Background Kuning Merah

Pada ulang tahun pernikahan mereka yang ketiga, Jerico Thamnin menghadiahkan istrinya sebuah kalung berlian bernama "Cinta Rhea", seolah-olah ingin mengumumkan cintanya ke seluruh dunia. Publik pun terpukau. Namun, di balik semua sorotan itu, Rhea duduk sendirian di rumah mereka yang kosong, menatap foto yang dikirim orang tak dikenal. Sekretaris baru suaminya, Stella, sedang berpelukan dengan Jerico sambil mengenakan kalung yang sama. Selama tiga tahun, Rhea menjadi istri yang sempurna. Penurut, tidak banyak bicara, dan selalu mengalah. Sebagai balasannya, yang dia terima hanyalah pengkhianatan, hinaan dari ibu mertuanya, dan pembenaran menjijikkan dari Jerico yang bersikeras bahwa perselingkuhannya hanyalah "kebutuhan fisik", sementara dia tetap mencintai Rhea. Jerico yakin Rhea tidak punya jalan keluar. Dia merasa Rhea terikat padanya karena tagihan biaya pengobatan ayahnya yang selangit. Dia pikir Rhea akan terus menelan semua penghinaan itu dan bahkan rela membesarkan anak hasil hubungan gelapnya. Dia salah. Rhea menjual rumah besar mereka, mengumpulkan bukti satu per satu, lalu menyerahkan fakta tak terbantahkan tentang perselingkuhan itu. Setelah semuanya selesai, dia pun pergi. Bukan lagi mengenakan celemek dapur, melainkan jas laboratorium putih. Dalam semalam, dia berubah menjadi peneliti farmasi papan atas yang mengejutkan industri. Ketika Jerico akhirnya sadar dan datang dengan mata merah serta suara memohon agar dia kembali, pemandangan di depannya membuat darahnya membeku. Mantan istrinya yang dingin dan tak tersentuh itu sedang dipeluk lembut oleh pamannya sendiri, Arieson. Pria yang selalu tampak angkuh itu melirik keponakannya dengan tatapan dingin. Suaranya rendah, tajam, dan berbahaya. "Siapa yang kamu panggil 'istri'? Panggil dia 'Bibi'."

Siapa yang tidak kenal Oscar? Di ibu kota, dia adalah anggota Keluarga Demetrius yang paling berandal pada generasi ini. Di usia 18, dia sudah berani menaikkan harga untuk melawan ayah kandungnya sendiri di pelelangan demi merebut barang antik. Di usia 20-an, dia bermain balap sampai hampir kehilangan nyawa di kaki Gunung Alpen. Kecepatannya berganti pasangan bahkan lebih cepat daripada brand mewah merilis koleksi baru. Dia pernah berkata, "Pernikahan itu kain pembungkus kaki dari abad lalu. Siapa mau pakai, pakai saja." Namun tiga tahun lalu, Oscar justru berlutut di depan rumah Emma. Di malam yang turun hujan deras, selama 12 jam penuh, hanya agar Emma mau melihatnya sekali saja. Emma sangat cantik, memiliki aura keluarga terpelajar yang elegan, seperti anggrek langka yang dirawat dengan penuh perhatian. Gadis seperti ini sebelumnya tidak pernah disentuh Oscar. Semua orang menunggu Emma menangis, membuat keributan, bahkan mengancam bunuh diri. Sampai pada lamaran yang menghebohkan seluruh kota itu, Oscar membuat semua orang bungkam dengan sebuah berlian merah muda langka. Di bagian dalam cincin, dia mengukir sendiri satu per satu kata. [ Tahanan Oscar, hukuman seumur hidup. ] Tiga tahun setelah menikah, dongeng milik Emma pun tidak berakhir. Oscar mencintainya dengan sangat mendalam. Semua orang berkata, "Raja iblis dari Keluarga Demetrius itu benar-benar sudah dijinakkan oleh Emma." Emma pun percaya demikian. Sampai sehari setelah hari jadi pernikahan mereka, Emma keluar untuk melukis di alam. Di sana, dia menangkap basah perselingkuhan suaminya. Saat itu juga, dia baru menyadari bahwa cinta Oscar untuknya telah lama sirna.

Kekasih masa kecilku berjanji akan menikahiku begitu kami cukup umur, tapi malah terang-terangan memberikan cincin kepada kakak tiriku, Jessica, di hari pernikahanku. Yohan-lah, pewaris mafia yang ditakuti semua orang, melangkah dengan lantang mengatakan bahwa akulah wanita yang telah dia cintai diam-diam selama bertahun-tahun. Selama lima tahun pernikahan kami, setiap keinginanku kecil yang tanpa sengaja aku ucapkan akan selalu dia wujudkan. Sampai aku benar-benar percaya bahwa akulah pusat dari seluruh dunianya. Sampai suatu hari, saat aku sedang merapikan rak buku, tanpa sengaja aku menjatuhkan sebuah berkas rahasia yang tersembunyi di bagian terdalam rak milik Yohan. Halaman pertama adalah data Jessica dan di atasnya, tertulis tulisan tangan Yohan dengan tinta merah tebal [Terpenting, lindungi Jessica.] Lalu di bawahnya, terdapat laporan misi yang sangat aku kenali. Misi yang sangat kutakuti. Malam itu, ada yang mencoba membunuhku. Begitu bantuan tiba, aku hampir mati kehabisan darah. Saat sadar di rumah sakit, aku baru tahu bahwa janin kecil di rahimku sudah tiada. Aku menangis sejadi-jadinya di pelukan Yohan, aku sangat hancur. Tapi aku tidak memberitahunya tentang kehilangan itu, aku tidak ingin membuatnya lebih khawatir lagi. Baru sekarang aku mengerti bahwa malam itu, Jessica juga mendapat percobaan pembunuhan. Perintah yang dikeluarkan Yohan adalah, "Selamatkan Jessica terlebih dulu." Air mataku menetes di atas kertas itu, membuat tulisan merahnya memudar. "Baiklah." Aku berbisik di tengah kesunyian, suaraku serak tapi tegas. "Kalau pernikahan kita hanyalah kebohongan yang kamu rancang dengan cermat, maka aku akan menghilang dari duniamu … untuk selamanya."

I was dying from my fear of heights, but my husband, Don Vincent, was busy with his assistant, savoring the latest coffee flown in from Hawaii that morning. "You're a grown woman, Bella. What's the big deal? You're stuck on a roof, figure it out." Then he hung up on me. I collapsed onto the hot tar of the roof, my body shaking uncontrollably before everything went black. It was two hours before building security found me. When I got home, I asked Vincent for a divorce. He rubbed his temples, his patience worn thin, looking at me as if I were a child throwing a tantrum. "Over a cup of coffee? I told you, the heights are all in your head. You’re perfectly safe now. Stop making a scene alright? What's this nonsense about a divorce? I have more important things to deal with. Calm yourself down." I stared at his back as he left, tears already streaming down my face. Something important? Did he really think I couldn't hear his assistant, Sophia, murmuring in the background? Did he think I didn't know he took her to the last family gathering? I had loved Vincent for three years. Everyone knew he was the center of my world. They all thought an orphan like me could never leave him. But now, all the love I had was eclipsed by a profound, soul-crushing exhaustion. I was done. I picked up my phone and dialed a number I hadn't touched in three long years. "Uncle, book me a flight to Seattle. I'm ready to leave Vincent."

I sponsored Emily Fagan from an underprivileged background just to help her get through school. She was good-looking but wasn't exactly the brightest. Despite my warning not to tamper with my things, she slipped stimulants into my water bottle. Thanks to her, I was accused of cheating in the swimming competition. Our team's score was nullified. As for me, I was banned from competing for life and kicked out of college. When I confronted her, she cried pitifully, "Julie, I just wanted you to win. I didn't know that'd happen." My boyfriend, Elijah Strauss, held her and comforted her. He even snapped at me, claiming, "Em had good intentions. Why are you giving her a hard time?" Crushed, I shut myself in at home. Feeling sorry, she and Elijah visited me and brought along some vodka as an apology. After I took ten shots, I asked her to buy some over-the-counter pain relievers for my splitting headache. Little did I know that she'd make me take a dangerous dose of Ibuprofen mixed with alcohol. The bleeding in my stomach was what killed me. Emily looked pitifully remorseful at the hospital. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't even tell what I shouldn't have given her…" During the police interrogation, my boyfriend gave false testimony to protect her. He accused me of taking my own life by mixing Ibuprofen and alcohol because I couldn't handle the mental stress from cheating in the competition. When I reopened my eyes, I found out that I was transported to the day before the competition.

Heather was found around the packs borders when she was just eight years old. She was found with nothing but a name tag on her wrist that says Heather Snow. She was treated like an outcast because no one knows her background and family history. On her sixteenth birthday, a ceremony was held in the pack for everyone in her age bracket. It was supposed to be the night when they all shift for the first time and have their first run in the woods with the rest of the pack. This particular ceremony was even more important because the future Alpha of the Demon Wolf Pack was supposed to shift on that very night, so everyone important like the Alpha and other elites were present. Unfortunately, Heather could not shift that night, while everyone shifted and had a fun night. She was made to sleep in the stables as punishment for being a wolfless omega. They thought she is a weak omega because she couldn't shift, they have no idea that she shifted on her fourteenth birthday, which is two years before her peers. She had to keep it a secret because shifting so early was considered a taboo, besides, her wolf is quite different from the rest, it has a snow white fur, just like the rogues. What happens when Heather finds out that she is mated to the Alpha of the Demon wolf pack, the same Alpha that bullies and Demeans her every fucking day. Will she forgive him and accept the bond? Will he get rid of his chosen mate Mira and accept the bond with his true mate Heather? Find out what happens when the Lycan prince Xander shows up mysteriously and finds his mate being bullied and abused by an ordinary Alpha.

Setelah mati mendadak karena lembur berlebihan, Levana terlempar ke dalam novel berlatar belakang dunia manusia binatang dan merasa bingung total! Ayah pemilik tubuh asli adalah seorang manusia binatang pengembara. Ayahnya memaksa lima manusia binatang untuk membentuk ikatan pasangan dengannya. Saat ini, dia sudah menyiksa kelima suami manusia binatangnya sampai sekarat. Tak lama lagi, mereka semua akan berubah menjadi jahat dan dia akan berakhir tragis! Levana pun menyusun rencana dalam semalam. Dia berencana untuk mencari perlindungan kepada ayahnya yang merupakan petarung tingkat tertinggi, lalu memutuskan ikatan pasangan dengan para antagonis itu dengan perjanjian darah. Ketika Levana memanfaatkan ruang penyimpanan untuk mengumpulkan kristal inti binatang dan menanam tanaman untuk bertahan hidup, tatapan para suami manusia binatang antagonisnya terhadapnya menjadi makin aneh. Ular putih berbisa yang angkuh melilit Levana dengan ekornya. Dia berkata dengan tatapan penuh kasih sayang, "Vana, selama aku hidup, jangan harap kamu bisa putuskan ikatan pasangan denganku." Ikan duyung yang tampan melingkarkan lengannya di pinggang Levana dan memohon dengan suara menggoda, "Aku akan bernyanyi untukmu. Jangan campakkan aku." Singa jantan dengan surai hitam menundukkan dan menggesekkan wajahnya ke wajah Levana. "Levana, selama kamu nggak meninggalkanku, aku bahkan rela berikan nyawaku padamu." Rubah merah yang menggoda mendekap Levana dan berbisik di telinganya, "Apa yang pernah kamu lakukan padaku, aku mau tagih dengan berlipat ganda." Bangau pendeta yang dingin menunduk untuk menatap Levana. "Aku nggak peduli kamu itu siapa, atau dari mana kamu berasal. Cuma kamu satu-satunya pasangan betinaku." Levana pun merasa kebingungan. "Hah? Bukannya kalian benci sama aku karena dipaksa membentuk ikatan pasangan denganku? Kita akan putuskan ikatan itu. Kenapa kalian malah nggak bersedia?"

After catching her fiancé in bed with her best friend at their engagement party, Lana Rivera's perfect life shatters in a single night. Humiliated and heartbroken, she feels the scene, desperate to disappear. But running from one betrayal thrusts her into something far more dangerous... Seeking refuge, Lana wanders into an exclusive lounge that feels less like a bar, and more like a secret society. Cigars and cologne linger in the air, Italian jazz hums in the background, and patrons watch everything with sharp, vigilant eyes. But when she witnesses a man executed in cold blood, right into the middle of the club, she realises too late that she has stumbled into the world of Underground crime... quite specifically... the Mafia. Before she can escape, Ezio Benedetti, the ruthless Don who owns the lounge, claims her. At first, she believes she will be killed for what she's seen, but instead, Ezio decides to keep her, to parade her, and to make her part of a world she doesn't understand. When he brings her to his family's most elusive event, Ezio shows her off as his newest prize. But Ezio isn't the only powerful man in the room... Among the guests stands Dante Valencia, the one they call the Mafia King, Don of the most feared family in the city, and Ezio's sworn enemy. When Dante sets his sights on Lana, Ezio refuses to let her go, refuelling the war between the two empires. Now, Lana is caught between two Rival Kings of the Underworld, one who wants to possess her, and one who wants to save her. In a world built on loyalty, blood and power, her heart might be the most dangerous thing of all...

Zannicus Zer Zor-ester~Omega (Prime) A young wolf who's background was unknown, a young wolf who's the only one in his pack that has striking orange eyes (almost red) He shifted earlier than the other wolves but kept it a secret and pretended to be a human. Only two of his best friends knew his true identity. He was left as a baby in the borders of the pack. Ronan Ver Solas Soon-to-be-alpha of the Mist moon pack. He and his friends along with the the rest of the pack torments Zannicus because they thought he was a human or his wolf didn't come out. They beat him for every single thing he does wrong, but he still stays strong. He doesn't get easily intimidated by them though. Whenever he talks back or fights back, they find themselves backing down or somehow submitting, even the alpha himself, and they don't know why. Zannicus thought his parents didn't want him. But he's not just any normal werewolf or a mere omega.There's more. But.......What happens if they push him too far? Why does one of the councilmen members always visit their pack? What if there's more to Zannicus' history than they thought? What happens if Ronan and Zannicus happens to be mates? What happens if the young man they knew suddenly became one of the most feared ranks of wolves? What happens if Ronan finds himself falling for Zannicus? Will Zannicus accept? or reject? Will he forgive him and the pack? Their pack seems to be a magnet for rogues, but one day, what happens if they were outnumbered? Will he save them? He was belittled. He was abused. Never judge a book by its cover. You never know what they are capable of.

Thunder's only sibling Lightning was found dead inside a secluded bar where he was believed to be last seen with Rufius, a mafia leader and one of the ruthless businessmen in the underworld organization. Puzzled on why his brother was entangled with such a man, he swore in his grave to avenge his untimely and brutal death. He starts digging on Rufius’s background, searching for links to give him a clearer path for his revenge with a help from a total stranger. There he discovered Rufius’ twin sister Rain, who was the total opposite of Rufius in every aspect. Thunder formed an unfair plan against her, by using her and have access to her brother’s life. He did everything for her to fall for him. But in the process of his pretend relationship with Rain, Thunder fell head over heels in love with her. Rufius did everything in his power to tear the relationship apart, even ordering his men to dispatch Thunder. But they failed to accomplish the task, so he uses his connections and quickly arranges a marriage for her. Thunder was helpless and almost gave up his love until he discovered who he really was and the truth about his real identity was revealed. Thunder appeared at Rain’s wedding day as the legitimate and only son of the most powerful mafia lord of their generation. He did not only regain the woman he fell in love with, but also avenged his brother’s death the minute Rufius got killed during their massive shoot outs. He became the most respected mafia lord not only to his subordinates, but to every mafia clan there is. He was known as the only mafia lord who possesses a fearless yet a heart made of pure gold.