Christmas Celebration Artinya

The wolves of our pack are different from most. At five years old, every pup must undergo their first shift. But my son Ash was born with a broken wolf. He couldn't complete the shift on his own. The healer said the only way to stabilize him was for my Alpha mate, Kael, to transfer fifteen percent of his power to Ash. Otherwise, Ash would die during the first shift. The Five Packs Alliance summit was approaching. Any loss of strength could put Silver Fang at a disadvantage in negotiations. Kael weighed his options and decided to postpone. He said Ash could hold on through this moon cycle — they'd do it after the summit. I begged him to perform the ritual as soon as possible. Kael gave me his word. But the summit kept getting pushed back. First, Kael's childhood sweetheart Nora said her daughter Lily had a fever and she couldn't manage alone. Kael dropped everything and stayed with them for two days. Then Nora asked to take Lily to the Northern Frost Pack's Bonfire Festival. She said Lily had never had a father, had never attended a single pack celebration, and wanted Kael to go as family. When Ash was losing his breath in my arms, I called Kael. He said: "Lily's first shift ceremony is in three days. I have to stay and guide her. Don't worry — I'll be back as soon as it's over. Ash isn't urgent. Didn't the Elder say there's still a month? Stop overreacting." Three days later, Kael rushed home. All he found was Ash's cold body.

Three years ago, on the day I married Luca Moretti, he personally handed me a marriage contract with a fixed term of three years. His tone was casual, indifferent, as if he were discussing an ordinary business deal. "This marriage exists solely to serve the alliance of interests between the Morettis and the Vitales. Sign this agreement. After three years, the marriage will automatically dissolve. When that time comes, you can go and pursue your true love." I barely hesitated before signing. Ten years earlier, at an inter-family business gala, when I was ten and Luca was sixteen, I had already fallen hopelessly in love with him. What looked like a strategic alliance was, in truth, the outcome of my decade-long unrequited love. During the three years of our marriage, Luca was attentive and gentle toward me. Over time, I began to believe I was loved. I sank into that illusion, unable to pull myself out, forgetting entirely about the agreement. That illusion was shattered completely on the night of our third wedding anniversary. That evening, Luca arrived with Elena, who had just returned to New York, and attended what was supposed to be our third anniversary celebration together. She stood beside him with ease and composure, smoothly engaging with business partners. People praised her, saying she looked more like the Donna of the Moretti family. In that moment, even though Luca never mentioned the agreement again, I understood clearly that it was time for me to step aside. After breaking free from his control, crossing an ocean to rebuild myself, and becoming a brilliant leader in my industry, I would no longer wait for his love.

I masterminded a half-billion-dollar art auction to wash money for Miles’s family. But at the celebration party, Miles gave all the credit to Rebecca. His childhood friend. The daughter of the family’s consigliere. I stormed into his study. “Miles, head curator was Rebecca? Are you sure about that?” He looked up from a cloud of smoke, pulling me into his arms. His voice was a low, soothing rumble. “Valerie, I know you want to prove yourself, but this was all Rebecca. Especially the Caravaggio. The real one, worth three hundred million. She’s the one who pulled it off.” His lips brushed my forehead, his breath hot. “I don’t love you because you can fix some old paintings. You’re my queen, always. My girl. You don’t have to worry about her.” I almost laughed. The anger was choking me. “She can’t tell the difference between oil and acrylic. How the hell would she know a real from a fake?” “Enough!” Miles cut me off, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I know what Rebecca can do. Don’t make a scene just because you’re jealous.” His hands tightened, trapping me in his smoky embrace. “Don’t disappoint me, Valerie.” But he already had. When I’d had enough of his favoritism and his blindness, I walked. And that's when he went crazy. Scoured the earth looking for me. Begging me to come back, saying he was blind, that he’d been wrong about everything.

Tabitha tersenyum sinis ke arah Rino. “Kenapa? Lo kaget lihat gue, Rin? Nggak menyangka ya kalo ternyata gue ada di sini juga? Dan gue sudah dengar semuanya! Semua obrolan kalian berdua! Gue baru tahu kalau ternyata ada ya cowok yang sejahat lo, Rin! Jadi begitu rupanya? Lo anggap gue itu cuma sebatas cewek taruhan buat lo? Nggak ada artinya lagi kah gue selain itu, Rin? Menurut lo ... gue cewek kampungan? Culun? Kutu buku? Nggak cukup menarik ya buat lo? Nggak bisa bikin lo ‘naik’? Sorry ya, Rin! Sebelum lo menganggap diri lo itu cowok paling hebat yang bisa menaklukkan hati semua cewek, asal lo tahu aja ... lo nggak sehebat itu! Andai lo itu barang, dikasih gratis aja gue nggak mau terima, apalagi disuruh bayar! Karena buat gue, lo itu cuma cowok brengsek, jahat, nggak punya otak, yang pantasnya dibawa ke tukang loak terus ditukar sama piring! Tahu lo? Piring aja lebih berharga dan lebih berguna buat gue, daripada cowok kayak lo! Gue menyesaal ... banget pernah dekat sama lo, Rin! Cowok brengsek! Cowok nggak punya otak! Otak lo yang lo pikir cerdas bisa ngebodohin gue itu ternyata nggak lebih besar dari biji kwaci tahu nggak!” maki Tabitha, sebelum melangkah keluar dari warung kopi dan berlari menjauh. Rino melongo. Pemilik warung kopi bengong. Pemuda yang duduk di sebelah Rino bangkit berdiri sambil menahan tawa. “Kasihan lo, Rin! Udah otak lo cuma segede kwaci, lo mau dibawa ke tukang loak lagi! Ditukar sama piring!” Pemuda itu tertawa tergelak. "Diam lo!" bentak Rino. Malu. Pemuda itu semakin tertawa tergelak.

Brian Pradipta's life was perfect. Many men were jealous of his life. At the age of 35, he was already a very successful CEO. He lives happily with the woman he loves, Azzura Wijaya. Azzura Wijaya was the daughter of Antony Wijaya, the biggest investor in his company. The reason they got married was not that, but because they loved each other. From that marriage was born a beautiful daughter named Kyra Wijaya Pradipta. Bearing the big names of two families, Kyra's life is a dream for many girls of her age. Even during her eleventh birthday celebration, Brian presented his daughter with a helicopter. Kyra transformed into a socialite at a young age. Brian was so grateful for his perfect life that a request from Azzura shook his self-esteem. "Honey... I want you to get married again." Like being struck by lightning, what Azzura said that night sounded like a joke to him. After their hot night, even the mixed feelings of tiredness and sweat haven't completely disappeared. Azzura uttered a sentence that Brian had never expected before. Or maybe Brian never thought about it at all. "What do you mean, Zura?" Brian was an ordinary guy who would probably be greedy for love, but not once did he have such thoughts. No matter how much money he had, no matter how handsome he was, he had no intention of looking at other women. Why be ambiguous if what he wants he has already gotten from Azzura. "I want you to get married again.

I wheel myself into the birthday celebration that Wales Price has thrown for me. The atmosphere is originally lively, but a brief silence descends when everyone sees me. The guests are there for different purposes, but celebrating my birthday is not one of them. "Is that Mr. Price's crippled fiancée, Joey Hertza?" "Yeah, but the one he really loves is Anna Giovanni. I saw them kissing in a corner earlier." They use their wine glasses to block their mouths as they speak loudly. They think I'm still the crippled deaf I used to be. They don't know that I regained my hearing last week. I can hear every mocking comment they make. Meanwhile, Wales stands there and allows it to happen. He doesn't stop the guests from talking about me. He seems to have forgotten that I only ended up like this while protecting him. I shoved him away when the accident happened and got trapped underneath the car myself. When I was rescued, Wales swore to stay with me and care for me for life. It's only been three short years since then, but he's already changed. I receive a message on my phone. "Ms. Hertza, the lifelike corpse that you've ordered is now complete. Reply to this message with your confirmation, and your death-faking service will be immediately effective. We will send the corpse to your and Mr. Price's wedding in five days." I don't even hesitate as I reply with my confirmation. Enjoy your wedding, Wales.

While I'm patching up the injured wolves in the pack, I overhear a few young Omegas muttering among themselves while sharing a photo to each other in a corner. Apparently, it's a post that has been uploaded by a social media account named "True Love Above All". "He told me that the she-wolf by his side only needs a title. As for me, I need his protection. This is the amulet he has obtained from a witch after visiting the forbidden grounds." In the photo, the amulet can be seen emitting a magical glow. I know that he's the only one in the entire pack who's capable of obtaining this amulet. I look down at my empty wrist. Today is the Christmas Eve. According to the pack's tradition, mates must exchange tokens of love with each other. When I return to the pack house at night, Alpha Ethan enters the house while smelling like another she-wolf. He pulls out a cheap-looking bangle—that still has half a price tag stuck onto it—from his pocket before tossing it onto the couch casually. "This bangle is for you, Maya. It's the most popular style this year." As I pick up the mass-produced bangle that can be found in any accessory store, I feel the coldness of my fingertips seeping into my heart. It turns out that Alpha Ethan thinks he can easily fool me with a random gift despite me being the Luna. Yet, the she-wolf—whose identity he refuses to give away—gets to enjoy the protection he has risked his life obtaining for her sake.

‎ ‎I died on Christmas Eve. ‎Poisoned by my sister… betrayed by the man I loved. ‎ ‎Death should have been my end. ‎Instead, it became my beginning. ‎ ‎When I wake up in a blood-soaked alley, a cold voice welcomes me to the “Demon Games" — a brutal survival arena where one hundred humans fight monstrous trials for a chance at rebirth. ‎ ‎The reward? ‎Ten years of life… and one impossible wish. ‎ ‎I am weak. ‎Near-blind. ‎And the easiest prey. ‎Which is why it makes no sense when “he" starts protecting me. ‎ ‎Tall. Masked. Dangerous. ‎His presence alone silences monsters… and makes my heart race for all the wrong reasons. ‎ ‎"Stay close," he whispers, his breath brushing my ear. ‎"Or I'll enjoy watching you beg." ‎They call him a demon. ‎A king. ‎A monster. ‎ ‎But when his hand grips my waist in the dark… ‎When his fingers tilt my chin up… ‎When his voice drops to a husky murmur. ‎"You're safer in my arms… don't make me prove it." ‎ ‎—I realize something far more dangerous. ‎I'm not just surviving the games anymore. ‎I'm becoming addicted to the man who could kill me. ‎ ‎Because the truth is… ‎The masked protector is the “Lycan King” — an overlord bound by rules that demand my death. ‎Yet every time we get too close… ‎Every time his control slips… ‎Every time his gaze lingers on my lips… ‎ ‎It feels less like protection… ‎And more like possession. ‎In a world where survival demands sacrifice and desire is a weakness… ‎I must choose— ‎Escape hell alone… ‎Or fall into the arms of the monster who wants to claim me. ‎ ‎

Anya Who would have thought turning 21 would change my life and send me into the depths of hell and into the arms of a bad man. A very bad man who has a vendetta against my father. He can never know who I am or my life is over before it even begins. I'm kidnapped during my birthday celebration and tossed into the underground of a hotel to be auctioned off, then bought by the very same man who would love to watch me bleed. I do the only thing I can - fake it, if only to survive one more night. I tell him my name is Anika and he seems to buy my excuses. But how long can I hide behind a mask and how long before he learns of my true identity and brutalizes me for revenge? I'll pay for my father's sins. Maybe even with my life. *** Bastien I've never claimed to be a good man. I trade in the dark; anything, save for humans, can be up for sale to the highest bidder. The king of the black market, this city is my playground. All until tonight... All until her… The auction is held at my hotel once every four months with one iron clad rule in place: no trafficking. So to say that I'm shocked to find her on my stage amongst the goods like a precious lamb to the slaughter is putting it lightly. I had to buy her to appease one of my biggest clients, but the more I look at her, the more I realise… That I want her to be mine alone. But who is this little doll truly and why did she end up on my stage, ready to be sold to the highest bidder?

In my past life, my sister's secret lover says he wants to see a meteor shower. So, she takes all the family bodyguards and drives out to the countryside to create a romantic night under the stars for him. But she doesn't realize that an old enemy she once ruined sees the opening. They break into our home, seeking revenge and planning to wipe out the entire family. My mother throws herself over me to protect me, taking the brunt of the attack. She's critically injured and is barely hanging on. I call my sister again and again, begging her to come home. She eventually returns with the bodyguards, but it's too late. The enemies are caught, but then news comes in from the outskirts—her lover has disappeared, leaving behind a suicide note. In it, he blames me, accusing me of deliberately luring my sister away so that he would suffer at the hands of her enemies. Ultimately, he takes his own life. My sister burns the letter without a flicker of emotion. She says, "Don’t overthink it." Later, the blame falls on her. Our father promises to hand the family business over to me. But after the celebration banquet, my sister murders me in the bedroom. She stares at me with a blank face and snarls, "Someone as cruel as you should've died long ago. It should've been you who died, and the family inheritance should've been mine!" I die with a heart full of rage and disbelief. When I open my eyes again, I hear our enemies breaking down the villa doors.