Elden Ring

When my neighbor's daughter-in-law falls pregnant, my neighbor issues a few "decrees" in a group chat for all residents in the area. "Number 1: Anyone whose family has daughters has to avoid leaving the house when my daughter-in-law does. I don't want them to hurt my grandson! "Number 2: Every family has to purchase meat and expensive fruits once a week and present them to my daughter-in-law! "Number 3: After my grandson is born, I will bestow upon everyone the honor to bask in his fortune. Every family has to give us 300 dollars as a gift. I will personally visit each family that doesn't!" She even singles me out with a message. "Unit 401, I want you to immediately stop feeding stray cats. I'll also give you three days to get rid of your cat! My daughter-in-law is scared of cats, and the creatures are covered in germs. What if she catches a virus from your cat when she goes downstairs for a walk? What if you hurt my grandson? "I command you to immediately bring me one thousand dollars as a deposit and guarantee. If I catch you feeding stray cats one more time, I'll confiscate the money!" I transfer 20 thousand dollars to her, yet she grovels at my feet and begs me to take the money back.

"Three years ago, standing at the altar under the admiring gaze of hundreds, Gabriel declared that he would love only Catherine, unwaveringly, for the rest of his life. Three years later, after receiving a diagnosis of infertility, he heartlessly threw divorce papers in her face and cast her out onto the streets with nothing. Three years ago, Catherine, in her kindness, saved a girl who was about to be sold into a brothel, taking her in as a beloved younger sister. Three years later, watching the very girl she once saved walk down the aisle on her ex-husband's arm, standing in the same place she once stood, reciting the vows she once made, Catherine could only muster a bitter smile. She gently touched her flat stomach, where an unborn life, a gift from heaven, was beginning to form. She vowed to herself that she would leave Gabriel far behind, but... 'Catherine, you are mine. Divorce or not, you will forever belong to Gabriel.' 'Catherine, be good. Stop causing trouble, okay?' 'Catherine! If you dare to leave, I will break your legs!' 'Catherine, stay with me, I beg you...'"

Living alone was hard for Kestrel being a working student. Kailangan niya ng pera upang masustentuhan ang sariling mga pangangailangan. Kahit mahirap at nahihirapan siya. He wants to live independently. He wants to stand alone by his own feet. Ayaw na niyang umasa sa magulang dahil may mga kanya-kanyang pamilya ang mga ito. Ayaw niyang umasa sa mga ito dahil kung ano-ano ang naririnig niya sa mga anak ng magulang niya. Kestrel was a fruit of a forbidden love kaya ganon na lamang siya kamuhian ng dapat ay pamilya niya. That's why he decided to live alone even if it's hard. One night, after his shift, Kestrel decided to walk his way home pero may mga lalaking nakaitim ang humarang at dinakip siya. Sinubukan niyang magpumiglas at humingi ng tulong sa paraan ng pagsigaw ngunit pinatulog lamang siya ng mga ito at ipinasok sa van. Nagising na lamang siya sa isang hindi pamilyar na lugar at suot ang bagong damit. He's in a lady’s gown and heels. Ang hanggang balikat niyang buhok ay nakalugay na. At ang mga paa't kamay na nakagapos at bibig na may tela. Kaba, takot at gutom ang nararamdaman ni Kest. Nang lumiwanag ang paligid, doon niya nalamang nasa isang auction house siya at pinakilala na siya bilang isang rare item hanggang sa nagsimula ang bidding. Habang pataas ng pataas ang bid ay siyang pagtaas ng kanyang kaba at takot. Napalinga-linga siya at biglang tumama ang paningin niya sa lalaking may gintong maskara na nakaupo sa isang sulok. Nagmamakaawa niya itong tiningnan. Hindi niya alam kung bakit niya ginawa iyon. He's so desperate to get away from that house. Will that guy wearing golden mask help him? Makakaalis kaya siya sa auction? Mababalik pa kaya ang tahimik niyang buhay? Sino ang lalaking may gintong maskara?

"Abram, please give me the ring, please" tears streamed down from her cheeks as she begged in front of her husband, naked precisely. A cruel chuckle escaped from his mouth and she peered at him with her terrified tearful gaze. He stared at her with a sadistic smirk "Crawl to me". She was drowning in guilt, because she killed her own sister. He was burning in fire for revenge, already thinking of ways to destroy her. A marriage of hatred and atonement, one dreadful night that changes everything for two withering hearts. There will be love and betrayal. In this saga of never-ending hate and love, will they survive each other? "Explicit Dark 18+ Content - Read At Your Own Risk".

They shattered her. Now she’s the storm coming to destroy them. For five years, Mona Smith was the perfect wife, silent, loyal, and invisible. Trapped in a golden cage, she clung to love while the Caldwell family tore her down piece by piece. They laughed at her. Belittled her. Treated her like dirt beneath their designer heels. Until the night it all fell apart. “Get out,” Emily Caldwell sneered, wine staining Mona’s dress like blood. “You were never one of us.” Framed. Humiliated. Abandoned by the man she gave everything to. The Caldwells thought they could toss her out and move on. But they made one fatal mistake. They let her live. Enter Alexander Kane, dangerous, untouchable, and worth more than empires. He offers Mona a deal: marry him, and he’ll give her the power to crush the people who destroyed her. Mona says yes. Not for love. For vengeance. But revenge has a cost, and Alexander has secrets darker than she ever imagined. As Mona claws her way into the ruthless world of power and privilege, she must decide: Will she burn them all to the ground? Or will she become the very monster she was trying to destroy? Because the most dangerous woman in the world… is the one they tried to break. --- "You wanted me broken?" Mona whispers, slipping on a diamond ring worth more than their entire legacy. "Congratulations. I’m broken. And now, I’m unstoppable." They wanted her silent. Now she’s their worst nightmare

I blinked behind my glasses, stunned and confused. "Did I...do something wrong? If so, I'm sorry..." "No need to apologize," Helen cut in, frost edging her cultured voice. "You've done nothing wrong, Tristan. Except be complacent." I frowned, feeling cold dread creeping through my veins. "What do you mean?" Vivian released a short, harsh sigh, as if disgusted by my ignorance. "Must we spell it out? This marriage clearly isn't working anymore. You lack ambition. I've simply outgrown you at this point. I'm doing what's necessary and best for myself by letting you go." Her icy words slammed into me like a physical attack. I stared at her lovely face I had once adored so much, now cold and remote, trying to make sense of what she was saying. Letting me go? Was she saying... Linda held out a crisp legal envelope to me. Hands shaking, I accepted it from her polished nails. The contents confirmed my worst fears - divorce papers, all drawn up and ready for my signature. My eyes scanned the conditions outlined within. The terms were heavily skewed in Vivian's favor. "This...says I would get nothing," I murmured in stunned disbelief. "No alimony, no remaining rights to shared assets or property..." "Naturally," Linda replied coolly, inspecting her manicure. "You contributed absolutely nothing of value to this marriage financially. Therefore, you should leave with what you brought to it - nothing."

Timothy Alvarez already has everything on his hands-- wealth and fame. At ayon sa kanyang ama, asawa na lang daw ang kulang sa kanya. Kaya't ipinagkasundo s'ya nito kay Penelope Valencia, anak ng isa ring kilalang angkan. Ngunit umpisa pa lang ng pagkikita nila ay hindi na sila magkasundo. Timothy was arrogant, cold-hearted and rude. At si Penelope naman ay hindi basta-basta magpapatalo sa binata. Sumumpa pa itong hinding-hindi nito magugustuhan si Timothy kahit na kailan. Ngunit paano kapag malaman nito na kaya s’ya ipinagkasundo ng mga magulang sa lalaki ay dahil sa papalugi nilang kompanya? Will she be able to accept truth? And how about Timothy? Paano nga ba niya pakikisamahan si Penelope kung sa una pa lang ay ginugulo na nito ang isipan niya?

At a party, everyone sees Claire's joke. His fiance, chosen mate, walks past her with the ring and gets down on one knee in front of her stepsister. What the hell is going on here? "Joe and I are together now. Because we are each other's fated mates." Her stepsister said triumphantly. "We know you're hurting, but Cathy is your sister. You should bless them. Your sister will be the next luna, not you." Said her father coldly. In an instant, she changed from a happy girl to a poor person who had been abandoned and betrayed. "How dare you do this to me?" Desperate, she looked up and saw Prince Louis, who was also at the party. Although appealing directly to a member of the royal family would have been punishable, Claire had no choice. "Your Highness, I beg you to do justice and disinherit them. I claim my right." The crowd held their breath as they watched the murderous prince rumored to have killed his brother. He approached me with a dark look. I closed my eyes and waited for my punishment. But I felt big hands around my waist. He buried his head in my neck, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice. "You are a very smart and brave girl. I can help you, but I want something else in return." I ran into a hug, his scent all around me. I didn't know, until this moment, that I was in even bigger trouble.

At the Thorn Pack banquet, Jacob Mason carefully cut the steak on my plate. His gentlemanly demeanor and meticulous attention to detail drew envious glances from those around us. "Our Alpha is so good to our Luna," a voice murmured from across the table. "You won’t find a more devoted mate in all of Southspire." I glanced at Jacob, a sweet warmth unfurled in my chest. I silently tightened my grip around the Moonstone Ring—a ring my father had left me, the symbol of power in the Lotus Pack. I had planned to give it to Jacob when the banquet ended, when we were alone. But as the evening wore on, the noise and the clinking of glasses became too much to bear. I feigned a slight dizziness, excusing myself to return to our castle ahead of him. In truth, I needed the time to prepare a surprise—something special to commemorate this night. When everything was set, I silently slipped back into the banquet hall, ready to take Jacob by the hand and whisk him away. But as I arrived, I stopped dead in my tracks. There he was, holding Hazel Rhea tightly in his arms. "Chloe is so rigid," he said. "Always clinging to the dignity of being the Lotus Pack Alpha's daughter. How could she ever compare to Hazel's passion?" "Don't worry," he added, his tone light with mock reassurance. "Hazel and I are just friends. Chloe won't feel betrayed." He laughed softly. "But don't tell her, alright? She's so old-fashioned—if she found out, she'd leave me for sure. Honestly, the thought of spending the rest of my life with such a dull partner… It's exhausting." Just friends? Is that what he called the way his hand slid beneath her dress—being "just friends"? I didn't interrupt them. There was no need to disturb their lively conversation. Instead, I slid the Moonstone Ring onto my finger. Without a word, I turned and left. In the quiet of the night, Xavier Grey—who had been following me all along—waited. Together, we set off on the journey I should have taken long ago.

Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw naman, ay siguradong may dahilan. Matapos mahiwalay naglakas-loobsa kaniyang kababata sa loob ng apat na taon, si Shevanee na hanapin ito sa Manila. Ngunit laking gulat niya na parang ibang Ralph Timothy Villanueva ata ang nahahanap niya sapagkat hindi na siya nakikilala nito. Ginawa niya ang lahat upang makuha ang pansin nito at nagbabakasakaling maalala siya ni Ralph, ngunit may isang lalaki ang humarang sa mga plano niya. Si Gaven Lance Galvez, ang sempatiko na pinsan ni Ralph na namamahala ng isang kompanya. Wala itong ibang ginagawa kundi bantayan ang bawat kilos at hakbang niya dahilan upang mawalan siya ng pag-asa na makilala ulit ng kaniyang kababata. Sa pag-aakala ni Shevanee na makukuha niya muli ang puso ng kaniyang kababata, ay ibang puso pala ang nabingwit niya. Ngunit isa lamang ang dapat niyang piliin. Sa pagkakataong ito, ano kaya ang mas matimbang para kay Shevanee? Ang minahal niyang kababata o ang lalaking si Gaven na mahal siya?