Beyond Proud Artinya

Ephemeral -- A Modern Love Story revolves around a woman named Soleil navigating through the annals of life as it coincides with the concept of love that was taught to her by her Uncle: that love can be written on sticky notes, baked into the burned edges of brownies, or found in the triplet progressions in a jazz song. A story in which she will realize that love goes beyond the scattered pieces of a puzzle or the bruised skin of apples.

Twenty-four-year-old Eve meets gorgeous billionaire Grant Carlson at a Hollywood gala. Things get hot beyond belief - until Grant does something unforgivable. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Especially when she's an internet security expert and former hacker. But Grant has a secret - one that will plunge both him and Eve into even greater passion - and incredible danger.

I was never meant to be wanted. I was too much too wide, too soft, too full in all the places that made men forget their vows, their loyalty, their mates. My stepmother saw it as a curse. So she did what any desperate, jealous woman would do she sold me. Packaged me up like something shameful and shipped me off to Alpha Dane Blackwood, the most feared Alpha in the northern territories. A man they whispered about in hushed, pitying tones. Powerful beyond measure. Cold beyond feeling. And completely, devastatingly impotent unable to bond, unable to mate, uninterested in a Luna. I was supposed to be safe in my invisibility. I was supposed to disappear quietly into his rejection. But the moment Alpha Dane's eyes moved over my body slow, dark, and burning like something long starved, I realized that the rumors were about to become very, very wrong. And when the mating bond snapped into place between us like a chain neither of us had asked for, I understood the most terrifying truth of all. I was never a burden. I was always a reckoning.

Selama lima tahun, Alessandro Wijanarko adalah sosok pria sempurna. Setidaknya, itulah yang selalu kupercaya. Semua keyakinan itu runtuh pada malam pesta pertunangan kami, saat perempuan simpanannya menerobos masuk, menggandeng seorang bocah lelaki berusia sekitar lima tahun. Anak itu langsung berlari ke arah Alessandro sambil menangis tersedu. “Ayah! Ayah, akhirnya aku menemukanmu!” Ini pasti lelucon. Lelucon yang kejam dan menjijikkan! Namun, Alessandro menoleh padaku. Tak ada lagi kehangatan dalam suaranya ketika dia berbicara. “Ini putraku, Rivan. Sebuah … kesalahan yang Chyntia dan aku buat lima tahun lalu.” Dadaku menegang. “Rivan adalah pewaris Keluarga Wijanarko. Aku harus beri mereka status,” lanjutnya datar. “Artinya, aku harus bertunangan dengan Chyntia dulu.” Dia menatapku, seolah masih berhak memintaku memahami segalanya. “Tapi, Saskia, percayalah. Aku masih mencintaimu. Kita bisa menggelar pesta pertunangan enam bulan lagi. Kamu tetap akan jadi Nyonya Keluarga Wijanarko. Aku harap kamu bisa bersikap lapang dada. Ini keputusan finalku.” Aku tertawa, dingin, singkat, dan tajam, lalu menarik cincin pertunangan dari jariku dan melemparkannya begitu saja. Pandangan mataku menyapu ruangan, lalu berhenti pada seorang pria di sudut aula. Kresna Kartawijaya. Bos mafia paling berkuasa di Vantros. Dan aku satu-satunya pria yang mengetahui satu gelar lain dirinya. Yaitu pria yang sejak lama berniat menjadikanku miliknya. “Kresna,” panggilku, suaraku tenang dan jernih. “Aku sedang butuh tunangan baru. Kamu tertarik tidak?”

Terdapat banyak adegan 21+ Harap bijak dalam membaca Karena kepemilikan saham dan beberapa aset mewah yang diberikan pada keluarganya, Elena terpaksa menikah dengan putra pewaris tunggal pemilik Corazon Group, bernama Leon Lawrence. Sayangnya sang suami adalah seorang pemuda dengan keterbelakangan mental. Leon juga tidak bisa menyentuh Elena layaknya seorang lelaki. Padahal Leon adalah satu-satunya harapan untuk menyambung garis keturunan keluarga Lawrence. Hingga pada suatu malam, ayah mertua Elena mendatangi kamarnya dan meminta izin untuk meniduri Elena sampai ia benar-benar hamil. Karena mendapatkan kehangatan dari Reviano Lawrence hampir setiap malam, Elena menjadi serakah. Ia bukan hanya sekedar menikmati, tapi juga berusaha agar terus bisa mendapatkan kenikmatan yang selalu diberikan oleh sang mertua. Di kemudian hari, Reviano menyadari kalau anak perempuan yang Elena lahirkan bukanlah anak biologisnya. Lantas siapa yang telah menghamili Elena? “Tuan Rev, Anda didiagnosis mengidap Azoospermia yang menjadi penyebab kemandulan permanen.” Dokter Frederick mengatakan hal yang membuat Reviano bersumpah akan membunuh Elena. Namun di saat ia hampir saja menghilangkan nyawa wanita itu dengan cekikannya, Elena mengatakan hal yang membuatnya terasa disambar petir hingga ribuan kali. “Aku mengaku kalau pernah tidur dengan lelaki lain, Dad. Tapi kalau memang benar kau mengidap Azoospermia, bukankah itu artinya Leon juga bukan anak kandungmu?”

Aku meninggal di hari aku memenangkan Penghargaan Doktor Medis Global. Tiga jam setelah kematianku, orang tua, kakak laki-laki, dan tunanganku baru saja pulang dari pesta ulang tahun ke-16 adik perempuanku. Ketika adikku mengunggah foto keluarga kami saat merayakan ulang tahunnya di media sosial, aku sedang terbaring di ruang bawah tanah yang tertutup rapat dan berlumuran darah. Aku mencoba menggunakan lidahku untuk menggeser layar ponsel dan meminta bantuan. Di antara kontak darurat, hanya tunanganku yang menjawab panggilanku. Artinya orang tua dan kakakku telah memblokir nomorku. Begitu telepon diangkat, tunanganku hanya mengucapkan satu kalimat, “Karin, pesta ulang tahun Lina yang ke-16 itu sangat penting. Jangan pakai alasan nggak masuk akal untuk cari perhatian kami dan bersikap manja lagi!” Dia menutup telepon dan memutus harapan terakhirku untuk bertahan hidup. Jantungku berhenti berdetak karena nada sibuk telepon. Ini adalah ke-100 kalinya mereka memilih adikku, ke-100 kalinya mereka mengabaikanku, mengecewakanku, dan ini juga yang terakhir. Aku terbaring di dalam genangan darahku sendiri, merasakan napasku perlahan berhenti. Mereka mengira aku kabur dari rumah lagi sebagai alasan untuk melampiaskan ketidakpuasanku. Mereka pikir bahwa selama mereka memberiku pelajaran, aku akan kembali dengan patuh seperti 99 kali sebelumnya. Sayangnya, itu tidak akan terjadi kali ini. Karena aku tidak pernah meninggalkan rumah, aku terus terbaring di ruang bawah tanah rumahku.

In life, you don't know if you're always on top. Hindi mo alam kung kailan ka mananalo o matatalo-kung kailan ka paglalaruan ng tadhana. Destiny is our greatest enemy. Parang lahat kasi ng mangyayari sa buhay natin, nakatadha na-at wala kang magagawa kundi tanggapin ito. I have always been on top. All the people I know are proud of me-look up at me because I am good at everything. Pero tama nga silang hindi ka laging nasa taas. Sino bang mag-aakala na isang beses lang akong babagsak pero sobra iyon? Sobra-sobrang nahatak ako sa baba ng malaking trahedya sa buhay ko at hindi ko alam kung paano ako aahon. Mabuti na lang, bumalik siya. Siya ulit. Siya lang ang nag-iisang taong nagmamahal sa akin nang lubos kahit iniwan ko. It's always him. Walang iba.

Rule number 3: “I can have your body whenever I want” Angelica Montez got into a contract marriage with the proud and arrogant Alexandre Dollarze in order to save her father's company, “As you're signing this contract you should bear in mind that this marriage is just for the benefit of our families, my parents will help revive your father's company while you marry me till I become the CEO of Dollarze Conglomerate. This marriage is strictly transactional and nothing more so don't expect any husband duties from me. Sometimes life and plans does not usually go as expected and that was the case in Alexandre and Angelica’s marriage cause what was supposed to be a contract marriage, slowly escalated when they made a dangerous deal of him being her doting husband, which resulted in feeling getting caught in, emotions interfering, and their life becoming messy. In their marriage which is more like a game of chess, who's going to win, Love or ego?

My husband, James Zeller, and I have established a common-law marriage. We did not have a formal wedding ceremony, nor do we have a marriage license. We also live separately, our lives barely intertwining, because he has a special profession. Therefore, despite being married to him for seven years, we've never met each other's friends and relatives. As his wife, I'm proud of being married to him despite how it pains me. I'm willing to give up the opportunity to study at the National Academy of Sciences to take care of things at home while he works. One day, my son, Jasper Chalder, comes home from elementary school crying. He sobs about not being a bastard child and requests to see James. Greatly distressed, I decide to take him to visit the military base over the new year for a family reunion. However, I don't expect this trip to turn my life completely upside down.

Three years ago, Alaric shattered all expectations. The proud Alpha heir of the Black Moon Pack, he defied the Elders and broke a thousand-year-old bloodline law. He chose to mate with me. A rogue Omega. When his childhood sweetheart, Rowena, humiliated me, he threw her entire family out of the pack. After we mated, Alaric’s love for me became an obsession. Everyone said he would tear the whole North apart if I even got a scratch. I thought I was special. The one rogue lucky enough to capture the future Alpha's heart. I thought our mate bond meant he'd be loyal forever. Until I discovered his betrayal. He had a pup with Rowena. And the mate mark he gave me? Our bond? It was all a lie. I turned to my best friend. "In three days, help me fake my death. I need to disappear from Alaric's world forever."