Existential Questioning

The carnivorous ways of the Aswang leave little room for love - much less a forbidden one between a queen and human girl. Little did Aswang Queen Catarina know, soon, her life would be changed by a plucky American biologist. A blue eyed, blonde adventurer, Rose Smith from California, who would make Catarina question all she knew, and want to make a human Her Aswang Woman King. ___ Catarina Rosales Marquez, 26, is the Aswang Queen of the Domminga Mountains, but she abhors eating humans. She has genetically engineered the fruits of her goddess Ikapati to produce human proteins in order to bring peace to Mindanao - but the Aswang do not trust this revolutionary, peaceful Queen - and are wary of the American biologist she has taken under her wing. Rose Smith is a German-American biologist doing her dissertation on the elusive, endangered Phillippines Eagle. Having studied the Tarsier in her undergraduate semester abroad in Manila, she fell in love with chicken adobo, pandesal - and Filipina women. Eager to be the first American biologist to do a longitudinal study of the Phillipines Eagle, she sets out into the Domminga Mountains on a bus with a one-way ticket - not afraid of the local's warnings of the rabid Iktapati Aswang Clan that eats humans, and roving bands of Tikbalang werehorses that stampede trespassers to death. When Catarina and Rose collide, it is oil and flame. Catarina, expected to marry a King, finds herself questioning the very cosmos of relationships - can she take a Queen, and a feisty American grad student at that? And can Rose come to terms with the elusive, seductive courts of the Vampiric Aswang? When the Iktapati clan rebels, the Tikbalang war, and the wind spirits coquette, Rose and Catarina must team up to save the humans of Mindanao - and the Phillipines eagle!

When Jeremy Sterling is framed by his rival, he immediately urges me to run for my life. "Save yourself! Pretend you never met me!" Despite being eight months pregnant, I leap from the moving car. I kneel in the snow for two days straight. Finally, I manage to secure a witness for his trial. The ordeal costs me our baby and leaves me with lasting health issues. The radiant principal dancer I once was becomes a frail shadow, gasping at the slightest breeze and surviving on pills. Later, Jeremy claws his way back to the top. He cradles the belly I fought through 18 rounds of IVF to have and makes a solemn vow. "When the baby's born, we'll name him Ryan Sterling. I'll never forget that you saved me." Tears of joy stream down my face. But shortly after I give birth, I overhear someone questioning him. "Mr. Sterling, this is Regina Gomez's flesh and blood. Is it appropriate to register Ms. Jenson as the baby's legal mother?" Jeremy gazes fondly at Carolina Jenson, who is holding our son, and scoffs. "When I was framed, she didn't even care about her own life. Do you really think she'd care about this baby? Besides, she already lost one baby back then. What's one more?" He shrugs. "At worst, I'll just break up with her. We never got the marriage license anyway." Outside the door, I clutch my aching stomach and turn away. Since we're not bound by a marriage license, this is where it ends for us.

"Unwed and Expecting" follows the tumultuous journey of Sophia Harrington, a young woman whose perfect life shatters on her wedding day when she is abandoned at the altar by the man she thought was her soulmate. Alone and humiliated, Sophia discovers she is pregnant—a secret she kept, hoping to surprise her groom. Now, she's forced to navigate a new reality as an unwed mother-to-be.Sophia's world is turned upside down as she battles societal judgment, her family's disapproval, and her own fears of raising a child alone. But when she meets Ethan Caldwell, a brooding yet compassionate businessman with a troubled past, she finds an unexpected ally. Ethan, dealing with his own pain of being "extinguished twice"—once by a failed marriage and again by a betrayal in his career—relates deeply to Sophia's sense of loss and uncertainty. Despite their initial resistance, a bond forms between them, filled with undeniable chemistry and shared wounds.However, just as Sophia begins to open her heart, her ex-fiancé returns, claiming he made a mistake and begging for forgiveness. Sophia is torn between the past and the potential future with Ethan. The core struggle centers on Sophia’s journey to self-worth and her fight to choose what's best for herself and her unborn child, rather than what others expect of her. Meanwhile, Ethan must confront his own fears of being hurt again, questioning whether he’s truly capable of being the man Sophia and her child need.Cliffhanger: As Sophia prepares to make her final decision, a shocking revelation about Ethan’s past surfaces, threatening to destroy the fragile trust they’ve built. Will Sophia find the strength to forgive and move forward, or will the weight of past betrayals extinguish her chance at happiness once more?

Lily never imagined she’d end up married to Ethan, her sister's boyfriend. But now, she finds herself under the same roof with Ethan and his family, her life taking an unexpected turn. Caught in the web of her confusion, anxiety, and the judgment of her family, Lily is left feeling more isolated than ever before. Once a close-knit and loving family, the atmosphere now crackles with resentment. Lily’s every move is scrutinized, and the disapproval from her own family is overwhelming. Her desire for acceptance seems impossible as the weight of her actions presses down on her. However, there’s one person who still offers her warmth, Mommy Maita, her mother-in-law. Unlike the others, she tries to make Lily feel welcome, offering her kindness and comfort. But Lily can’t help but question whether this kindness is genuine or just a way to keep up appearances in a family already torn apart by scandal. Ethan’s attitude towards Lily only complicates things further. His anger is palpable, and he seems resistant to accept her as his wife. Lily is left in the dark, wondering why he’s so hostile, when all she wants is a connection. But with every passing day, the emotional gap between them widens, and Lily is left questioning her place in this fractured life. Torn between her desire for love and the turmoil surrounding her, Lily struggles with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. As expectations and societal pressures weigh heavily on her, she starts to wonder if she’ll ever find a way out of this mess. Lily finds solace in her friends Miya and Rafael. They offer her the understanding and support she desperately needs, reminding her that maybe there’s still hope in a world that seems determined to tear her apart.

Mia Johnson's life has been filled with heartache and mistreatment, after her father leaves. Her life takes an unexpected turn when her mother poisons her and her father possesses the antidote to a poison that plagues her, but he remains distant, seemingly never to return. As Mia turns eighteen, her mother devises a shocking plan to secure a business , offering Mia's hand in marriage to a man named Carlos. Trapped and desperate, Mia's life seems destined for misery until a mysterious man enters her life. On a fateful night, a stranger quietly slips into Mia's room, offering food and concern for her well-being. Their chance encounter marks the beginning of a unique connection, one that will leave Mia questioning the true intentions of this enigmatic man named Dave. Days later, Mia meets the same handsome stranger in a shopping mall. She looked up at him. "You were the man in my room that night..." "Do you let men in your room at night? If you don't want visitors, don't skip your meals," Dave responds stubbornly. Mia discovers that Dave is adopted by her own biological father, a man of immense power and influence in the country. But their relationship takes an unexpected turn when Dave confesses his true feelings. "Big brother wants to you, Mia," Dave admits, leaving Mia shocked and confused. Struggling to come to terms with her emotions, Mia rejects the idea of romance with her "brother." However, Dave is determined to shed the brotherly label, longing to become her partner in love. “No… you are my brother and ten tears older than me…” she says while trembling. Dave takes a step towards her. “Who cares about being your brother? I want you… I want to make you mine, forever…”

BOOK TWO OF FATED TO MY LYCAN BROTHER The goddess's disdain for me reached its peak at this moment. Slade had slipped away, his breath fading in my arms. But how did he transform into Rafael, the leader of the rogues in the Eclipse Moon Pack? "You reek of blood, I spill," Rafael sneered, his Italian accent oozing with disdain. "Then end me," I murmured, swallowing hard as anxiety coursed through my veins. It wasn't mere proximity or desire that quickened my pulse. No, it was the dangerous gleam in his eyes—a promise of peril and sinful pleasure. "I have other methods," he replied, placing a paper on the table. "I'm rejecting you." "Why?" I stuttered, my eyes widening as I stared at the paper. "I used you, my dear. Your mission is complete. Return to your pack..." ______________ Winter, cast aside once more, fell into the clutches of the Rogue King. Divorced and rejected within a single day, she believed nothing could be worse—until she discovered him with another woman in their shared bed! Seeking answers about the uncanny resemblance between Slade and Rafael and questioning if he genuinely was her destined mate, Winter embarked on a quest for truth. He was Rafael—the deranged King of Rogues— both feared and revered; a forgotten past haunted him. The woman who had plagued his dreams had materialised before him, holding the key to his enigma. Yet, an unexplainable urge to push her away filled him whenever she drew near. Their fragile connection faced turmoil when a jealous ex-lover interfered, leaving Winter suffocating in anguish as she cursed the goddess responsible for her repetitive agony. Rafael, realising too late their destined bond, clung desperately to their fragile union. Would Winter forgive him? And would they uncover the answers they yearned for?

Living with my aunt and her family was meant to be a temporary, quiet arrangement just helping out and keeping to myself. On the first day of the new year, while everyone else was out celebrating, I stayed home, enjoying the rare silence and catching up on sleep. But when we ran out of water, I reluctantly stepped outside to fetch some, and that’s when I saw him. He stood by the gate of the house next door, effortlessly commanding attention with just a glance. A smirk played on his lips, and a flicker of amusement danced in his eyes behind his blue-ray glasses. At that moment, he was impossible to ignore. Meanwhile, I felt disheveled and barely awake, my hair was a mess and still shaking off sleep. But he didn’t seem to mind. There was something about him an air of mystery that made me wonder who he was and why he was there. Before I could look away, he spoke, “Hi.” Caught off guard, I managed a quick, “Hi,” while trying to pull myself together. “Can I know your name?” he asked. I hesitated but replied, “I’m Clara,” and kept walking. “Can I have your number?” he called after me. “Just as friends.” I almost refused but reluctantly agreed, entering my number into his phone. “There,” I said, handing it back. “I’ll call you,” he promised with a smile, as I turned to leave. What began as a chance encounter soon became an inexplicable connection. He had secrets, but there was something about him that saw through me, understanding things no one else did. The man I met next door wasn’t just a fleeting stranger,he became the reason I started questioning everything I thought I wanted.

Isabelle Ashford's aristocratic family is drowning in debt and scandal when Dante Marchetti offers a devil's bargain: marriage in exchange for erasing their financial ruin. She accepts, believing she's sacrificing herself for her younger sister's future. But from the moment she steps into Dante's fortress-like mansion, she realizes this isn't a marriage of convenience; it's a beautifully constructed prison. Dante is cold, controlling, and seems to delight in psychological games that leave her questioning her own sanity. He monitors her every move, isolates her from the outside world, and treats her like a possession he's studying under glass. As weeks pass, Isabelle begins noticing inconsistencies. Dante's cruelty sometimes feels like protection. His surveillance system captures threats she didn't know existed. His empire, built on blackmail and coercion, seems designed to destroy specific people connected to her family's past. When she discovers hidden files in his study, she learns a horrifying truth: her father wasn't just a failed businessman; he was part of a criminal syndicate that trafficked information and ruined lives. Dante's parents were among their victims. Her marriage isn't random, it's revenge twenty years in the making. But as Isabelle digs deeper, she uncovers something even more sinister: the syndicate her father once belonged to has been hunting Dante for years, and now they've marked her as their way to destroy him. Caught between a husband who married her to break her and enemies who want her dead, Isabelle must decide whether to escape the monster she married or join him in a war that could consume them both.

Ana miller a strong willed and resilient young woman found herself in a difficult situation where she isn't able to pay for her mother's surgery. Then she met him " he's ruthless and powerful" Marcus blinge a powerful billionaire and Ceo who offers to help her pay for her mother's surgery, but... on one condition... she would sign a contract to become his lover. Ana found out she was pregnant. She decides to keep the pregnancy hidden because she's afraid Marcus will hurt her and the baby. Ana decides to resign to protect her baby but Marcus isn't making it easier for her the more Ana wants to quit the more Marcus wants her. Marcus is making things difficult for her she doesn't know if Marcus loves her or he's being possessive and just needs her to satisfy is sexual urge. Ana reconnects with Andrew Scott her childhood friend whom she lost contact with, this makes Marcus becomes jealous and possessive he feels Andrew wants to take what belongs to him. Andrew offers to get her a new job at his company because he feels Marcus is a toxic person and Ana shouldn't work or be with someone around him. But he doesn't know behind the boss and secretary relationship lies two sexually attracted lover's. Which makes it difficult for Ana to take Andrew's offer. Ana will also face challenges with her mother's devious behavior towards her and start questioning her existence. Only for her to find out her mother isn't are real mother no wonder she had suffered all through her life without her mother being there, But... Who is then are real mother? Will she accept her?.

Claire Blake, 23, works double shifts at a café to cover her mother's medical bills and her brilliant sister Clara's college tuition. Her life is a careful sacrifice - no room for dreams, only survival. Then she accidentally spills coffee on Damian Cole, billionaire CEO and the city's most eligible bachelor. Instead of anger, he's kind. Days later, his assistant calls with an impossible offer: pretend to be his girlfriend for six months. His family won't stop pressuring him to marry, and his manipulative ex-fiancée Caroline refuses to accept they're over. In exchange: $10,000 monthly, her mother's medical expenses covered, and a completion bonus that would transform her family's life. Claire knows it's crazy - she doesn't belong in his world of charity galas and high society. But the money would solve every problem. So she signs the contract and steps into a glittering world where everything feels like pretend. Except it doesn't stay pretend. Damian isn't the cold CEO she expected. He remembers her coffee order, values her opinions, treats her family with genuine warmth. His careful respect comes from protecting his sister from abuse - he's not controlling, he's considerate. As Claire navigates his world, the performance becomes real. When he kisses her, he confesses: "This stopped being fake for me weeks ago." But Caroline launches a media campaign suggesting their relationship is paid - uncomfortably close to the truth. With headlines dissecting Claire's background and questioning whether she "belongs," they must choose transparency over hiding. Can a love that started as a contract become real enough to survive the spotlight?