Midsummer By Manuel Arguilla Summary

In a world ruled by power, fear, and blood, Dante Ricci is nothing short of a walking demon. A powerful mafia boss, he commands respect through sheer brutality, feared by his enemies and even those closest to him. Dante despises weakness, ruthlessly crushing anyone who dares to oppose him or show vulnerability. Cold-hearted, dominant, and cruel, he lives by the law of the underworld—survival of the fittest. On the other side of the city lives Elena Carter, a cheerful and innocent college student. Adopted by parents who despise her, she has always felt out of place in a world that offers her little love. Unbeknownst to her, her real parents were killed years ago, but she knows nothing of the dark secrets that shroud her past. She’s focused on her studies, trying to live a normal life despite her broken family. Fate takes a dark turn when Elena accidentally witnesses Dante in the middle of a brutal murder, crime no innocent eyes should have seen. Dante, always careful to eliminate any loose ends, has no choice but to kidnap her. She’s nothing more than a liability, a weakling in his eyes, and his first instinct is to kill her. As secrets unravel and tension mounts, Dante must confront the demons of his past while Elena fights to survive in a world she never belonged to. Will Dante’s hatred and heartlessness lead him to kill her, or will the unexpected connection between them change their lives forever?

“I, Alexei Volkov, reject you, Aera Alvarez, as my fated mate,” he said without an ounce of hesitation and left the mating ceremony in dead silence. And then, I felt something inside me die. *** Aera Alvarez has been physically and mentally abused by her father, the Alpha of Calisto Pack because she has a severe stutter when she speaks. Unlike her twin sister Aena who was treated like a diamond in their town for her eloquence and exotic beauty, Aera grew up to be ostracized for her ginger, curly hair. On her twentieth birthday when she was supposed to meet her fated mate, she was immediately rejected by Alexei Volkov, the next in line Alpha of the Triton Pack, because she was weak, saying she would be unreliable as their new Luna. Driven by envy and unjust treatment, Aera decided to muster her courage and changed her endeavors. After five years of secret training, Alexei who became a rogue when he defied the Moon Goddess's choices by refusing his fate, reclaims her as his mate as soon as she alters her reputation from incapacitated werewolf to the next in line first female Alpha of their pack. Now that the vicious Alexei was kneeling in front of her, will she accept him as her mate after breaking her heart without the retribution she deserves? Or his reclamation will lead her to a secret that will forever lose her faith in love? *** Reclaimed by the Alpha contains two book. Book 1 - The Alpha’s Regret ( The Cruel Rejection - The Mutual Submission) Book 2 - The Real Heirs (The First Pain - The Ending)

Jenna Nova watched everything taken from her when her father died. Yet, it wasn't as gut drenching as seeing her boyfriend eating her Stepmothers' pussy after being kicked out of her father's multinational company. Getting drunk at the bar and ending up in the wrong room. She woke up in the company of a dying man, saving his life in the process. Everything changed when she found out about his identity. That man was Casper Blade, the newly inaugurated CEO of Blade Towers and ruler of the dark mafia. Not only was he cold and ruthless but it was also rumored that he was the devil disguised as a human. He was attractive to the kill but his heart was as dark as coal. He was everything she feared and before she realized, he got her just where he wanted her. Against his dangerous family and all odds, he broke protocols just for her. Still, Jenna couldn't accept his obsessive love and tried to escape but why couldn't he let her go? He had taken over her mind and when he found her, she begged to be left alone. His lips parted slightly, and he spoke like a demon. "Return my heart, and I will let you go."

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.

Zara Adigun never believed in fairy tales especially not the kind that involved arrogant billionaires and cold, calculated marriages. But when her father fell ill and her family is drowning in debt, she agrees to a one-year marriage contract with the most powerful and emotionally detached bachelor in Lagos (Dami Adeyemi). The deal is to pretend to be the perfect couple in public, live together under strict conditions that she must comply with, and leave when the contract ends with no strings and no emotions attached. But Dami’s icy rules begin to melt as Zara’s fire draws out the man he’s buried deep beneath his grief and guilt. The closer they get, the harder it becomes to stick to the rules, until secrets from the past threaten to destroy everything they were nurturing. Jide Adeyemi—Dami’s estranged brother and Zara’s first love came into the picture to reignite old flames and dark family secrets, Zara finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle where trust is fragile, and the truth is a weapon. Now, she must decide: 1. To follow the terms of the contract. 2. Run back to the man who once broke her heart, or 3. Fight for a love that was never meant to happen. When hearts are bound by fate, will love survive the truth?

The Kingdom of Acantha was once ruled by Shadow Wolves and Daughters of the Moon, but the oppressed race of humans staged a revolution, killed all the Supernatural creatures, and took the Kingdom for themselves. Centuries later, the Kingdom changed, drowned in poverty and corruption. Elora is next in line for the throne, but her insubordination to her Father caused her to be banished and forced to join The Hunt, a deadly tradition meant for those who want to gain honor by killing beasts. During her journey, she stumbles upon the last pack of Shadow Wolves. . . . And she's trapped in the arms of their Alpha.

Taken away as a captive in place of farm proceedings, Thalena’s life took a twirling turn as she experienced things she never dreamt of. From being disvirgined brutally to being mated to the twin Alphas. How would she handle the different feelings that would arise?

Life wasn't faithful for Hazel. With a job at stake, a pile of debt and a stressful life. Hazel is a hardworking woman who has dreams and ambition of becoming a successful independent woman. Running from one job to another has never been easy for her. She believes investing herself and time is the most important skill in becoming successful. However, sometimes, being overly truthful put you in a lot of trouble. She slapped her boss after witnessing him harrasing one of his employees. Damon Lorenzo, a young eligible bachelor in New York City. Cold and arrogant. A Playboy in the eyes of the world but inside a man who needed the love and care. Hazel and Damon aren't fond of each other. They find every chance to fight. Nevertheless, love swept you up your feet at unexpected time. Will Damon find the love and care he yearns for? And will Hazel be able to get her revenge on Damon as she promised? Will love really win against the hatred in the hearts of the two musketeers?

Elizabeth Ashley is a normal 25 years old woman, she works as an operational employee at the biggest retail company in California. She has one big enemy and he is one of her bosses, who also stole her first kiss on new year's eve. Logan Bruggman is a single dad and works as a high managerial employee of one of the biggest retail companies in California, his expertise is anything related to the computer. He met Beth, almost every month when the woman followed the monthly training at the headquarters, he fell for her. Yet... The lady is playing hard to get...so it is only normal, as a man like him to get anything he wants. He decided to blackmailed her, to make Beth his wife. ### NB. It will be updated daily!!

"Ella! You belong to me. Your body, your soul, all of you is mine, Alpha Marcus says. You're destined for me! You can run anywhere, but in the end, I will find you, you are meant for me." Ella struggled to catch her breath as she sobbed. She felt the pain that Marcus was with someone else, he was her mate, but he refused to get close to her, even though everyone feared him. She hated him, yet she had seen the good in him. She drank until she was drunk and then made her way to Marcus's room. She entered the room but didn't find him, so she headed to the bathroom where she found him in the jacuzzi, his massive muscles dripping with water. Marcus took the towel that hung nearby and asked coldly, "Ella, what are you doing here?" She was swaying, nearly falling, and said, "Why do you punish me like this? I'm hot and tempting. How can you not be affected by my presence?" Marcus realized she was drunk, picked her up, and asked in concern, "Are you okay?" He stood close to her, making it hard for her to breathe. It was as if she was about to have a breakdown. She was about to leave, tears streaming, but before she could make any more moves, Marcus immediately trapped her, placing his arms on either side of her. Both of them swallowed hard when their eyes met. A strange, powerful, but addictive feeling surged between them. "You have to stay here, Ella," he said. She looked at his half-opened lips. Intense and unwanted thoughts filled her mind as her breaths escaped her. Ella stated painfully, "I'm sure you feel it too, Marcus... You're my mate."