Rice By Manuel Arguilla

Daisy’s heart raced with excitement as she entered the elegant wedding venue, the sweet scent of flowers filling the air. She held onto her boyfriend Noah’s arm, feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation. But as she laid eyes on her best friend’s soon-to-be husband, her world shattered. The man standing before her was the one she had been searching for all these years. The room seemed to spin as she struggled to comprehend the cruel twist of fate. Her heart sank as she realised he didn’t remember her, treating her like a stranger. The disappointment was crushing, but she accepted the harsh truth with a heavy heart. She steeled herself, determined to witness her best friend Julian’s wedding with the man she had longed to meet. But she didn’t knew that fate had a unique plan in store for her. Unbeknownst to Daisy, she was about to find herself standing on that very aisle, adorned in a wedding dress, instead of her beloved Julian. However, the man she has married - Dylan Astor, despises her with an intensity that is palpable. He has transformed into a completely unrecognisable figure from the man Daisy had encountered years ago. His once radiant, charming smile has transformed into a dark, icy countenance, causing Daisy to hold her breath whenever she sees him. The tension in the air is suffocating, as if a storm is brewing. Dylan knows very well that Daisy doesn't have feelings for him, which only makes him even more angry at her.

One lie sets off a chain of events that drastically alters the lives of several people involving them in a world they had no way out from. Facing the risk of losing her home, Love at the push of her best friend Mira agrees to pretend to be blind in order to secure a job. Her decision is driven by a pure heart, wanting nothing more than to help a struggling soul. As she works, she helps Sebastian while falling in love with his brother, Christian. Love struggles with the burden of her lie, she considers walking away from everything, even if it means losing Christian forever but the lie has already laid roots tying her down and ultimately making her pay the price of her dishonesty while seemingly stripping Christian off of his humanity.

I was supposed to be his mate. His Luna. The woman he vowed to cherish. But under the silver glow of the full moon, **Alpha Cassian Blackwood rejected me.** In front of the entire pack, he shattered our bond like I was nothing. No explanation. No hesitation. Just a cold, brutal rejection that sent searing pain through my soul. I ran. What else could I do? But fate wasn’t done with me. Captured by rogues, I thought my life was over—until **Ronan Vale, their dangerously handsome Alpha, offered me a deal.** A contract marriage. Protection in exchange for my loyalty. A union that would make me untouchable. I should have refused. Instead, I let myself fall into the arms of a man who sees me not as weak, but as powerful. And he’s not the only one. **Kai, the brooding strategist with haunted eyes, and Luca, the charming beta with a deadly smile, both make it clear—Cassian may have rejected me, but I will never be unwanted again.** But now Cassian wants me back. **And he’s willing to start a war to claim me.** I should hate him. I should want revenge. But when I look into his stormy silver eyes, I feel the bond still there, fraying but unbroken. Now, the men around me are asking me to choose. **My past, or my future. My fate, or my freedom.** But no one has realized the truth yet. *I’m not the weak, rejected mate they thought I was.* And I will never be powerless again.

18 year-old orphan, Rose Cintilar, wants to fulfill her father's dream of becoming a stylist. She's talented but has the worst luck. When the senior stylist stole her design again, Rose decided to change her fate and apply for a new job: the assistant to singer, songwriter 'Rum'. But why would an international superstar pick a zero for an assistant? Maybe something isn’t right with Rum. Something about him feels superhuman…and Rose is pulled into the world beyond her own; a world of werewolves, the dark whims and the Moon Goddess; and as the Alpha King's mate, Rose must save him from clutches or the dark whims, or the Moon Goddess would fall and plunge both world into darkness. But why would an Alpha king need the help of a mere human? She's not a werewolf... is she?

When a shy and selfless Sophia Carter agrees to a contract marriage with Alexander Blackwood, her father’s friend's son and ruthless billionaire,she affirms that she is laying her freedom for her family's survival.. However, the arrangement became a web of deception and betrayal. Sophia discovered that Alexander not only married her to secure his inheritance but also to gain control of her late father's company. Sophia faces constant humiliation from Alexander’s manipulative ex-fiancée, Victoria Hastings, and his estranged cousin, Julian Cole who has developed affection for her for so long, seeks to destroy Alex. Despite her initial weakness, Sophia begins to change, seeking the truth about her father’s business downfall and challenging the forces that seek to break her. During the challenging times, Sophia and Alexander suffered with their relationship through different schemes of betrayal from Julian and Victoria that threatened to set them apart. When Sophia becomes the target of Julian’s final, dangerous scheme, her courage and recent strength turn the tide. Alexander admits his own flaws and fights to win Sophia's life and affection.

The Kingdom of Acantha was once ruled by Shadow Wolves and Daughters of the Moon, but the oppressed race of humans staged a revolution, killed all the Supernatural creatures, and took the Kingdom for themselves. Centuries later, the Kingdom changed, drowned in poverty and corruption. Elora is next in line for the throne, but her insubordination to her Father caused her to be banished and forced to join The Hunt, a deadly tradition meant for those who want to gain honor by killing beasts. During her journey, she stumbles upon the last pack of Shadow Wolves. . . . And she's trapped in the arms of their Alpha.

Jenna Nova watched everything taken from her when her father died. Yet, it wasn't as gut drenching as seeing her boyfriend eating her Stepmothers' pussy after being kicked out of her father's multinational company. Getting drunk at the bar and ending up in the wrong room. She woke up in the company of a dying man, saving his life in the process. Everything changed when she found out about his identity. That man was Casper Blade, the newly inaugurated CEO of Blade Towers and ruler of the dark mafia. Not only was he cold and ruthless but it was also rumored that he was the devil disguised as a human. He was attractive to the kill but his heart was as dark as coal. He was everything she feared and before she realized, he got her just where he wanted her. Against his dangerous family and all odds, he broke protocols just for her. Still, Jenna couldn't accept his obsessive love and tried to escape but why couldn't he let her go? He had taken over her mind and when he found her, she begged to be left alone. His lips parted slightly, and he spoke like a demon. "Return my heart, and I will let you go."

Left on their wedding day by her fiancé, Alice finds herself in a contractual union with a wealthy man urgently seeking a bride.Over time, she came to the realization that dealing with the billionaire was no simple task, and being married to this formidable yet merciless man felt like navigating a profound abyss.Life is not always a bed of roses even for the people born with golden spoon.

"She is not property. She is my mate and you will not mention 'her' like you're talking about a burnt banana peel."   My breath hitched.   No one had ever defended me like that.   Not once.   Kael glanced over his shoulder at me, his expression softer now, protective. "But it’s her choice. Not mine. Not yours." .......................................................... At just eighteen, Meeva Vale thought that she had found her fairytale ending, an Omega chosen as Luna by the Alpha of the Sinhound Pack. But six years later, her marriage to Alpha Jared has left her silenced, sacrificed, and stranded in a life that no longer feels her own.   When the powerful Alpha Kael Edgar of the Brawnstorm Pack storms into her territory to confront Jared over a broken trading treaty, everything changes. With a single glance, the bond between Kael and Meeva ignites. But Meeva is already claimed, married even.   But Kael doesn’t give two fucks.   He lays siege to the pack and takes Meeva with him, officially staking his claim as her mate. Her wolf betrays her heart, surrendering to him long before she does. What begins as a sinful passion quickly transforms into a deeper whirlpool.   With a dark sorcerer on their tail, their story is about to take a very unnerving turn.  

Six years after being banished from her pack by her father, Sydney is raising her twins with her aunt. She has given up on finding her mate and is no longer interested in love. But this changes when she's mated to Alpha Alexander. Once again, she's in love but it's cut short by a painful rejection. Sydney is determined never to love again but the Moon goddess has other plans for her.