Poem Sunflower

Sinopsis "...kadang aku ragu, kamu kenangan atau cuma sekedar bayangan. Tapi apapun itu, 'kita' bukan lagi kenyataan sekarang." Itu adalah sepotong surat dari Gathan, pada selembar foto blur miliknya. Fanala sama sekali tak menyangka bila dulu ia dicintai sebegitu besarnya oleh lelaki yang beberapa tahun lebih muda darinya itu. Laki-laki yang membuatnya lupa akan pedihnya cinta pertama, laki-laki yang mengajarkannya jatuh cinta lagi, laki-laki yang konyolnya selalu meninggalkan earphone agar punya alasan untuk menemuinya, juga laki-laki yang hilang dan dinantinya begitu lama.

Ian Tost was the prince of the notorious underworld. Everyone in Harbor City knew he spoiled me rotten. He even went so far as to hire ninety-nine female bodyguards to keep me from harm. It did not prevent a kidnapping attempt on me. One of those bodyguards, Cece Yates, ended up with nothing more than a scratch. Ian immediately brought in the nation’s top medical specialists to treat her. To comfort her, he even took her to the Maldives for a vacation and gifted her an island. Not long after they returned from their trip, Beatrix Kazinsky, my mother, suddenly suffered a stroke and was hospitalized. Then, Michael Kazinsky, my younger brother, died in an accident during a competition. I burst into the morgue while in tears, only to overhear Ian comforting Cece. “All right now, it was my fault you got hurt last time. I’ve made Mira’s family pay for it. You’ve got too much grace to hold a grudge against her.” With my nails digging into my palms, I finally realized everything that had happened to my family was Ian’s doing. It was all just because his precious bodyguard got hurt because of me! I stumbled out of the hospital with my brother’s death certificate in a daze. On my phone, messages from that person kept coming. It added up to ninety-nine share transfer agreements, along with his promise. [As long as you want me, my arms will always be open for you.]

Dahil sa utang na loob ni Solemn sa pamilyang umampon sa kaniya ay pumayag siyang magpakasal sa lalaking hindi niya pa nakikilala. Gayun pa man ay pumayag siyang ipakasal upang makabawi sa pamilyang umampon, nag-aruga at nagmahal sa kaniya. Gusto mang umayaw ng kaniya isipan ngunit ang kaniyang puso ay nakakaramdam ng kilig at pananabik. Kahit na gano'n ay hinayaan niya lang hanggang sa nakita niya ang lalaking papakasalan at nasabi niya lang sa kaniyang sarili "Gagampanan ko ang responsibilidad bilang asawa niya pero hindi ibig sabihin no'n pag-aari ko na siya. Magiging isa kami ngunit magiging malayang ibon pa rin siya. Gagawin niya ang kaniyang gusto at ako ay may limitasyon na, 'di na katulad ng isang malayang paru-paro. Pagsisilbihan ko siya upamg hindi mapahiya ang pamilyang nagpalaki at nag-aruga sa akin sa loob ng dalawang put apat na taon. This is my way of paying my debt of gratitude to their sacrifices and cared for me."

My son, Scott Gould, suddenly tells me that he has leukemia. Then, he goes on to say that his biggest wish is to see Ivanna Newman in a wedding dress. My husband, Theodore Gould, agrees with Scott. "I'll hold a wedding with Ivanna. Once Scott is done with his treatment, we'll get remarried." I gladly agree to the request and divorce Theodore. Not long after, I learn from Scott's social media that he's attending the wedding of Theodore and his childhood sweetheart, Ivanna. The caption he writes says, "I'm so happy for Dad. I can't help but shed tears for true love." I smile and turn off my phone. Holding the hand of the person next to me, I board a plane to Wismuth.

TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains violence, explicit words and sex. Some words and scenes might not be liked or can trigger some readers. Reader's discretion is advised. Caia Lilith Herald suffered tormenting abuse in her own father's hand, making her grow up weak and timid. She even had no wolf to begin with. Even her seven-year long fiancé never came to see her once that she started to believe how useless and unloved she was. However, one day, her fiance, Darkus Loiu Dark- the blood-lust alpha feared by everyone, just came to abduct her, saying it's about time he claim what should have been his. "I know you despise me so much that you kept refusing to marry a rogue man like me, Caia. But I won't let any other man have you. I own you. I patiently waited for seven years just to have you. And I think, it's about time I make you completely mine." What?! She refused him?! When did she refuse him? When all these years, she had been waiting for him like a fool, waiting until he came to save her from this misery. But now, it's even her fault?! What's happening?! This book is a sequel of my first book "The Unwanted Luna Goddess". It revolves around the story of Ruan and Kaliyah's son, Prince Darkus Loui Dark.

Dahil sa isang iskandalo na umusbong, biglang naglaho ang tahimik na mundo ni Lharefa at napalitan ng magulo at walang katapusang paghuhusga, kaya naman napilitan siyang umuwi sa Pilipinas habang iniisip ang planong gagawin. Pero sa hindi inaasahan, may makikilala siyang lalaki na tahimik at matalino pero may tinatago pala itong mabahong sikreto. Matatanggap kaya niya ang lalaki? Paano kung ang binatang iyon ang sumira sa buhay niya? Mamahalin pa ba niya ang lalaking mahal niya at ang nagpabago sa buhay niya o iiwan niya ito dahil sa natuklasan niya ang pinakamadilim nitong sikreto.

She was utterly betrayed, used, and cast aside by the person who was supposed to be her mate. So, just a day before their wedding, she made a daring escape. But little did she know, her journey to freedom only led her into the clutches of another horrifying nightmare, one even more terrifying than before. How on earth did she find herself trapped in her new-mate’s possessive embrace? And to make matters worse, she was helplessly falling into a his merciless and alluring trap. What a bewildering twist of fate!

My wife, Caroline Bailey, was a forensic pathologist. For her first love, Ian Lawson, she was willing to break every rule she held sacred and allowed him into the autopsy room to observe. She even let him throw acid onto a corpse's face. That was, until Caroline took on a new case. As she stood over the disfigured body on her operating table, she began to fall apart. The acid-burned face was starting to look more and more like mine.

I had avoided Snow Judson’s father for the entire five years of our marriage. My career never matched Snow’s, so in his eyes, I would always be beneath them. That day, Snow had a work dinner and asked me to take his father for a medical checkup. When we reached the hospital, the staff told us that the appointment was not scheduled for today. Snow’s father blew up on the spot and swung his cane at me. When I tried to call Snow, I accidentally opened a video that had been posted three minutes earlier. Snow wore a lace camisole in the video. She stood at a sink in a bathroom and washed a man’s shirt by hand. I looked at the caption. [Dinner is over. My boss took great care of me. If I had a wife like her, I would want nothing more.] Snow smiled so gently in the video that I suddenly felt empty. I left a comment under the video. [Wow, is he confessing?]

Before my wedding to Sophie Bennett, the impoverished student I've been sponsoring for ten years posts a photo on social media. "Successfully moved into the new apartment. Soph prepared such a big, soft bed for me!" In the photo, Zachary Wells lies sprawled on the wedding bed I bought for Sophie and my new home, taking a smug selfie with his hand waving at the camera. He's even wearing my wedding ring on his ring finger. Zachary also comments on his own post, "Just thinking about how I'm the first man to lie on this bed fills me with overwhelming happiness!" I reply with a question mark under his comment. The next second, Sophie's call comes through. "I'm just letting Zach experience the warmth of home. Why are you being so passive-aggressive?" In the background, I hear Zachary softly trying to calm her down. "Soph, he's not worth getting angry over." Hearing that, Sophie laughs and banters with him, then abruptly hangs up on me. The two of us have been together for ten years, from ages 18 to 28, and we've finally made it to our wedding day. But now, I no longer intend to go through with it.