Aging Like A Fine Wine

"Be my bed warmer. I'll give you everything you want just to pleasure me. This is a win win opportunity, Ms. Candelario... You will have my wealth, and I can have your body. Tubusin mo lahat ng kasalanan mo." ~Michael "Mickey" La Vierre. --- Dating famous sa high school si Fortuna Candelario. Nakilala siya sa ganda niya. Maraming nagkakagusto sa kaniya at isa na roon si Michael "Mickey" La Vierre na isang mataba at tahimik na lalaki. Dahil hindi tipo ni Fortuna si Mickey ay ni-reject niya ang panliligaw nito. Ito ang naging dahilan ni Mickey kaya't ipinangako niya sa sarili niya na babaguhin niya ang kaniyang pisikal na anyo, at balang araw ay magkikita sila ni Fortuna. Sa paglipas ng limang taon ay naging single mom si Fortuna sa nag-iisang anak na lalaki, si Vincent. Hindi naging maganda ang takbo ng buhay niya dahil mag-isa niyang itinataguyod ang anak. Bukod pa rito ay biglang bumagsak ang iniwang negosyo ng kaniyang ama. At nalaman ni Fortuna na si Michael "Mickey" La Vierre na ang nagmamay-ari nito. Ano nga ba ang magagawa ni Fortuna para mabawi ang dugo't pawis at luha ng kaniyang pamilya? Handa ba siyang gawin ang lahat kahit na siya mismo ang kapalit nito?

“Isang halik lang dapat… pero bakit parang gusto kong ulitin?” ani Alexis Vergara sa sarili, habang hinahabol ang sariling hininga matapos ang mainit na tagpo sa pagitan nila ni Ralph Santillian — ang bestfriend ng ex niyang cheater na si Julio. Isang gabing puno ng emosyon, galit, at alak, nagbago ang lahat sa isang iglap. Ang halik na dapat ay para lang ipamukha kay Julio na hindi siya nasira, ay bigla na lang nag-iwan ng init at kaguluhan sa puso’t isipan ni Alexis. Si Ralph, tahimik, misteryoso, at hindi interesado sa drama ng paligid, ay bigla na lang naging bahagi ng isang planong puno ng kasinungalingan: isang contractual marriage. Hindi sila in love, hindi sila magkaibigan, pero pareho silang may gustong patunayan — na kaya nilang makabangon mula sa mga nanakit sa kanila at gumanti sa ginawang pananakit ng mga taong minsang minahal nila ngunit sumira din sa kanila. Habang ginagampanan nila ang papel ng mag-asawa, unti-unting nabubura ang mga linya ng kasunduan. Si Alexis, na dating galit at puno ng poot, ay nahuhulog kay Ralph. Samantalang si Ralph, na tila bato ang puso, ay natutong ngumiti at masaktan para sa babaeng minsang bahagi lang ng isang plano. Ngunit paano kung bumalik si Julio para muling guluhin ang lahat? At paano kung ang dating kasunduan ay maging totoo na sa mata ng batas… at sa tibok ng puso?

"How can there be a perfect choice in this world—one that betrays neither the Sandharan Order nor the one you love?" It's a romantic line, but it has nothing to do with Rosalie Stone. Her fiance, Bradley Wakefield, is a man revered like Sandhara himself, but it's not because of her that he leaves the Sandharan Order. She thinks he will never fall in love. But later, she learns that it's just her that he won't fall for. And so, she gives up on him. She gives herself seven days to forget about Bradley.

I am the young lady of the vampire house of Kaelaris. Having reached marriageable age, I chose, from a stack of portraits, the eldest son of the human family Norefax. My family indulged my preference and arranged our engagement, awaiting the day of my wedding. I do not drink red wine, but for the sake of human ceremony, I secretly went out—without telling my family—to select a rare century-aged vintage, intending to prepare it for the engagement ritual. The woman beside me glanced at the cabinet I had pointed to and immediately instructed the sales associate, “That bottle looks quite fine. Let me have a look.” Without hesitation, the associate rudely brushed me aside and handed the bottle straight to her. A chill entered my gaze as I spoke, “There is an order to everything. I selected that bottle first. What you’re doing is hardly proper.” She looked me up and down with open disdain and let out a mocking laugh. “This bottle costs sixteen thousand six hundred dollars. Dressed like that, I doubt you even qualify to smell it.” “I am Ethan Norefax’s stepmother. In New York’s Upper East Side, so-called ‘rules’ have always been decided by the Norefax family.” What a coincidence—Ethan was precisely my fiancé, and the very reason I wanted to buy that bottle. I dialed his number at once and said evenly, “Your stepmother has taken the bottle of wine I reserved for our engagement. How do you intend to handle this?”

All because his first love, Luna Harper, needed test subjects for her drug research, Jake Bertrand sent me to a mental hospital when I was pregnant just so I could serve as an experiment subject for her. I was electroshocked until I drooled and convulsed, but he simply covered his first love’s eyes in disgust, saying, “What filth. Don’t look.” Thanks to the results of this experiment, Luna received a nomination for an award, and he lit up the entire city with fireworks to celebrate her success. Meanwhile, during the freezing winter night under the dazzling fireworks, I gave birth to a deformed male fetus. The child cried just once before passing away. Numbly, I placed the stillborn into a freezing chamber. Seven days later, at the awards ceremony for Luna, it would appear in Jake’s hands as a gift.

My boyfriend has depression. To help cure him, I pass on the opportunity for a recital abroad. Instead, I accept commercial gigs so I can rake in the cash. After one performance, I see my boyfriend holding hands with a woman who looks like me in a private room. He wears a sharp suit and smiles so brightly that he doesn't even look ill. The people around him cheer and tease him. "You really are different with your true love back in the country. When are you two going to make things official?" "I heard you'd been dating another woman for seven years, though. Do you love her?" Charles Foster smiles indifferently. "I was just having some fun with her. Only an idiot like her would take me seriously." I sob with devastation while hiding behind a door. Suddenly, I feel like a fool for spending seven years with him. I call my mentor, who suggested that I take part in the international piano competition. "I will take part in the competition."

I lead my team to develop a new drug formula that passed its first clinical trial. It becomes the key to the company's IPO. So, the board votes unanimously to award me an additional 5% in shares. But at the celebration party, my shares turn into three hams. I assume it is a prank by my colleagues. But to my surprise, Draco Faraday looks at me with disgust and says, "Don't think I don't know. You used your position as team leader to assign all the experimentation to Avery. Then, you take the credit for the results. This reward should go to her. As for you, you should be satisfied with the ham!" Seeing Avery Blake looking both flattered and overwhelmed, I am rendered speechless. I argue, "Avery is an art major. Does she even understand chemical formulas?" Draco's expression darkens. "Cross-disciplinary expertise is her strength, not a weakness. I won't argue with you this time. If it happens again, I'll fire you!” When I try to defend myself, he snaps, "Starting today, Avery is the team leader. You should get a taste of how it feels to be exploited." I look at him in disbelief for a moment before nodding forcefully with a sneer. "Fine. From now on, I won't assist if the projects run into any issues. Don't regret it." Draco looks at Avery approvingly."The only thing I regret is not making Avery the person in charge sooner."

Claire life crashes when she comes home to an empty apartment. Her boyfriend, Ben had run away with all her savings, sold all her furniture, leaving her with nothing but a broken heart. She tries to forget the heart ache by having a one night stand with a handsome stranger. Her luck changed when her father, a media mogul, who she never thought existed shows up introducing her to her step brother. But in an odd twist she realizes that he was her one night stand.

"I have never done this," I muttered, hypnotized by his eyes. "Nobody knows everything." He answered and gave me his hand. "You are so... so... So... beautiful." He was whispering his secret and I had his chiselled jaw wrapped in a small stubble beard in my hands. "You don't have to know anything. Follow me." He pulled me into his arms, he mumbled, I leaned over and kissed him. I cupped his cheeks and pulled him to kiss my lips. I want to savour those lips. He obeyed. He stormed into my life on a rainy day, one day just to shelter me. He was always uninvited into my life but once I tasted him, I realised I am more than I can be. He became My Taste I Like until I learnt his truth.

At seventeen, Tiana’s world shatters when a cruel twist of fate forces her into marriage with Nikolai Toriaga — the arrogant heir to a billion-dollar coffee empire and the same boy who made her life hell in high school. For eight long years, she endures the cold silence and lovelessness of the Toriaga household. But in secret, Tiana earns a PhD in Business Administration and quietly becomes a billionaire, investing her allowance in cryptocurrency and major company shares. When Nikolai’s father dies, Tiana assumes the marriage is over. The man who forced it is gone, and so is the reason for Nikolai to stay. Her fears are confirmed when he shows up to the funeral with a world-famous model on his arm, while Tiana remains his estranged wife. Determined to reclaim her life, she steps into the spotlight, taking a job at Lancaster Group — a global chocolate brand — and reconnects with Ryan Lancaster, a former classmate who once secretly adored her. She expects the long-overdue divorce papers, but instead, Nikolai starts coming home… watching her, wanting her. When she finally confronts him, he fiercely responds, “There’s no way we’re getting a divorce, Tiana.”