Shadow And Cream

After reuniting with my birth family, my wealthy biological father tossed me a black card and laid down one rule: I could spend as much as I wanted, but I was never to call him Dad—that title belonged only to his adoptive daughter. Clutching the black card, I cautiously bought myself a two-dollar-fifty ice cream cone. Just as I was happily licking the sweet ice cream, the adoptive daughter dropped to her knees before me. "Alice, are you mocking me because I can't even afford something that costs two-fifty in the future?" My brother immediately slapped me twice. "You have money now, but you can't split love. Natalie is my one and only sister!" Then my father splashed boiling water onto my face. "No disgraceful wretch deserves to be a Gervais." To punish me, they sent me off to Rimala, forced to work as a child laborer in the mines. Ten years later, I walked into a grand banquet hall with an ice cream in hand and came face-to-face with my brother, Ansel Gervais, dressed in a hand-tailored suit. "All these years and you're still a disgrace," he sneered, but I couldn't be bothered to argue. "Let go. My dad's waiting for me—and if I'm any later, the ice cream's going to melt." He looked down at me with contempt. "Dad? Who gave you permission to call him that? Natalie will forever be the only Gervais girl—no one can take that away from her!" I rolled my eyes. Who said I was talking about that cheap excuse for a father? I was talking about my adoptive father—the oil tycoon with an incurable sweet tooth. I was in a hurry to let him taste some ice cream.

I'm about to get married under the witness of the Goddess of the Moon. However, Carl Erickson, my partner of ten years, doesn't know it yet. Carl has recently hired a new assistant—Ivy Keating. Everyone in the wolf pack knows something amorous is going on between them; they frequently "discuss work" until the wee hours of the night. A celebration that's supposed to be for our anniversary turns into Ivy's birthday celebration. Carl orders a ten-layer mango cream cake for the celebration—it's Ivy's favorite. They get cream everywhere, but they've forgotten I'm seriously allergic to mangoes. A regular mango is as lethal to me as wolf venom is. I'm taken away by an ambulance to be rescued, and I'm alone when I wake up. Carl is still at the party, celebrating Ivy's birthday. My wolf growls unhappily, and my love for Carl dies. It's then that I agree to the marriage my family has arranged for me. I'm going to marry a true Alpha.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I took my boyfriend's sister to his flashy new influencer hub. Fresh off brain surgery, Benedetta Griffin needed a break from her recovery, and I hoped the trip would lift her spirits. In the hub, a streamer was hawking a face cream like a carnival barker. "Listen, fam! The boss lady is slashing prices. Get this $3,800 cream for just $398 today!" Benedetta tugged my sleeve. "That cream is bad news." She'd interned at the FDA last summer and could spot a scam from a mile away. "It's packed with steroids. Long-term use will ruin your skin." Driven by her sense of justice, she marched up to the streamer. "You can't sell this unlicensed junk. The steroids exceed legal limits. Pull it from the shelves." Morgan Lamb froze, but then her fake smile twisted into a scowl. "Who the hell are you to trash my product?" Benedetta didn't back down. "You're scamming people, and you know it." Morgan planted her hands on her hips. "I'm the boss lady here. How dare you slander my brand? Nobody leaves until you cough up $500,000 for damages." "Boss lady?" My stomach churned. My boyfriend's sudden venture into the streaming industry now made sense. He was sinking money into this hub to bankroll his lover. I fumbled for my phone to call him, but Morgan was faster. "Babe, get to the hub. Two haters crashed the party, trying to tank our business."

I could smell his tempting cologne as he walked closer, his presence making my heart skip a beat. He placed his hands on the wall, caging me in with his strong arms. My breath hitched. He leaned in, his honey-colored eyes boring into mine like he was trying to solve a puzzle. Meanwhile, I was melting—like ice cream on a summer sidewalk. "You look familiar," he murmured, biting his lip as if deep in thought. "Have we met before?" Of course, Jack Harrison—the most popular lacrosse player at Wilford High—wouldn’t know who I am. Why would he? I’m the invisible girl. The one who hides behind books and avoids eye contact. The one no one remembers. And yet… I’ve always noticed him. Jack Harrison. The boy every girl wants. The boy I’ve secretly dreamed about since sophomore year. And then—just when I thought I’d spend another year in his shadow—I found out a new family was moving in next door. To my utter disbelief, it turned out to be him. Jack Harrison, the boy I've always wanted.

Slipping my hand in my panties, I groan, biting down on my lip as I find myself already wet. I hold back the moan, circling my clit, as I imagine it’s someone else’s hand. “What are you doing?” His voice is firm, but not loud. I dipped my fingers into my cream, and licked my fingers. “What a woman married to a sinner does.”

"Why are you angry?" I asked him. "It's not like we're a couple." He stopped, and stared at me, boring my eyes with his emerald eyes. "If we are…" He paused, clenching his jaw, "then am I allowed to be angry?” I looked at him like he was insane. “Then we'll take it to that level." He continued. "I'm serious. I want you.” Leizel Snow Garcia Waterstrings is not just fierce. She's more than that. Ending up as an ice cream worker in a local ice cream shop, it was her one step of becoming a strong and independent woman. And that's when a cold-hearted stranger came in view. Eion Aurelio Hudson. Out of seven billion people in the world, the two hard-headed people crossed paths, making her "strong and independent woman" facade slowly fall apart. With all the dramas, free food, forgotten birthdays, Robot handling, idiots around, and emotional crisis, will she be able to melt his winter heart with her blazing fire or will this fire be put away instantly? ``` ``` One Blazing Head. One Winter Heart. Two Hard-headed people. A huge disaster. (Book 1 of Hearts Series but can be read as standalone)

เมื่อผู้หญิงที่เขารัก ทำให้เธอต้องกลายเป็น ‘ของเล่นบนเตียง’ และฝากแผลใจให้เธอเจ็บเจียนตาย เธอยอมกระโดดลงไปเล่นเกมส์นี้ จนเผลอใจไปรัก ‘ควาe’ อย่างเขา สุดท้าย…เธอยอมอยู่ ‘แบบคนไม่มีสถานะ’ และรอวันเอาคืนผู้หญิงที่เขารัก ‘ให้จำไปจนตายว่า กำลังเล่นผิดคน’

There's literally no one that you can love more than your childhood best friend. You shared baths, ice cream, lunches, everything together and even a bed at times, even when it was in secrecy. Feyi and Ayo didn't have it any different, but they'd been separated for a really long time, so what really changes after that? What happens when you're just...split into North and South with no explanation. And now you're back together, gathering butterflies in your stomach and teasing with small touches, glances and nicknames.

Limang taon na ang lumipas nang durugin ni Elly Panganiban ang puso ni Carl Montesantos at lisanin ang billionaire world nito. Ginawa niya ito upang protektahan si Carl, kapalit ng isang lihim: ang kanilang kambal na anak, sina Liam at Lia—ang lihim na bunga ng pag-ibig na kailangan niyang itanggi. Ngayon, napilitan si Elly na magtrabaho sa Montesantos Holdings, ang imperyo ng kanyang Billionaire Ex na si Carl. Ang pag-ibig ay napalitan ng matinding pagkamuhi at paghihiganti. Araw-araw, sinisiguro ni Carl na maramdaman ni Elly ang pait ng pag-iwan, tinatawag siyang "walang-kwenta" at "basura" sa trabaho. Mas lumala ang sitwasyon sa presensya ni Sharon Montemayor, ang fiancée ni Carl, at ni Theo Ramos, na nagpaalab ng selos sa Bilyonaryo. Sa gitna ng tensyon, nagbigay ng walang-awang kasinungalingan si Elly: "patay na" ang ama ng kambal. Ngunit ang lahat ng galit at paghihiganti ni Carl ay guguho sa isang iglap! Sa Lobby ng kumpanya, nakita ni Carl ang kanyang anak na si Liam. Ang bata, na eksaktong kopya niya at may matatalim na asul na mata, ay sumigaw ng katotohanan: Siya ang ama! Hindi siya namatay! Dinoble ang kanyang pamilya! Ang mga mata ni Carl ay biglang nagbago, mula sa poot tungo sa pag-angkin at walang-sawang possessiveness! Simula na ng giyera! Paano itatago ni Elly ang lihim kung ang Bilyonaryong Ex, na ngayo'y nag-aapoy sa galit, ay handa nang angkinin ang kanyang dugo at lahi?!

เมื่อการพบกันโดยบังเอิญ กลายเป็นจุดเริ่มต้นของโชคชะตาที่ไม่อาจหลีกหนี เธอคือคนที่ช่วยชีวิตเขาเอาไว้ และเขา…คือคนที่เธอเผลอตกหลุมรัก ในสถานการณ์ที่ไม่ควรรัก ความบังเอิญค่อย ๆ แปรเปลี่ยนเป็นความปรารถนา จากความรู้สึก…สู่ความต้องการครอบครอง เดร็กหมกมุ่นกับอัยย์ร่านานนับปี และเมื่อเขาต้องการ คำตอบก็มีเพียงหนึ่งเดียว 'เขาต้องได้เธอมา ไม่ว่าวิธีนั้นจะต้องแลกด้วยอะไร' เพราะเมื่อได้เธอมาครอบครองแล้ว… 'อย่าหวังว่าเขาจะยอมปล่อยไป' เมื่อเหตุการณ์บีบบังคับให้ต้องเลือก ระหว่างอยู่กับเขา หรือปล่อยให้พี่สาวของเธอต้องตาย ทางเลือกเดียวที่เหลืออยู่…คือ 'เขา' แม้หัวใจจะปฏิเสธ ไม่อยากรัก แต่ทุกสิ่งที่เขาทำ กลับค่อย ๆ บังคับให้หัวใจยอมจำนน จนคำตอบสุดท้ายในใจเธอมีเพียงหนึ่งเดียว 'เขา…รักแรก และรักเดียว' …แต่เมื่อเด็กสาวผู้อ่อนต่อโลก ต้องเผชิญหน้ากับโลกที่โหดร้ายและบังคับให้เธอเข้มแข็ง ความอ่อนโยนที่เคยมี จำเป็นต้องถูกทิ้งไว้ข้างหลัง เพื่อแลกกับการก้าวเดินต่อไป…และเติบโตด้วยหัวใจที่ไม่เหมือนเดิม