Nine Star Burden

“Oh my… ang aking Kapitan! Mabuti naman naalala mo ako! Hmp malapit ng magtampo sa’yo si Lola. Ilan taon na din ang nakalipas.” Sabi ni lola ng may pagtatampo sa kaniyang tinig. “Magagawa ba naman kitang tiisin, ikaw ata ang pinaka-mamahal kong Lola!” nakangiti kong sagot kay Lola sabay yakap sa kaniya. Habang masaya akong bumabati kay Lola ay isang pigura ng babaeng nakatalikod ang unti-unting tumayo at nakangiting humarap sa amin. Si Yvette. Hindi ko inaasahan na dadating siya ngayong araw. Nakangiti siya pero makikita sa kaniyang mata ang kakaibang lungkot, isang damdamin na kahit anong tago ang gawin ay hindi niya maitatanggi. Si Yvette ang dati kong karelasyon at muntik ko ng mahalin matapos kong aliwin ang aking sarili ng malaman kong naging boyfriend ni Karmela si Andrew. Tumaas ang kilay ko ng makita ko siya. Wala naman akong pakielam sa kaniya pero knowing Yvette? Paniguradong gagawa siya ng eksena at ayokong matakot si Karmela dahil sa kaniya. Lumapit siya sa akin at nag beso. Nakangiti niya akong binati ngunit may halong pait sa kaniyang boses “My Captain Xian Herrera… its nice to see you again. Ang tagal na din ng huli nating pagkikila” may panunuya siyang tumingin kay Karmela at mapait ng ngumiti sa kaniya “siya ba? Siya ba ang dahilan kung bakit hindi mo ako sinuyo? Kaya naman pala bigla kang nawala sa picture. May bago ka na palang pinagkaka-abalahan!” Nang marinig ko ang sinabing iyon ni Yvette ay alam kong hindi lang iyon simpleng pagpuna. Naramdaman ko sa kaniyang boses ang matinding hinanakit. Kinapitan ko ng mahigpit ang kamay ni Karmela at tinignan siya na parang sinasabing “ huwag kang mag-alala hindi kita pababayaan.”

By night, She’s the masked temptation he can’t stop dreaming about. By day, she’s the girl he can’t stand. What happens when both of their worlds collide? By day, she’s a brilliant scholarship student at Wexford Institute of Business & Arts. By night, she becomes Spicy, the club’s most wanted stripper masked in seduction, all for the sake of keeping her sick sister, Ami, Alive. And then there is Jace Harrington, the hockey star, who is royalty, arrogant, and heir to a billion-dollar empire. He’s got everything! fame, fortune, and a long line of girls begging for his attention. But the one girl he can’t forget is the one hiding behind a mask… and the one he can’t stand is Sabrina. Too bad they’re the same person! Their worlds were never meant to collide. But secrets have a way of slipping through the cracks. When Jace discovers the girl he craves is the same one he passionately hates, the line between love, desire, and obsession begins to blur. He’s a rising hockey star with everything to lose. She’s a masked dancer living on borrowed time. Sabrina is barely holding it together. Juggling school, a sick sister (Ami), a reckless one (Skye), and a secret that could destroy everything. Falling in love was never part of the plan. He’s never met a girl who could bring him to his knees. She’s never met a boy worth risking it all for. And when the mask comes off... Someone’s going to get hurt.

“Let’s get divorce, Gale.” Nahinto sa pagsasalita si Sunset dahil sa sinabi ng asawa. Sandaling hindi niya maiproseso ang sinabi nito. Nablangko ang kanyang isipan habang nakatingin sa seryosong mukha ni Lucian. “Let’s get divorce.” Sa pangalawang pagkakataong ulitin iyon ni Lucian, tila bombang sumabog sa kanya ang anunsyo ng asawa. Pagkalito ang sumunod niyang naramdaman nang iritableng inilayo ng asawa ang pagkakadikit ng hubad nilang katawan na para bang may nakakahawa siyang sakit na dumapo lamang pagkatapos nilang magniig. Ganoon na lang ba iyon, pagkatapos siya nitong makuha, ang tingin na sa kanya ay isang basura? “Hindi magandang biro iyan, Lucian—” “You don’t want to? Magkakaroon ka ng sariling buhay. Limang taon na ang kinuha ko sa ‘yo, dagdagan ko pa ba ang pang-aabala ko?” Tumayo mula sa pagkakahiga ang asawa niya. Ang nakatalikod na matipuno nitong katawan ay tinakpan ng roba. Kaagad namang naibalot ni Sunset ang hubad na katawan sa puting kumot. “M-may problema ba tayo, Lucian?” naguguluhan niya pa ring tanong sa asawa. “Kung may mali sa akin, susubukan kong baguhin. May nagawa ba akong ikinagalit mo? H-huwag mo lang akong iwan kase hindi ko kakayanin…” “Babalik na si Eveth dito sa Pilipinas.” Hinilot nito ang sentido na para bang naiinis na sa pagdadrama niya. “Masasaktan siya kapag nalaman niyang nandyan ka pa." “Naiintindihan ko…” “Saan ka pupunta?” gulat na tanong ng asawa nang makita siya nitong nagbibihis. “Saan ka sabi pupunta?” “Hindi mo ba nakikita?” May kalituhan na tumingin sa kanya si Lucian. Hindi nito inaasahan ang magiging reaksyon niya. “Ano bang akala mo, magmamakaawa ako?” natawa nang bahagya si Sunset bago mabaling ang tingin sa tseke na nasa ibabaw ng side table. “Akala ko namamalikmata lang ako kanina. Hindi ko lubos maisip na limang milyon lang pala ang halaga ko!”

On Valentine’s Day, I discovered that my brother’s fiancee, Erika Gibson, was cheating on him. So, I tried to tell my brother, Nathan Clinton, about it. However, he yelled at me. He said that I was trying to ruin his relationship and told me to leave. Erika then asked her lover to deal with me, so he kidnapped me. He mocked me for being unable to speak and forced me to sell 200 roses at the night market. I asked Nathan for help, but he replied impatiently. [Moon, I can’t believe you’d lie about something like this… I don’t have time for your games.] I was accidentally hit by a truck while Nathan was having a wonderful time with Erika. Haha. I was finally free, but I wished I had a different brother.

18+ Niat ingin bertemu dengan calon tunangannya, Emily justru dimanfaatkan oleh kekasihnya, dan berakhir tidur dengan Benedict, CEO Maven Group yang dikenal dengan sebutan si arogan berambut perak! Di saat Emily berusaha melupakannya, Emily justru kembali bertemu dengan pria itu, bahkan ditawarkan untuk menjadi "wanita"nya! --- Benedict menyampirkan rambut Emily, lalu melabuhkan kecupannya di bibir gadis itu. Ciuman hangat itu dalam sekejap berubah menjadi panas, hingga membuat Emily meremang. Dia tak tahu, apa ini demam ataukah panas tubuh mereka berdua yang menyebabkannya. Emily tahu, dia harus memberikan sedikit makanan pada anjing pemburu agar mau berburu untuknya. Anggap saja ciuman ini adalah makanan itu. Jadi, ketika Benedict mulai bergerilya meminta lebih dari sekedar ciuman, Emily mendorong Benedict. Lalu, memberi satu tamparan keras pada pria itu, membuat Benedict yang tidak mengira akan hal tersebut tertegun. "Apa yang kau lakukan?" seru pria itu. Emily mengetatkan genggaman di tangannya. "Kau mengambil kegadisanku, Tuan berambut perak, setidaknya kau harus membiarkanku menamparmu meski sekali."

Another tail-chasing journey come forth when Etheral’s original pack was slaughtered and she was forced to become a rogue in a place where unruly rebels like rogues live, feral wolves kill, painted wolves wander and other wild animals hunt. And in the hopes of getting away from the never-ending chase, Etheral continues to survive as a lone wolf until a pack is willing enough to accept her. But many packs didn’t open their doors for Etheral for she carries a peculiarity that a pack member shouldn’t have. Etheral is a runt. And all those packs were afraid to take her in. While Etheral runs away from her nightmares chasing her into the rabbit burrows, there is a question, long been lingering in her heart: Will the tail-chasing continue until she falls down deep on her death bed? Or will she find a new home, her mate, and a better ending?

Vampires and humans cohabit in peace in the City of Pinephil. Vampires are divided into two factions: shadow vampires are the ones who put mercy on the bottom of their list and scavengers are those who do not take pleasure in killing and clanking a glass of human blood but to celebrate holidays like an ordinary human being. And oftentimes, Scavenger Hut is a place to be if you want a safe celebration between you and your family. But behind these great cuisines stands a two-star Michelin chef who has spent his life savoring every drop of chances to earn his third star and vanquish La Rosa. But how can he do it when his adversary is a coward who crawls to the Elders' feet and hides behind his puppets? But as he continues to walk through a crooked path of vengeance and burning ideas... a passerby will hook his craving.

Raden Roro Ayu Rizki Prameswari adalah seorang puteri bangsawan berpendidikan. Awalnya, hidupnya indah dan baik-baik saja sampai akhirnya bertemu dengan Ananda Putera Perdanakusuma (sahabat baik pacarnya) yang menghamilinya. Hidupnya berubah menjadi malapetaka dan ia selalu menyimpan dendam pada Nanda meski pria itu sudah menikahinya. Persahabatan yang terjalin erat selama bertahun-tahun, berubah jadi permusuhan. Roro Ayu ditimpa masalah bertubi-tubi. Keluarga yang awalnya harmonis, tiba-tiba dipenuhi api amarah yang tak kunjung padam. Nanda yang tidak pernah bersikap baik pada Roro Ayu, membuat Sonny tak rela melepaskan wanita itu meski sudah menjadi istri dari sahabat baiknya. Bagaimana Roro Ayu bisa terlepas dari masalahnya? Akankah ia mempertahankan rumah tangganya bersama Nanda atau kembali pada Sonny yang masih sangat ia cintai?

While she’s at home preparing dinner for him, he’s out on dates. While she’s drinking with men to secure a business deal for him, he’s announcing his single status to boost his stock. When she drags herself to the hospital with a high fever, he’s there at the same hospital, caring for René—his mistress. She loved him for ten years, gave everything she had, and did everything she could for him. She never believed their love could die. Yet, it did. She doesn’t hate him; she’s simply exhausted, so she decides to leave. Only then does she find a firm chest and a warm embrace that had been waiting for her all along. With her first taste of true love, she realizes how much time she wasted with her ex, a man who never truly loved her. When he comes home one day, he’s shocked to find the woman who had always been there for him is gone. Regret floods him, and he chases after her, only to see another man by her side, taking sacred vows with her, their hands intertwined. In that moment, he realizes he’s lost the innocent girl who once loved him—the most precious treasure he ever had. And now, she’s gone forever.

Connor Lockwood abandons me at the hospital's entrance even though I'm bleeding in the middle of my pregnancy. He insists on sending his client, a divorcée, home. The blood flows down my legs, but he hurries off without another look back. He should've been at the hospital and by my side, but instead, I see him in his client's social media update. It's captioned, "Thank goodness for my wonderful lawyer. Do you know who gets to have hangover soup when they're drunk? Me!" I spend the rest of the night wide awake. The following morning, I calmly dial a number. "Dad, I've made up my mind. I'll return home in three days to take over the company."