Marcella Brand

At the company team-building event, I got called out by my colleague Samantha Rowler for not removing my price tag—she accused me of being a "freebie chaser." "Oh wow, Carla, you drive a BMW 5 Series. Are you seriously planning to return your clothes within seven days too?" she sneered. I tucked the tag back in and ignored her snide remark. But after the event, as soon as I got home, my phone started blowing up. My chat apps were going insane. A friend had sent me a link: [Luxury-Car Executive Turns Out to Be a Return Addict!] Someone had filmed me leaving the price tag on and posted it to a short-video platform. I opened the comment section and was met with a barrage of insults. [Can't afford to live, huh? Tag warrior.] [Is this car a sugar-daddy gift? Those who know, know.] [OMG, does this woman have some kind of illness? Which brand is this so I can avoid it!] I immediately knew Samantha was behind it. I messaged her to delete the video. Instead, the next second, she blocked me—and pinned a comment to the top of the thread: [You can know a person's face but never their heart!] I was about to post a statement to clarify, my finger hovering over the send button, when I noticed the video's likes had already shot past ten thousand. I laughed. If they wanted a scene, fine—let's make it bigger. I quickly posted a new update: [The outfit is really nice. I'll wear it again next time.] The netizens erupted. The insults doubled, the heat skyrocketed, and the post shot straight to number one trending. I just put my phone down and went to sleep.

"Sign the divorce papers, Nora." I didn't cry. I simply looked at the billionaire husband who had ignored me for three years and made one final demand. "One hundred days, Silas. Move back into my bedroom. Touch me like a man obsessed with his wife. On Day 101, I will sign the papers and walk away." Arrogant and certain, he agreed, assuming it was a desperate plea to use my body to win his heart back. He had no idea what he was walking into. By Day 20, the cold, untouchable CEO is rushing home just to pin me against our bedroom door. By Day 50, he’s pulling me into his lap, whispering breathless, desperate promises in the dark. He is addicted to the friction, using every searing kiss and heavy touch to forcefully brand me as his. He thinks the heated nights we share mean I am finally surrendering. He doesn't know the truth. I’m not using these 100 nights to fall back in love with him. I’m using his counterfeit passion to completely numb my heart. While my body responds to his fire, my soul is freezing over. On Day 100, Silas pours his soul into the most emotionally raw night of my life. He falls asleep holding me tight, entirely convinced his absolute worship has won me back forever. But on Day 101, he wakes up to cold sheets, an empty closet, and a signed contract. His money couldn't buy me. His touch couldn't keep me. Now, the billionaire who thought he was playing a game will burn his empire to the ground to find the wife who gave him her body, but vanished with her soul.

I was a child who was born in a vocational school's toilet. To my mom, I was a stain in her life that she was given birth to after having her cherry popped by a delinquent when she was still young. I knew that Mom had been trying to kill me. Unfortunately, she hadn't succeeded so far. The first time she tried to get rid of me was when she decided to give birth to me in the toilet. It was a cold, winter month, yet she didn't give me anything warm to wear. The second time she attempted murder was when she got into grad school, which was based in the north. No one was around to take care of me, so she turned on the gas while holding me in her arms and clutching her train ticket. The third and last time happened when Mom was about to marry the man she loved. On the night before her wedding, she had tears streaming down her cheeks as she told me, "You're nothing but a burden. You ruined my life! "Do you know that I can only forget about all the pain and suffering you caused me after you die? Only then can I start a brand new chapter in my life!" I wiped Mom's tears off her face with my tiny hand. So, her wish was for me to die. On my birthday, my fever hit 104 degrees Fahrenheit. That was when I finally received the first slice of birthday cake in my entire life. I didn't have the heart to eat it, so I made my wish solemnly. "I hope that I will die soon." I heard that birthday wishes often came true. That way, Mom would be very happy.

Berbeda dari gadis kebanyakan, dia terbilang unik. Hidupnya tidak ada kata repot. Apa yang ingin dia lakukan, akan dilakukan. Apa yang tidak, tentu tidak akan dilakukan. Disaat teman seusianya sibuk mempercantik diri dengan berbagai brand dan merek skincare, dia tidak. Dia lebih memilih mengoleksi berbagai macam makanan dan cemilan untuk perut rampingnya. Iya, sekalipun ia memiliki porsi makan yang cukup banyak dan berbagai cemilan yang selalu dia stok, tubuhnya tidak gemuk, bahkan cenderung kurus. "Ehe... Makan aja banyak, badan kering kerontang!" begitulah ungkapan yang sering dia dengar dari teman-temannya. Tapi dia tidak pernah ambil pusing, dia justru bangga dan akan menjawab "Banyak yang mau jadi aku, makan banyak tapi badan tetap kurus". Bukan hanya banyak makan tapi tubuh kurus yang menjadi karakteristiknya, kulitnya yang gelap cenderung coklat juga sering menjadi bahan ledekan teman-temannya. "Minum susu putih, biar putihan dikit kau", "Suntik putih dulu kau, biar gak hitam". Saat pernyataan-pernyataan seperti itu dia dengar, dia hanya diam. Sesekali mungkin dia akan menanggapi dengan nada sedikit bercanda "Kalian buta ya, kulitku ini coklat muda. Hitam dari mana coba?" Meski dalam hati, tentu dia merasa tidak percaya diri. Standar kecantikan 'memiliki kulit putih' membuatnya merasa tidak cantik. Tapi sebenarnya dia manis, hm.. tidak-tidak, kata manis bukan penghibur untuk mereka yang memiliki kulit dengan tona gelap. Dia benar-benar manis, di mata orang yang tepat. Dan lagi, bukan dia tidak berusaha untuk memiliki kulit yang cerah, bahkan mencoba cara instan dia pun pernah.

“No… we shouldn’t,” I whispered as my back hit the wall. The cold stone didn’t cool the heat in my body. “I’m your brother’s fiancée” He didn’t trap me. His hand rested near my hip, close enough that I could feel his warmth without him touching me. That made it worse. “And yet,” he said softly, his hand tracing a path down my thigh. “you didn’t push me back when I came near.” I bit my bottom lip hard, trying desperately to hold back a sound. From the other room, I could hear forks clinking and people laughing. Our family was right there, close enough to hear us. My heart was pounding. He leaned closer, “You’re shaking, Maisie,” he murmured. “And you’re not scared.” I swallowed, breath uneven. “Someone could see.” A dangerous smile curved his mouth. “ Then be as quiet as you can.” ***** Maisie’s world changed the moment she walked into that bar. She should never have let the alcohol numb her anger, her fear, her desperation to escape the life her parents had arranged for her— a life that felt like a trap. The perfect marriage. The perfect future. The perfect cage. She thought one reckless night would ruin everything… for them. She thought if she became someone they despised, they’d finally let her go. She didn’t know that one mistake would brand her instead. Now he wants her. Not gently. Not quietly. The more she runs, the closer he gets… until she can’t tell if she’s running from him… or being drawn to something far more dangerous. He is everything she wants. Everything she shouldn’t want. And when she turns to run for her life a second time…. She runs straight into him.

“Bro, it’s not a big deal. I’m just fucking her.” My heart stopped. Kendall’s voice replied, “But man, what would people think if you made her your girl? That’d be crazy work.” “I’m not stupid,” Jalen said flatly. “I’d never make her mine. It’s only sex, nothing more. And honestly? It’s not that good anymore. I was gonna let her down easy before break.” ...... Aria, a plus-size beauty, thought her scholarship and condo arrangements were a dream until she met her roommate, Talia. Rich, spoiled, and instantly cruel, Talia made Aria's life miserable. Talia’s new boyfriend, Jalen, was the campus golden boy. When Aria and Jalen were paired for a project, they clicked in ways neither expected from late night talks to shared secrets and undeniable sexual chemistry. On Halloween night, during an all campus party, Aria sees Talia cheating on Jalen. One emotional night led to an affair that changed everything… until Jalen says some really damaging words to his roommate that were unforgivable and also heard by a once happy but now upset Aria. Disappointed, fed up, and heartbroken, Aria leaves campus and never looks back. TEN YEARS LATER Aria returns for the ten year reunion, confident, stunning, and a self-made CEO. Jalen is still gorgeous… but stuck in a miserable marriage with Talia. She ignores him. Talia tries to humiliate her. Aria wins the room. As she leaves, Jalen kisses her. She lets herself feel it, then slaps him and walks away. THE BUSINESS MERGER Jalen’s cruise line needs Aria’s brand to revamp their image. She agrees, reluctantly. Now they’re forced to work side by side, trapped between old wounds and new sparks. Some love stories never die. But some can burn you twice.

Her name is Sapphire Emerald Maxine Lopez. Ang hahaba ng mga pangalan nila di ba? Well it was because of their mom na talagang pinaghandaan ang mga pangalan nila. Their mother dreamed for the future of her two children pero hindi sumang-ayon sa kanya ang kapalaran. Sapphire or preferred to be called as Max is the opposite dream of her mother. She doesn't like girls stuff and even acting and dressing up like a man. Pero, hindi naman siya tomboy o kahit confused man lang. Alam niya na babae siya, nagkataon lang na panlalaki ang interes niya. She built her car remodeling business na unti-unting umani ng pansin sa loob lang ng isang taon. Life is amazing as she think about it. Meet Chase Luke Racinni the only son of one of the richest family in the world. All the girls will line up in just a single snap of his fingers. A womanizer, Casanova and a heartbreaker, name it, he all has it. He doesn't like to see his competitors, especially when he learned that some of his clients, made their cars remodeled from a small company called Transformers Inc. His own brand of cars has been remodeled and he could not accept it. So what he did is, he destroyed it. In just one night, Max's remodeling company kissed the ground to it's downfall without knowing the real reason. Paano kung magtagpo ang kanilang mga landas sa isang hindi inaasahang pangyayari? The circle of fate started to change when the two of them met. Pero paano na lang kung malaman ni Max na ang itinuturing niyang mabait at matulungin na kaibigan na nagkataon na gusto pa niya ay siyang dahilan ng pagbagsak ng niya?

“Tell me again,” he murmured, his bare chest a hot, dangerous brand against her back. His teeth grazed the shell of her ear, making her shudder. “How you want me to treat you.” She clutched the silk sheets, dragging them up to her chin, hating the tremor in her voice. “I—I want you to be professional.” A low, dark laugh ghosted over her damp skin. “Then stop looking at me like that.” His amused, arctic-blue eyes held hers captive in the bedroom mirror. She squeezed her eyes shut, wondering what in the world she’d gotten herself into. ^ ^ ^ Isabella Rossi’s life shattered when she discovered her boyfriend’s affair with her best friend, Chloe. The happy couple were even expecting a baby, and she was supposed to be happy for them. Hah. Heartbreak was just the beginning. Drunk and deceived, she woke up in the bed of a powerful, enigmatic stranger—Vincent Sinclair. She thought it was a one-time, humiliating mistake. A secret she would bury forever. Until Monday morning, when Vincent Sinclair strolled into her office as the new, ruthless CEO. And she found out he was her ex-best friend Chloe’s half-brother. Flustered but confident, she met his eyes. Men like him didn’t remember girls like her. She was sure of it. He was most likely just an entitled playboy and the faces in his bed probably blurred. But oh, how wrong she was. Vincent Sinclair remembered everything. Finding his "one-night stand" playing the part of a forgettable employee was his new favorite amusement. First, he made her his personal secretary. Then, he made her life a living, tempting hell. Finally, he served her a contract. Not for a raise—for marriage. It was absurd. But with her life in shambles and his offer too lucrative, Isabella signed.

ALICE RILEY “I like you; you’re a wonderful girl. But your stubbornness? I can’t deal with that. Unless you change—” Before he could finish, I said goodbye and walked out. Just a week into dating, and all he could see was my so-called obstinance. Honestly, dating wasn’t my thing. Men admired my looks, sure, but my mind? That was a different story. A few dates were all it took for them to brand me as headstrong or argumentative. I was okay with that. I had no intention of changing myself to fit someone else’s expectations. Then came Vivian Scott, the enigmatic CEO of Scott Group. He was unlike anyone I’d met before. Why wasn’t he running for the hills like the rest? Did he actually think he could tame me, bend me to his will? VIVIAN SCOTT I had everything a man needed to make women swoon—looks, power, status, and wealth. Becoming the CEO of Scott Group at a young age had made me responsible, but it hadn’t dulled my appetite for fun. Whenever I encountered a beautiful woman, I knew exactly how she’d react. I never missed an opportunity to tease and charm my way into her good graces. It was all harmless fun—short-lived and never serious. That was until I met Alice Riley. Alice was gorgeous, no doubt, but it wasn’t just her beauty that intrigued me. Her sharp wit and unyielding attitude set her apart. She wasn’t like the women I’d known before. Unfortunately for her, she thought that throwing up walls and flaunting her defiance would keep me at bay. What’s more thrilling than conquering the impossible? I was determined to bring her to my track! __________ Cover Image Credit: Image by Freepik

“Aku yang di atas... atau kamu yang di bawah, Mas?” Suara Kanya terdengar pelan tapi tajam. Brian hanya tersenyum tipis, menurunkan kacamatanya dan menatap lurus ke mata wanita itu. “Aku nggak keberatan posisi mana pun,” ucapnya tenang. “Asal kamu siap kalah.” Sejak malam itu, pernikahan mereka bukan lagi tentang cinta—tapi tentang siapa yang lebih berbahaya. Wanita penuh luka. Pria penuh rahasia. Dijodohkan dan justru saling membunuh atau menyelamatkan. Kanya, model papan atas dengan senyum memabukkan dan tingkah penuh energi, sebenarnya menyimpan luka masa lalu yang kelam, korban pemerkosaan brutal oleh sekelompok pria yang sampai kini belum tersentuh hukum. Diam-diam, ia membesarkan seorang anak laki-laki yang lahir dari tragedi itu. Ketika ia ditunjuk sebagai Brand Ambassador di NHB perusahaan fashion elit yang sedang naik daun, Kanya bertemu Brian, manajer dingin, kaku, dan terlalu profesional untuk urusan hati. Ia mengira pria itu cuma pria kantoran yang cupu dan membosankan. Tapi siapa sangka di balik sikap tenangnya, Brian juga menyimpan masa lalu yang tak kalah kelam. Hidupnya selama ini dikendalikan pacar ambisius bernama Sintia dan beban kerja yang mencekik. Pertemuan mereka seharusnya hanya sebatas kerja. Namun takdir berkata lain. Ternyata mereka dijodohkan oleh kedua orang tua. Dan yang lebih mengejutkan, rahasia masa lalu mereka saling terhubung. Terlalu dalam. Terlalu gelap. Kanya berniat memanfaatkan pernikahan itu sebagai senjata balas dendam. Tapi saat Brian mulai menunjukkan sisi gilanya, Kanya sadar dia mungkin bukan senjata tapi rekan kejahatan paling berbahaya yang pernah ada. Dua orang penuh luka. Satu pernikahan yang jadi ladang konspirasi. Dan cinta yang tumbuh dari reruntuhan dendam.