Fading facades: love beyond the deal

"You think I am a fool?" he whispered in my ear, coming closer. He was pissing me off. "Why the hell do you want to marry me?" I gritted my teeth. He touched my cheeks, and something flashed in his eyes. "No," I said, stepping back, keeping space between us. He was about to speak, but I cut him off. "I will not marry you." ********************** Gurans lives a very depressing life with her parents, who don't have any love for her. With the continuous hatred from her parents and frustration from her own life, she tries to end it. Her suicide attempt turns into another failure in her life as she finds herself in a stranger's house. She tries to leave the house but as the stranger doesn't let her go she starts to believe that she was kidnapped.  Tired of her questions, the stranger puts out a deal for her. Although the details of the deal have not been fully revealed, for her freedom, she accepts it. Finally, she gets free from his hold, but it's not long before he comes to claim her back. Once they start to live together the truth of the deal is slowly revealed turning her life upside down. Cover credit - ** Art Created by ImperialSkyGod using Midjourney **

Siya si Chryll Araneta, 19 year old. Maganda, may balingkinitang katawan at morena ang kutis ng kanyang balat. Si Chyrll ay anak ni Police General. Wilson Araneta sa kanyang dating kasintahan, hindi niya alam na nabuntis niya ito noon bago sila maghiwalay at ipakasal siya sa anak ng kaibigan ng kanyang ina. Nalaman nalang niya na may anak siya dito ng madengue at nanganganib ang buhay ng bata na kailangan agad itong masalinan ng dugo sa lalong madaling panahon. Simula noon ay kinuha nito ang bata sa kanyang dating kasintahan na hindi nagustuhan ng kanyang asawa. Bata pa lamang si Chyrll ay nakakaranas na ito ng kalupitan sa kanyang step-mother at sa kapatid nitong si Carlyn, ng tumuntong siya sa edad na dese-otso ay natuto siyang ipagtanggol ang kanyang sarili. Walang kaalam-alam si General Wilson sa nagaganap sa pagitan ng kanyang asawa at anak na panganay at sa bunso nito. Dahil sa kagustuhan ni Chyrll bumukod ng tirahan ay nagkaroon sila ng kasunduan ng kanyang ama, papayag lamang ito kapag kaya na niyang tumayo sa sarili niyang paa, kaya napag-isipan niyang magtayo ng negosyo at ito ang Chyselle Coffee Shop ng kaniyang kaibigan. Habang namamahala siya ng negosyo nila ng kanyang kaibigan ay pinagpatuloy parin nito ang makapagtapos ng pag-aaral sa kolehiyo. At doon niya nakilala si Red Simon Marcos na isang negosyante ng mag hurado ito sa ginanap na ntramurals sa university. Unang kita pa lamang niya sa binata ay nagkagusto na siya dito. Lahat ng lakad nito ay inaalam niya ng palihim, hanggang sa nahuli siya at hindi ito nagustuhan ng binata. Atin pong alamin kung paano mapapaibig ni Chyrll o mapaibig nga ba niya ang isang Red Simon na mahilig maglaro ng damdamin ng isang babae. At sabay-sabay din po nating tuklasin ang kanilang mga tinatagong lihim.

Razka adalah anak yang memiliki kehidupan sempurna, termasuk keluarga yang begitu menyayanginya. Namun, suatu kejadian mengubah semua itu. Ayahnya yang merupakan seorang petinju profesional, meninggal dalam sebuah pertandingan besar. Sang ibu yang tidak terima dengan kematian sang suami yang tidak wajar, harus ikut meregang nyawa oleh kaki tangan Varos. Razka yang menyaksikan kematian sang ibu, hanya bisa bersembunyi dalam ketakutan. Sejak saat itu, sebuah nama yang ia dengar, telah terpatri sempurna di dasar hatinya yang telah menghitam karena dendam. Bertahun-tahun tahun lamanya, sang paman berusaha untuk menemukan Razka yang hilang di hari kematian orang tuanya. Hingga tidak ada lagi waktu tersisa bagi tubuh renta itu. Rajutan waktu dan harmoni lingkungan membuat kehidupan Razka mulai membaik. Namun, tujuan hidupnya tetaplah sama. Membalaskan dendam untuk kematian kedua orang tuanya. Nyawa dibayar nyawa! Cover by Pixabay. Edited by PixelLab.

It took one lie for Adelina Delgado to convince the world that she remembers nothing about him; Jonathan McCurby, the fiancé she had before she slipped into a coma that left her in a minimal state of consciousness for three years. Love turned into anger, frustration and eventually, hate. It was what she told herself to feel whenever she saw him. But, unlucky her. Her mouth could deny all it wanted, but her body would always give her away. Her resolve cracked. Heat surged through her body. The tension was immense. Her imaginations ran wild. The familiar scent left her insensible. She was slowly melting away, sandwiched between the wall and his hard frame, and he hadn’t even touched her. Yet.

Life is a game, play it. There's no guarantee and no security that you'll win but be brave to take the risks. Let it get broken, take chances and make mistakes. Life is the art of making your own choices before other's choices make you. Cairo Ford Myers-Sandoval is living his life to the fullest. A product of cheating and betrayal he doesn't believe in love. No woman can make him fall in love. He's the man who only want to enjoy his bachelor life. He don't believe in relationships. He believes in no commitments, no responsibilities just pure fun. But there's one thing that he only wants...a child. Will someone give him what he wants? Or Will this playboy bachelor change when he meets the one?

An Epic Fantasy tale of action, adventure, heroism, horror and sorcery… Beyond Night is a Dark Fantasy Horror novel that pulls back the veil of nearly two thousand years of jaded history. Come tread in the bloody footprints left by monsters, soldiers and wizards and behold what lies hidden Beyond Night itself. It’s Bigfoot War mixed with Lovecraftian horror on the edge of the Roman Empire. How could Rome lose a Legion? What could’ve happened to blot out the existence of over five thousand men not only from history but the Earth itself? As the Legion moves north to engage the forces of Pictdom, a dark horror emerges from the bowels of the Earth. Thought to be random attacks by hulking monsters, Decurion August soon learns a dire truth, that these bloody events are directed by opposing the wizards of the Picts. While one side assembles all tribes in a confederated army to battle the Legion, the other pulls these Greyman beasts from the depths of the Earth. August fights not only these creatures and workers of magicks, but internal passions in the Legion itself. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

She was just supposed to be a fake girlfriend. Pero bakit parang puso na niya ang naloko? *** Scoth Liam Smith swore never to fall in love again after his heart was broken. Kaya nang pilitin siyang pakasalan si Celine, anak ng isang investor na kinamumuhian niya, he comes up with a desperate escape plan: Hire a fake girlfriend. Francine Alejandro is a timid and naive girl—isang simpleng babae na walang kamalay-malay sa mundo ng mga billionaryo. Until one day, she’s bought—yes, bought—by the ruthless billionaire, Scoth Liam Smith, to pretend as his girlfriend for one week. What she didn’t know? That one week would uncover secrets that could shatter everything she thought she knew about her past. It was just a deal. A business arrangement. But somewhere between fake smiles and real stolen glances, their connection deepens. And as their hearts start to open up, so do the dark truths of their pasts—truths that reveal their lives have been entangled all along. What happens when the woman he’s falling for… turns out to be the very reason his family is falling apart? Will love be enough to survive betrayal, secrets, and fate’s twisted game?

Of all the sketches I have done, there's this thin line that has always been guarding my heart at the edge of my steps. Like love, drawn in the middle of a space, I have been looking for someone to continue the strokes only to realize that love doesn't always lie in the middle. It isn't just on the surface nor in the center. Love is beyond that. It's Beyond The Lines. All I have to do is to let him reach me there.

"Please, help me." I begged the male nurse.He stood there with my baby in his arms. His eyes stayed glued to mines, his mouth not moving an inch to make words or form a sentence. He walked over to me and handed my baby boy in my arms. "I can't help you." He said.Once I grabbed my son from him, he walked to the room door. "Why won't you help me?!" I shouted.The nurse stopped by the door before his head turned to the left. With my son in.my right arm, I used my left to climb out of bed and slowly as I could. Placing both my feet on the ground, I was able to stand up and walk to the nurse."Why won't you help me?" I asked him, tears pouring down my face. He turned back to the front and sighed."He forbid us from helping you ever again." He told me and walked away.I followed behind him and stopped in my tracks when I saw the double doors swing open. My head turned to the right and my eyes widened with fear sitting heavily on my heart as my eyes landed on the man who was coming to take our child from me.***Mila made the biggest mistake ever. During a near death incident, she made a deal with a man who would give her a second chance at living However, Mila will realize that the deal she made will come with bad consequences. And the Grim Reaper will make sure that the deal will see to its end.

“I can give up everything. I can be your slave. You can use me for all your satisfaction, just let my father go.”