Half-hearted Meaning

<> - Vanessa thought rock bottom was signing divorce papers with Derek Holland, a man with the emotional depth of a teaspoon. Turns out, rock bottom had a basement, and Ryker Holland was waiting for her down there with a smirk and a plan. Ryker, Derek's older half-brother (aka the family's dirty little secret), shows up offering Vanessa a deal: help her make her ex-husband, Derek Holland, jealous enough to come crawling back. In exchange, he secures his position as CEO. But Ryker isn't doing this out of kindness for he is petty and cruel. He would do anything to trample all over Derek, and now he has the perfect weapon. Vanessa, freshly dumped and just desperate enough to play along. And if she happens to enjoy making her ex suffer too? Well, that's just a bonus. As Vanessa sinks deeper into Ryker's twisted world of fake romance, secrecy and family dysfunction, things start getting real. Because fake love? It's a lot easier to control than real feelings. And Ryker has no idea what to do when the game stops being a game. Is Vanessa walking into a trap or building one of her own? Either way, the Holland brothers are going down. One's going to break, and the other's going to enjoy every second of it. _Disclaimer: This story features morally complex, flawed characters with twisted motives. It includes themes of manipulation, deception, and emotional cruelty. Reader discretion is advised.

At my eighteenth birthday celebration, my cousin gave me a half-scratched lottery ticket as a coming-of-age gift. When he realized I'd won twenty dollars, he suddenly demanded to buy the ticket from me for two hundred thousand. Something about it felt wrong, and I refused. Then he snapped. Like a man gone mad, he cursed me, wishing me dead, and in front of all the guests, shoved me off the balcony. Dozens of people watched, including my own parents, silently condoning him—joining in, shouting that I deserved to die. And then I opened my eyes… and I was back half an hour earlier. My cousin sneered, tossing the lottery ticket toward me, speaking the same familiar words.

Now that I've been accepted into a prestigious college, my family throws a college acceptance party for me. My older cousin, Jessica Boone, gives me a gift for the occasion—a scratch-off lottery ticket with half the numbers scratched already. But when she finds out that I won 20 dollars from the lottery ticket, she offers 200 thousand dollars to buy the ticket off me. Finding it strange, I refuse her offer. Jessica goes berserk. She starts cursing me out, telling me to go to hell. She even pushes me off the high-rise building right in front of all the guests at the party. The dozens of people in attendance, including my parents, staunchly support her actions and even start remarking that I deserve to die. My eyes open once more—I've gone half an hour back in time. Once again, Jessica mockingly tosses the scratch-off lottery ticket at me and says those familiar words to me.

Ezekiel Richard Wright is not only charismatic, handsome, clever, and a world-class architect, but his characteristics and achievements make him more alluring. The CEO, who suffers from sleeplessness, is arrogant, cold, and distant. Chen Xiu Ying, also known as Bella Chen, is a mixed-race woman with an American mother and a Chinese father. Her family is one of China's wealthiest, owning four mansions in Peking and three in Shanghai. She is the daughter of the CEO of Chen Entertainment. She is also the brilliant, stubborn, and acrophobic president of La Bella Fashion Threads Co. What if the worlds of these two CEOs collided as a result of their parents' arrangement? Can they figure out what's behind their phobias and cure each other, or will they trigger each other's fears and end their marriage?

Charlotte Houston is a twenty years old orphaned, college dropout young adult, who lived a very poor life. She was left to cater for her siblings who were struck with a chronic disease that needed a lot of money. The menial jobs she had was barely fetching a thing, which was what made her consider surrogacy as soon as she realized the insane amount of money it could fetch... despite the fact that she had a boyfriend. While Jeffery Simmons only wanted a child because that’s a requirement that needed to be met, in order to inherit his father's wealth. Being a Surrogate, what life awaits both Charlotte and Jeffery? Would it be all roses? Or, would it be a really bumpy ride? Especially when Charlotte’s boyfriend is back in the picture and a ghost from the past that just won’t stay away.

In our world, fathers sell their half-breed daughters to purebred wolves. If they don’t like you, they will resell you to someone else. And the one who turns out to be the chosen one is lucky, and she will be combined with the highest marriage. And others are destined to belong to the multitude... I was not sold; I gave myself up. Now the big bad red wolf is my master, and I am in his hands. But why does his rival look at me like I’m the juiciest piece of steak? Does he want to buy me out?

She died in the hands on those who claimed to love her in her first life; Her mate and her childhood best friend. With her last breath, she cursed them from the bottom of her heart, recalling bitterly how the truth always lay in front of her yet she couldn't see it. She refused to drown in despair. Then by an unexpected twist, the moon goddess gives her another chance– another shot at life, to pay back those who wronged her. And this time, amongst whispers and mockery, she walks over to the future feared Alpha King, who was at the time a humble warrior. “You're making a grave mistake, I am not the man that deserves you,” he told her, “I have a low rank, you are the gamma's daughter. Are you not afraid that they will talk?” “They can say whatever they wish, I want you.” She chooses him instead, pulling him into a world of fierce power dynamics and unexpected intrigue. Not only that, but she can't ignore the sparks between her and the man she once thought had a heart made of stone. Eventually she comes to crossroads between a love she never expected and a revenge she craved for with every inch of her being. What road will her heart tell her to take?

He has everything he'd always wanted and with the snap of his fingers, he gets anything he desires except for one thing... • • Ronnell Roman is a cold-hearted billionaire who owns a security company. He had everything from wealth, power, influence, smart, and even the face and body of a Greek God. He could get any girl he wanted, anytime and anywherere but there's a problem... • • Blair Damien thought that her life had ended right after her long-time college sweetheart shattered her heart. She doesn't believe in love but what if that thought changed after a memorable sexually experienced one-night stand that might change her whole life forever? • • • When Blair discovers that her long time boyfriend had been cheating on her, she was devasted. his betrayal unhinges life as she knows it. as she tries to come to terms with her new single status, she's reminded of her cold-hearted boss, Ronnell Roman, and their memorable one night that she'd rather forget. But it just happens that Ronnell is always at the right place at the right time. But then something unimaginable happens,

Stacy and Jerome are trapped in a loveless contract marriage, meant to last only a few months. But a moment of weakness leads to a forbidden night of passion, resulting in an unexpected pregnancy. Stacy is now carrying Jerome's child, and her health is also at risk forcing him to abandon his plans to marry the wealthy and influential Debby, who was supposed to be his next bride. Debby, heartbroken and vengeful, refuses to accept Jerome's change of heart and is determined to destroy his marriage with Stacy. As tensions rise, Jerome must confront the consequences of his choices and decide where his true loyalties lie. Will he stand by Stacy and their unborn child, or will he succumb to Debby's wrath and risk losing everything? Who is Larry and how does he comes into the picture?

Tubong-probinsiya si Adellilah Mantoha. May sakit ang kaniyang ina, kaya ay kinailangan niyang lumuwas patungong Maynila upang pumasok bilang kasambahay ng isang guwapo, mayaman at bilyunariyong si Ryllander Callares, lalaking malamig ang trato sa lahat, dahilan upang mahirapan ang dalaga na pagsilbihan ito. Kaya ba ng isang hamak na probinsiyanang-maid na paamuin ang ang isang cold-hearted bachelor? Ngunit paano na lang kung mahuhulog siya rito kahit alam niyang sa pantasya lang naisasakatuparan ang ilusyong pag-ibig para sa lalaki?