Half Past Eight

Trevor didn’t start by loathing Sireen. Heck, he had always been nice to her. It all went downhill when Sireen’s sister—Trevor’s mate, Kylie, died in an attack, and a weak Sireen did nothing to save her. In his terms, she’s a murderer. Ignoring her trauma, Trevor became Sireen’s tormentor. Her bully. The bane of her very existence. So when he finds out at the start of second year that Sireen is his second chance mate, he definitely rejects her. But wait. Not before humiliating her in front of the entire school, exposing her guarded secret which was an outcome of watching her twin sister die. When Sireen and Trevor are forced to breathe the same air as each other and see each other in and out of school everyfreakingday, at least one person is set to Lose. Their. Sanity. How much torture can Sireen take? And just how long can Trevor stand his rejected mate’s presence? Delve in to find out!

After I got a second shot at life, the very first thing I did was enroll in an intensive weight-loss boot camp. In my past life, my boyfriend was always on my case about my weight. He flat-out told me he wouldn't put a ring on it unless I got down to a hundred pounds. I tried every diet and workout plan out there—I pushed myself to the edge—but instead of losing, I packed on even more pounds. Meanwhile, my so-called best friend ate cheeseburgers, fries, and pizza like it was her job and still dropped from 130 pounds to a hundred in less than a month. The second she hit that magic number, my boyfriend's head turned. They started sneaking around behind my back. When I finally confronted them, they shoved me off a rooftop. It wasn't until after I died that I discovered the truth: my "best friend" had linked herself to a weight-transfer system. Every single pound I struggled to lose went straight to her. And every ounce of fat she should have gained? It landed right back on me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the exact day my boyfriend gave me his hundred-pound ultimatum. With every memory of my past life intact, I couldn't help but smile. My best friend wants to be skinny, does she? Well then, let's see how she likes being nothing but skin and bones. Let's see if forty-five pounds is skinny enough for her.

1500 tahun setelah perang yang hampir memusnahkan manusia, halfwolf muncul kembali, mengancam yang lemah dan menebar ketakutan. Orin Nympahea Pemimpin dari Organisasi Eclipse Blood, pemburu berdarah dingin, berdiri untuk membantu mereka yang tak mampu membela diri dan menuntaskan dendam bagi korban yang hilang. Perjalanan ini penuh pertarungan berdarah, kehilangan, dan tragedi yang menekan hati. Namun di balik kegelapan itu, muncul momen haru, persahabatan, dan keberanian yang menyalakan harapan. Di tengah konflik, satu pertanyaan menggantung: siapa sebenarnya musuh sejati manusia dan halfwolf? Tidak semua yang tampak jelas adalah kenyataan, dan kebenaran bisa datang dari arah yang tak terduga. Pertarungan ini bukan sekadar soal menang atau kalah, tapi tentang keberanian, pengorbanan, dan menegakkan keadilan di dunia yang kejam, sambil menghadapi rahasia yang dapat mengubah segalanya.

Hindi alam ni Amayah na ang dating pinapangarap niyang buhay kasama ang lalaking mahal niya na si Lorean ay makakamit niya sa loob lamang ng isang gabi. Pagkatapos niyang aksidenteng mahulog sa pool habang siya at ang mga kaibigan niya ay nagsasaya ay nagising na lamang siya sa loob ng ‘di pamilyar na silid. Ang masayang buhay estudyante niya sa edad na dise-otso ay naglaho at sa isang iglap lang ay napalitan ng buhay may asawa at anak. Pero ang inaasahan niyang masayang buhay kasama ang lalaking pinapangarap niya ay napalitan ng pagkadismaya. Takot sa kanya ang kambal at galit naman sa kanya si Lorean. Marahil ay naawa na sa mag-ama niya ang tadhana kaya naman, binigyan siya nito ng pangalawang pagkakataon. Gagawin niya ang lahat ng kanyang makakaya upang baguhin ang kanyang mga pagkakamali. Mapapatawad pa kaya siya ni Lorean at ng kambal? Makakamit pa kaya niya ang buhay na kanyang pinapangarap kung ang pagkatao at mga ala-ala niya ay mula sa kanyang dise-otso anyos na katauhan?

My husband, Noah Campbell, has only passed away for less than three months when my sister-in-law, Pamela Turner, starts urging me to move out. "It's not that I'm casting you out, Veronica. You see, Matthew wants to renovate your bedroom. I'm just worried that you might not have time to pack up your stuff when the time comes. "Besides, Noah is no longer around. It's inappropriate for you to continue living in an apartment that belongs to your in-laws, you know?" My mother-in-law pauses mid-bite, pretending she didn't hear a word Pamela said. Meanwhile, Matthew Campbell, Pamela's husband, continues munching on his food silently. Upon noticing that I never replied to her, Pamela adds, "Don't overthink it, Veronica. I don't want the outsiders gossiping about you, you know." Only then do I look up at her with a smile. "Thank you for your concern, Pamela. But I'm not scared of a bit of gossip." After all, I'm the owner of this apartment.

Cesare Xandri, the rising gangster of the Nalitan mafia, unexpectedly lost a bet at an elite private casino in Ithel, the kind that smells like cigar smoke and blood money. The penalty was simple, he had to call his hard-to-tame pet. The phone was on speaker. The men circled him, whistling and hooting, waiting to be entertained. He asked what I was up to in a relaxed and amused tone. I replied softly, insinuating he was sinful, hiding my defiance behind innocence and fake devotion. When I finished my insult, the room fell silent, then burst into loud and uncontrollable laughter. The call ended. Less than thirty minutes later, the mansion gates were smashed open. He stormed in smelling of gunpowder, a Beretta still in his hand. He pushed me against the wall furiously beneath the Virgin Mary statue. I leaned into him without hesitation, fingers brushing the heated gun, and I met his gaze without fear. I chose virtue and rejected him in my past life, in return I was thrown into the open sea to die. I intended to be his temptation when I got a second chance at life, I wanted to be a beautiful sin that ends his story under the Cecilian sun.

I had proposed seven times, but Winnie Smith continued refusing to marry me. This was because the Smith family had a special test. To marry their daughters, their sons-in-law had to refrain from sleeping with their fiancees after being drugged. I tried seven times. However, every time after I regained consciousness, Winnie would be sleeping naked next to me. She would cry and throw herself into my arms. “It’s fine. We can try again. I trust you.” It was not until the eighth time that I overheard her instructing the butler, “Switch the aphrodisiac to sleeping pills, and make sure it’s a high dosage. “After he falls asleep, I’ll take it from there as usual.” While I kept my eyes shut tight, I could hear her taking off her long dress. Then, she came over to unbutton my shirt. I heard her sigh. “I’m sorry, Benjamin Lowe. Joe Anderson’s been diagnosed with cancer, and his last wish is to be with me. “Don’t worry, though. After he passes, I’ll marry you immediately.” Right then, I realized that her family’s test had been a lie she told just to marry her childhood best friend. The next day, my parents pressured me again to leave the country and inherit the family business. So, I agreed to their request. Since she wanted to marry Joe, I would wish the couple well.

On my eighteenth birthday, my brother Seth brought back my twin sister. She had been snatched from me by kidnappers as a child. She claimed she had nothing, not a single thing to call her own. Seth gave her everything: my room, my dresses, and my awards. He even gave her my childhood fiancé, forcing him to break off our engagement and marry her in a wedding that would take the world by storm. I tried to resist, but Seth scolded me for being childish. "She's your blood sister, yet you complain about every little thing. If you can't learn to be kind, I can't call you my sister anymore." My sister, Serena, fell into the swimming pool later that day and nearly drowned. When she woke up, she cried to our brother, claiming I had pushed her. My brother, Seth, was furious. He sent me away to a remote mountain village. "If you can't learn to be kind, you'll spend the rest of your life here, atoning for your sins. "You can come back only when you kneel before Serena and apologize." Five years passed. Serena and my fiancé held a high-profile engagement ceremony. The entire city celebrated their grand love, certain they would have a happily ever after together. Then, Seth finally remembered me. "Sylvie, five years have passed. Have you learned kindness yet?" I nodded calmly with a blank expression on my face. "Seth, I will kneel before her and apologize." He smiled, praising me for finally being sensible. However, he did not know that I had received a critical medical notice. I had only five days left to live.

I only needed to transmigrate into the romance book and complete the mission in it to receive a reward worth tens of millions of dollars. I was so carried away by such an incredible opportunity that I registered without hesitation. After transmigrating into the book, I realized too late that my mission was to win the male lead’s heart, who happened to be my roommate. Additionally, something strange began to happen to my body. I was a man, but I developed abilities that only appeared in women after childbirth. One day, he cornered me in the room. When he saw my soaked top, he gulped and asked, “Can I try?”

Just a few days before my wedding, I accidentally come across a post while scrolling online. The title reads, "To the guy getting married in this city, your fiancée's already cheated on you." Curious, I click in to see the gossip, only to realize I'm the one being talked about. A deep male voice plays in the video. "I heard you're getting married?" The woman in the frame, bare-backed and trembling, chokes back a sob. "After you left, I realized you're still the one I love most. I'm done with him. Take me away, please!" The moment I hear her voice, it feels like someone punches me straight in the chest. Then I notice something on her wrist—the luxury couple's bracelet I gave her just yesterday. And in that instant, I feel like the biggest joke of all. Turns out the fool was me.