Breaking The Rules

I died the night before my wedding to Christopher. But on the wedding day, a giant screen showed photos of me in bed with another man. In a fit of rage, Christopher smashed the screen and got engaged to my sister, Elizabeth. When my father informed him of my disappearance, Christopher sneered. “Disappeared? With the disgusting things she has done, she’s probably too ashamed to show her face!” My brother joined in with a scornful yell. “She hurt Liz, and now she has done such shameless things. I refuse to acknowledge such a wicked sister!” The shock and anger led to a fatal stroke, and my father died right there. Since then, I was despised by everyone in Cloud City. What they did not know was that it was the seemingly gentle Elizabeth who had brutally stabbed me to death and dumped my body in the river. Two months later, a fisherman found my body washed ashore.

Sa loob ng walong taon, inakala ni Lizzy na ang fiancé niyang si Jarren ang katuparan ng kanyang mga pangarap—isang perpektong kasal at masayang pamilya. Ngunit ang masakit na katotohanan ay tumambad sa kanya: si Jarren, ang lalaking minahal niya, ay may relasyon sa iba... at ang kabit nito ay hindi lamang basta kung sino, kundi ang sekretarya niya. Hindi na tumingin pa si Lizzy sa nakaraan. Sa halip, pinili niyang balikan ang dignidad niya at lumakad palayo sa kanyang engagement. Sa gitna ng gulo at kahihiyan, pumasok sa kanyang buhay ang isang bagong mukha—si Lysander Sanchez, ang misteryosong uncle ni Jarren na puno ng karisma at lihim na intensyon. Habang bumabawi si Lizzy mula sa sakit ng pagtataksil, matutuklasan niya na ang kanyang landas ay puno ng panibagong hamon, tukso, at pagkakataon para sa tunay na pagmamahal. Magagawa kaya niyang ipaglaban ang kanyang kalayaan at puso, o muli siyang masasaktan sa gitna ng isang mas komplikadong mundo?

Charlie Wayne’s life is perfect. Or it was. As a VP who commands boardrooms and a playboy who elegantly ends every date at his door by 3 AM, Charlie’s world is built on control. But lately, his system has a glitch. A streak of bizarre, comically bad luck—flat tires at dawn, mysterious fire alarms, untimely food poisoning—keeps derailing his plans. His flawless exit strategy is in shambles. Carly Dorrington’s life is a lie. But a necessary one. After a blowout fight with her father over their family companies’ merger, Carly needs a place to stay. Where better than with her childhood best friend, Charlie? It’s just temporary. Just two best friends sharing a space. It has nothing to do with the two decades she’s spent loving him from the sidelines, or the quiet hope that maybe, just maybe, proximity will make the world’s most oblivious man finally see her. Now, under his roof, the "coincidences" multiply. Charlie’s chaotic love life grinds to a halt just as Carly’s presence becomes a permanent, comforting fixture. His sacred rules don’t seem to apply to her. His peaceful solitude feels warmer with her in it. As the lines of their friendship blur, Charlie is left to wonder: Is Carly the calm in the center of his storm… or is she the one who’s been stirring it up all along? Note: This is a slow-burn, dual-POV story about best friends, blurred lines, and the long game. If you find yourself wondering"where is this going?" in the early chapters... keep reading. Everything becomes clear in Chapter 4. The foundation is being laid for a reason. Thank you for trusting the process.

Nananatili sina Isabella Russo at Adam Kingsley sa kanilang limang taong pagsasama bilang mag-asawa ngunit nagsanhi ito ng pagyurak sa kanilang dignidad. Naisip ni Isabella na kahit walang pagmamahal sa isa't isa ay sapat na ang mahalin na lamang ang kanilang anak. Hanggang sa dumating ang araw. Sabay-sabay na lumabas ang balitang may malubhang sakit ang kanilang nag-iisang anak at ang balita tungkol sa paggastos ni Adam ng malaking halaga para kay Bree Morgan. Hindi na kailangang magpanggap bilang Mrs. Kingsley si Isabella. Gayunpaman, may isang lalaki binili ang lahat ng media entertainment at lumuhod sa kanya na nangungusap ang mga mata at nagmamakaawa na bumalik siya sa piling niya. Nagkataong lumitaw si Isabella na hawak ang kamay ng isa pang lalaki. Ang kanyang bagong pag-ibig ay ipinagsigawan niya sa mundo.

“K-Kasal ako! H-Hindi ako pwedeng ibenta ng tatay ko! H-Hindi mo gugustohing malaman ang pangalan ng asawa ko dahil malalagot ka!” Pagbabanta pa ni Solene kahit na nauutal na ito. ~ Si Solene Jimenez ay isang twenty-year old College student. Pumapasok ng iba't-ibang part time jobs para tustusan ang pangangailangan ng kanyang pamilya habang nag-aaral sa isang sikat na unibersidad. Ipinakasal siya sa isang bilyonaryo upang tuparin ang hiling ng Mama niya at ng matanda niyang kaibigang mayaman na pakasalan ang apo nito. Ngunit kahit isang beses ay hindi niya pa man din nakikita. Ano kaya ang mangyayari sa buhay niya kapag nagkita sila sa unang pagkakataon? Will the billionaire keep their marriage o hihiwalayan siya nito nang tuluyan?

Dahil sa kagustuhang makuha ang kustodiya ng mga bata, napilitan ang bilyonaryong si Kerill Wang na maghanap ng babaeng magsisilbing ina ng kanyang mga anak sa loob ng tatlong buwan. Dito niya nakilala si Charlene Rosarios, ang probinsyanang lumuwas sa Maynila upang maghanap ng trabaho. Kinontrata niya ito kapalit ng isang milyong piso. At dahil desperada ang babae na makahanap ng pera, tinanggap niya ang alok—lingid sa kanyang kaalaman na papasok siya sa pintuan ng impyerno. Hindi mababait ang mga anak ni Kerill at nasanay na silang palaging may bagong babaeng ipinapakilala ang tatay nila sa kanila, kaya ginagawa nila ang lahat upang mapaalis siya. Makakayanan kaya ni Charlene ang lahat ng pagpapahirap na mararanasan niya sa loob ng higanteng mansyon na iyon? Hanggang kailan niya matitiis ang masasakit na salita ni Kerill tungkol sa kanyang pagkatao? Makukuha niya kaya ang loob ng mga bata? Sundan ang nakakatawa, punô ng emosyon at pag-ibig na kwento na nagsimula lang sa isang papel ng kontrata. Mahahanap kaya nila ang tunay na pagmamahal kung lahat ay matatapos lamang sa loob ng tatlong buwan?

She was deceived by people who were wolves in sheep's clothing and ended up dead on the operating table with both her eyes and uterus removed. However, God was kind enough to give her a second chance of life. She was gifted with ethereal beauty and a gaze that could kill. Every gesture and expression she made was as poisonous as opium poppy. Step by step, she laid out her scheme, swore to send people who murdered her down to hell and suffer in eternal doom. At the same time, she took great lengths to insinuate herself in the life of her ex-fiancé after breaking off the engagement in her past life for the douchebag. One day, she approached him with a seductive smile and said, "Mr. Gu, you might view me as wild and promiscuous, but in reality, I am a well-mannered lady. I am also loyal and faithful to my loved one. You will have to see past this facade in order to know the real me."

On her wedding day, Alpha Princess Leah lost everything. Her groom was killed at the altar. Her father was dragged in chains. And she was thrown at the mercy of the man who hated her bloodline more than anyone. King Ares. He should have killed her. Instead, he claimed her. She was the mate he didn't want but couldn’t resist. Not as his queen. Not as his Luna. But as his breeder. “I’ll make you mine until there’s nothing left of you, Princess. You’ll give me heirs until I’m done, and then, I’ll kill you.” Leah swore she would never bow to him. She would escape with her tortured father, free her people, and watch Ares bleed for what he’s done. But the longer she spends in his grasp, the more the bond between them twists into something far more dangerous. Hate. Obsession. Desire. He wants vengeance. She wants freedom. But between hunger and hatred, one of them will break. And when the Alpha King who swore to ruin her becomes the only man she can’t resist— And the daughter of his greatest enemy becomes the only woman who plagues his mind— A war of bodies and hearts begins. Ruin me, Alpha… or I’ll ruin you.

My mom is an HR professional. She uses KPI to determine my entire life. "If you get into the top ten of your grade, you'll receive a B grade as well as a bonus of 500 dollars. If you can achieve a ranking at a state-level competition, you'll receive an A grade as well as a bonus of 1,000 dollars. Of course, if you can get into a top-tier university after scoring well in your SATs, I'll give you an S+ grade as well as a year-end bonus of ten thousand dollars!" I work my ass off in my studies and manage to earn the offer letter to a top-tier university. But that's when my mom puts a contract in front of me. "Congratulations on getting hired. From today onward, your allowances will be determined by the total of your base salary, KPI, as well as your full attendance award. "Your base salary is 500 dollars. It's to make sure that you won't starve to death, at the very least. In order to help you adapt to workplace stress in advance, I'll check on your progress randomly. If you don't meet my requirements, I'll deduct your salary." When I'm down with a fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit, my mom deducts my full attendance award, claiming that my physical attributes aren't up to par. In order to catch up on my studies, I've completely forgotten to submit my weekly report to my mom. Because of that, she suspends my allowances. So, I have to sell my blood to a hospital behind her back just so I can survive. At the end of the school term, I show my mom my grades as well as the certificate to my scholarship, thinking that I'll be eligible for the highest KPI and the bonus. But that's when my mom tells me coldly, "The company has decided to give your S+ bonus to your younger brother as a form of investment. After all, he has more potential to achieve better results compared to you." As I gaze down at the 200-dollar consolation prize, I can't help but laugh. It turns out that I'm not even worthy of being recognized as a good employee in my mom's company.

As a low-income student who's specifically recruited by the elite college this year, I can still feel my hands trembling as I clutch the letter that tells me I get to study for free. Not only are my tuition and miscellaneous fees waived, but I also get to receive 30 thousand dollars' worth of student grant per year. I even get to have free access to the leather seats inside the library, the equipment inside the gym, as well as the aerial garden on the roof. The best surprise for me has to be the cafeteria. All low-income students get a 50% discount on their meals, but the quality of their food doesn't decrease at all. Best beef is used in the steak dinners offered by the cafeteria, whereas a seafood platter showcases the entire huge lobster. Even the most basic mac and cheese meal has different types of freshly grated cheese baked into it. As I sit in the brightly lit classroom and look at the rich students around me, who wear custom-made uniforms and have branded watches latched around their wrists, all I have is one thought. I must be on good terms with them. But my seatmate, who's also a low-income student, isn't as thrilled as me. In fact, she just looks at the people around her with disdain in her eyes. After the first lesson, a rich student arrives at our table. He might not sound polite at all, but at least he's not putting on airs. "Do any of you have time to head over to the cafeteria and buy me breakfast?" I'm about to respond to him when a shrill voice booms out next to me. "You're so annoying! What, you think you rule the campus since you're rich? Had I known that this classroom is filled with useless scions like you who just waste their lives away on nothing, I wouldn't have enrolled in this college in the first place!"