Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works

He kissed my cheek and then pulled away from me, taking my legs, and spreading them wider, seating himself between them. The tip of his member teased my entrance before slowly, he pressed into me. The first thrust caused me to squeeze my eyes shut and exhaled sharply as the pain spread over my entire body. When I opened my eyes again, I could see that Arnold had a worried expression on his face. But then he continued, aiming another thrust. As he stared at me with concern, I saw in those cobalt blue orbs how he loved me… my sister actually. As I observed him exerting control over himself in an effort to prevent him from pushing all the way inside of me or ramming into me, sweat began to trickle down his forehead. It appeared to me that he was having just as difficult as I was, and seeing that gave me some solace. Because of the agony and the pitying feelings I had for myself, a tear trickled down from the corner of my eye. I ought to have lost my virginity to the man I love… to the man who will vow to marry me… and not to the man who already belongs to my sister. After he managed to compose himself, he rolled onto my side and buried his face into my neck while I remained unmoved, staring at the ceiling. What have I done? I gave my virginity to my sister's boyfriend for the sake of money.

The moment she saw Gavin Guevara, she knew he was going to fulfill what she needs and that was steamy fantasies with him. They both just wanted to have some fun, but now it's slowly turning into something more.

Dashmel thought her luck had finally changed when her broke college boyfriend suddenly became rich. She hoped his rise would lift her too… until he dumped her in the cruelest way possible. His reason being that, she wasn’t good looking enough. The worst part was that Dashmel knew he was right. He wasn’t the first person to break up with her for that very reason, and he probably won't be the last. Dashmel was shamed, heartbroken, and unable to escape the rumors on campus. Her college life falls apart... until she crosses paths with Jack. A mysterious and dangerous billionaire. A man rumored by the FBI to be the devil himself. Jack offers her everything she has ever wanted... Wealth, social status, and a secret, forbidden treatment that could make her truly beautiful. Desperate for a new life, Dashmel is willing to pay any price... even her soul. But the devil named Jack doesn’t want her soul. He just wants her to play a game.

Si Mireiah Haruina Adelan ay lumaki sa ampunan, pero dala ng pagsisikap sa pag-aaral ay nakapagpatayo siya ng maliit na negosyo kinalaunan. Sa tulong no'n ay nagawa niyang paaralin ang boyfriend niyang si Iverson Domincillo na asawa niya na rin ngayon, at isa nang may-ari ng malaking kumpanya sa Pilipinas. Ngunit isang nakakapanindik-laman ang natuklasan ni Mireiah tungkol sa kanilang kasal—niloloko lang pala siya ng taong binuhusan niya ng oras, pera at pagmamahal. Makakaya niya bang tanggapin ang lahat o ito na ang panahon para maghiganti at makipaglaro sa taong patuloy na nangloloko sa kaniya?

Alyssa Taylor kept her true identity a secret during her marriage to Jasper Beckett. She thought her burning passion would warm his stone-cold heart, but after three years as promised, all he gives her is a divorce agreement. Disappointed, Alyssa goes through with the divorce and goes back to being the scion of the wealthy Taylor family.Not only is she filthy rich, but she’s also a skilled doctor, elite hacker, and champion fencer. At an auction, she spends money like water to embarrass the other woman who ruined her marriage, and in the business world, she snaps up all of her ex-husband’s deals. Stunned, Jasper questions her, “Alyssa, do you have to be so ruthless?” In answer, she only smiles and says, “This is nothing but a tiny fraction of what you did to me before!”

Lynan finally decided to reveal that he’s gay to steer clear of his sister’s playing cupid schemes. He doesn’t want to get involved again with anyone at the moment and just plans to live happily and peacefully behind his precious camera. Unbeknownst to him, his sister signed him up in a show with a reclusive CEO as the man of the hour. Unfortunately, no amount of complaining and grumbling could get him out of the predicament. The man was a feast for the eyes though. In order to avoid all the possible drama and just have fun ogling the man, Lynan was determined to be a wallflower and stay in the shadows. Watching things unfold could be enough entertainment to leisurely pass the time, right?

Yvette and I fought over who was the real heiress for two lifetimes. In my first life, my parents were convinced I was their true daughter. They coaxed me into going to the hospital for a blood test. However, when I woke up in the ward, weak from blood loss, I saw their faces twisted with hatred as they strangled me. “You fake! Just die!” “You’re not our child at all!” I could not fight back. In agony, I took my last breath. In my second life, I was certain Yvette was the real heiress. I pretended to be sick to avoid my parents. Still, I saw the news a few days later—Yvette’s body had been found in the wilderness, drained to a husk. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn for the second time. Yvette was shaken with fear, while I was dragging my suitcase. Both of us were staring at each other. I looked at her and smiled. “How about we run away together?”

~ ALISTAIR ~ I hate him. There’s no point in admiring what you can’t be. I hate his sharp tongue, his smug smirk, the way he looks at me like he already knows how this ends. I don’t like men. Calvin Rutledge is a problem. A problem I can’t ignore. A problem that’s in my face, under my skin, unraveling me one smirk at a time. But the worst part? I want him. And he knows it. Now, every glance burns, every touch lingers, and every fight makes me crave the one thing I swore I’d never want—him. A man. A know-it-all who plays by his own rules. I was never supposed to want him. And yet, here I am… falling. __ ~ CALVIN ~ I know his type. Rich. Arrogant. A cocky football star who thinks the world revolves around him. Alistair Morano is all that—and more. My sworn enemy. My reluctant project partner. My ‘boss’. He thinks I’m just another nerd he can push around. Cute. But here’s the thing—he’s the one being played. By the time he realizes I’m the one pulling the strings, it’ll be too late. Because he’ll be mine. Mine to tease. Mine to break. Mine to ruin. And when he finally falls? I’ll be right there, waiting to catch him, just to break him all over again.

In the third year of my relationship with Dante Santoro, heir to the Santoro family fortune, I got pregnant. The night before the Don's birthday banquet, he finally brought me home as his girlfriend. Giulia Costa, the housekeeper's daughter, smiled sweetly and asked about my food allergies. I mentioned I was allergic to truffles. In the end, every dish at dinner was loaded with truffles. I swallowed my irritation and grabbed a slice of cake that looked safe. Two bites in, I heard her laugh. "I got creative and mixed truffle powder into the frosting. How is it?" Before I could answer, my throat closed up and I could not breathe. Giulia gasped and covered her mouth. "Ms. Leone, your skin is turning purple! Do you have some kind of contagious disease?" Everyone watched as I was carried out like trash. The moment my allergic reaction cleared up, Giulia insisted on helping me pack. I told her multiple times not to touch my ring. In the few minutes I spent in the bathroom, she "accidentally" knocked it down the drain. That was the wedding ring Dante gave me. I lost my temper and confronted her, but Dante just laughed it off. "She's jealous of your pretty ring. Don't be so petty." That night, Giulia brought sleep-aid drinks to my room as an apology. Dante convinced me to accept her peace offering. I drank a few cups and felt drowsy almost immediately. When Giulia walked me back to my room, I told her to lock the door behind her. Ten minutes later, a group of men shoved their way inside and beat my stomach until I miscarried. The baby was gone. Giulia's eyes filled with tears as she claimed she never saw anyone enter. She said I never wanted the Santoro family to have an heir and had orchestrated my own abortion. Dante went white with rage and ordered his men to dump me in the ocean. When I opened my eyes again, it was the night before the banquet.

Ten years with Don Maximus. I went from the crazy girl who demanded his "undying loyalty" at gunpoint to Chicago's perfect Donna. When Maximus took the casino's hottest stripper to his private room, I didn't lose my mind. Instead, I tossed the woman the keys to a Manhattan penthouse. When Maximus's new flame threw a tantrum at a yacht party, I didn't bat an eye. Instead, after she slapped a waiter in a fit of pique, I made the police problem go away. When Maximus fought with one of his girls, I'd even send her a limited-edition Birkin to smooth things over. And today, Maximus is busy fucking his hot new toy in the study, while another pregnant mistress stands on the estate's rooftop, threatening to jump just to see him. And I'm still the one in my red-bottom heels, calmly going to clean up his mess. The mistress screamed, desperate. "I'm not having this baby! Get Maximus!" I took a sip of my wine, my voice bored. "He's busy today. You have the baby, and I'll make sure seven figures show up in your offshore account." My indifference set her off. She grabbed my wrist, her grip like iron. "You're pathetic, Angelina! There was a time he wouldn't even look at another woman because of you. He slaughtered an entire family for you. When you were shot, he knelt in the pouring rain outside a church, begging God to take his life for yours! But now? You can't even get into his bed. All you can do is stand here and play the gracious Donna!" Her nails left red marks on my skin, but the smile on my face didn't crack. Did she really think a little drama would change anything? I wasn't playing the gracious Donna. I was just done. And I was finally ready to let Maximus go.