Its Time To Duel

“Ano ba ang pagmamahal? Saan ba nakakahanap nito?" Bigo sa pag-ibig si Katherine dahil sa mga pagkakamali na nagawa niya sa nakaraan. She was the ex-wife of Governor Adam Sebastian Dela Vega. Pero dahil sa mga maling desisyon niya ay naghiwalay sila at nakagawa siya ng isang malaking pagkakamali. Ang pagkakamali na habang buhay niyang pinagsisihan. Kaya nawalan na siya ng pag-asa na may magmamahal pa sa kanya. Hanggang sa dumating ang isang lalaki. Ang lalaki na hindi tumigil na i-persue siya. Ang lalaking magpapaniwala sa kanya na masarap pa lang magmahal. Ang pagmamahal na nasa tamang oras at panahon. Pipigilan ba niya ang kanyang sarili o hahayaan niya ang sarili na sumaya?

Bagaimana bisa seorang murid SMA dipaksa bekerja untuk membiayai kebutuhan sekolah mereka sendiri? Jika mereka menikmati pekerjaan ini, apa orang dewasa yang akan menanggungnya?

Christian Knight was about to marry Andrea Donovan and start a fresh life. Andrea was a gorgeous and respectable woman. She liked Christian since her college days but couldn’t muster the courage to express her feelings to him, as she knew that Christian was interested in Diana Roger, the mute girl. Years later, destiny played cupid for Andrea and Christian, and their families fixed their marriage. Andrea was over the moon, and it was hard for her to believe that Christian was finally going to be her forever. *** To escape the haunting nightmares and hallucinations about one particular woman, whom he thinks he has never met before, Christian agreed to marry Andrea as she was beautiful, smart, and a generous woman, completely compatible with his status, but little did he know that meeting with a stranger at the Coffee House will change everything for him. *** What will happen when destiny plays its cards? Would Christian be able to accept that he had been married before? Will he choose his present over his past or follow his way back to his former wife? Would Mishka be willing to give another chance to Christian or she has already moved on in her life? Will their love pass the test of time and commitment to come out victorious or did their love story end long ago? Follow the other half of Christian and Mishka’s tale to witness if second chances really exist or if healing a broken heart is beyond repair. All Right Reserved © Author Anika 2022

Kalau tahu seperti ini, seharusnya dia mempelajari ilmu medis atau perang saja! . Sheris tidak tahu jika dirinya pernah memiliki kehidupan lain yang jauh berbeda dengan yang dijalaninya saat ini. Namun yang jauh lebih mengejutkan lagi, kehidupannya sekarang sama persis dengan novel romansa-tragedi yang pernah dibacanya di kehidupan lamanya sebelum dia mati. Alur ceritanya klise, semembosankan takdirnya yang terlahir kembali sebagai seorang putri Duke yang akan menjadi istri pertama seorang kaisar tiran, lalu mati oleh orang yang sama karena sifat buruknya setelah menjadi permaisuri yang diabaikan. Sheris tidak keberatan dengan kehidupan gelap semacam itu, kecuali bahwa rasanya mati itu sangat, sangat menyakitkan. Dan dia akan melakukan segalanya agar tidak merasakan peristiwa mengerikan itu lagi dalam waktu dekat. Sayangnya, tidak semudah dalam cerita, seorang wanita yang menikahi kaisar tidak bisa bercerai kecuali mati. Dia akan terjebak selamanya dalam istana terkutuk ini, bersama pria sakit jiwa yang sangat membencinya. Maka dimulailah rencananya menyelamatkan diri dari sang tiran dengan mendeklarasikan cintanya kepada lelaki itu. Sheris tahu, hati lelaki itu sekeras baja yang hanya akan meleleh oleh tokoh utama wanita yang memiliki latar belakang keluarga mirip dengannya. Sosok yang dapat berempati dan memahami rasa sakit dari masa lalu sang kaisar. Dengan keyakinan itulah, Sheris terus berusaha mendekati sang tiran, berharap agar lelaki itu memberikannya hari pensiun yang tenang dan damai setelah kedatangan cinta sejatinya. . . Lalu kenapa lelaki itu jadi seperti ini? . . Edward memejamkan matanya, menelusuri lekukan antara leher dan bahu Sheris dengan perlahan dan kesabaran seorang predator. Jemarinya meremas helaian keemasan yang jatuh di antara bahu perempuan itu, lalu membuka matanya. "Yakinilah, Ratuku," bisiknya, dingin. "Bahkan setelah kau mati, aku tidak akan pernah melepaskanmu." Kenapa jadi begini?!

Isn’t it funny how love works? I have always loved Dreston, and he has always been the one for me—my first love. As a child, I loved him, as a teenager, nothing changed. And now, even as his wife, I still couldn’t love him any less. But he only ever loved Tina—my teenage best friend. She came into our lives and didn’t just take him away from me. She took my happiness, my laughter, and even the girl I used to be. I still remember her words to me: “You knew he was mine, yet you married him.” She made me feel like I was the villain. Maybe I was foolish to believe that love alone would bring him back to me. But nothing changed. He would always love her. I finally gave up the day I signed the divorce papers. I learned to let go, to move on, and to start fresh. And just when I had finally decided to start my life again—just when the universe rewarded me with a man who loved me unconditionally… Dreston came running back. Now he wants a second chance.

I loved Alpha Lucien Grey with all my heart. From the moment I first saw him, I was drawn to him. However, I always knew the one Lucien loved was someone else. Her name was Summer White. I thought I’d be like one of those tragic side characters in romance stories—forever on the sidelines, watching the man I loved build a life with another woman. However, everything changed three years ago when Summer ran away on the night of the marking ceremony, saying she wasn’t ready to be claimed. Lucien had to make a decision and announced he would find a new partner. So, I stepped forward. Wearing a dress that didn’t quite fit, my hands trembling, I stood in for Summer. That day, Lucien and I formed a bond as mates. For the past three years, Lucien had treated me with warmth and kindness. He was gentle and thoughtful. He took care of me in every way. However, just over a month ago, Summer came back to our pack. On the night of our anniversary, she got drunk and called Lucien in tears, sobbing that she regretted everything. Lucien’s hands were shaking so hard he almost dropped his phone, but he didn’t hang up. He just stood there, torn. When his eyes met mine, full of confusion and pain, I took his hand—still trembling—and said softly, “Go to her.” The moment he left, I filed the mate-bond termination papers at City Hall, requesting to break the bond. After all, these years of stolen happiness were never really mine to keep. It was time for me to leave, too.

Sa umpisa palang ay alam na ni Samantha na Hindi siya mahal ni Bren. Magkaibigan lang sila nito. best of friends. Pumayag siyang magpakasal kay Bren dahil sa mamanahin ng binata. Totoong kasal pero huwad na pagsasama. Ang di sinasadya'y may namagitan sa kanilang dalawa. Hanggang sa mabuntis siya. Nang isilang niya si Lovely, buong akala niya'y matututunan na siyang mahalin ni Bren. Dahil all those years ay naging mabuti naman siyang asawa dito. Pero sinuklian ni Bren ng pagtataksil ang kanyang pagtitiis. Ang kanyang pag ibig. Nagrebelde ang puso ni Samantha. Panahon na para makaganti siya sa manhid na asawa. At maging unfaithful wife.

[Warning: Banyak kata-kata kasar berseliweran, jadi anak di bawah umur yang baca ceritanya, kata-katanya jangan ditiru ya] Irina. 22 tahun, masih cukup muda untuk berlayar di sebuah bahtera pernikahan yang legal atas agama dan negara. Semua rencana hancur berantakan karena sebuah masalah besar yang kini menghampirinya. Ia dijebak oleh seseorang yang ia tak tau siapa, ia dijebak dengan cara yang tidak rasional. Kini ia sedang hamil bayi seseorang yang ia cinta namun, tidak mencintainya. Bagaimanakah Irina bisa keluar dari persoalan rumit ini? Akankah ia melakukan jalan setan untuk segera keluar?

His smoldering golden gaze struck sparks from hers. “I wanted you the first time I saw you nearly three years ago. Now I want you even more.” “Me too... I've been waiting for this for so long… Three years might seem an eternity sometimes. Touch me, Diego. Please,” she mumbled shakily. “I will, 'cariño'… And I won’t stop. Not until you beg me to.” "Then... Don’t you ever stop…” she whispered urgently, shifting her hips in a restive movement against the sheet, wildly, wickedly conscious of the growing ache at the very heart of her. “Never…” "Is this a promise?" "A certainty." For sexy, mysterious Mexican aristocrat Diego Francisco Martinez del Río, Duque de Altamira, Jacqueline Maxwell was a gypsy, a weirdo living in awful conditions. And she was raising his orphaned baby niece in… a trailer! So unacceptable! Since she wasn’t giving up on little Azura, and his niece was very fond of her aunt, Diego offered to marry Jacqueline and raise the little girl together. Yes, she was poor but she was a real beauty, and with a little help, Jacqueline might become a perfect wife for a Duque. Graceful, beautiful... delightful, even. Jacqueline Maxwell knew Diego and his kind all too well. He was as stunning and charming as the devil himself, but twice as ruthless and heartless. He was just a playboy interested in one thing and one thing only. And it had nothing to do with little Azura. Still, accepting his proposal of a marriage of convenience might be the end to all her worries regarding the little girl left in her care by Alyssa, her sister...

Anastasia Forrester had suffered the worst heartbreak by the man who had been extracting revenge from her for something she had not even been guilty of. Five years later, Devin Richard Crighton was back in her life unwaveringly setting out to achieve his purpose. He was in for a surprise because Ana was no longer the love-struck woman of the past, she was a fully-fledge twentieth century woman, stronger and independent, ready to fight him with all her might. Could Ana resist falling for him all over again? Devin was a cynically ruthless man - life had taught him many lessons at the tender age of fourteen. For years, he had planned his revenge on the daughter of a man who had destroyed his family not caring that he was destroying himself in the process. He hadn’t expected someone like Ana, a woman so strong and innocent who would make him understand what was at stake. Will they finally be able to make it together? Or will the past always cast a shadow on their happiness when it’s time to heal….