Meja Setting

Sejak usia dua tahun, Erianna Vindra menjadi bank darah pribadi untuk adik kembarnya setelah didiagnosa memiliki kelainan genetik yang langka. Dokter memprediksi adiknya tidak akan hidup lebih dari delapan belas tahun, jadi keluarga dan kakak laki-lakinya sangat menyayangi adiknya. Mengutamakannya dalam segala hal. Mereka bahkan menyalahkan Erianna, menuduhnya "mencuri" nutrisi adiknya dari dalam kandungan sehingga membuatnya sakit-sakitan. Di kehidupan sebelumnya, tidak ada satupun di keluarganya yang menyayanginya. Hanya tunangannya, Devan, yang benar-benar tetap berada di sisinya. Tapi, Erianna tidak pernah menyangka bahwa ada yang disembunyikan di balik cinta Devan. Hingga adiknya tanpa sengaja jatuh dari tebing dan perlu transfusi darah penuh. Devan mengisi formulir persetujuan tanpa ragu, mengirim dirinya ke meja operasi untuk jadi pendonor. Saat darahnya mengalir dan kesadarannya hampir sirna, Erianna berjanji bahwa, di kehidupan lain, dia tidak akan menjadi bank darah untuk adiknya lagi! Berikutnya, saat dia membuka mata, dia kembali ke hari dimana dia telah bertunangan dengan Devan ….

Aku didiagnosis menderita lupus eritematosus sistemik stadium berat dan akan meninggal tiga hari lagi. Setelah 188 kali telepon permintaan tolongku ditolak suamiku, aku membawa hasil pemeriksaan dan melangkah masuk ke kantor pelayanan perawatan akhir hayat. “Halo, tolong bantu jadwalkan proses kremasiku dan ajukan juga bantuan subsidi dari pemerintah.” Sepuluh menit kemudian, mereka datang. Belum sempat aku bicara, suamiku yang seorang pengacara langsung menamparku tanpa ekspresi. “Demi merebut perhatian dari Penny, kamu pura-pura sakit parah?” Kakakku yang seorang dokter merebut hasil pemeriksaanku, lalu membuka dan menatapku, sambil mencibir, “Lupus? Kalau mau pura-pura sakit, setidaknya yang masuk akal. Penyakit seperti ini hanya diderita satu dari sejuta orang.” Aku menahan rasa sakit di tubuhku, lalu kembali ke meja petugas dan menyerahkan formulir, serta hasil medis lagi. Melihat ruam berbentuk kupu-kupu di pergelangan tanganku, petugas itu tampak iba. “Aku sudah nggak punya keluarga lagi.” “Aku ingin mendaftar layanan kremasi tiga hari lagi, lokasinya bebas. Aku hanya berharap kematianku nggak menjadi beban bagi siapapun.”

Di meja makan, salah satu sahabat suamiku tiba-tiba berbicara dalam Bahasa Italia. “Tiga tahun lalu, demi membantu Liora mendapatkan surat damai dari Amara, kamu menikahi Amara dengan pesta yang megah. Selama ini aku melihat sendiri, Amara makin lama makin peduli padamu. Tapi kamu masih saja terus membohonginya. Jelas-jelas itu pil KB, tapi kamu bilang obat depresi. Kamu nggak takut, kalau suatu hari dia tahu kebenarannya… hatinya akan hancur?” Suamiku tersenyum pahit, wajahnya dipenuhi kerumitan. “Seorang anak yang nggak diharapkan, nggak perlu lahir ke dunia. Soal Amara… selama dia nggak mengganggu kebahagiaan Liora, aku akan menepati janjiku, melindunginya seumur hidupku.” Tak ada yang tahu, demi bisa mengikuti langkah suamiku, aku sudah menguasai Bahasa Italia sejak lama. Aku berdiri di ambang ruang tamu. Bekas ciuman masih membekas di leherku. Tanganku menggenggam obat yang katanya “obat depresi”, padahal… Tubuhku membeku. Jadi… semua rasa yang suamiku tunjukkan padaku hanyalah kebohongan semata. Yang kukira sebagai penyelamatan, rupanya hanya tipu daya yang direncanakan dengan rapi. Kalau begitu, aku memilih untuk merelakan mereka semua.

Ayla has always been told by her mother that she should be different, not just because she is very unfeminine, or because her ways of acting and speaking are, as we might say; unrestrained and unfiltered; goes beyond the personality she imposed years ago. Marin went through a lot of things a little girl shouldn't, like seeing her father executed in the middle of a public square. Since that time Ayla has closed herself off from the world by setting standards for herself, putting walls in her heart and for love. For fear of losing someone she loves again, however, when being enlisted for a mind-blowing dispute where a royal position will be at the end as a prize, the girl sees herself accepting new challenges, and also finding love in a prince who shows so many scars like her.

Aidan, a billionaire and CEO of Empire is known for the title 'Top 5 Hottest Bachelor' for two reasons. His extremely good-looks and for not wanting to get married, at least until he reaches forty but his mother keeps on setting him with unwanted dates, leaving him frustrated. Kenna, Aidan's best friend, is a doctor who has never found the right time for love. She has always been busy with work to an extent that she forgets about her own personal life. Both of them has always been close ever since they were kids, after a single incident that happened, instantly making them inseparable. As they grew older, things began to change yet best friends are forever . . . no matter the circumstances. What happens when Aidan sets up a contract and wants Kenna to be a part of it?

Rowan Crestfall always thought she was just a normal girl—quiet, ordinary, and invisible in a world of magic. But everything changes the day fire bursts from her hands in gym class, setting Arcadia Academy into chaos and uncovering a truth no one saw coming. Kai Stormrider, heir to the fire dragons and cursed by a deadly legacy, sees what she is before anyone else: the Dragonheart—born once in a thousand years, with the power to either awaken or destroy dragonkind. But Rowan’s fire is wild and unpredictable, tied to a history even older and darker than the prophecy. As her power grows, enemies close in, secrets unravel, and the one person she might need to trust… is the dragon prince destined to burn with her. In a world where fire decides fate, can they survive the bond fate has written for them? Or will their hearts be what burns everything down?

When Isabella Carter thought her life had hit rock bottom, she found herself in the hands of Leonard Blackwood, a ruthless billionaire who doesn’t believe in coincidences. She was just a poor girl struggling to survive, but he saw more than that. He saw a challenge… and a desire he wasn’t willing to deny. By saving her on a rainy night, he wasn’t doing her a favor, he was setting the stage for a dangerous game. A game with no escape and no refusals. “I don’t help people for free, Isabella…” His words were both a promise and a threat. Now, she is trapped in his dark world, a world of wealth, lust, and deadly obsession. Will she be just another pawn in his hands, or will she manage to break free before he consumes her completely?

Indulge in a thrilling tale of deception, redemption, and unexpected passion in "Letters to a Dangerous Billionaire." Leilani, a young woman shackled by neglect and despair, takes a daring leap towards freedom by pouring her frustrations into a final farewell. Little did she know that her letter would reach the hands of a mysterious stranger—an anonymous figure who would ignite a fire in her soul. With each exchange, their connection deepens, and against all odds, they decide to meet. But the shocking truth that awaits Leilani shatters her heart into shards of betrayal. Unveiling the dangerous billionaire criminal behind the letters, she realizes her life will never be the same again. Prepare for a rollercoaster of emotions as one woman's destiny intertwines with a ruthless delinquent billionaire, setting off a chain of events that will leave you breathless and begging for more.

Four-hundred-year-old vampire, Natalia Bristow, had been living, while actually being dead, all figured out. That is, until he came along. In this epic supernatural series, Nate the vampire meets Mason the werewolf and her whole world is turned upside-down. In this Romeo and Juliet romance, a centuries-old feud separates the species. However, despite the odds being against them, a real love is born. Is new love strong enough to defeat prejudice and hate? Or will her coven and his pack tear them apart? The multi-perspective design and unique ensemble of diverse characters offers a look at the real-world issues of prejudice and the power of love in an exciting, supernatural setting! The twists and turns create a fast-paced romantic adventure that just might be hard to put down. If you love vampires, werewolves, and witches that are grounded by real-world issues and emotions, this series is for you! Delve into this supernatural Romeo and Juliet today!

Canary Lienne is playful, skips classes and never serious in her studies. 'You only live once' is the title of the song she thought of as her motto to believe. Then with just one reservation at a café, she met Samuel. He is mature, silent and an adult. Samuel is her first crush. Isn't it great that they both like each other? As she grows up and faces independence, learns of things she never knew, will the bad little girl Cana remain? Or does Samuel's love and care make her the good girl she has always wanted to look up to? A warm cup of coffee in the summer and a slice of romance, a story of growing up, family, friendship, betrayal, bullying, coming out and the first struggles of teenagers. This is solely based on the experience of the author's teenage years with peers. Disclaimer: The names, characters, setting and scenes are fictional.