Critical

The air in the penthouse was thick with unspoken words and the lingering heat of a shared victory. He stood before her, the ice in his gaze finally melted, revealing a raw vulnerability that stole the breath from her lungs. “This wasn’t part of the contract,” he murmured, his voice a rough caress as his thumb traced the line of her jaw. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic bird against the gilded cage of their agreement. “I know.” His fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck, tilting her face up to his. The world narrowed to the space between them, to the shocking warmth of his skin against hers. “Then tell me to stop, Ivy. Give me the rules. Give me the clause.” She should. Every instinct for self-preservation screamed at her to rebuild the walls, to remember he was her enemy, her jailer, her temporary husband. But as she looked into the stormy grey depths of his eyes, she saw not the ruthless CEO, but the man who had just looked at her daughter as if she were the most precious thing in the world. So, she didn’t speak. Instead, she rose onto her toes, closing the distance, her lips a breath away from his in a silent, devastating answer. The first kiss was not a conquest, but a surrender. It was not about revenge or contracts. It was a question, and in the shuddering breath he released against her mouth, she found her answer. The cold, platinum wedding band finally felt warm against her skin.

The Moon Goddess gave Lois a mission—kill Alpha Erika and end his blood-soaked reign. Lois was born with tattoos that carried the sacred map to the one weapon that could avenge the massacre of the Moonland Pack. Sent by the Moon Goddess herself, she was created for one purpose: To destroy the Alpha who dared to erase the descendants of the divine. But to reach him, she must first get through his son. And his son, King was everything she hated—until he became everything she couldn’t resist. As Lois uses King to get to Erika, she never expects to fall for the monster trapped inside him. Nor does she expect betrayal, exposure… and a child growing within her. Now hunted by her enemies and abandoned by the Goddess who once chose her, Lois must make an impossible choice: Save the man she was sent to kill or plunge the dagger into his heart before he loses control and destroys everything—including her.

Ellyse Kennedy and Kai Laurent have been married for six years. During those years, their marriage was spent apart with Kai being on business trips and Elleyse caring for their child at home. It was an arranged, loveless marriage and Ellyse has had enough. The moment she finds out that her husband was meeting with his ex girlfriend after finding out that she was pregnant again, her desire to file for divorce ignited. When Kai went home to find divorce papers sitting on top of his desk with his wife’s signature, he demanded her to come home. “Divorce? Have you lost your mind?” Kai says with emphasis on each word, confusion dripping from his eyes. It was the very first time Ellyse saw her husband show any emotions after six years.

Kagaya ng ibang mag-asawa, nauwi rin sa hiwalayan sina Hunter at Athana. Maging si Athana ay hindi rin makapaniwalang nauwi lang sa hiwalayan ang kanilang pagsasama. Nang umalis si Athana sa puder ni Hunter, hindi niya alam na buntis na pala siya sa kanilang kambal na anak ni Hunter. Sobrang sakit para sa kanya tuwing iisipin niya na hindi na niya mabibigyan pa ng kompletong pamilya ang kanyang mga anak. Sa kasamaang palad, naaksidente si Athana. Ngunit, safe naman ang kanyang kambal na anak. Ang malaking epekto lang sa kanya ay pansamantalang nawala ang kanyang mga ala-ala. Ayon din sa doktor, himala nga raw ang nangyari sa kanilang mag-iina, dahil mabilis din na naka-recover ang katawan ni Athana. Nagulat din siya nang malaman niyang may kambal na anak pala siya. Pagkalipas ng ilang taon, napalaki naman ni Athana ng maayos at mapagmahal ang kanyang kambal na anak na sina Ather at Thana. Sa pagpasok ni Athana bilang isa sa mga pinuno ng gang ng mga magnanakaw. Muling magtatagpo ang mga landas nilang dalawa ni Hunter, ang kanyang dating asawa. Ano kaya ang mararamdaman ni Hunter kapag muli niyang nakita ang kanyang dating asawa na kabilang na ngayon sa isa sa mga pinuno ng mga magnanakaw?

Cassandra Sayson, graduate ng apat na taong kurso ng business administration ay sumama sa graduation party na sponsor ng kanilang departmento na ginanap sa beach resort. Sa isip pa ni Cassandra, she has nothing to lose dahil natapos na niya ang apat na taon na pag-aaral sa college. May diploma na siya, hindi na masama ang mag-enjoy kahit isang gabi lang. Simula ng mag-aral siya mula elemtarya hanggang kolehiyo ay hindi pa niya naranasan ang gumimik, kaya sa beach resort ay tinodo na ni Cassandra ang maging masaya at malaya upang maranasan ang mag-enjoy sa party ng walang pakundangan Sa kasagsagan ng kasiyahan ay nalasing si Cassandra kasama ng kaniyang mga kaibigan. Nauwi sa tuksuhan at isang dare ang nangyari. Ang dare ay pumili ng lalaking halikan, kahit sinong lalaki na trip niyang halikan. Napadako ang tingin niya sa isang matangkad, matipuno at guwapo na lalaki. Ang lalaking hinalikan ni Cassandra ay ang tanyag na Doktor Adrian Razon na mula sa bilyonaryong pamilya. Namangha si Dr. Razon ng masilayan ng masinsinan ang babae dahil kamukha ito ng kaniyang girlfriend na si Sharon, nasa Amerika at comatose. Isang linggo ang lumipas pagkatapos ng insidente ng halikan sa party ay kinausap ni Dr. Adrian Razon si Cassandra at nag-offer ng proposal. Gusto niyang magpanggap si Cassandra na kaniyang girlfriend at maging asawa. Pumayag si Cassandra , nagkasundo silang dalawa na gumawa ng kontrata na ang pagpapanggap ay sa loob lamang ng dalawang taon. Isang taon pa ang lumipas ng pagsasama nina Dr Razon at Cassandra ng malaman ni Cassandra na siya ay nagdadalang-tao. Gusto niyang sabihin Kay Adrian na dinadala Niya ang anak ng doktor, subalit hindi Niya nagawang magtapat pa ng bigla namang nagpakita ang Isang babae na nagngangalang Sharon.

Aku, Amara, gadis 20 tahun yang selalu berusaha hidup lurus-lurus saja, tidak pernah menyangka hidupku berubah hanya karena satu taruhan konyol dengan temanku. Awalnya semua hanya iseng tantangan bodoh untuk membuat Pak Rasel, dosen paling killer di kampus, setidaknya menoleh ke arahku. Siapa sangka? Taruhan itu justru menyeretku pada perasaan yang tidak pernah kuterima sebelumnya. Pak Rasel dikenal tegas, dingin, dan tak pernah menunjukkan sedikit pun sisi baiknya di depan mahasiswa. Tatapannya tajam seperti ingin menembus siapa pun yang berani membuat kesalahan. Dia bukan tipe laki-laki yang seharusnya kusukai. Bahkan dia tidak akan pernah membayangkan dirinya dijadikan bahan taruhan oleh mahasiswi nakal sepertiku. Tapi semakin aku mencoba memenangkan taruhan itu, semakin aku gagal menjaga jarak. Ada sesuatu dalam dirinya entah dari caranya berbicara, atau cara dia mengarahkan pandangannya yang perlahan membuatku jatuh. Dan tanpa kusadari… aku benar-benar menyukainya. Bukan lagi karena taruhan, tapi karena perasaan yang tumbuh diam-diam di antara tugas, tatapan, dan jarak yang seharusnya tak boleh kulanggar.

Si Felicia ay isang batang ulila na may pambihirang talino at diskarte. At isang utak kriminal kung tutuusin, pero hindi kailanman ginamit sa kasamaan.  Sa murang edad, naging banta na siya sa kapulisan at naging pakay ng mga pinuno ng kriminal na sindikato. Hangad nilang gamitin ang galing ni Felicia para sa pansariling kapangyarihan. Ngunit isang gabing puno ng panganib ang tuluyang nagbago sa kanyang kapalaran. Iniligtas ni Felicia ang mga anak ng mayaman na biktima ng kidnapping, at hindi niya alam na doon na magbabago ang tadhana ng buhay niya. Tinulungan siya ng isang binatilyo at pinapanggap na apo ng pinakamaimpluwensyang businessman sa boung mundo at nakuha niya ang pansin nang matandang businessman na iyon na matagal nang naghihinagpis sa pagkawala ng kanyang pinakamamahal na apo. Inampon siya ng matanda at ginawa bilang huwad na tagapagmana. Kahit batid ng matanda ang buong katotohanan, buong puso niya itong tinanggap bilang apo, sa hangaring makaramdam muli ng init ng pamilya bago siya tuluyang mamaalam. Pero hindi ganoon kadali ang buhay sa loob ng mansyon. Ang mga magulang ng nawawalang bata ay malamig at mapanakit. Ang kanyang stepsister, parang ahas na laging handang manira.  Hindi niya ginusto ang lugar na ito, pero pinili niyang manatili, para tuparin ang hiling ng tanging taong naniwala sa kanya. Hangad lang ni Felicia na maging mabuting apo. Pero kailanman ay hindi naging sapat ang kabutihan sa mundong puno ng kasinungalingan at inggit. At sa likod ng bawat ngiti sa mansyon, may mas malalim palang lihim… Isa siyang pamalit.... Pero baka siya rin ang susi sa pagkawasak o pagsalba ng pamilyang ito. At kung aapakan siya ng mga taong dapat ay pamilya niya... Pasensya na lang sila. Hindi siya ang tipo'ng basta na lang magpapatalo. Dahil siya ay si Felicia o nagtatago sa pangalan ni Lucia Moretti. *****

Wanita yang kutolak berubah cantik saat aku datang ke kampus jadi narasumber dan dia moderatornya. Siapa sangka dia kini akrab dengan seorang lelaki yang merupakan dosen muda. Yang membuatku terkejut dan m4ti kutu, lelaki itu adalah...

She was supposed to be a bride… until she found her groom in bed with her best friend. Humiliated and heartbroken, Ariana De Leon vanishes on the night before her wedding—only to land in the path of Ethan Navarro, a cold-hearted billionaire with a dangerous past. He offers her a way out: Marry him instead. In exchange, he promises her everything she’s ever been denied—power, protection, and the perfect revenge. But Ethan doesn’t believe in love. His intentions are darker than he lets on. And Ariana soon discovers that running from one betrayal may have led her into a deadlier trap. A marriage built on secrets. A contract soaked in lies. And a tension they can’t deny. Can two broken souls survive the war between them… or will this deal destroy them both?

Freya Adhiguna tak menyangka kalau pria yang semalam tidur dengannya adalah manajer baru yang menjabat di kantor tempatnya bekerja. Serangkaian kejadian membuatnya terjerat dalam perjanjian bersama pria itu, yaitu menjadi kekasih palsu. Apakah Freya akan menerimanya?