International Theory

My fiancé proposes to my stepsister Thalia Yates in front of everyone at our engagement party. Furious, I pack my stuff and leave home. That's when Jude Pearson, heir to an international medical group, entered my life. He's a surgeon rumored to have zero interest in women. Yet he pursued me passionately for six months. Eventually, I accepted his proposal. For seven years after our wedding, he's been gentle and considerate, always putting my needs first. Then, I overhear his phone conversation with his mother, Helena Roberts. "Jude, it's been seven years, but you still have no kids. It's time for a divorce." "Since I couldn't marry Thalia, it doesn't matter who I married instead. I'll keep playing this role forever. As long as I'm around, she'll never be able to intrude upon Thalia's happiness." That's when the truth hits me—Jude has given up the family business to become a surgeon just to treat Thalia's heart condition. Our years of marriage are actually his way of protecting Thalia from afar. If that's the case, then I'll disappear from their world and let my absence be their happy ending.

Aurelia Navarro gave her love, her time, her fortune—everything. Pero sa dulo, siya pa rin ang iniwan… ipinagpalit sa ibang babae. Dalawang taon siyang nagsakripisyo bilang asawa ni Matteo Navarro. Ngunit nang malugi ang Navarro Holdings na siya mismo ang nagpapatakbo ay siya rin ang sinisi, at nasira ang pangalan niya. Hanggang sa dumating ang misteryosong lalaki na nag-alok ng investment. “I can give you 5% of my shares,” sabi nito. Ngumisi si Aurelia. “Five percent? Keep it. I can build my own empire.” Walang nakakaalam na sa likod ng pangalang Aurelia Navarro ay nakatago ang tunay niyang pagkatao— isang major shareholder ng Gatchalian Inc., international professor, renowned painter, at ang pinakakilalang assassin sa underground world. At nang lumuhod si Matteo sa ilalim ng ulan para humihingi ng tawad, isang lalaking may itim na payong ang nakatayo sa tabi ni Aurelia. “Mr. Navarro, please leave,” malamig nitong sambit. “Who are you to her?” singhal ni Matteo. Emil smirked. “Atty. Emiliano De Rossi. I’m her lover.”

Sa isang prestihiyosong unibersidad, kilala ang dalawang estudyanteng naging mortal na magkaaway dahil sa kompetisyong nangyayari sa pagitan nila. Si Kendall Lin, isang Chinese Filipino at nag-iisang anak ng hinahangaang mag-asawang abogado sa kanilang bansa, ay pinipilit na makamit ang lahat ng pangarap ng mga magulang para sa kan'ya. Habang si Isaiah Thomas na nagtataglay ng likas na katalinuhan at isa sa mga tinitingalang model student ng Cavin International School ay isa nang sikat na businessman dahil sa biglaang pagkamatay ng kan'yang mga magulang noong bata pa siya. Sa paaralan kung saan ang sistema nito ang naging dahilan ng kanilang kompetisyon, doon din nila nahanap ang safe haven nila. Kung saan nananatili ang abandonadong silid ng Arts club, nagawa nilang makita ang sansinukob sa kanilang mga mata. In between the pressure and their high dreams, with their hearts trying to find its key to open it and kiss each other's soul with gentleness, will they ever get to do it wholly? Can enemies be friends and can their friendship be worth for something more? Something for love?

I am in the middle of hosting an international conference when my younger sister, Aubrey Keller, suddenly calls me. She is sobbing over the phone as she says, "Aster, my spot in the student exchange program was taken away…" I immediately rush over to Aubrey's university campus. She's cornered in the teachers' office, her eyes brimming with tears. A young girl with punk flair is standing in front of Aubrey, gesturing at her with disdain. "Trying to fight for the spot against me, are you? I'm the heiress to the Keaton family in Centuria. "My father even funded an entire laboratory building for the university! Who do you think you are?" A teacher standing to the side is also adding fuel to the fire. "Aubrey, Ophelia's father is one of this university's key funders. Why don't you just let this go this time so we can all move on?" I'm about to rebuke the two when I hear the phrase 'heiress to the Keaton family.' Keaton family from Centuria? Since when did my father, Tristan Keaton, have another daughter besides Aubrey and me? I immediately call Tristan's number and ask coldly, "Dad, when did you cheat on Mom and sire another daughter behind her back?"

>>THIS BOOK IS IN INDEFINITE HIATUS<< Aurelie Mistal, called by her nickname Aurie is a simple, average girl with hidden talents who had experienced working for a very long time being a cast member from a famous amusement park from the Philippines. After leaving the path of a fairytale-like life, she decided to join the real world of music wherein she found herself joining the infamous MBS Asia Inc. - an international talent agency where youths were scouted and trained to be future artists as they grow up. Upon exploring, Aurie continually experiences good and bad situations, and even encounters deep secrets with unbelievable revelations within the hallways of a musically inclined building, hiding from the shining and sparkling gold furniture and pure white walls. She is also slowly becoming part of every artists' lives, mostly her most admired artist, Ryota Morii who doesn't acknowledge her presence and becomes irritated by just seeing her around. Until, more ideal guys started invading her life which eventually ended up trying to steal her from Ryota, with all having the same reason: LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. Will Aurie be able to hold her feelings just for Ryota or will she give chance to others who won't seem to stop pursuing her?

I spend an entire year preparing to get my daughter, Quincy Lindell, into a top international school. By the time the application review date rolls around, I have all the documents ready. I just need my wife's and my original marriage certificate to seal the deal. However, when I reach the admissions office, my wife, Wendy, blames me for taking matters into my own hands. I am about to explode when the school staff member says with a strange expression, "Mr. Howards, our system shows that you are not Ms. Lindell's spouse." My blood turns to ice. Before I can react, Zachary Shea, who has been quietly standing behind Wendy, passes his wedding certificate to the person in charge. The school staff member nods after checking her computer. "Ms. Lindell, Mr. Shea, your certificate was validated seven and a half years ago. You can now register your child for this school." Seven and a half years ago… That was the date of Wendy's and my engagement party. She held my hand in front of a room full of guests and said that I would be the only man she ever loved. That one sentence was enough to fool me for seven years.

She was supposed to be dead. Seven years ago, Aria Moretti vanished the night her entire mafia family was slaughtered in a coordinated massacre that shook New York to its core. The world mourned the loss of the Moretti empire. Her enemies celebrated. Everyone assumed the sheltered nineteen year old princess had burned with the rest of them. They were wrong. Aria survived pregnant, alone, and running for her life. She fled to Lagos, gave birth in hiding, and spent seven years becoming someone her father never allowed her to be: dangerous. Now she’s back. Not for closure. Not for peace. For revenge. But the moment she steps foot in Manhattan, she collides with the one man she never expected to see again Dante Russo, the soldier she loved and was forced to betray to survive. He’s no longer the loyal soldier from her father’s organization. He’s a self-made billionaire by day and the city’s most powerful crime lord by night. Ruthless. Untouchable. Still devastatingly attractive. He demands she marry him. Not for love for survival. Dante needs a wife to legitimize his expansion into international markets. Aria needs his protection and access to his network to hunt her family’s killer. Six months. One contract. No feelings. No lies. Except Aria is hiding the biggest lie of all.

Tommy Saavedra, bunsong anak ng business tycoon na si Don Felimon Saavedra. Hindi sumunod sa yapak ng amang negosyante at mas hindi sumunod sa inang mambabatas. Bagkus ay sinunod niya ang bulong ng damdamin, ang maging marine engineer. Until he found himself that he's one of the marine engineers of the famous international cruise ship MARGARITA. Sa unang tingin pa lang niya sa kapatid ng Boss niyang halos kaedad nila o mas tamang sabihin na mas bata pa sa kanilang mga tauhan ay nabighani na siya sa angking kagandahan. Idinaan niya ang lahat sa panunukso sa takot na mabasted ng dalaga. Cassandra Keith Mondragon, isa sa mga kambal na anak ng mag-asawang MaCon at Clarence. Sa murang edad ay namulat sa responsibilidad sa kumpanya nila. Siya ang namahala sa Herrera Ticketing Booth dahil ang kambal niya ay sa Herrera Theater, ang Kuya ay sa MARGARITA. Nang dahil sa kani-kanilang kabiguan sa buhay ay magsasangga ang landas nila sa pamosong barko ng mga Mondragon.

We got caught in a blizzard—me, my fiancé Melvin Dunn, a few of his colleagues, including Sally Blom. Middle of the night, I woke up shaking. My heavy-duty sleeping bag—the one built for minus forty—was gone. In its place? A flimsy summer quilt. Sally was curled up in my bag, fast asleep in Melvin's arms. I shoved him hard. "Why is she in my sleeping bag?" He pulled me aside, whispering, "Keep your voice down. Sally's kinda fragile—she's about to catch a cold. You're strong. You'll be fine." I pointed at my feet, already numb. "So I'm supposed to freeze to death for you two because she's 'fragile'?" He frowned. "God, Peyton, stop being so dramatic. It's just a sleeping bag. Think about the team for once." I laughed, tears slipping down my face. Didn't say another word. Just crawled back into the corner, grabbed the sat phone, and called my brother—Captain of Stormfang Rescue, an elite international search and rescue team. "Hugh, come get me. The coordinates are... Remember—I'm alone."

To "fix" Leonard Rinehart's oh-so-tragic depression, Naomi Gaffron—yeah, the same girl who once swore she'd only ever marry me—secretly tied the knot with him. So I gave in. Played along with the family's little matchmaking stunt. Married Aurelia Spencer—Brieton City's golden girl who'd been obsessed with me since forever. For seven years, she clung to me like I was oxygen. Every night, curled up like she'd break if I moved. I thought that was happiness. Then one night, I caught her whispering to her best friend: "Leonard's already got international awards. When are you dumping Leone?" "Whatever—I'm stuck with someone I don't love anyway. Doesn't matter who I married. Someone's gotta keep an eye on Leone so he doesn't screw up everything Leonard built." I checked her study. Found a hidden folder—over 100,000 photos of Leonard. A hundred unsent love letters. Even I couldn't fake it anymore. Bought a silicone dummy. Laid out the plan. The fire would be step one. Dead or alive—we're done.