Midsummer By Manuel Arguilla Summary

This is the darkest kind of story - pull at it and you will bleed. Be ready for consequences. The deeper you read, the harder it will clutch at you. A violent night. Two lives shattered. One child plucked from the river and hidden away. Years of running, of fierce protection, of desperate love that wears the face of a wound. When the disease drags them back to the city that stole everything, the past wakes like a predator. He is a monster wrapped in grief - magnetic, ruthless, and obsessed. She is the woman who saved a life and raised a devil of her own making, unaware that the blood she shields belongs to the man who destroyed her world. He does not know; she does not know. Fate will tell them both.

To the world, they are perfection, the billionaire and his elegant wife, the family everyone envies. But behind closed doors, they are strangers bound by a contract and by one secret that could destroy them both. When Alexander and Elena Harrington announce their “divorce,” everyone expects a scandal. But they can’t let the real reason for their separation become public. Their empire is built on illusion, and if the truth gets out, it could destroy everything. Their only son is the fragile thread holding them together, and the same reason they can’t let go. But love was never part of the deal. As society braces for scandal, a rival billionaire shows Elena what affection truly feels like. And the man who never shows emotion begins to unravel, consumed by jealousy and obsession. In a world where loyalty is currency and betrayal comes wrapped in diamonds, some vows are meant to break and others become the only thing worth saving.

Amaya Romano free spirited, beautiful, young, sophisticated and highly desired heiress to the Billionaire Romano family comes back home after her master studies abroad to find out she has been betrothed to the Cold, ruthless, egotistical and highly feared Damian Allucci-Rossi. Bound by duty, she agrees to this alliance but what happens when all the aloof Damian can offer is distance and a cold aura. Will Amaya succeed in breaking Damian’s emotional walls or will his elusive nature and cold demeanor break her wings and make her a shadow of who she once was.

"I brought you here because you're my mate." "mate?" I ask incredulously. "yes. And I plan to make sure that you remain here, Tammy. Even if you try to run away from this, I will keep bringing you back every single time." Tammy is a nurse living a normal life. That changes after an encounter with a mysterious man, as her world begins to turn upsidedown. Adam Grayson, the next-in-line alpha of the skyline pack has been searching for his mate for eight years. His search comes to an end after a brief meeting with her, but claiming her poses a problem for him, so he begins making plans to get her. With the time of witch's curse manifestation approaching, Adam uses that to his advantage and gets ignorant his mate, Tammy, to cater for the wolves of his pack. And with her stay in the pack house, new developments occur, which disrupts her past and threatens her future with Adam. Will they still come together after terrible secrets unfold? Or would their bond be shattered? A scream pierces the air, and I whirl around, my attention now on the crowd. The lady, Amanda, points a trembling finger at me. "A witch! We have a witch among us!" I shake my head. "What? No!" I cry. "I'm not a witch!" "Witch! Witch! Witch!" The chants rise from the crowd. I turn back to Adam. "Adam, tell them I'm not a witch. Adam please!"

“I, Marcus Steele, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you, Luna Blackwood, as my mate and Luna.” Luna Blackwood’s wedding day becomes her nightmare when her Alpha publicly rejects her, declaring her too weak to bear his children. As her former best friend steps forward as his chosen replacement, Luna’s world crumbles. But what Marcus doesn’t know could destroy them all. Luna carries the last royal werewolf bloodline, a secret that makes her the most powerful supernatural being alive. Hidden from those who hunted her kind to extinction, she possesses abilities that could reshape their world forever. When mysterious Alpha Kai Nightshade reveals the conspiracy behind her rejection, Luna faces an impossible choice: remain broken and hidden, or embrace her destiny as the prophesied Lycan Queen who will unite all supernatural beings. From public humiliation to ultimate power, Luna’s transformation will prove that being rejected was the best thing that ever happened to her. But first, she has a war to win.

Aurora Steele is a young and vibrant heiress rooted in the Italian Mafia. After breaking up with the love of her life Ethan, she is faced with the imposing figure of Damien Dmitri, a ruthless Mafia Lord who steps in, shattering her dreams. He is the most powerful man in the city –and her family’s most hated enemy. Caught in the middle, Aurora must make the most difficult decision of her life; a choice between love and family. She is coerced by Damien into committing an unimaginable act. In a bid to save her family, she must marry Damien’s son and heir to the Russian Mafia, Ryan Dmitri, to pay off her father's crippling debts. Aurora finds herself helpless in the hands of Ryan Dmitri, a handsome, arrogant playboy who always has women throwing themselves at him. . What will she do when she discovers that she has developed an undeniable attraction for the man whom she is supposed to hate and is pregnant for him. Can a love sparked in the flash of a moment withstand the darkness of old debts and new enemies, or will their future be snuffed out before it can truly begin? Will Aurora be able to navigate her way in a world of shadows? Will she ever find her happily ever after? Read more to find out.

“The one person who makes my life worth living is dying. . .Kelvin is sick with lung cancer and the doctors say he's going to die if we do not begin his treatment immediately," Zara blurted out. “His treatment costs twelve thousand US dollars for the first six months. Now I'm going to lose Kelvin because I can not arrange the money that is needed for his treatment. He's dying and I'm helpless," Zara cried. "Zara? What if I told you that I have the solution to your problem? My company is dying. The only way to save it is to get married and I do not want to do that right now. I am willing to pay the bills you need if you become my fake wife. So the question is, will you, Zara Lawman, accept to be my fake wife?" ___________________________________________________ When love plays a cruel game, what will they do? In the aim to save her beloved Kelvin from dying, Zara accepts a contract marriage. In order to save his company, Oliver takes a fake wife. Everything goes as planned until Zara starts falling for Oliver . Meanwhile, Kelvin’s body starts rejecting treatment. As hard as Zara tries not to love Oliver, she finds herself dreaming of only him. This makes her miserable. As hard as Oliver tries not to fall for Zara who he believes loves her boyfriend, he finds himself wanting only her. Things begin to go south when Vanessa— Oliver's nemesis—does her possible best to destroy whatever he has with Zara. At the same time, Kelvin finds out the truth about Zara’s feelings. Now Zara is forced to chose who she will keep loving and Oliver is forced to do what he believes is the right thing, terminate the contract wedding. Meanwhile, Kelvin is dying. . .

When Karen Miller gets convinced by her therapist to accept the contract of pretending to be Brody Taylor's girlfriend, she doesn't expect the worse to happen. Her life gets miserable when Brody's rich and arrogant family visits them. When Brody's parents secretly prepare a wedding party for him to get married to Karen, secrets are revealed and a bummer happens. It was just a contract, she wasn't meant to marry him. This wasn't part of the deal. Will Brody and Karen truly fall in love despite all the pretence?

When Dahlia is sold to the cruel and heartless alpha king by her step-father, she resigns herself to her fate as a breeder. Her only hope is to bear him a son, which will earn her freedom. But fate has other plans in store for her. The alpha king turns out to be her mate, although he remains oblivious to their bond. As Dahlia struggles to accept her destiny, she realizes that the alpha king sees her only as a tool to produce an heir. Heartbroken and pregnant, she decides to flee with her unborn child. She runs far away from the kingdom, hoping to escape the alpha king's clutches forever. Meanwhile, the alpha king realizes his mistake and vows to find Dahlia, his mate, and their child. His determination to bring her back leads him to embark on a perilous journey, facing challenges and obstacles in his path. As the alpha king chases Dahlia, he discovers that he's not the only one who's after her. An evil pack led by a power-hungry alpha wants Dahlia's child, believing it to be the key to their domination. The alpha king must fight to protect his mate and child from their enemies, risking his life in the process. But when the alpha king finally catches up to Dahlia, she reveals a shocking truth. She sacrificed herself and their child to protect the kingdom from an impending danger. She handed over their son to the evil pack, hoping to keep them at bay and give the kingdom time to prepare. Now, the alpha king must choose between his love for Dahlia and their son and his duty to the kingdom.

Mabel was forced to marry a billionaire after her father's company hit the rock. Williams, a ruthless billionaire with a soft spot for Mabel. He married her with a cold desire for an heir. Along the line, Mabel became pregnant. Just as she was about to share the news with Williams, she catches him in bed with her best friend. Brokenhearted and resolute, Mabel runs away and finds solace in the hands of William's cousin, Lavia. Still, as Williams plots to reclaim what he feels is rightfully his, the web of lies gets increasingly intricate. Will Mabel succeed in escaping the shackles of her past, or will William's unrelenting pursuit force her to return to her painful circumstances? Find out in this intriguing story.