Novel Of Manners

"Cleonne Marie Deigmen, do you accept Ashton Kleid Ditfreid as your lawful husband?" tanong ng pari habang nakatingin sa akin. Nakabibinging katahimikan ang umalingawngaw sa loob ng simbahan. Tila ba lahat sila ay takot na magsalita dahil alam nilang masama ang kahihinatnan niyon kung sakali. "I-I do..." garalgal ang boses ko na sumagot. Ramdam ko ang panginginig ng buong katawan ko habang nakatayo sa harap ng altar. Buong buhay ko, wala akong ibang pinangarap kundi magandang buhay para sa pamilya ko, at mahanap ang lalaking pakakasalan ko balang araw. Iyong lalaking makatatabi ko sa altar sa at kasama kong susumpa sa harap ng maykapal. Pero hindi ko akalaing ang araw ng kasal ko, ang siya ring magiging pinaka-masalimuot na araw sa buhay ko.... "I now pronounce you, husband and wife. Mr. Ditfreid, you may now kiss your bride." Ang panginginig ng buong katawan ko ay mas lalo pang nadagdagan nang sabihin iyon ng pari. Unti-unti ay humarap ako kay Ashton na seryosong nakatingin sa akin. Iniangat niya ang veil mula sa ulo ko at doon ko nakita ang mga mata niya. Hindi pagmamahal ang nakikita ko sa mga iyon, ang tanging nakikita ko lamang ay galit, poot, at paghihiganti. "You are mine now, Cleonne. At ito ang tatandaan mo, habang nabubuhay ako, hinding-hindi mo mararanasan ang salitang kaligayahan." bulong niya sa akin bago niya tuluyang ilapat ang labi niya sa mga labi ko. Magmula nang araw na iyon, alam kong ang buhay ko ay hindi na sa akin. Dahil magmula nang araw na iyon ay nakatali na ako sa lalaking hindi ko naman mahal, sa lalaking walang ibang gustong gawin kundi ang makapaghiganti sa akin, at iyon ay walang iba kundi si Ashton Kleid Ditfreid.

Kevin merasa risi dengan orientasi seksualnya yang menyimpang. Semua itu membuatnya dijauhi teman-temannya dan diejek oleh senior di sekolahnya. Dia bahkan sampai dikatai banci.Kevin Kemudian memutuskan untuk ikut pelatihan karate supaya menjadi lelaki normal gagah dan maco yang menyukai perempuan. Akan tetapi, di sana dia justru bertemu seseorang yang membuat hatinya bimbang.Lambat-laun, kedekatan itu membawanya pada sebuah dilema besar. Sekarang Kevin harus memilih dua pilihan. Merelakan cintanya dan kembali pada tujuan awalnya, atau tetap mencintai orang itu dengan sejuta risiko yang ada?

For Serafina, they are a picture of a perfect family. She has a caring and loving parents. But an event turned her life upside-down when her mother died. Her father remarried and suddenly got into an accident. Jacob is desperate to get his inheritance. And his grandfather has only one condition that is to see him getting married before he died. Unexpectedly their path has crossed and they’re both desperate in different circumstances. Will they found the love and contentment despite of their convenient marriage?

I jolt awake to splash of ice cold water making contact with my warm skin and ripping me from my dreams. Looking up I see my perpetrator and best friend Bailey giggling, and holding a now half-emptied bucket. “Wake up loser! Last day on the beach and you choose to sleep?” I roll my eyes in annoyance at her bubbly enthusiasm. “Alright I’ll get in for a bit but I’m not going to stay long,” I state with a huff. We each grab a floatie and make our way waist deep before hopping on and linking arms to keep from drifting apart. “Are you excited to be heading back tomorrow? I know I am!” Bailey quipped. Honestly I’d been avoiding that thought the whole trip. Returning to our pack was the last thing I wanted to think about. This week at the beach had been the calm environment I desperately needed after senior year. Returning would mean I would have to finally confront the drama that has become my life the last three months. All through high school I kept my head down, focusing on my team and training. Despite keeping to myself there was always one person stirring sh*t up, my ex, Austin. His father, the Alpha to our pack, gave his life in one of the pack battles last year. Leaving his Luna to raise Austin and his sister on her own. Austin would now be eligible for the Alpha title which worried me. Up until we left he had shown blatant disrespect to my father, Beta to our pack. Not to mention he still had his eyes and ears on me. Returning was the last thing I had on my mind, knowing sh*t is about to hit the fan.

I was scheduled to die in less than 24hrs from now. And the person who conspires to put me out of my miserable life is the one who put me through hell. His hell. My husband. I didn't mind dying. I was rather happy to finally get this thing over with. You know, get over life. But just when I was ready to rest in peace, I met her. Her beautiful blue eyes glittered with tears bringing light to this moonless night. The cold breeze brought a shiver to her fragile tiny body. She looked nothing less than a porcelain doll, delicate and clean. But she scared me when she looked at me with hope. Hope to save her. I laughed at this naive little girl. How was I to save her when I couldn't save myself? Nevertheless, I extended my hand for her to take, and with some hesitation, she wrapped her whole hand around my one finger. First time in my meaningless life I felt a spark. Spark of life enlightened in me with her one innocent touch. She made me want to live a little while longer with a small innocent promise, holding me tight to live with her, for her. Cover by @Aphroditelivid

Natasha Kristen Gonzaga, is a cheerful, beautiful, and smart girl. Being a child of renowned business tycoons, she was born with a golden spoon. Having a whole empire waiting for her. She has everything. Everything beautiful this world could offer. She was envied by most. Thinking she has the perfect life. But life, can never be perfect. It is not made perfect. She always feels unloved. And when she finally found someone who would love her, it was short lived. Her happiness was retrieved. That’s when she decided to stop searching for it. That it is not true. And it will never be… at least for her. She thought she already moved on. That all of what happened stayed at the past. But when she saw him again. All of the walls she built started crumbling to pieces. Would she allow it to happen? Would she let her walls break down and let him come in? Would she let her self believe in that word called ‘love’ again? Would she believe in his whispers? His whispers of forever?

Victor and I were nothing more than a pair of sworn enemies married inside the camp. He hated me for handing over my frail sister to the research institute, all so they could extract the antiviral serum from her blood. And I hated him for never seeing anyone but her, even in the apocalypse, when she could barely lift a metal rod. For the ten years of the apocalypse, the words we said to each other most often were, "Die a miserable death." … However, when the zombie horde finally broke through the last line of defense, he chained me to the modified mech truck and went out alone to face it. "Live…" I watched as the tide of corpses swallowed him whole, the crack of breaking bones mixing with the sound of flesh being torn apart. On the edge of death, he pulled out my sister's faded photo and placed it over the one clean spot on his chest. "This life is yours. But if there's a next one, don't go near her again." … That night, when I returned, I blew up the camp. When I opened my eyes again, I went to the zombie king. His razor-sharp claws closed around my throat, and I smiled as I took hold of his hand. "Let's make a deal. Give humans five more years, and I'll willingly be your queen." Last time, he gave his life to save me. This time, I'll be the monster—so they can all get what they want.

At 18 years old, Elena Carter was framed for a murder she never committed due to the painful betrayal of her sister and the man she loved deeply. She was sentenced to spend her whole life in prison, losing everything she ever had. Ten years later, with all hope lost for her ever leaving jail, she is suddenly visited by Damien Vance, the cold and ruthless billionaire brother of Lucas Vance, the man she was framed for killing. He offers her a way out but it will come at a price—a contract marriage and a new face. With desperation and hunger for revenge, she accepts the deal. With Damien as her unlikely ally, Elena must uncover the truth, and bring down those who betrayed her while also surviving Damien’s cold and ruthless hold over her. Revenge won’t be easy, but Elena is willing to risk everything to get it.

Georgina knew nothing of her father's dealings with the Richardson family. She only knew that she had fallen in love with her husband against his wish. She desired Adam so much but as theirs was a marriage convenience, she could only look, not touch. She had her own reason for agreeing to marry him--which was not financial gain, as Adam ruefully thinks but how could the truth stay hidden, when she shared such intense passion with her husband...

I licked her earlobe and whispered, "You're a good girl, Amelia. Let me corrupt you." She began moaning and said, "Please, please," over and over under her breath. I wanted her so badly, but I wanted to enjoy this moment even more. "I'm going to make you come, baby. I'm going to make you come so hard that you lose control of your body. When I'm done with you, you'll be a villain, too," I whispered in her ear. Adrian Chase was the King of DC and the most feared lawyer in the country. Laws bent for him, as simple as that. Amelia Hartley's quest for justice made her the target of one of the largest and most corrupt pharmaceutical companies. Their paths collide, and a dangerous attraction draws them into a web of desire and deception. They both seek justice, but Adrian is willing to break hell for it. Will Amelia burn it with him, or will she become one more pawn in Adrian's quest for revenge? Empire of Deception is created by Amelie Bergen, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.