Half-heartedness

I'm Aurora, a commoner, an inferior bloodline. My parents taught me a lot of things growing up, but the most important one is never piss off a royal. They run the world, they make the rules, and they are brutal when they don’t get exactly what they want, especially an unmated commoner girl. Most royals fuck commoner girls for fun, knowing we couldn’t possibly fight back. Some of them do it to get their release and then kill them, leaving behind no chance for an heir that is a half-breed. I’ve never seen a commoner female return from the palace. There aren’t many of us left in my pack, but my alpha has managed to convince the royal warriors that there aren’t any unmated females in his pack and if there were, he would gladly hand them over I’m unmated, only a year and half away from turning twenty to feel my mate. I pray to Moon Goddess that I need the protection of a mate. Until that day, a tall, brute man walks into my house like he was invited in. I tremble while he grins. He is a Royal.

Jack Saunders wanted one last hurrah before taking the mantle of DS Oil & Gas, the billion-dollar company that his father founded. His friend, Owen, let him borrow his mansion on a tropical island so that he could throw a final party before “marrying” the business that would dominate the rest of his life. He brought his secretary, Brandy, hoping that he could kindle a relationship that would last through the long days and nights of running a company. However, while the party was great, the gold digging woman he brought was not, and Jack resigned himself to a lifetime of loneliness. That was until he took a walk down the beach and met her. A woman who didn’t recognize him from the tabloids and only saw him, the man behind the money. Of all the women Jack had ever met, there was nobody like Emma LaRue. With one pretend marriage ceremony, she would change his life forever, and become the only one he ever wanted to give his saltwater kisses to. This novella is the first half of Saltwater Kisses written from Jack’s point-of-view, with a few bonus scenes thrown in as well.

They were my brother’s best friends—the HawkThorne brothers. Wealthy, ruthless, and filthy enough to make the whole city drop to its knees. I was the good girl once. The perfect wife. Until my husband had sex with half my office and shoved me into an open marriage I never asked for. One night at a bar was supposed to be my rebellion—a dirty little secret to make me forget. I never expected to run into them. Six years had made them look harder, darker, and so much hotter. I shouldn’t have let them touch me. Shouldn’t have let them ruin me against a bathroom sink with their filthy mouths and rough hands. Three men. One night. No promises. But the eldest HawkThorne pressed a card into my palm before I could slip away. I thought I could handle them. Thought I could survive their obsession. Now I’m learning there’s no such thing as just sex with the HawkThorne brothers. They don’t share. They claim. They corrupt. And they’re coming for every last filthy piece of me.

It was forbidden, a sin, but none of these men seemed to understand that. They all wanted to antagonize her, unveil her, tempt her, and pursue her. "A commoner is worth more than a grain of sand, a Half breed is even worse, and you are both, the worst of two worlds, truly you are pitiful….but your fidelity happens to be worth more than both noble and commoner combined. Is that not an interesting fact?"— Oliviér Lé Fóix. "I agree that aside from evangelism there is a sinful agenda but how can you judge my faith when you tempt me by standing in my house with your bare breasts in my sight?"— Sebastién Wright. "You can pray we are interrupted so you do not say yes when I ask if I can rip your underwear and play with your pulsing little clit, Vixen."— Nicolas Dé Penthiévre. "Haha, you've got me, I really have other plans besides seducing you into convincing that bastard for me, I want to fuck you, I mean the thought has been fucking me in the brain since I saw your bright and cheery face. I want my cock to tear that jaw."— Constantine Rousseau.

In my dormitory, there was a poor student. With all the good intentions in the world, my roommates and I were eager to help her, not realizing how much our help would cost. She wasn't impressed by the hairdryer we offered, insisting on borrowing a branded one instead. The skincare products we gave her? They were applied to her feet. And, as if that wasn't enough, she specifically demanded luxury face cream. One day, I lent her my tablet to look up some information, and to my surprise, she secretly opened up my gaming app, spent all the diamonds and reward tickets I had saved for half a year, and left me empty-handed. When I asked her to pay me back, she turned the tables and posted a public message online, accusing me. "I'm just a poor student from the countryside, never played games before. Are the materials in the game really worth this much?" Before I knew it, the comment section was flooded with criticisms of me. In a fit of frustration, I fired back with a post of my own, throwing her into the spotlight. "Well, I suppose you've never tasted the bitterness of being cyberbullied, have you?"

“I’m not your toy.” “Yes, you’re my toy, Tesoro. Mine to fuck, and mine to do with as I please. I could break you in half too, if I want. So watch your mouth!” ~•~ After discovering the same woman he’d had a one-night stand with years ago owes him a debt, Giovanni, blinded by his own desires, uses the opportunity to abduct her and propose a twisted bargain. Elaine is given two options; pay in two weeks or pay with her body when the time limit is up. But this is the same man she loathes for ruining her five years ago after impregnating her which led to her disownment. She’s had a hard life - working tirelessly to feed two mouths - hers and the son she loves so much. But knowing they won’t be able to stay together if his father is aware of his existence, Elaine decides to keep the child a secret and tread carefully. It was meant to be just sex, but Giovanni has plans to reignite their long-lost passion from the first night they made love, and also break the sharp witted woman who’s making him question his senses.

Richard Lorde’s childhood friend had just become a widow. On our fifth wedding anniversary, he brought his childhood friend and her daughter into a karaoke box and removed my ring right before everyone. “Lily needs a proper status right now. It’s no longer right for you to wear that ring. “Resign from your job tomorrow and take care of Lily and her daughter.” Everyone in the room fell silent as they waited for me to blow my top off. But I said nothing. I calmly brought out the divorce agreement I had already signed, put it on the table, and left. My best friend stood up to advise me against it, but Richard just swung the wine glass and snorted. “Let her. She’ll come begging for my forgiveness before tomorrow.” When I slammed the door shut, I heard laughter from the room. What they did not know was that half an hour ago, I had received a message telling me that my visa application had been approved. The person in charge of picking me up had been waiting at my house ten minutes ago. This time, I was not turning back.

My name is Ivy Lawson. At 3:00 am, I get a call from Christina McSpire, a parent of one of my students. "Hello, Ms. Lawson, I noticed Zoe only spent five dollars on her meal yesterday. Did she not eat any meat?" she asks. Pushing through my exhaustion, I reply, "Don't worry, Mrs. Street. I'll check on it tomorrow." Another half hour goes by, and she calls again. "It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Can you remind Zoe to bring an umbrella?" I can hardly keep my eyes open. "Got it," I reply absentmindedly. A few minutes later, my phone rings once more. "Please make sure Zoe brushes her teeth for three minutes. It's also important that she scrubs each side of her face at least three times." Suppressing my frustration, I calmly respond, "Zoe is in her senior year of high school. I'm sure she's capable of taking care of herself." I expect that to be the end of it, but when I wake up, my silenced phone shows over a hundred missed calls.

Sharon McKinzie's husband's first love was dying. He often said to Sharon, "Sharon, Kelly doesn't have much time left. Don't be petty and hold things against her." To make up for the regrets of his past, he traveled with Kelly—through mountains and rivers, beneath starlit skies and over distant seas. He even handed over the wedding they had planned—his and Sharon's—to Kelly Walt, without shame or hesitation. Even their five-year-old son clung to Kelly. "Mommy isn't even half as pretty as Kelly," he said. "Kelly's pretty. Why can't Kelly be my mommy?" Sharon decided to grant them their wish. She left behind the divorce papers and walked away without a word. Later, her ex-husband and son knelt before her—her ex-husband full of regret, her son's cheeks streaked with tears. "Honey… please come back to us." "Mommy… do you really not want us anymore?" Just then, a handsome man wrapped his arm around Sharon's waist. "There you are, honey," he said gently. "Our son's still at home, waiting for you to feed him."

　　Rui Laine Astudillo is an independent kind of woman. Kasalukuyan siyang nagtatrabaho bilang isang delivery woman sa isang maliit na pizza parlor at nagtatrabaho naman ng ilang part time jobs tuwing weekend. Doon umiikot ang buhay niya dahil hindi siya nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral. Ganunpaman ay masaya siya sa trabaho ngunit hindi ito tanggap ng kanyang magulang. Sa kalagitnaan ng pagmamakaawa ni Rui sa kanyang dating nobyo na balikan siya, kamalas-malasang ibang lalaki pala ang nasa kabilang linya ng telepono. It was Yohann Min, a half Korean businessman in Paris who flew back to the Philippines. Taliwas sa nauna niyang desisyong bumalik sa Paris ay nakapagdesisyon siyang manatili sa Pilipinas at magtrabaho sa Gre-May Pizza parlor kung saan nagtatrabaho din si Rui. He knows everything about Rui, yet he kept it to her. Who would have thought that this so-called wrong-number-guy was part of her long-forgotten past? The love that once lost will be regained, and the memories that have been forgotten will rise on its surface. Will those memories lead them to their forever, or will they tear them apart?