Arti Perhaps

I had just returned from the world's largest tech summit when my mentor called. She has always been like a mother to me. She told me she had arranged a marriage for me, with the daughter of a close friend of hers, Tania Jones. She was a rising talent in the capital's business scene, and a number of my patents were licensed to her company, forming the core technology behind their latest products. After working late in the lab, I changed into a carefully chosen suit and went to the engagement ceremony. However, I was stopped at the entrance by Elias Yates, Tania's personal assistant. He was wearing a perfectly tailored designer suit, every detail immaculate. He looked more like the groom than I did. "If you know what's good for you, walk away," he said with an icy smirk. "An orphan with no background should know his place. You are not worthy of Ms. Jones." I frowned and replied, "Does Tania know you are speaking on her behalf like this?" Elias let out a mocking laugh. "A kept man living off his mentor's reputation could never understand how important I am to Ms. Jones." There was obsession and pride shining in his eyes. I looked at him for a moment, then dialed Tania. "If this is your idea of welcoming your fiancé," I said evenly, "then perhaps my patents should only be shown to you on paper, right before I sell them to your rival instead."

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."

My younger fraternal twin brother finally gets a girlfriend. Our parents, who are overseas, entrust me with the task of welcoming her. I instruct the maids to prepare a feast to welcome her. As we sit around the dining table, my brother scoops a bowl of soup for me himself. After that meal, my brother's girlfriend pulls a long face at me. "Who gave you the right to eat the soup my darling scooped? How could you be so lazy? You can't even cook, yet you're not even embarrassed to stuff yourself with all that food!" I'm stunned by her outrageous words. I reply in annoyance, "What does that have to do with you anyway? I'll do as I please!" She glares at me with hatred written all over her face and yells, "Why aren't you married yet? The family's assets belong to me and my darling. Who do you think you are that you can spend our money? "Just look at you. You will never be able to get married like this. Perhaps it'll be better for you if you beg me to introduce my elder cousin to you. He doesn't mind that you're lazy. All he wants is for you to give him a son. He earns over ten thousand dollars a month!" I'm dumbstruck by her shamelessness. I storm straight to the bathroom where my brother is and bang on the door repeatedly. "Come out here right now! What is with your girlfriend? And since when have our family's assets become yours and yours alone?"

Uptil the age of 9, Roselia had lived the life every child dreamed of, a loving father, mountains of toys and dollhouses and whatever else that she desired. But her world came crashing down when her father died all of a sudden. Then Roselia runs away from her home at the age of 12 for reasons that would haunt her forever. She gets on a train and travels to a different state which is when she is rescued by a man. Little does she know that the man, Derek Clifford, is the heir to the ‘Cliffords dynasty’, a billionaire family, known for masquerading their money source as a ‘family business’. But the biggest revelation awaits Roselia at the Clifford mansion… that the person responsible for her father’s ‘unexpected death’ might just be a very important member of the Clifford’s family. Just then, Derek leaves to go overseas. 6 years later What Roselia hadn’t expected was that her love for the man who saved her life 6 years ago might just get in the way of her exacting revenge as she stays in the Cliffords mansion in the guise of a chef. Derek Clifford had not ever dreamed that he would fall in love. Power was all he had ever desired. That is until his cold grey eyes latched onto the all-grown Roselia and his carefully-knit life comes falling apart. But deep down perhaps he had known that it wasn’t just moral obligation that had made him so fiercely protective of her back in the past. Unfortunately for Roselia, Derek has a dark side to him, a side he never wanted to reveal to her. Would she run or would she stand with him? Would Derek even let her go? Could he?

Since childhood, Shamila has been living in the orphanage with other children. The clothes she own once belonged to other people and she doesn't even know who named her Shamila. When she gets a scholarship to study in one of the most prestigious Schools, Maslow High School, she thinks it is a game changer. Little does she knows what awaits her, the students in Maslow High school are all evil and they have divided the school into two cults each headed by a prominent and rich bully. Before long, the two bullies fight over who will own her and amidst all the bullying, Shamila discovers the untold secret of the School. More then half of the students have supernatural blood running in them and the school is merely a ground to numb them and hide them from the society. Her original adoption documents also say her name is Shamila Maslow. Will the bullies bow down to her new supernatural state as the vampire who could perhaps be the next in line owner of Maslow High School and other royal properties, or this is just a prank that has been carefully organized by one of them to make her believe she is an important vampire so that the aftermath can make her ashamed and humiliated beyond repair. This is Maslow High School and students only go home at the end of the school year, Shamila has no home and all she has at the end of the year is the orphanage. Is this her real home, are the people surrounding her also numbed by centuries old magic enemies, friends or family? she has one year to find out, either she arrives at the truth or die as a result of the gruesome bullying by the bullies before the year ends.

“We’re sinners. If heaven exists, we’d never be allowed in. But you and I can rule hell together and I’d fuck you hard while we watch the world burn.” His cold lips left a hot trail of heat as it glided down her spine. “O- okay, Daddy.” She stuttered, gripping the sheets tightly and gasping for breath at the same time when fingers suddenly slid into her wet heat from behind. ~~~ She was betrothed to him since birth. Mya knew what was going to happen to her unfortunate life once she comes of age– she was going to be wedded to Angelo, a ruthless and dangerous Mafia Lord who makes the sky rain gore on a good day. And so on her wedding day, she eloped. That same day, she managed to turn into the most wanted criminal of the country. Mya went from running from Angelo, to being saved by him… but, not before paying a price. ———- Birthed by a monster and hardened by pain and violence, Angelo had turned into an emotionless psycho at the age of thirty-two. He had no intention of taking a bride from the onset, all he cared about was protecting his top spot in the country. In comes Mya– a supposed damsel in distress, only that this one has blood on her hands and scars maring her soul. Angelo was supposed to leave her to her wretched fate, but somehow, he found himself drawn to her. Perhaps, it was because there was something about her blue eyes that scratched at an instinct within him which he never knew existed. But she called him ‘Daddy’ once and nothing remained the same after that. Now he was going to protect her, fight her battles, and make her his queen.

"You want me to be your fake bride?" I repeated, disbelief lacing my voice. Rhys, the eldest triplet, nodded solemnly. "It's the only way to show Lucian that you are not to be underestimated, Morrigan. And the only way you can be able to avenge your best friend." "And what do you get out of this?" I asked suspiciously. Declan stepped forward with a wry smile. "Revenge too, on the Alpha who murdered our father just to become king. And perhaps, in time, a chance to win your heart for real." ****** Morrigan, princess of the demon realm, yearned for freedom from the weight of her royal responsibilities. This yearning leads her to escape to a werewolf pack where she disguises as a wolfless Omega, hoping to find solace away from the demands of her heritage. Instead, she faced cruelty and humiliation. This humiliation was however heightened by Lucian, the Alpha's son—her mate by fate, who publicly rejects her and confesses that he has only seen her as a pawn in a cruel bet. And he makes it worse by demanding she becomes his breeder after he rises to the throne as the Alpha, and murdering her best friend when she resists. Heartbroken and betrayed, she resolved to return to her realm, intent on seeking vengeance for the pain he had caused, especially after the death of her best friend. Before she could depart, Morrigan was approached by three men -Rhys, Declan, and Asher—with an audacious proposition: become their fake bride for a year, and they would help her exact revenge on Lucian. Intrigued by the promise of justice, she agrees, plunging into a contract-to-love relationship that would challenge her resolve and stir unexpected desires.

Seven years I spent with Jason Shaw, but I never got a ring. Rather, all I received was an invitation to another person's wedding. That day, as a wedding planner, I was at the rehearsal, making last-minute adjustments. Looking up, I saw the man whom I waited every day to reply to my messages, walking down the aisle, arm in arm with another bride. "Her boyfriend had something urgent come up, so I'm filling in for him," he said, standing straight, his tone light, a small smile on his lips. But his eyes couldn't hide the hurt, like a child who lost his favorite toy. As if that wasn't enough, he told me to hand over my wedding plan. He patted me on the shoulder, saying sincerely, "There's no rush for us. We've got plenty of time. I promise I'll give you an even better wedding. Just help me out this time. It's not like I'm not going to marry you." He didn't know that I had revised the wedding plan hundreds of times, even counted and recounted the bouquets seven times. To me, it wasn't mere work—it was a dream I held for five long years. I didn't argue anymore, just quietly stepped aside. Later, I lay alone in a hospital bed, listening to the rain tapping against the window from outside. I counted each drop as the hours slipped through my fingers. Perhaps those who worked so hard to create happiness for others had lost the right to their own happiness.