More Under The Surface

My mom decides to implement an income-based rationing system. Everything at home is delegated to everyone based on their income. At a holiday dinner, I decide to grab myself an extra helping of pasta. As soon as I fill up my plate, my mom snatches it from my hands. "Hold on. Just look at the spread on the table. The sea bass is already worth 180 dollars. The scallops are worth 200, whereas the lobster goes for 300 dollars. "You only earn 3,000 dollars per month. If you want a second serving, you must pay up first. I'll charge you based on the family rate. It'll be three dollars, thank you very much." My mom sticks out three fingers while smiling at me.

Juliana has everything that money could buy, at hindi kasama doon ang pagmamahal ng isang magulang. Her mother made sure of that the day she married her stepfather, a man twice her age, in exchange for wealth and status. Kaya naman nang mabalitaan niyang nasawi ang mga ito sa isang aksidente, wala siyang naramdaman na kahit ano. Ni isang patak ng luha ay walang tumulo mula sa kanya. She already lost to money the only family she had, kaya hindi na bago sa kanya 'to. For sure, after going through their burial, she would be back at the all-girls boarding school they sent her away to, and everything would stay the same. But just when she thought that nothing would ever change, nalaman niya ang laman ng last will ng kanyang ina. To claim her inheritance, kailangan niyang tumira sa iisang bubong kasama ang kanyang stepbrother, her stepfather’s only child from his first wife, until she turns 21 years old. Ang problema? She just turned nineteen a week ago before their accident! Dalawang taon niyang kailangang magtiis sa poder ng taong pinaka-ayaw niya sa lahat. At ang mas malaking problema? Their state, the mansion where her stepbrother currently resides, is far from the city and the life that she’s used to! It’s in a secluded area in a remote province! What would her life be like from now on? Hindi puwede ‘to! Mamamatay muna siya bago siya tumira kasama ang lalaking ‘yon na masahol pa sa demonyo ang ugali! But between hatred, lies, and the forbidden tension she couldn’t name, matutuklasan ni Juliana na may mga bagay na hindi kanyang diktahan, lalo na ang puso. — THIS BOOK CONTAINS MATURE THEMES, EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT, AND SCENES THAT MAY BE DISTURBING OR TRIGGERING TO SOME READERS.

My son is dead. He dies in a cramped toilet cubicle after having his skull smashed in. My husband, the school principal, arrives on the scene. The first thing he does is carry his true love's son, the one who killed my son, into an ambulance. They hurriedly leave. Before his death, my son tells me, "Don't cry, Mom. I'm not sad that Dad doesn't believe me. It's enough that you do…" I call Joshua Tucker during my son's funeral. He roars angrily, "Kenny had to get two stitches on his arm because of your son! If you keep pestering me like this, I'll beat him up when I get home!" My son? I look at the gaping hole in my son's head, the one that won't ever bleed anymore. I shut my eyes. Yes, he's my son. My son is dead, Joshua. From now on, there's nothing between us.

Every day, my son and husband finish all the house chores before I even get home. But only because they're bringing my husband's first love, Sally Sullivan, back for Thanksgiving, I pour boiling water on my son's face. I also kick both my son and husband out when it's 104°F outside. Desperate to save our son, my husband sprawls across the front porch, begging me to open the door. "Wanda, open the door! We need to save our son! I only invited Sally over because she saved you once back then. I didn't mean anything else by it!" "Mom, it hurts!" my son cries. "Mom, can't you kiss me? Mom…" Meanwhile, I'm slouching on the couch, snacking away as I watch TV. In the end, my husband can't take it anymore and brings me to the Bad Mom Court for trial. The moment my memories are extracted, the entire court bursts into tears.

My world shattered when my husband, Caleb, rejected me for my fake sister, Susan. “Please don’t do this to me.”I begged for mercy, pleading for our unborn child's sake, but he don’t listen to me. “Sis, you shouldn’t have returned back.”Susan’s cruelty and Caleb’s indifference led to my brutal downfall. Locked in darkness, I faced death... but fate gave me a second chance. Reborn, I emerged with a fierce determination to reclaim my life and uncover the secrets that destroyed me. As I navigate the treacherous web of lies and deceit that was consumed by my family, I'm forced to confront the ultimate question: can I forgive Caleb and rekindle our lost love, or will the shadows of our past forever tear us apart?

"I crave your touch; I abandoned everything to be with you," she explained, "but why haven't you touched me yet, especially now that I'm your bride?" "You want to satisfy your body's urges," he said sulkily. "I love you," she said through tears, leaning in for a kiss. "Not so fast, honey; you're my bride, not the woman I love," he said shamelessly, brushing her hair away from his face. ------------------------------- Sansa Elsher alternates between the past and the present, taking calculated risks to liberate herself from Alpha Xavier. He not only spoiled her dream wedding, but he also bound her with the law "The Pronouncement of Wonder." Her purpose is to travel back in time and change the future by eliminating Alpha Xavier. However, changing her harsh present is no easy task. Will she win and create a life full of love and sincerity, breaking free from Xavier's suffocating grip? Her journey through time is fraught with difficulties and unforeseen events. This is the second book of the "Under The Moonlight: Alpha's Bride" series.

The appointment of Susan Moore as the Broadcasting Channel's executive director has forced out the station's more valued news anchor, sparking heated discussions throughout Hayworth. Susan herself is standing before me right now. She wants to sell her jewelry. As the manager of a luxury boutique store, I'm here to inspect the goods. "These are pieces my partner commissioned for me. I have so many that I'm tired of them." One of them is a diamond-encrusted necklace, featuring a pigeon-blood ruby in the center, worth a few million. There are also several similar gifts on the table, with the crocodile skin bag the least eye-catching one. I smiled. "Your husband must really love you." I set about verifying the purchaser's ID and signature as part of a routine procedure. However, I freeze in place at the sight of the name. "I'm not his wife," she replied, bringing the coffee cup to her lips. "We're just each other's first loves. He said he missed out on 15 years of my life, so he gave me 15 gifts. Isn't that romantic?" It is romantic, indeed. However, it's my father's signature. For 30-plus years, I assumed that my father was a dull man who had never once surprised my mother.

“Do you know what it cost me to stay away for five years, my Coral?” Clyde’s breaths fan against my cheek as his hand slides under my jaw, tilting my face up until I’m forced to meet his eyes. "W-what are you doing?" I whisper, heart hammering against my ribs. "It's nothing more than a temporary solution, as per the contract-" “To hell with the contract.” His scent of rain fills my senses. He drags his nose along the line of my throat, stubble grazing my skin. “I’m helping you because I’ve spent every night since that garden, imagining you exactly where you are now... breathless, trembling, and finally mine.” *** Coralina Jasper gave five years of her life to the Silver Azure Pack, building an empire for the man she loved. But to Alpha Maximus, she was just a placeholder for his dying "true love", Brielle Montrela. When Maximus shoves a pregnant Coralina into a freezing pool to save Brielle from a minor splash, Coralina loses everything: including her unborn son. While she lies in a hospital bed undergoing induced labor alone, Maximus is busy pampering Brielle and planning her birthday. Empty-handed and broken-hearted, Coralina realizes her marriage was a lie. She asks Maximus to reject her, but he laughs at her. Because Alpha Maximus thinks she’s a weak omega with nowhere to go, whom he can easily starve into submission. He doesn't even know how wrong he is! After Coralina finds herself penniless and hunted by her own pack's laws, she crosses the border into the territory of the "Shadow Alpha". The one man who can dismantle Maximus’s world: Alpha Clyde Everest. Coralina was just looking for a place to hide... But deep in the shadows of enemy territory, she finds herself again.

Six years ago, Irene had a fleeting one-night stand with a stranger and walked away with twin boys and no name to trace. She built her life in silence… until the formidable Mr. Blackwood laid eyes on her children and saw the undeniable resemblance to his only son, Daniel. A secret DNA test confirmed it the twins were Blackwoods. To protect the family legacy, the ruthless patriarch gave his son an ultimatum marry Irene, or lose everything. Forced into a loveless marriage, Daniel resents Irene, while Irene is trapped in a life she never asked for. But under the same roof, tension simmers. Hatred bleeds into longing, and resentment gives way to a dangerous attraction neither can control. In a home ruled by power can Irene guard her heart, or will Daniel take far more than just her freedom?

The Harmony Moon Saga follows the powerful legacy of supernatural families as each new heir faces their own battles, destinies, and forbidden love. Harper, a courageous and resilient young woman, fights for survival and freedom after the ruthless Alpha Thane Kago seizes control of her pack and destroys her family. Seeking sanctuary, Harper finds hope and love with the son of a powerful Alpha. Together, they defy fate and forge a new future, laying the foundation for a legendary bloodline. Years later, Harper and Gabriel’s daughter, Willow Mason, comes of age as the first born to her royal lineage. Rebellious and passionate, Willow is torn between two supernatural rivals: a high demon who fuels her wild side, and a dragon prince with a dangerous past. As ancient feuds between dragons and demons threaten to erupt, Willow must choose her path and embrace her destiny as a leader, forever changing the supernatural world. The saga’s thrilling conclusion follows Ryder his unique heritage makes him a target for gods and enemies alike. When he meets Demi, a mysterious woman with secrets of her own, their connection sparks a love that could alter the balance of power. As war looms and prophecies unfold, Ryder and Demi must unite the fractured supernatural races and confront the gods themselves to save their world. Across generations, the Harmony Moon Saga weaves together the struggles, passions, and destinies of Harper, Willow, and Ryder. Each must rise above the shadows of the past, embrace their true power, and fight for love and unity in a world where trust is dangerous and power comes at a price.