Cultural Industry

Veronica, a musician in a band, finds herself on a sticky wicket when she realizes that the man of her dreams—Théo Reynaud—is an elaborate masquerade to his danger-seeking alter ego. As she tries to stay relevant in the music scene, she battles depression and bouts of anxiety while dealing with a dysfunctional long-distance relationship. Théo is a fashion model striving to make a good living in the cutthroat industry while moonlighting as an informant. After a vindictive crime boss endangers his family, he is tasked to complete his final assignment to keep his loved ones out of harm's way, and be with the woman he loves. ▬▬▬▬▬▬ genres: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE, CRIME, DRAMA ▬▬▬▬▬▬ This is a work of fiction. Places, characters, dialogues, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. This story contains profanity, sexual themes, drug usage, and some violence intended for mature readers. Read at your own risk. [DISCLAIMER: The author does not own the original images on the book cover.]

Tim Dalman has always wanted to be an actress. Finally landing on her big break in the industry, she finds herself with another problem—she reunites with her ex-boyfriend, Raphael Liu, who also happens to be the screenwriter of the television series she is a part of. Finding out about it, she is faced with different problems in the span of her series shootings as the guy doesn't want to make everything easy for her. She develops hatred for the guy, constantly finding herself in heated arguments between the two of them. Destiny then plays amusingly as their love team becomes popular, forcing her to stick with the guy as she is told to do so if she wants her career to grow. She later finds out the reason why Raphael broke up with her years ago, and is later left with a career-breaking problem that could not only possibly end not only her rising fame, but her improving relationship with Raphael as well.

Elena Sanchez is a 27-year-old billionaire who gave the major shares of her company to her husband, David Windsor, whom she’s madly in love with. Well, she was, until Chelsea Rodriguez David's first love suddenly shows up. Now Elena is struggling with saving her marriage and dealing with death threats. David Windsor, Elena’s maniac husband eventually breaks her by marrying her rival, destroying everything dear to her and teaming up with Chelsea to successfully take charge of Elena's company. What happens when Elena’s life is unexpectedly cut short? David and Chelsea believe they've gotten away with everything. But have they? They both thought she was gone but then she wasn’t. Now she's back again. But she's not the sweet loving Elena Sanchez. No She is Tamara Carabali and with the help of the Diamond industry’s most ruthless bachelor, she is here to make her tormentors pay.

Prisca, alias Prisca Ese Gideon, is a fast-rising diva who gets into trouble after photos and videos of herself being intimate with her boyfriend gets leaked on the internet. Her fame and success in the music industry begins to crumble. Her family dissociates from her, she loses many big money endorsement deals, and worse of all, she loses her fan base. The public now sees her as a sex object, making fun and dirty jokes about her. Due to these actions, she isolates herself from the public, vowing to herself never to speak to anyone or have a personal relationship with any person in particular. Months after her rock-bottom escapades, she finds love in the hands of a die-hard fan, Diri, who helps her get back at her boyfriend, Clem (sound engineer of S.K. records, the same record label Prisca was signed into) and helps her get over her rock bottom experiences.

The E-SPORTS industry has been taking a huge success in the entire Philippines. Dreaming of competing for the world title, gamers and aspiring e-sport players are busy practicing to be part of the country’s representative. Being said, gaming companies have been searching for the most intelligent players. One that catches their attention is the live streamer named BLACK MASKED which hides his identity. All of the companies tried to recruit the said person yet refused. Little did they know that the unknown gamer was a girl. ASHLEY GRAY HANSONS. The 20-year-old girl who just graduated from college that plays for fun. She loves being praised not until a guy named REN ISHIKAWA defeated her in a match. Insulted, she finds herself joining the popular e-sport group BLKQ just to find the guy and defeat him miserably. But being the only girl on e-sport comes with many problems. they hide her identity. Playing for the group, Ashley will come closer to the guy she wanted to defeat.

Harry DuBois is the name everyone knows. At 6'4", sharply dressed, with silver at his temples and a velvet voice, he commands attention the moment he enters a room. Owner of DuBois Fine Arts & Jazz Lounge, the town’s cultural heartbeat, he offers a haven for music, poetry, and taste. Women adore him, men envy him, and all assume he’s living the dream. But Harry is haunted. Beneath success lies a past that won’t let him go, a tragedy he never speaks of. For Harry, love isn’t just risky, it’s dangerous. He’s a single father to Naomi, his teenage daughter, the only light he’s allowed to stay. Yet even with her, there are walls. When new art curator Elena Rivera arrives from New York to partner with his lounge on a revival series, a celebration of Black art, music, and history. Harry is drawn to someone he hasn’t been with in decades. But Elena has secrets, and she’s starting to notice cracks in Harry’s perfect image. As past and present collide, Harry is forced to confront the pain he has buried for over 25 years. A love lost, a betrayal unforgiving, and a night that changed everything. The question is: can Harry finally allow himself to feel again, or will the past claim him once and for all?

It came as a shock to me when my father announced to me my upcoming wedding to the Celebrity Musician, Dylan Talen. Heir to the 'Talen Empire'. Son of the most successful business mogul in the country. The problem is, it's news to me. I've never met this man, I only know about him through the paper and Media. I wanted to protest, but my Dad who never saw me as his daughter but a pawn in his 'power game' had made his decision and there was no going back for me. *********** Lucinda is forced to leave her perfect life and get married to the celebrity musician, Dylan. Dylan is the heir to the 'Talen Empire' and the son of the most successful business mogul in the country. He's referred to as the country's idol, because of his success throughout the entire music industry and Hollywood. He's known to be rude, heartless, rarely forgives, and above all was a big-time playboy. What happens, when a deal is brokered between their families, leading to these two opposite souls being forced into a union they both don't want?

At the annual gala, my father had me marry Asher Ziegler, a rising star in the finance industry whom he had groomed. Back then, I, Maddison Gruber, had no idea that Asher was in love with someone else. Sometime later, my father's company is investigated for product fraud, and his company's stock plummets. He even faces criminal charges. When this happens, Asher immediately brings his first love, Cora Singer, home and tells me outright that he is going to make her his legally wedded wife. My mother-in-law admonishes me. "Your family's bankrupt now, and you're completely barren! Why shouldn't my son remarry?" Asher slides a divorce agreement in front of me, his tone condescending. "Sign this, and I can let you stay here and live alongside Cora." But I say nothing. I merely quietly book a ticket to leave this place. In seven days, I will be following my father down south.

Vice and Victor have a plan. Five years in the spotlight to make their fortune, then move into the background, with their own record label. Fast and smart is their motto. Romance will have to wait, especially since their idea of an ideal romance, involves both of them and one woman. When their manager, Aaron, asks them to collaborate with a chart-topping popstar who wants to gravitate into rock, they are dubious. A frequent flyer in the gossip columns over the last twelve months with a history of drug and alcohol problems, they fear she will be difficult and volatile to work with. After being roofied by her music producer, Mirage has learnt the hard way that it is not an equal world. Without proof, she cannot pursue legal recourse, and she is locked into completing another album with her rapist. Meanwhile, Mr Rich has been feeding the industry lies about her having dependency on alcohol and drugs, and the gossip mags have seized upon the stories, slowly tearing her professional reputation into pieces. But Mirage is not a fragile damsel in distress, she is a pop-rock chick, and she is fighting back.

It has been said that opposite attracts but does that attraction last? Tresh Taylor AKA TT is a hot multi billionaire award winning explicit R&B singer, living on the fast lane. He rules the music industry with sponsors bowing at his feet. A typical playboy with exorbitant lifestyle, designer clothes and fast rides. Exclusive memberships, parties, hot girls the order of his day. His goals are clear, get richer and more fame. He is on the right tract until he meets Dr Amaya Lorgan, an introvert emergency medicine specialist, the best in the field. She serves humanity the best she could, even to her own detriment. Sometimes too geeky for her own good, she is head hunted by every great hospital there is. Their two very different personalities are the definition of fire and ice. One is driven by Cash, Codes&Cars the other by a demanding career and academic accolades. They met by coincidence, brought together by a tragedy. Their attraction is undeniable, passion uncontrollable but heartache and betrayal is inevitable. Love might be the victim but can loyalty stand the test of time when their divergent worlds pull them to opposite directions?