Fancy Dinner Jogja

I’d just wrapped up a short trip with my daughter, Elara. On the way back, I figured I’d swing by the Hale, our family’s casino, to check in on my son, Cassian. Maybe grab dinner together. I didn’t expect to be mistaken for his latest fling. Correction: not mistaken—accused. Violently. “You think you can just waltz in here like some queen?” she hissed. “I’m the woman Cassian loves! What kind of whore are you? And is this your bastard daughter with him?” She locked us in the basement. No phone. No light. Just concrete walls and the stench of mildew and madness. Then came the fists. She slapped me across the face—again and again—until my skin stung and my ears rang. When that didn’t satisfy her, she pulled a gun and aimed low. The bullet tore through my knee. I bit back a scream, shielding Elara with my body. “You need to die, whore,” she spat. One of her men hesitated, “We should at least tell Mr. Hale first. If we are going to kill these two in his casino.” Lila of course said no. But that man brought Cassian anyway. My son stepped into this dark little room like it was any other Tuesday—until he saw me. His whole body went still. The blood drained from his face. And then, in the smallest, most broken voice I’d ever heard from him, he whispered, “Mom? What are you doing in my basement?”

My husband Bruno's goomah was pregnant with their second child. At the family dinner, he caressed his lover Ava's rounded belly. "This one will be a boy, the future heir to the Marino family. As my wife, it is your duty to raise him." This was the second time he had openly acknowledged one of his bastards. I didn't make a scene like I had before. I just calmly lifted my head and looked Bruno straight in the eye. Raucous laughter erupted from the family members around the table. "Remember last time, when she acted like a madwoman? Looks like she's finally learned her place." "The Rossi family's businesses have all been carved up. What can she do besides be an infertile trophy wife? She'll be kicked to the curb sooner or later." Bruno's face was expressionless, allowing them to hurl their insults at me. I fought back the tears burning my eyes and even managed a small smile. "Bruno, let's get a divorce." Bruno looked as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world, his lips curling into a dismissive smirk. "Liliana, if you can come up with the hundred million dollars you owe this family, I'll sign the papers right now. Otherwise, stop making a scene." I didn't argue, and just dialed an encrypted number. "I accept the terms we discussed." A lazy laugh echoed from the other end of the line. "A hundred million? Merely the cost of a port. I can have it for you anytime, my princess."

I am heading to my job interview when my close friend, Thomas Lang—the same guy who always cautions me about meddling in other people's business—suddenly throws caution to the wind and sprints toward the wrecked limousine. I instantly realize that Thomas has been reborn, too. In my past life, Thomas and I were the top two graduates of the finance department, both making it to the final round of interviews at a Fortune 500 conglomerate. Yet, on the day of the interview, we suddenly came across the CEO, Ruth Gibson, who had just gotten involved in a car crash. I abandoned the interview to save her, while Thomas hurried off to the interview. In the end, Thomas landed the offer, while I lost my shot at working at the top conglomerate. I received sympathy from everyone around me. However, Ruth sought me out eventually, and in the spirit of profound gratitude, she presented me with an immediate proposal of marriage. I became the man who would marry Thomas' superior, achieving incredible status overnight. Meanwhile, Thomas stayed an ordinary worker, perpetually crushed by impossible metrics and corporate pressure. I was enjoying the heights of my privilege at the annual dinner, standing beside Ruth, while Thomas lurked in the background. He was a miserable face lost among the nameless guests. Consumed by jealousy, he brandished a knife and stabbed me to death right there. I suddenly open my eyes and realize we are both back at this single, pivotal day of Ruth's accident.

Natuklasan ni Jaxson na ang inaakala niyang kanyang anak sa sinapupunan ng fiance, ay anak pala ng kapatid niya sa ama. Nilunod niya ang sarili sa alak dahil sa paghihignapis nang magawa siyang pagtaksilan ng dalawang taong pinagkakatiwalaan niya. Nagkataon naman na sa club kung saan siya naroroon, ay siya ring kinaroroonan ni Cattleya upang punan ang raket na ibinigay sa kanya ng kaibigan. Nang sandaling mag krus ang mga landas nila, isang hindi inaasahang plano ang nabuo kay Jaxson. Inalok niya si Cattleya ng isang trabaho, at ito ay ang magpanggap bilang bagong girlfriend niya at ipamukha sa pamilya at ex-fiance na hindi siya apektado at agad nang nakalimot, dahil sa takot maging isang katatawanan. Nag-alinlangan man ay nakumbinsi rin si Cattleya na pumayag sa alok ni Jaxson dahil sa kabayaran nito. Magiging malaking tulong ito para sa pag-aaral niya at pang-suporta sa pamilya. Kahit na hindi magkakilala at walang alam sa isa't isa ay dumalo ang dalawa sa dinner ng pamilya Madrigal bilang bagong magkasintahan. Ang hindi nila inaasahan, ay ang agarang utos ng ama ni Jaxson na pakasalan niya si Cattleya sa isang kondisyon na hindi nila matatangihan.

My Alpha mate, Dominic, rules the entire Stormfang Pack, but in our ten years together, he has never once given me a gift. Even our bonding tokens—a pair of rare healing crystals that cost me an entire year's savings—were taken by him without hesitation. He claimed that as Alpha he needed to appear frugal and understated, which is why he marked me in secret without hosting a proper mating ceremony. Because of this, most pack members don't even know I'm his mate. Yet when Sylvia, his childhood sweetheart, returned to Stormfang territory, he publicly announced their mating plans. He even dipped into the pack's long-term savings to throw her an extravagant celebration. When my mother was attacked by rogue wolves and left critically wounded, I begged Dominic to return my healing crystals—the only things that could save her life. Instead of helping, he denied knowing me in front of the entire pack and ordered his guards to drive me away with burning torches. Later, my mother died during the Blood Moon Festival. I lost my only family during what should have been our most sacred celebration. I renounced my Stormfang membership that same night and accepted the Northern Shadow Pack's Chief Healer position. While packing my belongings, Dominic returned from his honeymoon with Sylvia. He found me and assumed I was merely sulking. For the first time ever, he made a generous offer: "Come on, what could possibly happen to your mother? At worst, I'll give you that fancy mating ceremony you've always wanted. That should satisfy her desire to be an Alpha's mother-in-law." What he didn't realize was that from the moment my mother died, I had already sworn to the Moon Goddess that our mate bond would be broken forever.

Princess Ruthyelia Celeste Nobingale is the first-born princess of the country of Rinovea. She has a rather goofy and down-to-earth attitude for a princess. She considers this as her imperfections and thinks that she is not fit to be a princess, let alone a Queen. To be a Queen, she needs to be married, but she is in a secret relationship with one of her royal guards, Sir Angelo. Ruthy was in charge of a parade for their village where she meets another man named Noah who was a baker. She meets him once again during the party where a terrorist attack happened, but Noah saved her. To express her gratitude, she offers Noah a new bakery and her parents invited him to work in the palace. In continuation of the party, the royal family of Wierxia was invited to Rinovea to join Ruthy and her family. During dinner, they talked about marriage and the King of Wierxia suggested to marry off his son, Prince Thomas to Princess Ruthy. Princess Ruthy now spends time with Noah and Prince Thomas in which Sir Angelo got jealous of. Ruthy and Angelo then got into a fight that made them both question their feelings for each other. When the new bakery for Noah was finished constructing, they paid it a visit, but they got attacked by terrorists. Sir Angelo, who was with them, got seriously injured and Ruthy realized how much she loves him and how scared she was to lose him. When they got back to the palace, Sir Angelo was immediately admitted to the hospital wing. Princess Ruthy visits him every day and one day, when she was begging for him to wake up while holding his hand, the Queen, her mother, saw it all.

She believed she left him behind forever. Five years ago, she walked away from the one man who had ever lit her soul on fire - Lucian Blackthorne, the ruthless millionaire Alpha who claimed her as his fated mate after a single night of forbidden bliss. She rushed to safeguard the secret blossoming inside her, resolved never to let him find the truth. But fate didn’t care about her intentions. When he strolled back into her life at an elite supernatural charity dinner, his seductive silver eyes focused on hers, arousing every suppressed longing she had battled to conceal. He was much stronger now and even more deadly. His control ripped her hard-earned barriers, leaving her shaking with desire and horror. Because if Lucian found her secret, he would never let her or their son go. As he lured her back into his heady world of money, power, and primitive supernatural passion, secrets long buried began to claw their way to the surface. She understood her secret wasn’t the only one that might kill them both. He desired her loyalty. She desired his touch. But when treachery ruined the fragile hope rekindling between them, she was forced to face the final question: may she submit to his love, knowing it may cost her freedom… and her child’s future? Because the stain of midnight longing could never be erased - no matter how deeply she attempted to bury it.

On my 20th birthday, my father hosts a dinner for our allied families. He lifts his glass with a smile and turns to his old friend, saying, "It's time my principessa chooses a husband from your sons." Without hesitation, I choose the youngest—Salvatore Carlo. Everyone is stunned. After all, I'm Estella Vinci, the eldest daughter of the Vinci family. I was born into wealth and power, with a father from a long-established Virellian mafia family and a mother from Montavira's ruthless DeNucci bloodline. And yet, I was hopelessly in love with Giovanni Carlo, third son of the Carlo family. In my past life, I got exactly what I wished for. I became his wife. He got what he wanted too. With my father's power, he became the heir of the Carlo family. But after we got married, my adopted sister Eleanor Vinci became his mistress. When my father found out, he was furious. He sent her far away in marriage to Norland. From that day on, Giovanni hated me with everything he had. He drowned himself in nightclubs, night after night, always bringing home women who looked just like Eleanor. He let them mock me and humiliate me. On my birthday, one of them poisoned my cake. I died with hatred in my heart at eight months pregnant. Now that I am reborn, I decide to let them have each other. But the moment I choose Salvatore, Giovanni loses his mind.

My entire family could hear my thoughts. In my previous life, I was switched at birth with Victoria Harrington. I was reunited with my family 18 years later. It was the early 1920s, when owning a bicycle or a radio was still rare for most families. I had always dreamed of having one of those precious things. However, after I came home, Victoria would constantly brag right in front of me. "Mom told me that I'm the only one who deserves this fancy watch," she said with a sweet smile. "And look at this gorgeous bicycle Dad got me for my birthday! Oh, and when I mentioned wanting a radio, Daniel bought it for me immediately." Then came the real knife twist. "I know you're their biological daughter, Bernice, but let's be honest. When it comes to love, I'm their real daughter. Daniel definitely prefers me as his little sister too." Her words ate at me. I could not stop the bitter thoughts that flooded my mind about my parents and brother. The problem was that my family could hear every single one of those thoughts. Slowly, they began to resent me. Eventually, they threw me out into the cold, and I died alone in the winter streets while Victoria lived happily within the warmth of their love. When I opened my eyes again, I realized that I had been reborn. As I watched Victoria putting on her usual show, my thoughts took a delicious turn. 'Victoria thinks that Mom is such a cheapskate for only buying her a cheap watch instead of something expensive. She even calls Dad stingy behind his back because he didn't get her a pricier bicycle.' 'And she constantly complains about how ugly and crude Daniel is, saying that he embarrasses her. I wonder if I should share these thoughts with my family?'

My father, Benjamin Ward, was bedridden, paralyzed, and unable to move. The AI model he spent his entire life developing—a model powerful enough to cure terminal diseases—had been stolen and published under someone else's name. Humiliated beyond endurance, he suffered a stroke and collapsed. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even write. I swore I'd find the thief who destroyed him. My girlfriend, Maris Dawn, wept and promised to help me uncover the truth. But at a dinner party, when her first love proudly announced that he'd been specially recruited by a national research lab thanks to that very model, she immediately grabbed my arm, whispering, "Don't make a scene. Grayson just wants a good future. Don't ruin his life." Grayson Vale smirked with disdain. "The old man was about to retire anyway. Think of it as recycling waste." My vision went red. I charged at him, ready to make him pay for what he'd done to my father. Maris tripped me before I could reach him. She threw a check for ten million in my face. "Here's for your dad's medical care. Don't be shameless, alright? Grayson is a rising star. You're just a broke grad student. You should learn your place." I tore the check apart, piece by piece. That check could never buy the Dawn family a future in the world of science.