All Glitters Is Not Gold

If I can't have you... no one else will. Elsa never saw Derek as anything more than her best friend, who was loyal, harmless, and always there. But it took another woman to love him, to see the hunger in his eyes, the madness in his heart... and now Elsa finally sees him too. But it's too late. Derek belongs to someone else now. Or at least, he tries to... Now, Elsa will stop at nothing to make him hers. She'll destroy anyone who stands in her way, even the woman he loves. What she doesn't know is that Derek is far more dangerous than she ever imagined. And the obsession he has buried for years is no longer under control. If anyone tries to take Elsa from him... he won't just hurt them. He'll ruin them.

The powerful Stratton family, a tech industry titan, claimed I was their long-lost son. They brought me back from my remote mountain sanctuary. However, when I arrived, my father accused me of peddling superstition and called me a fraud. My adopted brother, the false heir, spread rumors that I was practicing dark magic and cursing the family. My uncle sided with him. He put on a serious face as he warned me. “Ethan, the Stratton family built this empire on technology. If you insist on this occult nonsense, you’ll leave us with no choice but to disown you!” Confronted with their ignorant ridicule and malicious setup, I felt the urge to roll my eyes. I thought. “Whoever said I came back to reconnect? I came down from that mountain to save your lives! Are you really too blind to see everything is about to come crashing down in your family?”

Elena found out her husband was cheating—not from him, but from the headlines. The man didn't even have the decency to keep it in his pants or out of the press. He made her a public joke, expecting her to just sit there and take it. Bad move. Elena didn’t cry. She got busy. She put his mistress in a jumpsuit, took every dime of his money, and handed him the divorce papers with a smile. She was done. Like, officially done with men and their drama. But then, something weird happened. The second she stopped caring, everyone else started obsessing. Now, she’s literally the most wanted woman in the city. We’re talking billionaire heirs, hot surgeons, mysterious bad boys, and even international superstars—all of them tripping over themselves to get her attention. Some have been crushing on her for years, while others are just now realizing what they missed out on. They’re all begging for a chance, but Elena’s not playing the supportive wife anymore. She’s the one holding the remote now, and she’s picky as hell.

Isang trahedya ang nagpabago sa buhay ni Amanda, ngunit ito rin ang nagdala sa kanya sa masaya at magandang buhay. Subalit ang kapalit nito ay ang pagkalimot niya sa kanyang nakaraan at mabuhay ng iba ang katauhan. Maayos na sana ang lahat kung hindi lang niya nakilala ang isang Jeremy Dawson. Ang Hot and Gorgeous Hotelier na isa rin sa Founder ng Hotel sa Venice Italy kung saan siya nag-attend ng OJT. Dahilan rin ito kung bakit nagsimulang malito ang kanyang puso. Ngunit hindi niya maitatanggi na ito rin ang nagturo sa kanya nang tunay na kahulugan ng pag-ibig. Nanaisin pa ba niyang balikan ang kanyang nakaraan upang makilala ang sarili o mananatili na lang sa buhay na puno ng kasinungalingan? Paano kung ang katotohanan pa lang ito ang mas higit na sisira sa kanyang pagkatao? Gugustuhin pa ba niyang malaman ang totoo o mas gugustuhin pa niyang baguhin na lang ang kanyang kapalaran? ___ Kaya ating tunghayan ang laban ng dalawang pusong nagmamahal. Ngunit walang kalayaang ibigin ang isa't-isa. Dahil sa pag-ibig palaging may nasasaktan at nagdurusa. ***** By: LadyGem25 06-28-22

I'm an heiress who's been bound to a gossip system. Everyone reads my mind on my first day back home after being reunited with my family. "Mom sure has done a good job of maintaining her beauty. It's no wonder she became an OnlyFans streamer after divorcing Dad." My mother is about to berate me for something, but she pales and stops when she hears my thoughts. I glance at the fake heiress, who's weeping pitifully. "My, she's pregnant. Is it John's or Zach's?" My two brothers exchange odd looks. Then, my father arrives. I cluck my tongue. "Oh, it's Dad's."

My breathing was still uneven when Robert’s phone lit up on the nightstand. One new message. "Robert, there’s thunder. I’m scared." —Sarah. The words cut through me like ice water. Robert. My mate. The Alpha of the Ashborn Pack. The man everyone praises as the perfect future king. And me? I’m his Luna. Supposedly the rightful queen at his side. But no matter the circumstance, no matter the weight of his responsibilities, the first person he thinks of is never me. It’s always her. At the banquet, when the elders forced him to make a choice—me, his Luna, or her—the room fell into a suffocating silence. I still remember the way my heart begged him to look at me, just once, just long enough to see what he was about to destroy. But his answer came sharp, quick, without hesitation. "Sarah." One word. One name. And with it, he tore my entire world apart. That was the moment I understood: not every betrayal needs to be shouted or confessed. Sometimes, it’s as simple as the name a man chooses to speak. I loved him. I bled for him. But love means nothing if I’m nothing to him. So if destiny has already been written against me… then I’ll be the one to set it on fire.

I knew the exact moment when everything changed. It was the day in March, the same one I got assaulted by my boss, lost my job, saved my pregnant sister from committing suicide, and as if it wasn’t enough… it was the day Kieran King walked into my life. I hated Kieran from the moment I laid my eyes on him for the first time. He was an arrogant bastard that turned my life upside down, and no matter how much I despised him, I also could not live without him. He blackmailed me, used me, he was cruel and rough, and I wanted nothing more than to get away… but he also saved my life and protected me when I needed it the most. Now I don’t know if I can leave anymore. My name is Sophia Howard and this is my story.

Pitong taon ang inaksaya sa kanyang buhay ni Gailyn Espinoza upang piliin lang na manatili sa tabi ng kanyang asawang si Leon Lombardi. Hindi dahil sa may anak sila kung hindi dahil naniniwala siyang hindi magtatagal ay makikita rin ng asawa ang halaga niya. Subalit taliwas at hindi iyon ang nangyari dahil biglang nahulog ang lalaki sa ibang babae na harap-harapang pinakita niya kay Gailyn.  Sa mismong araw ng kaarawan niya ay piniling umuwi ng Isla ni Gailyn upang makasama ang kanyang mag-ama na doon nakatira, ngunit sa halip na salubungin ng mainit na pagbati at yakap, isang malutong na sampal ng katotohanan ang natuklasan. Ito ang naging wake up call kay Gailyn para magising. Sawang-sawa na siya sa paulit-ulit na pagtitiis kaya sa araw na iyon ay naging buo ang desisyon ni Gailyn na palayain na ang kanyang asawa. She drafted divorce papers, signed away custody of their son, and walked away without a backward glance. Returning to her career, Gailyn chose to silently build a fortune for herself. Sa puntong ito ay sarili naman niya ang uunahing piliin bukod sa mga nagpapasakit sa kanya. Kung kailan handa na ang puso, katawan at kaluluwa ni Gailyn na makipaghiwalay saka naman noon bumaliktad ang ikot ng mundo. Tila nagising siya sa matagal na niyang pangarap dahil ang mag-ama niyang ayaw sa kanya noon ngayon ay humahabol na. “Divorce is not an option, Mrs. Lombardi. Kailanman ay hindi ako papayag sa gusto mong mangyari. Hindi kita hihiwalayan. Walang sinuman ang makakapalit sa papel mo bilang ina sa buhay ng ating anak.”

I suffered critical injuries that left me in a persistent vegetative state when I tried to rescue my wife, Regina Livingston, from her abductors. Regina spares no expense, spending millions of dollars to bring in the best medical experts in the country to treat me. She watches over me every single night, never weary of caring for me. Four years into my coma, I overhear a conversation between Richard Sutherland—a man I don't know—and Regina. "You've done all you can, Regina," he says. "You don't owe him anything anymore." Regina remains silent. Then, a young boy, Franklin Sutherland, suddenly asks, "Mommy, why do you always visit this man? Who is he?" I'm instantly shocked. Regina and I don't have a child together. I'm completely bewildered, and just as I try to figure it out, I suddenly wake up from my coma.

Amelia's leg tapped against the table as she asked, "What are your thoughts on love?" Her hands were clasped together on her lap, but her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Lucas met her gaze, a smirk playing on his lips. "Love is a waste of time," he replied. "It's a tool designed to weigh people down. Without it, we could achieve so much more." Amelia's eyes lit up with interest; he had just ticked almost all her boxes green. "I agree," she said, her smirk matching his. "Love is nothing but bullshit. We could save a lot of time by keeping our relationship minimal." With a proactive glint in her eye, she added, "What do you say? We should get married to fulfill our filial duties." _____________ Their marriage was a facade, a contract between two individuals who didn't believe in love but were forced to get married to fulfill their obligations. Everything was going as planned, until suddenly... "Have you eaten, dear?" "How is my baby?" "Is he doing well?" Lucas's words, once empty and mechanical, now held a tender tone. Amelia found him falling for her, and she seemed to be falling too. Why were they succumbing to the very thing they once scorned? Love, once a distant possibility, was now becoming an option. But would they choose it?