Getting Close With Stepsis

In my previous life, my sister thought that since my husband and I had high-paying jobs, she could swap her son with my child without anyone noticing. But twenty-five years later, the tables turned. My son had grown into a street thug, while her son—raised under my care—rose smoothly through life. Young as he was, he had already become a CEO. He was dutiful, bought me a villa, and even sent me traveling around the world. My sister barged into his company, waving a DNA test report, kicking up a scene, only to be thrown out by security. "Mr. Kieran said that even if you are his biological mother, you never gave him a single day of care," they told her. "So he refuses to acknowledge you." Breaking down completely, she drove her car into me and ended my life. When I opened my eyes again, we had returned to the very day she switched our babies. This time, my sister clutched her own child tightly, a wild, triumphant grin on her face. "From now on, you can be the mother of a street thug," she sneered. "The villa and all those riches—they're mine!"

Our daughter, Luna Woods, developed a high fever. Her body was burning hot. I immediately dialed 911 for help. The dispatcher on the other end kept repeating his questions. He spoke slowly, as if deliberately stalling for time. By the time I finally heard the ambulance siren, Luna was already turning cold in my arms. In less than a year, my wife and I separated. We were consumed by endless grief and blamed for each other. Afterward, I merely existed for the sake of it. I was a hollow shell of a man. Then, one day, I received a wedding invitation from my ex-wife. The moment I played the audio invitation, a chill ran down my spine. The groom’s voice was identical to that of the slow, dawdling dispatcher from that year! I rushed out, utterly distraught, only to be hit by a roaring train. When I opened my eyes again, I heard Luna crying in the next room. Her forehead was burning hot. My wife hurriedly handed me the phone. “Quick, call 911! I’ll get a wet towel.” My hands trembled as I took the phone. When it was answered, I heard a familiar male voice through the receiver. “911, what’s your emergency?”

Losing my job was not an option. Blackmailing my boss was the only solution. Falling for him was never part of the plan. *** Samantha Ion De Miranta made a tiny printing mistake, a typo mistake. Pero dahil masyadong perfectionist ang boss niya, sinisante siya agad sa harap ng lahat. Raz Eros Alcantara, the CEO of the Eros Advertising Group and the boss who fired Samantha. Raz was known for his strictness and cold heart. He never hesitated to fire employees over the smallest mistake. Perfect. That's what people called him. Handsome, rich, confident, and a man who knew exactly what he wanted. His standards were sky-high, especially when it came to women. Kaya naman nang makita siya ni Samantha sa isang high-end bar na pinapalibutan ng high-paid escort, sinamantala na ni Samantha ang pagkakataong iyon. She took a picture of him with those escorts then used it to blackmail him... just to get her job back.

I’m getting married, but my CEO fiancé, whom I had been engaged to for ten years, had no idea. Thanks to his new personal maid, the man has no time to spare for me. The two of them always shadowed one another, and they might as well be sleeping in the same bed. My fiancé even bought a yacht and brought her to the Arctic to see the aurora when she was in a bad mood, completely forgetting that we were supposed to be picking out wedding gowns that day. I spent the entire day waiting in that bridal shop, waiting for a man who would never show up. So I called my dad, “I’m marrying someone else.”

This is the standalone book for the first story in the book "The Wild Adventures". After spending a wild night, Ethan woke up alone in bed. He searched for his “Baby Girl” every day in between work and everything he did but he failed. His sense of smell, even with his Supernatural identity, could not find her. Until a few months later. Lexy was on her way home from school when she was blocked by gangsters in a neighborhood alley where she had to pass through to get to her best friend Marlyn’s new place. He had to rent somewhere nearby the school and Lexy was going to attend his housewarming party. Ethan followed a scent so familiar and found out it was indeed his long-lost and untiredly searched-for “Baby Girl”. Ethan rescued Lexy and ever since then, he became a self-claimed personal bodyguard. Let's explore and enjoy the adventurous love story between the cursed Lycan Prince and his fated-mate-Princess!

Si Ysabella ay isang cloistered nun, ang babaeng mas pinili ang mamuhay sa apat na sulok ng monesteryo at ilaan ang buhay sa pagsamba at paglilingkod ng tahimik sa Diyos. Napakasaya niya at ilang araw na lamang ay matutupad na ang pangarap niyang maging ganap na perpetual cloistered nun, ngunit hindi niya inaasahan ang bilaang pagbisita ng kanyang nag-iisa at nakakatandang kapatid. Inamin nitong miyembro ng organisyon ng mga mafia at siya ay pinaparatangang nagtraidor sa grupo kaya kailangan nitong umalis at magtago. Nagmakaawa itong proprotektahan niya ang kanilang mga magulang sa maaring gawin ng grupo sa kanilang pamilya kung kayat napilitan siyang lumabas sa monesteryo. Hindi niya akalaing ganun kasama ang sinalihang grupo ng kanyang kapatid lalong lalo na ang pinuno na si Eric Madrigal na walang awang basta na lamang kumikitil ng buhay sa kanyang harapan. Sa galit nito sa kanyang kapatid ay puwersahan siyang inilayo sa kanyang pamilya upang pagbayaran ang kasalanan ng kapatid. Ano kaya ang naghihintay na kapalaran ni Ysabella sa kamay ng pinakamasamang mafia boss sa buong daigdig? Makakabalik pa kaya siya sa monesteryo?

Desperate for a way out of rejection and poverty, Pearl Augustine accepts a nanny job with an outrageous salary—working for billionaire Ace Warren. What she doesn’t expect is his daughter. Mia Warren is spoiled, sharp-tongued, and feared by everyone in the mansion. Behind her cruelty is a lonely child longing for a mother. As Pearl becomes the only one who can reach her, walls begin to fall—especially those around Ace, a grieving man hiding behind wealth and control. What started as “just a job” quickly turns into something dangerous: attachment. Sometimes, healing begins where you least expect it.

"After a messy break-up, police officer Matthew Haldon is fine living in his cabin out in the woods all by himself. He has his dogs to keep him company and his job to keep him busy. He never expects to find love again, especially not with the woman he finds stranded on the side of the road during a blizzard. When Matt realizes that Holly Cook has nowhere to go, he invites her to stay at his cabin for the night. Holly is dangerous, though: with her fiery red hair and her bubbly personality, she tempts Matt like no woman ever has. As the snowstorm rages outside, Matt and Holly share a night that neither will forget. Yet Holly’s past isn’t about to let her go—and now, neither is Matt. This title was previously published as Adore Me Ardently. It’s been rereleased with a brand-new look and with lightly edited content."

I was diagnosed with stomach cancer, so I went online to hire an undertaker in the hopes that he would collect my body. That way, I could die and be buried. I would like to finally be at peace, even if it meant that I could only achieve it after death. I packed up my bags and left home in search of a place to die, only to receive a message from my undertaker. [Sorry, something came up. I can’t come now.] …Excuse me? I’m already half-dead, and you’re blowing me off?

As I stepped out of my older brother's newly opened supermarket, the alarm suddenly rang. The sales assistant grimly reached out and grabbed me, "Miss, you haven't paid yet." I remembered that my buttons were made of metal, which triggered the alarm. After patiently explaining and easing the atmosphere, I said, "The owner of this supermarket is my older brother. He'll pay the bill." The sales assistant scoffed. "Your brother's the boss? Why not say he's your husband instead? You stole and refused to admit it. Pay up or I'll call the police immediately," she said and crumpled the receipt into a ball before throwing it at my face. I endured the humiliation and unfolded it. A baby pacifier for 100,000 dollars. Two packs of baby wet wipes for 200,000 dollars. Security personnel's hush fee, 300,000 dollars. All of the miscellaneous expenses added up to exactly one million dollars. I laughed in anger. "One million dollars? Why don't you just rob a bank? Go and get Chad Surrey. I want to see how I ended up with such a heartless brother." She rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend if you can't afford it, thief. Is Mr. Surrey someone you can see whenever you want?" When my parents came to help me, I said, "Only one of us exists in this family. It's either me or her."