Other Words For Water

My mom is 71 years old. Thanks to her arthritis acting up, she's in so much pain that she can't descend the stairs at all. She tentatively calls me and asks if she can rent an apartment that comes with an elevator of its own. But my wife, Lucy Glaser, brings out the household ledger and points at the red numbers on the pages. "Last month, you bought yourself a tie, which is 300 dollars beyond our monthly budget. Yet now you're planning on adding another impulsive expense?" Only then do I realize that I don't even have the freedom to buy myself a tie despite earning an annual salary of tens of millions of dollars. My mom is still trying to explain herself in a humble tone over the phone. "Oh, please don't feel troubled about it, Caleb. I was just asking on a whim. I've already grown used to my old home anyway…" After I end the call, I feel rather stuffy in my chest. What's there for me to feel troubled about? After all, I'm a partner of a top-tier law firm who earns tens of millions of dollars every year. The one who keeps standing in my way is Lucy, who's only a mid-level lawyer yet insists on controlling my finances. She also calls herself the best candidate for the household asset allocation.

(First Generation 3) 'Ang taong gipit, sa patalim kumakapit..' Nang madiagnosed ng cancer ang anak ni Mari Ysabela Fallorina ay napilitan siyang tanggpin ang offer ng isang aroganteng bilyonaryo na si Vincent Veda Lee. She will pretend as his mistress to make his wife jealous at hindi na ituloy ang divorce laban sa lalaki kapalit ng malaking halaga. Dapat ay acting lang ang lahat pero bakit pakiramdam niya ay nahulog na siya sa kanyang boss na mala-oppa? At bakit parang nahulog na rin ang loob nito sa kanya? Maniniwala ba siyang tunay ang nararamdaman nito gayong bago pa lang naman silang magkakilala? Paano kung matuklasan niya ang isang nakaraan na babago sa pagtingin nila sa isa't isa?

The story revolves around the life of a renowned young female lawyer by the name of Nena Daniels whose career as a public prosecutor has earned her fame and respect in the city. She investigates and represents Miss Lucile Johnson In court on a rape charge against the culprit Mr Bayo Justice Madonna. Nena begins to take the case personal on the grounds of her family ties with the victim Miss Lucile, her cousin , even though she had to work on it simultaneously with an even bigger case. Prior to the case at hand, a government task force had been set up in their city for the indictment and apprehension of the leader of the BMO(Black Mafia Organization); a notorious drug Cartel that has been controlling the streets for a long time. Nena happened to be granted a seat at the table of this task force but the little RICO they constructed around the leader and it's most infamous leader - Maestro , seems to be making no headway and yielding no results . The twist of events that led to the great reveal of the whole case became a mystery that Nena had to unfold. Join her on this journey and see the details hidden behind the lines on this crime thriller.

At twenty, she was taken to a night club for the first time. Now, at twenty six, she meets with the one man she has ever slept with. Christopher Allen. She had taken his money and ran. She always hoped to never come across him again. Now, he appears and wants to take his daughter or they get married. Yes, she had a child after just one night. One night of reckless abandon. Her first time. {"You make me laugh, I am here for what belongs to me and I think you know what that is," he said. My heart dropped to my feet immediately after he said that. I know he would want his money and I hope that is what he is talking about. "What do you want, your money?" I asked hoping he will say yes. "You are very funny... I want what belongs to me and you know very well what that is, yes, you took my money but, that's not what I am talking about... I WANT MY DAUGHTER!" } He had come demanding and she had no choice. She either agrees to be his wife or never sees her beloved daughter again. That was what bound her to him for life. A night had led to being his forever.

In my parents' hearts, there was always a "perfect son" who died too soon. I was just his flawed substitute, while my younger brother was their new hope. They pretended to be poor for 20 years, secretly funneling all their resources to him. While I was in the final stages of stomach cancer, writhing in pain, they were spending millions of dollars to build him a state-of-the-art study room. When the doctor told me to notify my family about hospital bills, I felt helpless, thinking they were just ordinary, broke workers. When my mom finally showed up at the hospital, she grabbed my hand, not out of concern. "Neville is under so much stress with his college entrance exams. Can you not die right now? He can't take it." My dad stood by, wearing a stern expression. "David was way more sensible than you."

All because of Leo Cullen’s words, I gave up a place at a top-tier university in Ceres and stayed behind to retake the entrance exams with him—three times. By the fourth year, a girl arrived at our cram school, and Leo forgot the promise we made. He started skipping class, picking fights, smoking—doing everything but studying. One day, I stood at the school gate, blocking his path with a textbook in hand as he tried to ditch class. He smirked, unimpressed, and blew a bubble with his gum, letting it stick to the ends of my hair. “Naomi…,” he began, “who still cares about studying these days?” So I stopped caring and avoided him entirely. When he fooled around in the classroom, I went to the library. When he played basketball, I sat in a quiet corner with my books. Even when I craved noodles from my favorite shop, I’d scan the room first to make sure he wasn’t there. “Are you avoiding me, Naomi?” he asked later, his face in a frown. I shook my head. “Why would you think that?”

One touch, and I was lost.”’ His voice was a whisper against my ear, his breath hot on my neck. “He cannot touch you the way I do, Bella. He does not know your body like I do. You are mine. Every inch of you, every hidden place, every moan you make. And nothing, not even your mother, will keep me from owning this pussy." His words burn against my skin, like a promise and a threat at the same time. "You're mine. And I don't share." ******* Isabella Moretti made one mistake. One night that should have stayed buried. One moment with the man she was never supposed to want; her stepfather, Damian Blackwell. She runs to New York. A fresh start. A shot at her journalism career and a life where she can forget the way his hands felt on her body. But Damian doesn't believe in letting go. Not when it's what he wants. When her mother announces Isabella's engagement to her friend's son and asks her to come home to meet her new husband, she thinks maybe she's finally escaped. Until she sees her stepfather-to-be’s face. It's him. Damian Blackwell Damian isn't just the man whose body she wants; he's hiding something dark enough that could actually launch her career into the world. Or destroy everything she's ever loved. Now Isabella's trapped between impossible choices: Her mother's approval, love and a "perfect" future The man who owns every forbidden part of her soul But some fires don't just burn.They consume everything. A dark stepfather romance where the lines between ambition and desire blur beyond recognition.

Princess Arielle, that's what she's been called her whole life. She's brave, disciplined, upthight and beautiful. When a threat is made to her life, Princess Arielle becomes Marissa, a common maid to the very enemy who threatened her life. Prince Scott, the guy every girl wants. Fun-loving, Care-free, Impulsive. In other words Arielle's opposite. When Scott goes on a business trip to Revillon he finds himself enthralled with his maid who seems like more than he can handle. Trouble arises when Prince Scott falls in love with the very lady, he came to get help to destroy.

In the world of darkness and deception, where power and revenge reign supreme, Daphne Morgan finds herself entangled in a web of fate that binds her to the enigmatic Alex Rodrigo. A successful businesswoman turned assassin, Daphne's life has been a series of unfortunate events. Abandoned by her husband, Drake, who ran away with her wealth and son, she's left to pick up the pieces and fight for custody of her child. In a desperate bid to secure her son's future, Daphne takes up a contract to assassinate Alex Rodrigo, a notorious mafia king with a dark past. However, fate has other plans when she discovers that Alex is her teenage crush, and their reunion is anything but ordinary. As Daphne navigates the complex world of Alex's mansion, she finds herself torn between her mission and her growing feelings for him. Despite his tough exterior, Alex is haunted by his past and struggles with narcolepsy, making him an intriguing and multifaceted character. But Daphne's past refuses to stay buried, and her ex-husband's presence in Alex's neighborhood threatens to expose her secrets. As she becomes embroiled in a web of lies and deceit, Daphne must confront her demons and decide where her loyalties truly lie.

The order of all the underground worlds on this earth is controlled by the Amber family, but the competition for the Amber family's heirs is very cruel, and only one of the nine qualified heirs can survive. Nathan's parents died in the internal struggle of the Amber family, while Nathan was secretly trained and reached the world's top level in business, medical skills, combat, firearms, martial arts and many other aspects. At the same time, Nathan learned special spells from the master of the hermitage, but in order to avoid being killed by other competitors, he faked his own death, married Karina Blackwood, and became a member of the Blackwood family. Became a humble husband. Just to command his subordinates where other heirs don't care, to reduce risks and protect himself, and to wait for opportunities to avenge his parents