the man who once ruled cities with cold power is tearing the world apart to find us. He has soldiers, money, and a thousand apologies he never gave when I was still his wife. But I’m no longer the woman who begged for affection. I’m a mother. An artist. A survivor. The question isn’t whether Vincent can reach me. It’s whether, when he does, I’ll ever let him back into the life he destroyed.

After graduation, I struggle to find a job, while my girlfriend easily lands a position at a major company. She has been with me for two years, and to cheer me up, she even lets me hold onto her payroll card. Once I finally start working, she worries about my long commute and immediately buys me a car. Everyone around us envies me for having such a thoughtful girlfriend. To save up for a house, I secretly deposit my salary into her account. A year later, we decide to get married. Excited, she grabs my hand and says, "I know you don't have much saved. I don't need any wedding gift. All I want is your love." I am deeply touched by her consideration. But on our engagement day, she pulls out photos of me with a dozen women and accuses me of cheating. I look closely and realize I have never even met any of them. Then she shows me my card's transaction history, filled with charges at the notorious Solara Club. "You had my payroll card, and you used my money to indulge yourself!" she cries. "I'm not marrying you. Return my car and all the money you spent over the years. It adds up to 800 thousand dollars." I calmly place the payroll card she gave me on the table and say with a smirk, "Fine, let's settle this properly." When I present the detailed account prepared by my top lawyer, she is stunned.

When I turn 18, my family suddenly strikes gold. Dad makes a fortune in business. We move into a huge house with a driver and a housekeeper. My younger brother, Vincent Becker, is sent to study in Basmar. After that, he graduates and marries a rich heiress. Their partnership makes our family's business soar. I'm the only one who misses my college entrance exam because of stomach cramps, and my parents marry me off to a lonely man in some rundown countryside. He locks me in a basement and hurts me every single day. I crawl my way back home, half-alive, but my parents only look at me with disgust. "Useless brat! How did you not die out there?" Vincent says that he'll take me out to clear my head. Instead, he shoves me in front of a truck. I'm rushed to the ICU with nearly every bone in my body broken. Right before I die, he leans down in his designer suit and whispers in my ear. "Let me tell you the truth before you die. Our family didn't get rich from business. We got rich because of the hundred-million-dollar lottery ticket you bought. "We cashed it behind your back and never told you." I die full of resentment, and right after my death, they sell my organs for 120 thousand dollars. I open my eyes, and suddenly I'm there again—to the very day I bought the lottery ticket.

On the day of our tenth wedding anniversary, my wife, Cara Dempsey, jumped from ten thousand feet in the air after hearing that her first love's plane had crashed. It was only then that I finally understood the only man she ever truly loved all these years was Luthen Waltz. When we were both sent back in time to relive our teenage years, she wasted no time making a grand, public confession to Luthen, completely cutting ties with me. I just stood there, watching the two of them kiss like they couldn’t bear to be apart, and in that moment, my heart felt nothing. From that day on, we were over, and we lived our separate lives. Ten years later, we crossed paths again at a five-star hotel in Harbor City. She, who had become a celebrity adored by the world, was wearing a gown, laughing in Luthen’s arms. When she saw me wandering through the hotel, searching for someone, she thought I had come looking for her. “George, stop wasting your time! Even in ten years, I will never choose you!” I didn’t respond. Instead, I looked toward the little girl running toward me, calling me Dad, and gave her the warmest smile. Cara’s expression froze. Tears welled in her eyes as she choked out, “You lied to me, didn’t you? You said you hated kids and that you’d only ever love me.”

My back hits the cold glass of the penthouse window, the city glittering a thousand feet below us. Sebastian’s hand is at my throat—not tight enough to hurt, but enough to remind me who I belong to. “You were talking to him,” he says, voice low, dangerous. His other hand is braced beside my head, caging me in. “You smiled.” “It was just—” “Don’t lie to me, Ocean.” His thumb brushes the hollow of my throat, and my pulse jumps so hard he feels it. “You’re mine. Every glance. Every breath. Every inch of you.” I should be furious. I should tell him I’m not his property. But then his mouth is on mine—rough, consuming, tasting like the whiskey he hasn’t let go of since the gala. I moan before I can stop myself. That’s all the permission he needs. His hand slides to my waist, fingers digging in as if he’s afraid I’ll vanish. The heat between us ignites like dry kindling. It’s dangerous. It’s too much. It’s everything. When he finally pulls back, his eyes are dark enough to drown in. “One year,” he murmurs. “That was the deal. But you… you’re making me want forever.” And in that moment, I know the worst truth of all— If Sebastian Velez decides to keep me, I won’t even try to run.