Henge No Jutsu

Seventeen-year-old Nora Macie has spent her entire life surviving in the shadows of the Collins mansion. Her mother is the underpaid and mute housekeeper who raised Nora to stay silent, stay small, and stay invisible. Master Stephan Collins pays Nora’s tuition at Riverbrook High, a constant reminder that their lives belong to the family. Especially to Asher Collins, the arrogant heir who is expected to take over the Collins food empire. Nora obeys the rules she was raised with: do not look at Master Asher, do not speak to Master Asher, do not fall for Master Asher. His mother drilled them into her every month. She has always kept her distance from him, until one humiliating accident shatters her carefully controlled world. One night, she films a private sex tape meant for her eyes only. She tries to delete it, but her fingers slip, and the video is sent straight to Asher Collins, the guy who is also her stepbrother! She expects humiliation, exposure, and ruin. Instead, Asher watches it with hunger, curiosity, and a dangerous idea. When he discovers her hopeless crush on James Porter, the flawless leader of the Library Club, he offers a deal. He will transform her into someone unforgettable, someone every boy at Riverbrook High notices. Refuse, and he will tell his mother that the maid’s daughter is in love with him. The makeover ignites chaos. Rich boys notice her. James notices her. Damien Priest, Asher’s rival, notices her. And worst of all, Asher begins to want her too. The quiet maid’s daughter is suddenly the center of a war she never asked for—a war of obsession, jealousy, and temptation. And the boy who is supposed to help her might be the one who destroys her.

Valeria Herrera, la hija querida de una familia poderosa. Desafió a toda su familia para casarse con Sebastián Jiménez, un soltero que ya cargaba con dos hijos y una empresa en ruinas. Durante seis años de matrimonio, amó a los niños como una madre biológica e impulsó la carrera de Sebastián. Los niños crecieron obedientes y cariñosos, y la empresa de Sebastián terminó cotizando en bolsa. Pero justo cuando celebraban su ascenso social, apareció de repente la madre biológica de los niños. Sebastián, siempre tan calculador, perdió completamente la cabeza rogándole que se quedara, humillando públicamente a Valeria. Esa noche desapareció con sus hijos para reunirse con su antiguo amor. Después, Sebastián llegó con los papeles de divorcio: —Gracias por tus años de esfuerzo, pero lo que los niños necesitan es a su madre biológica. La madre biológica añadió: —Gracias por cuidar a mis hijos, pero una madrastra nunca podrá compararse con la madre de verdad. El mérito de criar no cuenta tanto como el de dar la vida. ¡Pues entonces Valeria ya no quería ser madrastra! Pero los niños no aceptaron a su madre biológica ni a su padre. Incluso declararon: —¡Valeria es nuestra única mamá! Si se divorcian, nos iremos con ella aunque tenga que casarse de nuevo!

ROOM 808 It was just a regular night and an ordinary room, but for Rosa, it felt like a bad dream. She didn’t see the man who was with her that night, and she didn’t even know his name. All she could remember was his warm touch and the minty taste of his lips. Her stepsister and sister had set her up, trapping her in that room to ruin her life. Because of that night, she gave birth to a son, and she decided to hide him from everyone. Five years later, when Rosa and her son return to the Philippines, the truth about that night slowly begins to come out. Will Rosa get the justice she deserves? Or will she never learn the truth about her son's father?

My husband lies to me about working late on Christmas Day. I know he wants to give me a surprise—I saw a jewelry set worth millions of dollars in his pocket. However, all I receive is the news of him pretending to be Santa Claus as he delivers a gift to his female secretary. She flaunts it on social media. "You're the most precious Christmas gift I've gotten." My husband changes the background photo on his social media to a photo of them together. I smile and like the post. Later, the secretary comes to me and smugly says she's pregnant. Meanwhile, I pull out a diagnosis report verifying that my husband is sterile. "Checkmate!" She visibly panics.

For six years, I took bullets for him and erased every sharp edge of myself. Because of the way he protected me, outsiders all believed I was the woman closest to his heart. However, when I asked for just one sincere “I love you”, he laughed and refused. “Mafia marriages aren’t about feelings. Know your place.” Then he said, “If Sophia doesn’t like it, don’t even bother.” When the bomb countdown hit thirty seconds, my don husband shoved me aside without hesitation and ran out holding Sophia in his arms. Only then did I understand that after six years of entanglement, I wasn't even worth a single hair of his sister. I slammed the divorce papers into his face. “I’m going to personally send you and your precious sister straight to hell!”

He is the unchallenged Alpha of the Shadow pack. He crushes my hand, lets his true love drive me to the brink, and forces me to lick wolfsbane from my wounds in the punishment chamber, turning me into the pack's laughingstock. I am the Lunar pack's pawn in a political bonding. After enduring three years of humiliation and clutching enemy intelligence, I overturn his throne during the Moon Ceremony, making him watch helplessly as his beloved betrays him and his pack descends into chaos. Later, he backs down. He abdicates as Alpha and gets down on his knees at the pack's border every day, his voice hoarse from shouting, "I was wrong." I hold a blood-stained dagger, my gaze icy as I say, "Your regret is deadlier than wolfsbane and worth even less than my life." Our bonding is a calculated trap, and revenge is the move I am determined to play. Winning him back no longer matters. This time, I am not turning back. I want nothing but his endless remorse and the chance to break my chains and begin a new life.

A few weeks before our wedding, Rodney Luther's stepmother, Jessica Flaine, posts a photo on her social media. In the photo, she's wearing the wedding dress I picked out, holding a bouquet of red roses, and shyly leaning toward Rodney, asking for a kiss. The caption reads—"Dreams fulfilled." I don't call Rodney in tears or throw a fit like I used to. I simply like the post and leave a comment. "Screenshot sent to Rodney's father." Not long after, Jessica deletes the post, and Rodney's phone call follows immediately. "Ivana, you're being so petty! The rest of my days belong to you. It's only today that I'm fulfilling a small dream of Jessica's. Hurry up and explain things to my dad! "Come on, be good. I've got a gift for you." A scoff escapes me. "Rodney, do you hear me clearly? Go explain it to your father yourself!"

I pushed the door open and saw Giovanna standing there in my silk robe—my gift from Enzo—and wearing my heirloom pendant. She lifted a brow and mocked me, “The robe fits, the pendant’s mine, and you—get out.” I grabbed Enzo, demanding an explanation, but he shoved a fake contract in my face, saying, “You signed it.” “I did not. Stop lying!” I snapped. He snapped at me, “This is family business. You know nothing.” It seemed three years together was nothing but an act. That very night, I ran away to Milan. I had nowhere to go and no one to turn to until Mark showed up out of nowhere. “Don’t be scared,” he said. “I’ve got you. As long as I’m around, no one touches you.” He protected me, and for a moment, I really thought I’d finally found someone I could rely on. However, when we were practicing at the shooting range later, I stared at him. “Why are you helping me?” I asked. “And don’t tell me it’s because of that mess I left behind.” His eyes flickered for a second before he answered, “Just trust me. That’s all you need to do.” Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist. This whole disaster was all one giant setup. And now here I am, gripping a gun, fighting for justice, but am I really avenging myself? Or was I already someone else’s pawn from the very beginning?

Here's a piece of advice—do not catch the eye of those pretty salesgirls who sell supplements. You have no idea the things they'll do to close a deal. I become a yummy slice of cake in their eyes; they all want a bite of me. I'm faced with the seduction and allure of countless beauties, but it doesn't make me happy at all.

I accidentally hit my head in the shower. To my surprise, I find that I can hear my aloof housemate's thoughts. "Damn, he's got perky buns." I think of him as a regular housemate, but he wants to sleep with me?