Arti Lights

He leaned back confidently, the glow from the lights catching his grey eyes. “But if you ever want something simple,” he said, “something that won’t demand feelings or promises. Something free. Fun. Uncomplicated.” I swallowed. “Like what, exactly…” He leaned forward again, eyes never leaving mine. “Like being each other’s fuck partner,” he said calmly… like it was the most natural proposal in the world. *** Raised by a single mother abandoned by love, Annabelle Brown vowed to save sex for marriage. Until the night she caught her boyfriend cheating, and his reason—no relationship can last without sex. Heartbroken and furious, Anna walked into a bar… and into the most outrageous proposal of her life. *** Alessandro Miller wanted nothing complicated. Scarred by a loveless home, he swore off marriage and emotional attachments. All he wanted was simple: sex, no feelings, no future. *** Against everything she believed in, Anna said yes to Alessandro's proposal. Their rules were clear: No emotions, no personal questions, no strings. Until months later, when Anna walked into a conference room and saw him—the same man she'd been sharing her weekends with, now standing at the head of the company board as the CEO. Worse, Alessandro was the heir to a powerful family… and already promised to another woman. Bound by duty, divided by power, yet consumed by desire, neither of them could walk away. He was her partner in sin. Her boss. And the one man she was never supposed to fall for.

When Lily is forced to move to a quiet town after her mother remarries, she feels like her entire world has fallen apart. The city lights, her friends, her freedom all gone. Now she must adjust to a life she never wanted, trapped between a new stepfamily that barely tolerates her and the eerie calm of a forest that seems to whisper her name. But destiny has already begun to weave its threads around her. At Gateway University, Lily meets Byrain, a mysterious, charming, yet distant student who always seems to appear when she least expects him. There’s something about him, his intense gaze, the quiet strength in his voice, the way he looks at her as if he’s known her forever. What Lily doesn’t know is that Byrain is not entirely human. Byrain has lived with a secret. Behind his calm eyes and perfect smile hides the soul of a werewolf the same massive creature that once watched over Lily from the shadows. He has loved her silently, protected her from dangers she never even knew existed, and fought against his own nature just to keep her safe. But when fate draws them together again, his control begins to crumble. Lily is pulled into a world she never believed was real. The truth about Byrain’s identity and their long-hidden connection threatens to change everything she knows about love, destiny, and herself. Now, she must decide: Will she run from the darkness… or embrace the beast who has loved her all along?

“If you leave this palace tonight, you become prey” Lyra Vale got rejected by her fated mate like yesterday’s trash, hauled into enemy land, and turned into the single most lethal prize a blood-soaked kingdom has ever drooled over. In Dravenhold they don’t chain prisoners. They drape them in silk that costs more than most packs see in a lifetime and call them queen. Kael Draven, the Enemy King, had every reason to slit her throat the second she hit his dirt. Instead he put his mouth to her ear and claimed her protection. Claimed her. Now the whole damn continent whispers the same filthy truth: her blood can make kings. Or drown them. The past won’t stay buried. Rowan, the Alpha who ripped her heart out to “save his people,” creeps back through the shadows with one desperate, cocky demand: come back to me. Stay here and she becomes Kael’s living blade, soaked in power and whatever else he decides to take from her body. Leave, and she lights the match that turns every pack into smoking graves. One man wants her soul to rule with. The other already shattered it and still thinks he deserves the pieces. Lyra’s done being the girl who waits to be chosen. In a world where power gets ripped out of throats, not politely handed over… she isn’t prey anymore. She’s the f*cking throne. And she’s deciding who bleeds for the right to sit on it.

I’m a moaning mess as Sebastian slams into me from behind. His hips hit me hard, and each deep thrust sends shockwaves through my body. Celestia was never a daughter to those who raised her; she was a transaction. At just eighteen, she was sold to the cold and powerful Sinclair family to settle her father’s mounting gambling debts, a heartless deal orchestrated by both her father and her stepmother. After escaping the initial humiliation and betrayal of her family cage, Celestia disappeared into the shadows. By twenty, she was living a life they would never imagine, working as a stripper at the gritty New Bay Bar. It was there, under the neon lights, that Sebastian Sinclair the ruthless billionaire playboy first set his eyes on her. He didn't realize she was the girl his family had already "bought" until the truth crashed down. Now, at twenty-one, the ultimate betrayal is set in stone. Celestia isn't marrying the man who stalks her dreams and haunts her touch. Instead, she is set to marry Sebastian’s elder brother, Marco Sinclair. Trapped between the brother she is legally bound to and the brother who is dangerously addicted to her, Celestia is playing a lethal game of revenge. What begins as a calculated move to destroy the Sinclairs from within quickly spirals into a dark obsession. Sebastian doesn't just break the rules for her; he rewrites them, and he has no intention of letting his brother keep what he considers his. Can she survive the price of being a Sinclair bride? Or will the fire between her and Sebastian burn the entire empire down?

In my final year of high school, my parents died, leaving me nothing but a crumbling brick house. And yet, I somehow got myself a younger brother. He was a second-year student at our school, at the top of his grade. But no one respected him. Even when he was bullied, the teachers turned a blind eye. Why? Because even if others didn't beat him, his drunken father did it every day, while his cowardly mother never dared to fight back. I dragged him home with all my strength, patched up his wounds, and kept him with me for several days. Later, when his mother was beaten to death, I called the police and had his father arrested. "Hey," I told him, "from now on, live with me. I don't have any family left. Call me sister, and I'll put you through school." He dreamed of getting into a prestigious university. So I dropped out, set up a street stall, sold my own blood, and even took illegal jobs just to support him. When he graduated, he said he wanted to start a business. I gave him every cent of my savings. And then one day, I watched him stand beneath the dazzling lights, a radiant girl at his side, holding a trophy for a youth entrepreneurship award. I looked down at the cancer diagnosis in my hands. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. In the end, I had raised him into someone I could no longer reach. It was time for me to leave the stage.

Di kekaisaran Thang yang megah, Xiao Feng, seorang pemuda penuh ambisi, menjalani pelatihan seni bela diri di bawah bimbingan para guru. Namun, hidupnya hancur ketika Shifu Yan, salah satu gurunya, dibunuh oleh Yin Mo Sect, sekte jahat yang ingin menguasai kekaisaran. Terpukul oleh kehilangan ini, Xiao Feng bersumpah untuk membalas dendam dan melatih dirinya lebih keras, meski menghadapi kekalahan pahit dalam pertempuran melawan salah satu pendekar sesat. Di tengah keputusasaan, Xiao Feng menemukan Kitab Dewa Naga, kitab kuno yang diwariskan oleh gurunya. Dalam proses mempelajari kitab tersebut, ia bertemu dengan Xiao Chen, Pendekar Pedang Suci yang mengajarkan teknik peningkatan kekuatan dan memberi misi tambahan untuk menguji kemampuannya. Bersama Xiao Chen, Xiao Feng belajar menguatkan tulangnya dan mencari zirah besi, senjata pusaka yang memberikannya ketahanan fisik. Selama pelatihan, Xiao Feng juga menemukan cinta sejatinya, seorang perempuan yang menggetarkan hatinya. Momen-momen indah mereka membawa harapan baru dalam hidupnya dan memperkuat tekadnya untuk berjuang. Ketika kekuatan Xiao Feng berkembang, ancaman dari Yin Mo Sect semakin mendekat. Dengan keberanian dan kekuatan baru yang diperoleh dari Kitab Dewa Naga dan bimbingan Xiao Chen, Xiao Feng menghadapi konfrontasi terakhir melawan pemimpin sekte, Mo Tian. Dalam pertarungan epik ini, ia belajar bahwa balas dendam bukanlah tujuan utama, melainkan penemuan diri dan arti sejati dari kekuatan, cinta, dan pengorbanan di bawah langit naga yang mengawasi takdirnya.

Di kota yang penuh dengan intrik dan kegelapan, terdapat sebuah keluarga mafia yang paling ditakuti, La Famiglia del Ombra, atau "Keluarga Bayangan". Mereka menguasai perdagangan senjata, jaringan informasi rahasia, dan memegang kendali atas para pejabat tinggi. Pemimpin mereka, Don Alessandro, adalah seorang pria berwibawa yang terkenal dingin dan tak kenal ampun. Namun, cerita ini berfokus pada anak sulungnya, Luca Ombra. Luca tumbuh dalam bayang-bayang ayahnya dan sejak kecil dilatih menjadi penerus keluarga. Di usianya yang baru menginjak 27 tahun, Luca sudah dikenal sebagai "Il Lupo" (Sang Serigala) karena kecerdasannya dalam menyusun strategi, ketangkasan, dan keteguhan hatinya. Di balik sosoknya yang tak tersentuh, tersimpan jiwa yang gelisah. Luca tak pernah menginginkan kekuasaan seperti ini, tapi keluarga adalah keluarga. Hidup Luca berubah ketika ia bertemu dengan Ana, seorang jurnalis muda yang tanpa sadar menggali rahasia besar keluarganya. Ana adalah wanita yang tangguh dan idealis, bertolak belakang dari orang-orang yang pernah ditemui Luca. Di antara bahaya dan kebencian yang mengelilingi keluarga Ombra, tumbuh perasaan tak terduga di hati Luca. Dia mulai mempertanyakan arti dari kekuasaan yang ia pegang dan peran keluarga yang telah mengikatnya. Namun, keluarga Ombra bukanlah satu-satunya kekuatan di kota. Musuh lama, La Familia Rosso, yang sudah berseteru selama bertahun-tahun, kini kembali dengan dendam yang lebih dalam. Dengan serangan yang datang bertubi-tubi, Luca terjebak di antara mempertahankan kehormatan keluarga, melindungi Ana, dan membebaskan dirinya dari ikatan gelap.

Bukan kisah cinta yang berawal bahagia lantas terluka. Tapi kisah lara tentang orang tua yang amat ambisius mengejar harapan yang nyaris menyakiti perasaan. Berbagai siloka menjadi jalan cerita, berbagai diksi menjadi arti hidup ini. Berbagai lantunan sendu menjadi tangis amat pilu. Caci-maki yang selalu mengintai seakan-akan menyangkal bahwa ia tidak boleh bahagia. Meninggalkan kisah lara penuh kata penyesalan. "Ayah hidup itu tidak harus tentang nilai yang bagus. Tapi tentang seseorang yang menyayangi dengan tulus." "Ibu pintar itu tidak harus menguasai semua bidang. Satu bidang saja, jika sudah mengerti dengan perasaan orang lain, ia bukan sekedar pintar tapi jenius." "Kak pintar itu tidak harus punya piala. Sekedar mendekap lantas menyeka air mata, ia sudah pintar menghilangkan lara kita." "Aira, kamu memang berbeda tapi perbedaan itu terletak pada keistimewaan yang kamu punya. Di mana orang lain tidak memiliki itu semua. Kakak sayang kamu selamanya." "Kenapa Aira selalu dibentak ayah sama ibu? Sedangkan kak Ayu dan kak Andi gak pernah!" "Otakmu itu kecil. Berpikir pun lambat." "Ibu malu punya anak seperti kamu!" "Kakak sayang sama kamu. Kakak janji gak akan ninggalin kamu." "Kak Aira pergi sesuai permintaan kalian. Selamat tinggal." "Aira, kenapa kala itu kamu gak mengucapkan sampai jumpa lagi? Dan mungkin sekarang kita masih saling memeluk bukan menangisi kamu." "Yang sudah kamu dapat sudah seharusnya kamu dekap dengan erat."

"Mau nggak?" Aku tidak sengaja mengirim pesan tentang janji manikur dan pedikur ke kakak laki-laki sahabatku, padahal seharusnya pesan itu untuk sahabatku sendiri. Sepuluh menit kemudian, aku menerima balasan dari kakaknya: [Mireya ada di bawah, turunlah.] Aku tidak menyangka, selain usianya yang sudah matang, ternyata bagian lain miliknya juga besar. Malam itu, gairah meluap dan semuanya nyaris lepas kendali. Setelah tersadar, dia berjanji akan bertanggung jawab kepadaku. Dia sangat memanjakanku. Apa pun yang kuminta, selalu dia penuhi. Akan tetapi, ada satu syarat, yaitu aku tidak boleh mengaku bahwa aku adalah kekasihnya di depan umum. Lima tahun kemudian, dia pulang membawa seorang wanita. Sambil merangkul pinggang wanita itu, dia menyuruhku memanggilnya "Kakak Ipar". Aku bertanya kepadanya, "Kalau dia kakak iparku, lalu apa arti lima tahun penantianku untukmu?" Pria itu tersenyum santai, tetapi kata-kata yang keluar dari mulutnya membuat sekujur tubuhku terasa membeku. "Menunggu? Memangnya aku pernah memintamu untuk menunggu?" "Aurelia Faresta, ke depannya, jangan pernah lagi mencintai orang dengan begitu tulus kayak gini. Itu sungguh mengerikan." Ternyata, seluruh cinta yang kuberikan dengan segenap jiwa ragaku, hanyalah sebuah beban yang ingin dia hindari. Aku pun mulai mencoba untuk tidak lagi mencarinya, belajar untuk melepaskannya dan akhirnya … pergi meninggalkannya. Namun, seminggu kemudian, saat aku sedang mengucapkan janji suci pernikahan dengan pria lain …. Sosok pria yang dahulu begitu arogan dan penuh gairah itu, kini berdiri di bawah altar dengan mata yang memerah.

THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX SCENES. READER DISCRETION ADVISED. I Was Never Yours is an emotional romance story about love, power, and emotional survival in a world where affection can feel like control. Amara once believed in love with her whole heart. She believed in promises made under soft lights, in quiet conversations that felt like forever, and in a future she thought was guaranteed by a man who made her feel deeply chosen, until he didn’t. Julian is a man shaped by control, success, and emotional distance. To him, vulnerability is weakness, and love is something he can manage rather than surrender to. Years ago, Amara and Julian shared something intense but undefined, a relationship built on emotional closeness without public labels or clear promises. It was passionate, quiet, and dangerously addictive in its secrecy. Then Julian walked away without explanation. Not with betrayal. Not with arguments. Just silence. Years later, fate forces them back into each other’s world when Amara becomes an employee in his powerful company. But time has changed everything. The girl who once waited quietly is gone. In her place stands a woman who understands emotional survival, boundaries, and self-worth. Now the power has shifted. Julian wants her back, not just as a lover, but as someone he can emotionally possess again. He begins careful, strategic moves to stay close to her, protect her, and slowly pull her back into his emotional orbit. But Amara has learned something dangerous from heartbreak. She can love him… but she refuses to belong to him. As emotions resurface, both must confront healing, obsession, pride, and the question of whether love is about holding on or choosing each other again every day.