Eating From Our Roots

"Lani, you can’t escape from me." Dante said this while gripping Lani's chin mercilessly. Lani tried to hold back her tears as she asked Dante, "Have you ever loved me?" "Never." Dante answered decisively, without any hesitation, leaving Lani's heart numb. Despite being together for over two years, Dante still saw her as a mere substitute, only viewing her as a mistress. Dante had thought Lani would never leave, but one day she proposed ending their loveless relationship. "Dante, let's end this." "I won't allow you to leave me." Dante coldly declared, but Lani was indifferent and chose to leave anyway. The more she tried to escape, the more Dante pursued her. Does Dante truly love her, or does he see her as a replacement for someone else? Who is the woman Dante truly loves, and will she reappear? What will happen next? Read on to find out.

Gadis Sekarwangi, tidak pernah menyangka jika rumahtangga yang ia bangun bersama suaminya, Pradipta harus berakhir ditengah jalan karena sang suami ketahuan berselingkuh. Alasan Pradipta yang mengatakan bahwa Gadis sangat monoton dan tidak pandai dalam memberikan nafkah batin untuknya adalah salah satu sebab yang membuatnya mencari kepuasan diluar rumah selain kenyataan bahwa rumah tangga mereka belum dikaruniai momongan. Disaat Gadis menjalani masa-masa berkabungnya setelah keputusan perceraiannya dengan Pradipta, ia justru bertemu dengan Gavriel Erlando, laki-laki yang paling ia benci di hidupnya karena selama mereka bekerja bersama lima tahun lamanya, Gavriel selalu membully dirinya hanya karena namanya. Untuk membuktikan bahwa anggapan mantan suaminya mengenai dirinya itu tidak benar, Gadis mencoba berdamai dengan Gavriel dan menawarinya sebuah tawaran gila yang membuat Gavriel berpikir ribuan kali untuk menerimanya.

Sa mata ng buong mundo, si Catherine Adams ang pinakamapalad na babae—minahal, pinrotektahan, at pinangakuan ng habang-buhay ng lalaking pinapangarap ng lahat: si Nolan Martinez. Mula pagkabata hanggang sa proposal na isinahimpapawid sa buong mundo, saksi ang lahat sa tila perpektong pag-iibigan nila. Ngunit sa likod ng matatamis na ngiti at engrandeng singsing, may lihim na pilit niyang nilulunok—ang pagkakanulo ng lalaking minahal niya ng buong puso. Sa bawat "overtime", sa bawat palusot, unti-unting nalaman ni Catherine ang sakit ng katotohanang may ibang babae sa buhay ni Nolan. Kaya’t isang desisyon ang binuo niya: maglaho. Sa mismong araw ng kasal, ang bride na inaasahang pupuno ng altar ay isang “patay” na katauhan. “Wala na kaming kinabukasan.” Ito ang paniniwala ni Catherine, kahit pa sa bawat sulyap ni Nolan ay tila may lambing na totoo. Pero sa isang mundong puno ng kasinungalingan, may lugar pa ba para sa tunay na pagmamahal? Isang kwento ng pagkakanulo, paglimos ng katotohanan, at ang masakit na pagpili—pag-ibig o paghilom?

Mia didn't choose this life. Dropped into a world of dust, horses, and hard edges, she's just trying to keep her head down and survive it. Lane was built for it. Rough, controlled, and impossible to ignore, he lives for the ride-bulls, danger, and the kind of reputation that keeps people at a distance. But distance doesn't last forever. not when Mia starts finding her place among the animals... Not when Lane starts watching her more than he should... And not when the tension between them turns into something neither of them can outrun. In a world where falling hurts and trust comes slow, Mia and Lane are about to learn that some risks aren't just taken in the arena.

I hadn't seen my mafia husband, Luca Moretti, and our daughter Dora in three whole months. Why? Because his mother, Fiona, said Dora should stay with her "for a while." And Luca? He was "too busy with business," as always. So when Luca finally called and said he was going to pick me up for a family reunion at the villa, I was overjoyed. I thought maybe, just maybe, I'd finally get to hold my little girl again. I spent the whole damn day running around the city, buying her favorite dolls, snacks, a new pink dress, anything I thought would make her smile at me again. But when the car arrived, it wasn't what I imagined. Before I could even say Hi, Dora turned her head, took one look at me… and then wrapped her arms even tighter around Maria, the maid. She buried her face in Maria's neck like I wasn't even there. Like Maria was her mom. I tried to approach her, but Dora straight-up told me she didn't want to ride in the same car as me. And Maria, wearing that fake, polite smile, kept trying to gently talk me into giving Dora "a little more time." I looked over at Luca, hoping he'd step in. Instead, he just looked annoyed, like he couldn't be bothered to lift a finger to help fix things between me and our daughter. Clearly, they didn't want me there. So what was the point of trying to join the ride? I stepped back from the SUV. Then Luca just turned to me and said, "Just wait here. I won't be long." What he'll never understand is… I'm done waiting for him.

The most popular girl in school, Mona Culver, could only apply for the city's worst community college because of her poor school results. My childhood friend, James Holden, got our entire class to fill out application forms for community college too. It was his attempt to negotiate with Northrind University's admissions department to make an exception for Mona to study there. The top thirty students in the city shared pictures of their amended application forms to community college. Back in my past lifetime, I tried my best to talk them out of it. The application submission deadline was the next day, and no amendments would be allowed after that. If they wasted their time threatening Northrind by applying to community college, and the deadline passed, nothing could be done to change the results, even if they were the city's top thirty students. Their dreams of attending an Ivy League school would be quashed after ten years of hard work, and no one knew what their future would hold after that. James got angry and berated me, "You're just afraid Mona will be better than you once we start classes at Northrind. Stop pretending like you're doing this for us!" The rest of my classmates were also upset with me, and they turned their fury on me. "Our high school results mean nothing. With our abilities, we would still be able to attend Northrind next year if we repeat the year. You should just mind your own business!" We had been classmates for three years, and I could not let them compromise their futures. I informed our principal and their parents of their plans, and their application forms were amended. I managed to stop them from threatening Northrind's admissions department. All of them were accepted by Northrind in the end, and they became elites in their respective industries with bright futures ahead. Mona ended up getting pregnant with a thug's child while in community college, and she suffered from both physical and mental issues. She fell into deep depression and even attempted suicide several times. James broke down when he learned the truth, and he blamed it all on me. He worked with our classmates to fabricate evidence that I committed plagiarism, and they poisoned my drink. Even my parents were burned to death by a patient from a mental hospital. When I was reborn into this lifetime, I saw James change our group chat's name into 'Fight for True Love! Let's Go to Northrind Together!' I left the group without hesitation and blocked everyone's numbers.

Janiyah finds herself reluctantly on the auction stage in a world where women are auctioned off for one-night stands because she is desperately trying to get money for her sick sister's medical care. Janiyah becomes increasingly uncomfortable as the auction goes on, especially when an unexpected bidder makes an amazing fifty million dollars for her.

"W-what are you doing?" I stammered, my eyes widening as he closed the distance between us. "Weren't you doing all that—biting your lips—just to get my attention? To seduce me?" His hot breath fanned against my face as he leaned in closer. I instinctively shifted back, but before I could react further, his hand wrapped firmly around my waist, pulling me impossibly close as his gaze dropped to my lips. "How about I bite them for you?" Before I could process his words, our lips met in a . It was too fast, too sudden. He started to pull away, but I couldn’t let him go. Something deep inside me clung to him, and before I knew it, I was deepening the . I didn’t understand why I couldn’t let him pull back—I only knew that I didn’t want to. ....... Klein has three talents: finding trouble, running his mouth and driving his infuriating hot yet ice-cold boss, Silvio Alvarez, completely insane. But when Silvio starts paying him unusual attention—watching him a little too closely and asking questions that feel a little too personal—Klein begins to suspect that his boss is hiding something far bigger than a bad temper. Klein is determined to crack the stone-hearted CEO. But the more he learns about Silvio, the stranger things get. His boss doesn’t just seem otherworldly—he might actually 'be' otherworldly.

On our fifth anniversary, Alpha Liam gave me nothing more than a simple pack mark of protection. That same night, he held a bonding ceremony with his first love, the she-wolf Seraphina. I refused to accept it. He accused me of being irrational. “My bonding with Seraphina is for the future of the pack, not because I still have feelings for her.” “You’re only human. Shouldn’t my pack’s mark be enough? This was your final test, Elena, and you’ve failed.” I walked away. And he turned around and proposed to Seraphina. Five years later, we met again at an exclusive hotel designated by the Alpha Council. His pack was on the verge of becoming a major power, and he had Seraphina, draped in a moonlight silk gown, on his arm. When he saw me, covered in sand and standing ankle-deep in the hotel’s ornamental fountain, he frowned. “Elena,” he scoffed. “You looked down on my protection back then. Look at you now. I bet you can’t find a single pack in this city willing to take in a human.” “And don’t think this pathetic display will make me take you back.” I ignored him. My cub’s treasured moonstone, a gift he’d found while combing the beach, had slipped into the fountain. The little guy was beside himself, and I had to find his precious amulet.

Iris Glover and Stanley Stein shared seven years together—three of dating and four of marriage. Their relationship unraveled when Stanley chose to believe the homewrecker and prosecuted Iris in court himself. The question, "Do you plead guilty?" shattered Iris' heart. She fought fiercely in court, proved her innocence, and exposed the homewrecker's true nature. Upon her acquittal, she told Stanley, "Let's get a divorce." He replied, "Don't you regret it, Iris," believing she was merely throwing a tantrum. When they crossed paths again, Stanley asked, "Have you come to reconcile?" Iris retorted, "Being so delusional is an illness; seek help." Every time she got mad, she always went back to him once she calmed down, but not this time. It wasn't until Iris emerged as a successful lawyer standing opposite him in court that Stanley realized she had changed; she no longer belonged to him. In a moment of desperation, he pleaded, "Iris, I still love you. Please come back to me." Iris, now strong and resolute, replied, "The reason I improved myself is thanks to you, not for you. Mr. Stein, please step aside; don't stand in my way."