Ask Anna

Pada hari yang seharusnya menjadi hari pernikahanku, pengantinnya malah bukan aku. Upacara yang sudah kutunggu selama lima tahun berubah menjadi lelucon ketika Valentina, adik perempuanku, melangkah menyusuri lorong marmer dengan gaun pengantin putih. Lengannya melingkar di lengan Luca, pria yang seharusnya berdiri menungguku di altar. "Maafkan aku, Bianca," kata Valentina pelan. "Tapi hari ini kamu bukan lagi pengantinnya." Kemudian, dia menyentuh perutnya, matanya berkilat penuh kemenangan. "Aku hamil anak Luca." Kata-katanya meledak di dalam kepalaku dan seluruh duniaku seolah-olah mendadak sunyi. Seakan-akan takut aku tak akan memercayainya, dia mengangkat sesuatu yang mengilap ke arah cahaya. Gambar USG hitam putih. Tertulis jelas, usia kehamilan 12 minggu. Mataku terasa panas dan perih. Dengan mata berkaca-kaca, aku menoleh ke arah Luca, mati-matian mencari apa pun. Penyangkalan, penjelasan, ataupun penyesalan. Namun, dia hanya menghela napas, lelah dan pasrah. "Bianca, aku minta maaf," katanya tak berdaya. "Valentina nggak punya banyak waktu lagi. Pernikahan ini ... adalah permintaan terakhirnya." "Aku akan menebusnya," tambahnya. "Kita bisa mengadakan pernikahan lain nanti." Ayahku, Moretti, berdiri di belakangnya dengan ekspresi dingin yang sama seperti yang selalu dia tunjukkan sepanjang hidupku. Aku tak pernah melihatnya tersenyum kepadaku, bahkan sekali pun. "Bianca," katanya tajam. "Adikmu sekarat. Biarkan dia yang menikah hari ini." Kakak laki-lakiku mengangguk tanpa mengatakan sepatah kata pun, seolah-olah itu sudah cukup sebagai jawaban yang tegas. Sepanjang hidupku, mereka selalu memilih dia. Air matanya, keinginannya, kebutuhannya, semuanya lebih penting daripada aku. Hari ini pun tidak berbeda. Sesuatu di dalam diriku ada yang retak. Baiklah. Jika tak ada seorang pun di keluarga ini yang peduli padaku, aku akan pergi.

Am Tag meiner eigenen Hochzeit war ich nicht die Braut. Die Zeremonie, auf die ich fünf Jahre lang gewartet hatte, wurde zur Farce, als Valentina, meine Schwester, den Marmorgang entlangschritt. Sie trug ein weißes Brautkleid. Ihren Arm hatte sie bei Luca eingehakt, dem Mann, der eigentlich am Altar auf mich hätte warten sollen. „Es tut mir leid, Bianca“, sagte sie leise. „Aber heute bist du nicht mehr die Braut.“ Dann legte sie eine Hand auf ihren Bauch, die Augen voller triumphierender Genugtuung. „Ich bin schwanger. Mit dem Kind von Don Romano.“ Ihre Worte explodierten in meinem Kopf. Die Welt um mich herum verstummte. Als hätte sie Angst, ich würde ihr nicht glauben, hob sie etwas Glänzendes ins Licht. Ein schwarz-weißes Ultraschallbild. Darauf war klar zu erkennen: Schwangerschaftsalter – 12 Wochen. Meine Augen brannten vor Tränen, als ich mich zu Luca umdrehte und verzweifelt nach irgendetwas suchte. Nach einem Widerspruch. Einer Erklärung. Reue. Doch er seufzte nur, müde und ergeben. „Bianca, es tut mir leid“, sagte er hilflos. „Valentina hat nicht mehr viel Zeit. Diese Hochzeit… sie ist ihr letzter Wunsch.“ „Ich mache es wieder gut“, fügte er hinzu. „Wir können später eine andere Hochzeit haben.“ Hinter ihm stand mein Vater Moretti. Mit demselben strengen Blick, den er mein ganzes Leben lang getragen hatte. Ich hatte ihn nie für mich lächeln sehen. Nicht ein einziges Mal. „Bianca“, sagte er scharf, „deine Schwester stirbt. Lass ihr das.“ Mein Bruder nickte nur wortlos, als wäre das Antwort genug. Mein ganzes Leben lang hatten sie sich für sie entschieden. Für ihre Tränen, ihre Launen, ihre Bedürfnisse. Nie für meine. Heute war es nicht anders. Etwas in mir zerbrach lautlos. Gut. Wenn sich in dieser Familie niemand um mich schert, dann gehe ich.

Miguel Javier Mortiz, a 26 year old bachelor who fell in love with Gabriella Marie Joson, a 16 year old teenage girl. Sa unang pagkakataong nasilayan ni Miguel si Gabriella ay may kung anong klaseng damdamin ang napukaw ng dalaga sa kanya. Her innocent eyes took him by a surprised. Sinubukan ni Miguel pigilan ang damdamin, ngunit tila bomba itong sasabog kahit ano mang oras. Alam niyang mali, pero hanggang kailan niya kayang itago ang nararamdaman para sa dalaga.

“I need your help to fake a private jet crash,” I said quietly. “It’s the only way I can ever leave Luca Moretti.” People said he’d given up the Mafia throne for me. They called him the man who traded power for love— the heir who walked away from blood and gold just to marry a waitress from the slums. For years, he made the world believe in us. He built empires under my name. He sent me roses every Monday. He told the press I was his salvation. But love doesn’t always mean loyalty. While I was busy believing in forever, he was building a second home behind my back— one filled with laughter, toys, and twin sons who had his eyes. The night I disappeared, his empire burned. He tore apart cities, bribed governments, and buried men alive just to find me. But by the time he did— I was already gone. And the woman he’d once died for no longer loved him enough to stay alive.

"A Luna's Revenge" is a thrilling tale of love, betrayal, and werewolf lore. Leighton Fishburne, a werewolf banished from his pack, settles in Clydentown where he meets the captivating Anastasia Palmer. Their romance is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Leighton's half-brother, Jeff Rawlings, who warns him to leave town. When Leighton accidentally ingests wolfsbane, he injures Anna and is knocked out by Jeff. Soon after, the CEO of Anna's company is killed, and Leighton and Anna team up with an undercover CIA operative to investigate the death. They uncover a dark secret that leads to a showdown between werewolves, as Anna seeks revenge for her father's death years earlier. As the mystery deepens, Leighton and Anna's relationship becomes strained, with Anna's thirst for revenge threatening to consume her. Leighton tries to help her regain her humanity, but their love is put to the ultimate test as Anna's plan for vengeance puts them both in danger. Meanwhile, Jeff's true nature is revealed, leading to a thrilling confrontation between him and Anna. In the end, "A Luna's Revenge" delivers a gripping tale of love, loyalty, and werewolf legend, with unexpected twists and turns that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

Anna’s life has always been a journey of survival. Born with bipolar disorder and lost as a child, she was taken in by a struggling farmer’s family who never truly accepted her. Ridiculed, unloved, and married off to a man who despised her, Anna’s world seemed destined for hardship. Yet, through it all, she held onto the small kindness shown by her adoptive father, the only beacon of hope in her bleak existence. Fifteen years later, Anna's talent as a dancer catches the eye of a wealthy audience at the Edgewood Group’s annual Christmas party. But it’s not just her performance that turns heads—it’s the birthmark under her arm and the locket around her neck, the very signs her long-lost grandmother has been searching for. Suddenly, Anna is thrust into a life she could have never imagined, reclaiming her true identity as the heir to a powerful empire. As Anna navigates the complexities of her newfound wealth and status, she must confront her painful past, including the toxic marriage she was forced into and the mental health struggles she has battled alone. With the support of her grandmother, Anna begins to forge a new path, discovering her strength and resilience. "Finding Anna" is a poignant tale of identity, redemption, and the enduring power of hope. Follow Anna’s journey from the streets of hardship to the heights of power as she learns to embrace her true self and reclaim the life she was meant to live.

Anna is an outcast, omega the least of the least and does not know who her parents are. She grew up without both parents and was taken under the care of Leo, a stranger who took her in when she was an orphan baby. She is rejected by her own kind, ridiculed and forced into servitude by the ruthless alpha of her pack, Oliver. Leo was later on wrongly accused of a crime he did not do and was tagged a traitor worsening Anna situation. Leo later reveals to Anna that she is the last bloodline and is no ordinary wolf. She begins to have mysterious dreams and encounters with dark spirits. Lucas, a warrior and beta from a neighboring pack, enters Anna’s life with a secret mission to hunt down a rumored threat to his own pack. On a fateful night, Lucas discovers two things- Anna is the threat and she is his fated mate.

Richard?" "Why? Are you surprised?" "How much did Richard pay you to do all this?" "I… I will pay you more than Richard gave you." Anyone who hears Richard Walter Ghonee will feel pressured and try to bribe the people who work for him, but that's not the case for Anna Kim Perto. Money will not melt her and make her to betray Richard. Anna's naive and innocent nature changes when she meets Richard. Richard's nature, which was too rigid and suppressed, changed when he met Anna. But the death of Anna's parents made her grudge against Richard, but not with Richard who always showered Anna with his attention. Until one day, Richard had a certainty that made Anna's feelings for Richard change.

Anna, a poor rankless wolf, finds herself falling in love with Dante Rossi, the future Lycan King of the Black Pearl Pack. But their love is forbidden, as Dante's father has arranged a marriage for him with another woman. Despite the odds against them, Anna and Dante embark on a passionate love affair, vowing to flee the pack and start a new life together. But their plans are thwarted when Anna is abducted and tortured by Dante's father, leaving her deaf and mute. As Anna struggles to come to terms with her trauma, she begins to doubt Dante's loyalty and suspects him of cheating. Heartbroken and desperate, she turns to the Moon Goddess for help, and her wish is granted in a way she never expected. Now known as Lyza, Anna has a new identity and appearance. And Dante intends to claim her once more...

“DULU aku suruh kamu, tunggu aku sembilan tahun lagi, kenapa kamu nggak sabar? Malah nikah sama Bhaga. Ck.” Dia berdecak. Deg. “Aku sudah tunggu kamu sembilan tahun. Ceraikan Bhaga. Ayo kita nikah.” “Vlad….” Meski tercekat, aku berhasil berbisik menyebut namanya. Vladimir Darmawangsa. *** Vladimir Darmawangsa, murid SMP yang pembangkang tapi pintar. Savannah Gayatri, guru magang di sekolah Vlad. Anna ditugaskan mentornya untuk mendampingi proyek gila Vlad agar Vlad bisa lulus di tahun itu. Anna menjalankan tugasnya demi nilai dan praktik kerjanya. Tapi totalitas Anna menyentuh sisi kelelakian Vlad. Saat perpisahan sekolah, Vlad mengutarakan isi hatinya dan berkata: Tunggu aku sembilan tahun lagi. Anna menganggap itu hanya ulah remaja yang belum bisa mengendalikan hormon. Tapi ketika Vlad sungguh muncul sembilan tahun kemudian sesuai ucapannya, Anna terkejut, apalagi dia sudah bersama Bhagavad Antares. Selama ini Anna merasa tiga tahun pernikahan dengan Bhaga baik-baik saja. Tapi ternyata mereka tidak baik-baik saja. Entah karena kehadiran Vlad atau memang Anna kehilangan arah bersama Bhaga. *** Cover by Zia