Louise Penny A World Of Curiosities

When I was three years old, my twin brothers, Silas and Julian, nearly died in an explosion while trying to save me. The Vampire King happened to pass by and turned them into high-ranking vampires. He had wanted to turn me too, so our family could stay together forever, but they refused. The King's power was too overwhelming, they said-the transformation would be agonizing. So they promised to turn me themselves when I turned eighteen. They spent every last penny they had on an impossibly rare serum-a blood-calming agent that would ensure I survived the transformation safely. But six months ago, they brought home a fifteen-year-old human orphan named Elena. Silas snatched my serum and handed it to Elena, his voice cold as ice. "You're strong enough to endure the transformation on your own. Elena is far more fragile than you-she needs this more." Julian's face twisted with undisguised contempt. He pointed at the door and snarled, "Get out! Don't come back until you learn to share!" I didn't say a word. I picked up the suitcase I'd already packed and disappeared into the rainy night. They assumed I was just throwing a tantrum. They figured I'd come crawling back in a few days. To celebrate ridding themselves of their "burden," they took the orphan on a vacation to the Caribbean coast-the trip I'd been dreaming about for years. But when they returned to the castle two weeks later, they were stunned to discover that I had undergone the Vampire King's transformation personally. Not only that-I had voluntarily signed a hundred-year agreement to join a classified isolation research project studying resistance to holy silver and crucifixes. A century of solitary confinement. I was never coming back. That day, they completely fell apart.

"Daisy Louise Harmony Thompson" is actually Marabelle Daisy Graystone, the sole survivor of the Blue Moon pack's destruction, living under witness protection. Working at Sneakz Burger Emporium under her uncle Mateo's watchful eye, her carefully constructed life begins to unravel when mysterious customers recognize her true identity. The story reveals that Viktor Bloodmoon, a rogue Alpha who once visited her family's pack, has been hunting Marabelle for years. After failing to challenge his father for pack leadership, Viktor murdered him and was exiled, but built his own rogue pack. His obsession with Marabelle stems from a potential arranged mating that was discussed between their fathers before her family was killed. When Viktor's agents find her at the restaurant, Marabelle escapes through secret tunnels with Alpha Maison of the Moon Diamond pack, who has been coldly watching over her for years. During their escape, Maison reveals the shocking truth: his wolf recognizes her as his mate, but he kept his distance to protect her identity. Further revelations show that Marabelle has been taking wolf suppressants that have been slowly poisoning her wolf spirit—a plan implemented by Alpha Logan (Maison's father) and administered by Uncle Mateo. As Viktor's forces attack, Marabelle and Maison reach the Moon Diamond pack house where they learn that as the last Graystone, she carries territorial rights to her ancestral pack lands—making her a valuable target for Viktor's power grab. The story culminates with injured Beta Dean returning to the pack house while others are still fighting, his expression showing an unsettling mixture of fury and triumph, suggesting further betrayal may be unfolding.

Si Meisha Louise Resnik Colin nature lover na nagmula sa isang mayamang pamilya. Siya ay umiibig sa isa sa pinakamatalik na kaibigan ng kanyang nakatatandang kapatid mula pa noong elementarya, na nagngangalang Dwayne Ian Fuentebella Van Damme, but this guy doesn't love her back. Sa tagal ng panahaon na nanirahan ito sa kanila ganoon din katagal itong itinatangi ng kanyang puso. Pero masakit ang katotohanang hindi kayang suklian nito ang pagmamahal na mayroon siya para dito. "Stop it, Meisha. How many times do I tell you that I don't love you, or even like you? I despise brat women and especially party goers. So stop dreaming that you will be a part of my life because it will never happen." Ngunit isang gabing hindi inaasahan ang nangyari sa kanila at isang rebelasyon ang naganap kinbukasan na kapwa nila tinutulan na magpapabago ng lahat. Sapat na kaya ang mga pagbabago pagkatapos ng lihim na gabi para mabuhay silang masaya kasama ang pagmamahal na nagbubuklod sa isa't isa? O ito ang magiging dahilan kung bakit pinili ni Meisha na layuan si Dwayne at isuko ang pagmamahal na meron siya rito. At hayaan ang tadhana na makahanap ng paraan para marealized nila ang tunay na damdamin para sa isa't isa at punan ang mga araw at taong kanilang nasayang. Paano kung nagbunga ang isang gabing pinagsaluhan nila? Matatanggap kaya ito ni Dwayne na ayaw magkaroon ng sarili niyang anak at tagapagmana?

Perang dingin memasuki hari ketiga, tunanganku sengaja menyetujui usulan asistennya untuk melakukan perjalanan keliling dengan mobil. Dia mengira aku akan cemburu dan berebut seperti biasanya. Namun siapa sangka, sebulan kemudian saat dia kembali, dia mendapati aku sudah berubah. Dia membantu asistennya merebut proyekku. Aku tidak lagi ngambek lalu mengundurkan diri, malah mondar-mandir sibuk membantu, lalu menuliskan proposal untuknya dengan rajin. Demi asisten itu mendapatkan bonus akhir tahun, dia menghancurkan desain yang sudah susah payah kuselesaikan. Aku pun tidak lagi berusaha membuktikan diri, melainkan malah menanggung semua kesalahan dan membiarkan dia menghukumku sesuka hati. Bahkan ketika dia hendak menaikkan jabatan asisten itu menjadi direktur utama perusahaan, aku tidak marah. Aku malah secara sukarela menyerahkan seluruh saham yang ada di tanganku, membiarkan tunanganku membaginya dengan bebas. Asisten itu merasa sangat puas. "Lihat, benar 'kan yang kubilang? Kak Penny itu tipe yang nggak bisa dilawan secara keras. Harus diperlakukan dengan sikap dingin, baru ada efeknya. Pasti karena beberapa hari kamu pergi, hasilnya langsung kelihatan. Dia takut kehilangan kamu, makanya sekarang jadi patuh begitu." Tunanganku percaya pada ucapan asisten itu sepenuhnya, bahkan memuji kepintaran asisten itu. Setelah itu, dia sengaja mencariku untuk menaikkan jabatan dan gajiku, bahkan untuk pertama kalinya berjanji akan memberiku sebuah pernikahan yang tak terlupakan. Namun, dia tampaknya lupa. Selama masa liburan itu, dia sudah menandatangani surat pengunduran diriku. Dan aku juga sudah putus dengannya. Sejak saat itu, kami memutuskan hubungan sepenuhnya, tanpa ada lagi keterkaitan apa pun.

After becoming pregnant, my mate Derek transformed from a notorious playboy into the perfect devoted partner. He dismissed all his lovers and stayed by my side constantly, attending to every detail of my care with meticulous attention. Everyone marveled at his dramatic change, claiming he had truly fallen in love and reformed because of me. Three days before I gave birth to our pup, I heard him on a phone call. "Derek, that orphaned omega your mate sponsored is looking for you again. The girl's devoted enough - still chasing after you after all these years." Derek scoffed coldly. "Don't mention her again. If it weren't for accumulating good karma for my unborn pup, I'd never spend another penny on any other she-wolf." But on the night before my delivery, after he received a message from that omega, he decisively abandoned me. "Sorry, Alpha Derek. My bone marrow compatibility test failed. Thank you for sponsoring me all these years. I'm sorry that I can't accompany you anymore." During the storm, he left me alone deep in the forest. I called him desperately through our mindlink, but he had blocked me completely - every attempt met with cold silence. The rogue wolves found me in my vulnerable state. Their attack was merciless, and my body, heavy with pregnancy, couldn't defend itself. The trauma was too much. When I woke up again in the healing center, my pup was gone. Derek gave me the mate bond severance agreement with red-rimmed eyes. "The girl is stubborn and gets upset whenever she hears your name. Once she can accept you, I'll mark you again." Finally heartbroken, I left him behind. Three years later, I was at an auction house with my sister-in-law, my belly round with pregnancy again, when violent sounds erupted behind us. Derek stared fixedly at my swollen belly, his whole body trembling. "Whose pup is in your belly?"

To ransom my husband from the black market, I threw myself into relentless work, earning every penny I could. My son suffered alongside me, sharing in my exhaustion and deprivation. Years of malnutrition had left him vulnerable, and eventually, he was diagnosed with leukemia. I wept as I scraped together money from relatives and friends to pay for his chemotherapy. But on the way to the hospital, a sudden, unbearable pain wracked him. In his struggle, he accidentally bit off his own tongue and died in agony before we even reached the doors. I clutched my son's ashes and went straight to the black market, determined to use the borrowed money to bring my husband back. The moment I stepped in, I overheard a conversation between Joe Masseria and his men. "Boss, Sandra comes every month with her payments. She's suffered a lot just to ransom you," one said. At that moment, a widow—Joe's sister-in-law, long mourning her late husband—appeared beside him. "Joe," she said, her voice calm but cutting, "all these years, you've protected me from harm, even giving me the title of a mob boss's wife. But you've kept Sandra in the dark the whole time. Isn't that… terribly unfair to her?" Joe's eyes were cold, devoid of any pity for me. He scoffed. "Fairness is ruthless. She's had all this love from me. What's a little suffering compared to that? "But she's waited for me all these years. It's time I returned—before she loses her mind and comes after you. "If she's still sensible, I'll make sure her and her son's quality of life improves a bit." I understood everything in that instant. Holding my son's ashes to my chest, I wept until it felt as if my heart would shatter. Joe—your so-called fairness killed my son. And I am done waiting for you.

On Valentine's Day, I paid in full for a sports car and gave it to my wife as a gift. But when my wife arrived at the private dining restaurant, she brought her parents—and her childhood sweetheart—along with her. The moment my mother-in-law saw it, she slammed her hand on the table, furious. "Tyler, do you have so much money that it's burning a hole in your pocket? Is all this really necessary just for a meal? "Megan pinches every penny at home, and here you are throwing money around outside—just to show off?" Embarrassed, I tried to explain that this was simply a token of my love for Megan. My father-in-law, however, kept a stern face. "No matter how expensive the car is, it's still going to get stuck in traffic during rush hour! It's not even as useful as the electric scooter Brandon gave her. If you ask me, you didn't put any real thought into this. "Oh, right. I heard the salesperson who sold you the car was introduced by Brandon. How exactly are you planning to repay that favor? No matter how busy you are with work, you can't just push everything onto Brandon to handle for you." I could hear the hidden meaning behind his words. So that was what this was really about. They were still holding a grudge because a week ago, when my father-in-law had twisted his back, I hadn't gone to the hospital to visit him. But at the time, I had been busy cleaning up the mess Brandon Hayes had caused for the company. I'd even kept him out of prison. Yet, instead of gratitude, they were turning the blame on me. After a long silence, my wife finally looked at me. "Tyler, transfer ten percent of the company's shares to Brandon as repayment." "And if I don't?" My father-in-law barked angrily, "Then I'll have Megan divorce you!" I laughed. Then I calmly pulled a divorce agreement from my pocket and placed it on the table. "Go ahead," I said. "Sign it."

Yza Chrizelle Ardiente ang nag-iisang anak ng isang kilala at respetadong businessman. Tanging tagapagmana ng “ Cuisine Na’Ton” an authentic Ilonggo restaurant na itinayo pa ng kanyang Great Grandfather. Pinalago, pinayaman at kinilala ng buong bansa sa sunud-sunod na henerasyon. Until it's legacy now, run by his father and still continues it's fame not only in Iloilo but worldwide. Lumaki siya na hindi nawawala ang paghanga at pagtingin para kay Kem Hallison Cordova na anak ng bestfriend ng kanyang mommy. Pero sa huli ay nakuha rin nito ang inaasam na atensyon ng lalaki hanggang sa napagtagumpayan niyang makuha lalo ang loob tsaka pagmamahal na hinahangad at inilihim niya sa matagal na panahon. Ibinuhos niya ang lahat ng kanyang pagmamahal at atensyon para kay Kem pero sa huli, isang laro lamang ang lahat dahil si Mocha Louise pala ang pakakasalan nito. Labis siyang nasaktan, pakiramdam niya ilang ulit tinapak tapakan ang kanyang pagkababae kaya bumangon siyang muli to take revenge. Naging mapaglaro sa lahat ng mga lalaking nanliligaw sa kanya. Dahil d'yan tinagurian siyang “Relation Sucker, Bitch, Destroyer etc.” She became wild, bold and famous playgirl in town but never been touch by anyone. She had this pretty face kaya di nya kailangan pahirapan ang sarili para lumandi sa kanila. Naging mapaglaro sa pag-ibig, at hindi pinag-isipan ang maging resulta nito sa huli. Pero wala ng panahon para umatras pa because she’s expecting a return. She didn’t fail though, she felt that he's still in love with her, the way she was loved and cared for before, by her beloved Kem. Not that before someone ruined their relationship. Are they still the one who meant for each other? Kahit pa naging komplikado man ang kanilang sitwasyon ngayon. But Yza Chrizelle once said. “She’ll get what she wants by hook or by crook.”

Calliope's world of magic is slowly becoming poisoned. The world is dying and it is up to her and her friends to find the culprits. But can Cal survive the world of dying magic with her heart still intact?

Been caught up to the heartbreaks of the normal world Rianne found herself standing to a new world she not knows of. Rianne then journeys with the company of 3 strong warriors she now calls as her friends. Imagine yourself in a world you are not familiar with, a world with those fantasy creatures you only knew in stories and movies. What will you do if you find out that your life will soon experience something you never believed? Feel those confusions; feel in love along the way and travel with people you will soon love and call as your family.This is a journey to a world unknown where all your dreams and hopes come together. The life you wished to have and the fantasies you badly wanted to experience. Come and join Rianne travel into a world unknown to mankind. A world where imaginary creatures exist and battles of survival is a battle to death. In this world we will join three great warriors who will teach us how love can survive against all odds. Be with Rianne as she travels with great warriors and face trials along their way. And join her as she discovers the true meaning of love along this journey. Come journey with her Into the Unknown.