Burat Ni Papa Novels & Stories

Nico Romano told me he had no choice. After his brother Enzo died, the Varrone family needed a new Don—and Enzo’s widow, Serena, needed a child to secure the bloodline. So Nico went to her bed again and again. Every time he came back to me, he carried her perfume on his skin and the same gentle lie in his mouth. “Just wait a little longer, Valentina. Once Serena gives birth to the heir, I’ll give you and Luca everything you deserve.” So I waited. For six months, I watched the man I loved become another woman’s husband in every way that mattered. I watched my son fall asleep by the window, waiting for a father who always promised to come home and always found a reason not to. Then Serena was declared pregnant. The entire Varrone family celebrated as if a miracle had happened. Nico’s mother announced that Serena’s child would be the rightful heir, while my son would be introduced to the world as an orphan Nico had taken in. “No one can know the Don has an illegitimate child with a nobody,” she said. My son’s little hand trembled in mine. “Mommy,” Luca whispered, looking at Nico, “am I not Papa’s child?” Nico heard him. He saw the tears in his son’s eyes. But Serena held his arm, and Nico said nothing. That was the moment I stopped waiting. I took off the ring Nico had given me seven years ago and placed it in Serena’s hand. “Congratulations,” I said. “You belong in this family far more than I ever did.” Then I took my son—and the child Nico did not yet know I carried—and walked out of the Varrone mansion for the last time. They all thought I was a nameless woman with nowhere to go. They didn’t know my father was the most feared man in Italy’s underworld. And I was his only heir.

Julian Hayes spent eight years climbing from first officer to captain of the most coveted international routes. I stood beside him for every mile of that climb. For him, I walked away from the Valenti family, the most feared Mafia name on the East Coast. I buried Elena Valenti, and became Lina Vale, the girl who smiled in the cabin while he ruled the cockpit. The day I left, my father stood on the marble steps of our estate and said, "Elena, if you walk out that gate for him, don’t come crawling back." Julian never knew. To him, I was a woman with no real family, no real power, and no life worth asking about. I was the one who memorized his flight schedule, packed his stomach pills, and kept dinner warm until midnight. Once, I asked him, "Can you take me into the sky the way you see it? Just once." He didn’t even put down his fork. "The cockpit is a workplace, Lina. Not a theme park." I said okay and never asked again. Then one sleepless dawn, I found the encrypted album on his phone. More than forty cockpit photos: cloud seas, blood-red sunsets, double rainbows after storms, the Milky Way over the Atlantic. Every one had been sent to the same contact. A teddy bear emoji. The newest photo showed half a sun hanging off the wingtip. His caption read, [Next time you’re off, I’ll put you in the observer seat. Sit on the right. That’s where the whole sky opens up.] She replied, [I’ll hold you to that.] I put the phone back. I didn’t change the password, didn’t delete the album, didn’t wake him up to beg for an explanation. At dawn, I brewed his coffee like always, sat alone at the kitchen island, and drank mine in silence. Then I sent my resignation letter and called a number I hadn’t touched in eight years. I watched the first flight of the morning rise beyond the Manhattan skyline and said, "Papa, I’m coming home." When the line connected, my father’s voice was colder than a gun barrel. "Have you thought it through?"

I gave up on my inheritance right during the time my love for Matteo Rossini ran the deepest. When I was about to leave, Papa looked at me before saying lightly, "I bet that you'll come home in three years." Back then, I didn't take his words to heart. After spending three years overcoming life's hurdles with Matteo, he finally becomes the Don of his family. On the day the inheritance party is to be held, I decide to wear a dress that I've treasured for a very long time but never had the heart to wear. But the moment I walk into the banquet hall, I see Matteo holding hands with a radiant young woman. She's Isabella Ginevra, a popular socialite in the elite society. Isabella flits among the guests charismatically, as though she were the lady of the house. She's capable of engaging in any conversational topic, be it finance strategies or channels to obtain firearms. I try to participate in a conversation, only for Isabella to cut me off with a titter. "I thought you've been spending the past few years being cooped up indoors. It turns out that you know a thing or two about these topics, huh?" Everyone around us falls silent for a brief moment. My expression freezes on my face. Then, I turn to look at Matteo subconsciously. But he doesn't even bother looking my way. Instead, he merely says softly, "We're talking business here, Bianca. You should sit with the other ladies." I clench my fists instantly. But in the end, I opt to not say anything and just walk away. Through the throngs of the guests, I can see Matteo and Isabella chatting animatedly with each other in low tones. For once, Matteo looks relaxed and at ease—an expression that I haven't seen for a long time. Suddenly, I hear a guest remarking, "If someone like Ms. Ginevra were to become the Donna, she'd be of great help to the Don." A chorus of agreements ring out around him. Matteo just smiles in return, though he doesn't deny that remark. In fact, he even toasts to Isabella and drinks to her in front of everyone. That's when I draw to my feet and walk over to snatch the glass out of his hand. "I think so too. In that case, she can have the position as the Donna, then."

Maraming lalaki ang naghahangad sa isang Yesha Calixtro dahil sa angkin niyang ganda. Ngunit paano nga ba siya magmamahal sa mga lalaking katulad lang din niya? Isang babaeng walang pera, at ang lahat ay kailangang idaan sa dasal. Kaya naman ipinangako niya sa sarili na kung pipili siya ng lalaking makakasama habang buhay kahit hindi niya mahal ay iyong may pera at kaya siyang iahon sa hirap. Paano nga ba kung makilala niya si Shawn Rios na isang taong mapera, kayang ibigay ang lahat. Ngunit sa kabila niyon ay ang isang madilim nitong sekreto. Ano ang gagawin ni Yesha kung malalaman niyang isa itong Ex-Convict?

Lumaki si Jay dala-dala ang mapait na ala-ala ng kaniyang kabataan mula sa lolo niya. He never believed in her. Sa mata nila, isang mahinang babae lamang si Jay na hindi p’wedeng maging sundalong gaya nila. Simula noon, ipinangako ni Jay sa kaniyang sarili na hahanapin niya ang kaniyang ina kasabay ng kagustuhan niyang mapatunayan sa lolo niya na mali ito ng naging husga sa kaniya. What Jay didn’t know, hindi lang pala simpleng giyera ang magagawa niyang suungin. She was able to dodge bullets but she wasn’t able to dodge when Lorenzo made her feel the happiness she’s longing for.

When Juniper Shay was 12 years old, rogues from the Rogue Lands attacked the Cross River Pack, seeking to destabilize the monarchy once again and to take care of a little hybrid girl that would have powers that could devastate their cause. A rogue caught Juniper, and the scars and the new sound of her voice made her an easy target for bullying, however; the future Alpha King, Euan O’Connor, wouldn’t have it. Now, they are both of age and are excited at the possibility of being mates. The leaders of the sleuths, prides, and packs in the Rogue Lands are ready to take over the kingdom of Màni and destroy the little hybrid girl. They learned their lesson from watching the way the dark Fae and spell casters were defeated when they started their “war” on Eferhile. They won't make the same mistakes. Will they be able to outsmart the Royal family and their loyal subjects? Will Juniper get her revenge on the rogue who silenced her?