Midsummer By Manuel Arguilla Summary

One lie sets off a chain of events that drastically alters the lives of several people involving them in a world they had no way out from. Facing the risk of losing her home, Love at the push of her best friend Mira agrees to pretend to be blind in order to secure a job. Her decision is driven by a pure heart, wanting nothing more than to help a struggling soul. As she works, she helps Sebastian while falling in love with his brother, Christian. Love struggles with the burden of her lie, she considers walking away from everything, even if it means losing Christian forever but the lie has already laid roots tying her down and ultimately making her pay the price of her dishonesty while seemingly stripping Christian off of his humanity.

"In the game of the rich and ruthless; where lines of humanity blurs, blood was inevitable, manipulation was ensured, and betrayal was a norm. You either become a pawn or a player." To the world, Chiara Marino was an art gallery owner with a perfect luxurious life. What people didn't know was a monster she was turned into with no choice but to embrace it. Carmelo Conti is an ambitious and ruthless billionaire who valued his people and family. He is calm and collected, until you touch where you shouldn't have. A forced marriage to a man far worse than her stepfather threatens her life purposes. To them it was just a game. But they forgot that she was a made monster. And monsters don't give a fuck! What happens when Chiara decides to create her own fate?

Hazel was once a mistreated omega, only to be betrayed on the night of her wedding to Alpha Damien. Left for dead, she is saved by Callan, a powerful and cursed alpha who reveals that she is his destined mate. As Hazel grapples with her past and the rising conflict with powerful enemies, she learns that she is part of a greater prophecy—one that could change the fate of all supernatural creatures. Torn between the love of two alphas and the betrayal of one along with the threat of a dark magic that could destroy everything, Hazel must choose whether to accept her destiny or fight it to protect those she loves. Will she be torn by fate or bound by love ?

Love does not appear with any warning signs. You fall into it as if pushed from a high diving board. No time to think about what’s happening. It’s inevitable. An event you can’t control. A crazy, heart-stopping, roller-coaster ride that just has to take its course. Hazel was rejected by someone she loved and was told that he would be engaged to her deadly foe. In great despair, she went to a bar and met this handsome guy (Zac). They drank a lot and played games. Under the influence of alcohol, they got married. However when they came back to her senses, they decide to make things right, but it's hard to get a divorce now because she wants to use the dramatic yet genuine marriage to keep her proud in front of her deadly foe. Zac on the other hand was the future heir to one of the richest and prosperous families. Although he was endowed with an otherworldly handsomeness, he was known to be as cold as ice and had a natural dislike for women although they always craved after him like bees to a honey pot. But for some unknown reason, he finds something unique about Hazel which he can’t explain. Perhaps, it were her eyes which were limpid and pure like autumn water and sparkled like azure pools in the morning sunlight… Would it be possible that they fall in love with each other in the future? Take part in this amazing piece, and experience a story filled with various mysteries and incredible twists as she uncovers the mysteries surrounding Zac who decides to hide his identity and tremendous background in order to win her heart genuinely.

He has made it crystal clear that I’m not to call him ‘boss’ except on certain occasions, like right now, when his dominating gaze carries a hint of playfulness. I can’t help but smile every time he gets like this, all lovey-dovey, but when he whispers in my ears asking me to go on an adventure with him, it is like an invitation to a forbidden feast and the thought sends a shiver down my spine which unlike you would think, is almost painful. Maybe this is because I have been on an adventure with him for as far as I want to recollect. My memories, if you peeked inside, would be overflowing with every moment with him, each one a brushstroke painted with his boldness and my, well, let’s call it a touch of recklessness. I now wear a souvenir, a mark etched onto my soul. It’s like a silent agreement, a reminder that our fates are tangled, intertwined like climbing vines. He’s the puppet master, my very own Mr. Strings, and every twist and turn of his whims gets woven into the fabric of my being. Maybe you find that hard to believe, like something out of a fairytale. But trust me, my darling, as I unravel the threads of our adventure, one by one, you’ll understand. With each turn and twist, you’ll find yourself hooked, a willing captive in the captivating narrative of our lives, possibly harnessed in the labyrinth of our love, where danger dances with delight, and fate is etched in the footprints of a love like no other. So buckle up, dear reader, for this isn’t a mere tale, it’s a thrill ride, a love song made of equal parts fear and freedom.

There's only one word that can describe Emanuelle Dizon perfectly. Elegant. Her existence screams elegance. Namana niya 'yon sa sopistikada niyang ina. Siguro kung may perpekto lang na tao sa mundo ay maaaring isa roon si Emma. Pero hindi, dahil lahat ng tao, may kapintasan. Emma met Yael Carreon. The man who became the love of her life. She's willing to sacrifice everything just to make that man hers. Dignity, self-respect, and elegance. Just for this man to love her back.

Alaric and I had been mates for five years, and I had believed with all my heart that I would become the first female Gamma of the pack by proving myself in the warrior’s trial. I had trained relentlessly, sharpening my claws and honing my instincts, ready to fight for my rightful place. But fate had other plans. Three days before the trial, I was ambushed by rogues. They didn't just attack me—they hunted me like prey. They tormented me with the silver knife so that my wolf was dead. The scent of death clung to me, my wolf howling in agony, desperately trying to heal, but the wounds ran too deep. As I lay barely conscious on the blood-stained sheets, I heard my husband's cold, indifferent voice. "Is she dead?" The witch doctor hesitated before answering, "No, but—" "It doesn’t matter," Alaric interrupted, Coat her wounds with wolfsbane and silver—make sure it seeps into her blood, burns through her veins, and poisons her wolf beyond repair. I want her body to reject her own nature, so she will never heal. There will only be one Gamma in this pack, and that's Serina." In that moment, the truth became clear—I had never truly stood a chance in the warrior’s trial I had dreamed of. The battle had been decided long before I ever stepped into the arena.

Nora’s tarot readings were never meant to matter. They were simple moments. A card flip. A quiet truth. Nothing that could ever touch fate itself. Until the night the cards tremble in her hands. Until the air in the café sharpens and chills. Until something impossible appears. A figure steps out of the shadows with eyes that feel ancient and powerful. His presence presses against the world like he does not belong to it at all. People walk right past him without noticing a thing. But Nora sees him. And he is not pleased. He came to investigate the force that dared to disturb the order of fate. He expected a threat. He expected a creature of power. He expected anything except the girl sitting at the table with trembling cards. Nora knows she should fear him. Every instinct warns her that this being is more dangerous than anything she has ever sensed. He is not human. He is not mortal. He was never created to feel. Yet something in her pulls at him with a gravity he cannot break. The more he studies her, the more impossible she becomes. And the more he realizes that whatever awakens inside him will not disappear. She may have changed someone’s fate. But now she is about to change his. A forbidden attraction. A girl with a gift she barely understands. An immortal presence who was never meant to want anything until her. Once their paths cross, destiny begins to unravel.

He rejected her to chase power. She gave herself to a stranger... and woke up marked by fate. Ryker, the mate River Moonstorm thought she was destined for, tossed her aside — choosing his best friend instead, all to earn a spot in his dream biker club. Broken and drowning in betrayal, River finds herself in a bar, face-to-face with Orion — mysterious, magnetic, and oozing danger. One drink turns into a night she can’t forget. One touch unlocks a part of her wolf she’s never known. But Orion isn’t just a dark escape. He’s the star of the Sexy Groove Bikers Club — and he’s hiding secrets that could turn River’s world upside down. Can she handle the fire he ignites in her? Or will falling for Orion burn her all over again?

Nocturne rules the underworld and is determined to never let a human live past their lifespan. One day he encounters Leo, a human who is supposed to die and is bold enough to offer himself to escape death. Nocturne accepts the bold offer and their love story begins. Soon it becomes clear that things are more complicated than they both realized and Nocturne has to chase down his love before he is lost forever.