Call Me Mayor

Maynard Hansen planned a luxury birthday cruise for Darlene Thompson, but the cruise ship capsized when a violent storm swept in without warning. Without hesitation, Maynard gave the last seat on the lifeboat to Darlene. As I struggled in the water, my son, Waldo Hansen—whom I carried for nine months and gave birth to—cried out, "Don't let Mom up! She'll push Ms. Thompson off." Clutching nothing but a broken plank, I somehow made it to shore. By the time I collapsed on the sand, I was frozen, exhausted, and done. I had never felt so alone. Shortly after, I found myself clutching a diagnosis of severe depression in my hand. I was ready to bring this wretched life to a quiet end. But when my husband and son realized I truly didn't want to live anymore, they collapsed into tears. They wrapped their arms around me as they sobbed, "Please don't leave us. We really can't live without you."

I was a writer. I rented a place in the countryside to seek inspiration. The villagers said it was a haunted house. Twenty years ago, a mad woman murdered her daughter by piercing a needle into her skull! I did not believe it, but I got a call from a little girl that night. She said it was 2002, and her mother was trying to kill her!

The buzzing of my phone in the middle of the night jolted me awake. On the other end of the line came a voice I could never forget. It was my daughter! However, she died three years ago!

"Is it true? Did you impregnate my sister?" I asked him, tears burning my eyes. "Is it true that you slept with your secretary?" I continued to question his loyalty. He made me believe he was in love with me, only to take my virginity and break me as nobody had ever. "It is true," he shrugged, "I am a young mayor of this town. I have a lot of options, what made you think you were special?" he smirked, his eyes shining as he watched me suffer. "Don't even think about leaving this town," just when he saw me step back, he ordered, "You will stay here and be my little pet, Phoenix. You will stay in this town and be my----- sex toy!" that was it, the title he gave to our relationship. ...... A Nineteen-year-old Pheonix arrives in a town full of mysteries, crazy rules, and sex addicts. What was supposed to be her escape from the terrible past ends up becoming a nightmare for her when she catches the eyes of the Young Mayor of the town, who is known for having sex addictions. Will Pheonix become one of his addictions or will it be her love that he will become addict to?

On our sixth wedding anniversary, my cheeks burn as I dodge my husband, Ethan Grant, leaning in for a hungry kiss. I push him toward the nightstand for a rubber. What he doesn't know is that I've tucked a surprise in there, a positive pregnancy test. I can already see it, the way his whole face will light up the second he finds it. But the moment his hand goes for the drawer, his phone goes off. His best friend, Henry Miller, comes on the line in Danish. "Mr. Grant, how was last night? That new love couch our company rolled out is treating you okay?" Ethan lets out a low laugh and answers in Danish, "The massage feature's great. Saves me from having to rub Sandy's back myself." He still has me pulled tight against him, but his eyes look straight through me, like he's seeing someone else. "This stays between us. If my wife ever finds out I slept with her sister, I'm done." It feels like someone just put a knife through my chest. What they don't know is that I minored in Danish in college, so I catch every single word. I force myself to stay calm, but the arms I have looped around Ethan's neck won't stop shaking. At that moment, I stop hesitating and decide I'll take the offer from that international research project. Three days from now, I'll be gone from Ethan's world for good.

Umalis si Elizabeth sa marangyang buhay sa Maynila upang takasan ang isang sapilitang kasunduan—ang pag-date kay Greg, anak ng pinakamayamang negosyante sa lungsod. Sa pagtakbo palayo, hindi inaasahang masisira ang kanyang kotse sa gitna ng isang liblib na lugar. Isang misteryosong lalaki ang dumaan at tumulong sa kanya. Tall, dark, and handsome—isang "prince charming" sa tunay na buhay. Pero hindi niya nakuha ang pangalan nito. Pagdating sa probinsya, ibinahagi niya ang kwento sa kanyang kaibigang si Monique, na agad nilang tinawag ang lalaki bilang "Prince Charming." Ngunit gumuho ang mundo ni Elizabeth nang mapagtanto niyang ang lalaking ito… ay walang iba kundi si Benedict—ang ama ng kanyang kaibigan. Isang single dad na hindi rin inakalang ang babaeng tinulungan niya sa kalsada ay ang magiging dahilan ng muling pagtibok ng kanyang puso. Handa ba si Elizabeth na mahalin ang lalaking hindi niya dapat ibigin? At kaya ba niyang ipaglaban ang damdaming maaaring sirain ang pagkakaibigan nila ni Monique?

Los dos hermanos con los que estaba comprometida se enamoraron de la hija adoptiva de mi familia. Para ganar su cariño, me engañaron para que me rapara la cabeza y, acto seguido, me encerraron toda la noche en una pista de esquí. Por petición de mis padres, aguanté todo en silencio. Pero un día, mi hermana se cortó un dedo mientras pelaba frutas, por lo que ellos me obligaron a ir al hospital para donar dos litros de sangre. Lloré y supliqué, pero alegaron que ese era el castigo que merecía por haberla maltratado. Fue en ese momento que perdí toda esperanza… y me subí al carro del hermano mayor de ellos. Sin embargo, aquellos dos, que no dejaban de decir que querían cancelar el compromiso, terminaron llorando de arrepentimiento el día de mi boda.

Back in college, Damian Cross and Alexandra “Alex” Vega shared a reckless kind of passion—one built on stolen nights, whispered names, and a promise that it was nothing serious. No commitments. No future. Just fire. Pero hindi alam ni Damian, that fire left something behind—twins. A boy and a girl Alex raised on her own, telling them their father died years ago. While Damian built his ruthless empire and became one of the world’s most powerful billionaires, Alex buried their past and became a decorated soldier. Until one mission went wrong, leaving her unit dead… and turning her into one of the most sought-after bodyguards in the country. Seven years later, Alex’s world shatters again—her daughter is diagnosed with leukemia. Desperate for money for the surgery, Alex takes the job she almost rejected: protect a billionaire being hunted by enemies. She nearly drops the file when she sees his name. Damian Cross. Damian, on the other hand, isn’t thrilled either. He laughs in disbelief when he’s told his new head of security is a woman—until she walks in. The same fierce eyes. The same fire. The same woman he thought he’d lost forever. Now, Damian must face the truth: the bodyguard sworn to protect him is the only woman he’s ever let too close… and she’s hiding the biggest secret of all—his children. As bullets close in, old wounds reopen, and sparks reignite, Alex must choose: keep the walls she built for seven years, or let Damian back in—and risk breaking more than just her own heart.

Lea Chambellia, seorang gadis berusia dua puluh tahun. Dulunya dia masuk kedalam penjara anak dan panti rehabilitasi karena tuduhan pembakaran rumah dan pembunuhan orang tuanya. Tapi, dia melihat bahwa ada gadis lain yang melakukan itu. Kini dia telah terbebas dari kekangan penjara dan berjanji mencari tahu pembunuh yang sebenarnya. Bisakah dia mencari jawaban teka-teki itu?

I was just eighteen when I mistook a business deal for a fairy tale, letting a schoolgirl crush blind me to the truth. My prince charming? He turned out to be more of a wolf in an Armani suit. Now, five years and a thousand broken pieces later, I've rebuilt myself into someone I barely recognize, a CEO, a survivor, and most importantly, a mother to my beautiful son Griffin. I thought I'd buried the naive girl who once dreamed in a garden. Apparently, the universe had other plans. My ex-husband's back, claiming he's changed and wanting a second chance. And then there's James Drake, a billionaire with scars that match my own, who makes me wonder if my heart remembers how to beat for something other than revenge. Between poisoned flowers showing up at my office and threats creeping too close to my son, I'm learning that success is the best revenge, if I can stay alive long enough to enjoy it. They say love is sweeter the second time around, but can I trust it when betrayal wore the face of love once before? One thing's certain: I'm not that naive wife anymore. And this time, I'm playing for keeps.