John Ward

The day I died, the baby in my womb was only five months old. In that final phone call, my father, John Harlow, the godfather of the Harlow family, spoke with a voice as icy as a loaded gun. "A married woman belongs to her husband's family, even in death." When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I had been placed under house arrest. He was circling my college application with a red pen. "Girls who study art are easier to marry off." In front of him, I tore the family's marriage alliance files into pieces. "I'm going to Camford University. I'm studying Computer Science." He sprang to his feet so suddenly that his finger nearly jabbed my face, his sleeve cuff revealing the family crest tattoo. "If you dare defy me, don't ever regard me as godfather." I smiled. "Exactly what I want." Meeting his stunned gaze, I spoke each word deliberately. "The name Harlow. I have long stopped wanting it."

After three years of pretending to be dead on livestreams, I finally earned enough money to treat my daughter. I was about to go home and tell my wife and daughter when I overheard a call between the platform administrator and my wife. The administrator said humbly, “Chairman Morgan, Mr. Wells’s livestreams have generated tens of millions in revenue over these years. “The company withheld ninety-five percent of it. Should we keep withholding more?” Stacy fell silent for a moment before answering, “No need. Three years of testing him is enough. He barely moves year-round. He even developed muscle atrophy and didn’t tell me.” John’s voice came through the phone next. He said, “Stacy, Sam can even pretend to be dead, so what if this is an act too? “Besides, Emma’s already used to Sam being gone, so she probably won’t accept having a dad again anytime soon.” After some hesitation, my wife said indifferently, “If that’s the case, then withhold it for another six months.” I smiled and tossed the diagnosis report confirming amyotrophic lateral sclerosis into the trash. There was no need for them to test me anymore. I no longer needed to pretend.

The supernatural creatures of the world have long been governed by The Council, made of representatives of each faction: werewolves, vampires, witches, and fae. The Council’s main goals were to keep the existence of magic from humans and keep any one group from becoming too powerful. Legends of a creature, a hybrid capable of being more than one supernatural creature, have existed as long as the beings themselves. A hybrid would be able to topple The Council, and whichever faction they were loyal to would rule with ease. As such, the purposeful creation of such a creature was forbidden. In 2012, ancient vampire Elias Elhassan found Claire Luna. After years of living in and out of the oncology ward, the 26-year-old was ready for death. Until he approached her and offered her a way to live without the constant pain she had become so accustomed to. 24-year-old Colin Lucin, the youngest, bastard son of the Alpha of the Half-Moon pack, did not want much from life. After a childhood filled with loss and pain, he was more than satisfied to be the pack’s nurse and stay out of the way of his father and eldest brothers. But in order to maintain a long-held pact with a local coven, once every generation, a witch is destined to mate with a wolf of the Alpha line. Thrown into a political battle that neither knows anything about, Claire and Colin are forced to navigate a centuries-old web of lies, torture, and manipulation. Though they are fated to be together, can they trust each other’s words? Can they even survive long enough to find out? Trigger warnings: Depictions of: violence, blood, language, sexual content (to what degree is yet to be decided) Implied: abuse, sexual content

“There's this thing when you meet a person but all you feel is hate even though he didn't do anything to you.” Maybe that’s what JR feels for Gerard. Once the other man saw Gerard’s face, all it takes is a second from a face devoid of any emotion to scowling one when JR lays his eyes on him. Imbes tuloy na matuwa si Gerard na nakita na niya sa wakas ang matagal na niyang hinahanap na matalik na kaibigan noong mga bata pa sila, nawala ang saya na iyon nang maramdaman niya ang pagkadisgusto ni JR sa kanya kahit wala naman siyang ginagawa rito. Hindi na siya umamin at ang pag-aasam na maging kaibigan ito muli ay nauwi sa wala. But why after years of not seeing each other, John Raven suddenly wants to be friends with him again? Why was the other hell bent on making up with him? Naaalala na ba siya nito o may mas malalim pang dahilan ang paglapit ni JR sa kanya?

Olivia Rose Summers, was a girl raised by her grandmother and protected from the cruel world until her death which brought a great sadness upon the young girl. She was brought to her father whom she had never seen and all she hoped for was to be able to bear it all. She would never have imagined that someone like her could fall in love with a mafia heir. Mason John Jackson was living in a whole different world compared to Olivia's. A world ruled by violence. He was confused when he met her and her personality irked him. How was he to know that this was her first experience seeing his world? He never imagined himself with her, not that there was anything negative about her, just that she was the opposite of everything he is. She came into their lives and brought out the best part in them. Even in those who regarded her as naïve, illegitimate and unwanted. Excerpt: "I love your blue eyes. Makes me think about a peaceful sea.” She said getting lost in his orbs. “And I love your brown ones. Makes me think about the earth, natural and beautiful.” He told her truthfully looking deeply into her eyes.

On the night of our engagement, the ward my family sponsored left without a word. She went alone to the Mexican border, a lawless land crawling with cartels, to become a combat medic. From then on, Dante and I tortured each other for ten years. He hated me for trapping him with my birthright as the heir, stealing the spot of the woman he loved. I hated him for humiliating me while still craving the power and wealth the Moretti family provided. In countless fights, we spewed the most vicious curses at each other. Until that raid on the underwater sanctuary. The base was rigged to blow and sinking fast. Dante didn't hesitate. He strapped the only oxygen mask onto my face and turned to jump into the swarm of sharks. He slit his own wrist, using his blood to lure the predators away. Moments before the sea swallowed him, he roared at me: “I don't owe you anything anymore, Sophia!” “If there's a next life, please, let me go!” After I was rescued, the family only recovered his mangled remains. Clutched in his palm was that charity case's cross necklace. That was when I learned Elena had died from a stray bullet years ago. And he, in the end, chose this brutal suicide to join her. Dante's death shook the entire Underworld. The family Elders took their anger out on me. I was accused of being a "Black Widow" who sent her husband to his death to save herself. I was beaten to death by a mob of angry thugs on the street. When I opened my eyes again, I stopped my father. This time, I’ll let them have their epic love story.

"Dad? Tell me it's not true! You didn't steal the painting from Mr. Miller, did you?" asked Rebecca almost in a whisper, her body trembling violently, she was not ready to hear the answer. "I'm sorry Becky, I'm so sorry..." Rebecca sat limply on the floor, unable to believe what she had just heard. "Okay, that's enough! You've heard it clearly, right, Ms. Beckett? Your father will pawn you to me until he could return the painting that he stole from me! John, take her!" interrupted James Miller, the billionaire whose painting was stolen by William Becket, Rebecca's father. From that day on, Rebecca's life was no longer the same, she had to give up her freedom by living with James Miller and serving all his needs. At first, everything was going fine until one day James Miller found out that William Beckett was collaborating with a Russian mafia in the theft of his painting and had absolutely no intention of returning the painting to him. He became very angry and began to make Rebecca's 'life' a threat. But one drunken night turned things upside down...

For eight years, I stayed by John Harlem's side, even without a title. I was there when he recovered and rose from his wheelchair, and I was there when he clawed his way out of depression. I thought that one day, if I endured long enough, he would see my sincerity and affection for him. And we might end up together. But when his first love returned to the country, all my hopes turned into delusions. He told me to put away feelings I should never have had and remain by his side as nothing more than his "sister". For her, he deceived me, humiliated me, and pushed me away. What he never knew was that in helping him heal, I had absorbed far too much of his darkness. The very day he stopped taking his medication, I was diagnosed with severe depression. In order to save myself, I chose to let him go… and married his uncle instead. But at my wedding, he set aside his pride and dignity, dropped to his knees before everyone, and begged me for nothing more than a single glance.

Esther, who gave up the inheritance of her father's company to get married to Michael, the love of her life, unfortunately caught her husband cheating with her best friend, Maya. She was framed by Maya and her husband, and no one believed her. She was forced to divorce Michael. Esther got involved in a car accident which made her lose her unborn child and her womb; she was told that she couldn't give birth again. Heartbroken, Esther went back home and took her rightful inheritance of her father's company. Esther made a promise to be man-free for the rest of her life and vowed to take revenge on her ex-husband and ex-best friend. After Esther became the CEO of her family's company, John came to Esther, demanding the fifty million dollars her late father owed him. He gave Esther an option to choose between paying off the debt within 3 weeks, or he would sign a marriage contract with her, and after she gave birth to him, the contract would be over. Esther was devastated, knowing she couldn't pay the debt in less than 3 weeks, and she couldn't give birth again. Will Esther pay him off within 3 weeks? Or will she go against the promise she made to herself?

Beatrise Mendoza, sa batang edad ay nangarap nang maging isang artista hindi lang upang makatulong sa kanyang pamilya kundi para matamasa rin ang karangyaang mayroon ang mga ito. Kaya nang dumating ang isang hindi inaasahang pagkakataon sa katauhan ng kanyang tiyahing taga-Maynila ay agad niya iyong sinunggaban. Pero ang inakala niyang abot-kamay na pangarap ay hindi pala gano'n kadaling abutin. Dahil hindi pala madaling makapasok sa industriyang iyon. At dahil sa natamong kabiguan ay hindi niya naiwasang humanap ng masasandalan at makakapitan, at natagpuan niya iyon sa katauhan ng kanyang pinsan na si John Carl, ang panganay na anak ng kanyang tiyahin. Ngunit hindi niya napaghandaan ang isang malaking dagok sa kanyang buhay. Dahil unang kita pa lang sa lalaki ay nahumaling na siya rito kaya ng maging mas malapit sila at makilala ang tunay nitong ugali ay lalong nahulog ang kanyang loob. Paano pa niya haharapin ang pag-abot sa kanyang pangarap na tila kay ilap kung maging pati ang paghihirap ng kanyang damdamin ay nakakadagdag sa kanyang dalahin?