So Close Yet So Far

I died on my birthday, but neither my parents nor my husband noticed. They were too busy pouring all their attention into planning my twin sister, Esme Shaw's, birthday party. While she was surrounded by people helping her pick out a gown, I was tied up and thrown into the basement. With what little strength I had left, I forced my broken fingers to press in the code—9395. It was a signal my husband, Edwin Grant, and I had once agreed on. It was a straightforward way to call for help in the event of danger. I never thought I would actually need it one day. But when I sent it, he didn't believe me. His reply was cold, "Claudia, just because I didn't take you shopping for a new dress, you've decided to put on a show? "You can still wear last year's gown. Stop making trouble. I'll see you at the party later." What he didn't know was that Esme had already shredded that gown into pieces. And what he couldn't imagine was that the moment after he hung up, I was already gone. So, when the celebration began, I never appeared. But when everyone saw the birthday gift I had prepared for Esme ahead of time, the entire room lost its mind.

I’m the daughter of the Alpha of the Embermoon Pack. As my post-transformation wolf form was tall, powerful, and strikingly beautiful, I had always been favored by my parents and cherished by the pack. Yet, during a journey with my brother, Gariel, I was betrayed, ambushed, and sold into an illegal mining camp on the frontier. There, electric fences, raised gun barrels, and endless despair became my prison. To prevent escape, the overseer would select a group of so-called “lucky ones” at regular intervals. In front of all the miners, they would hack off their hands and feet. Half a year slipped by in torment, and I wasted away until I was barely recognizable. My body was covered in scars, looking like a demon dragged out of hell. Even so, I clung to the belief that my brother would come for me. Then, one day, by pure accident, I overheard a phone call between the overseer and my brother. “You sure are ruthless to have the heart to sell your beautiful sister to us. Your parents must be losing their minds by now.” Those words instantly extinguished the very last trace of hope I had left.

Alex, a CEO and university professor, struggles with his disabled legs, leading him to be harsh on himself and others. Claire, the daughter of a prostitute, feels low self-esteem and faces numerous challenges in her life with nothing to offer. They are afraid to approach each other, yet their hearts yearn to be together. 'I never chose to love her; my heart did, and I was powerless against it.' 'Three years, thirty years, three hundred years... as long as your heart still loves me, I will still be here waiting for you.'

At that moment he turned to face me. My breath hitched at the intensity burning in his green depths. He stated, "I've decided to let your people go, but on one condition." My throat dried up. "What?" I breathed. His voice dropped to a lilting octave. "Belong to me." __ King Lan is cold, ruthless and powerful. Anything he wants, he gets at the snap of his fingers. Except her. Willow is a sweet, wilful witch who aims to gain her coven's approval after years of being thought weak, clumsy and powerless by her caste-witches. When Lan meets the young, enthralling witch, nothing could've prepared him for the thrilling ride that ensues. A ride that involves pain, betrayal and untamed desires. Will the two be consumed by the age-long hatred between their species, or will they defeat the dark threats surrounding them and succumb to the sizzling attraction burning hot between them? Warning: Mature content. Suitable for readers above 18.

“I kinda wished it was you. I miss you. I want you. I need you. I don't know if you cast a spell over me, but even if you did, I have no problems with that. I want to be yours. And I want you to be mine. You have no idea how jealous I get when I see people touch you intimately. Please, give me a second chance. Baby, I'm begging you. Please.” *** Two years ago, Luke Williams was outed... and the world turned cruel. He spiraled into depression, battling internalized homophobia and suicidal thoughts. But the deepest cut came from Liam Fox... the boy whom he loved so dearly... abandoned him to protect his own image. Luke escaped to Miami, determined to start over. He built walls, buried the pain, and learned to breathe again with the help of his new friend, Sam. Until Liam came back. Now Liam wants a second chance. But he’s still closeted, still hiding, still afraid. And Luke? He’s not sure he’s willing to shrink himself for someone else ever again.

Jika ada di antara mereka yang salah atau lalai dalam melakukan pekerjaan, maka kera putih yang ada di dekatnya akan langsung melayangkan cambukan ke tubuh orang itu hingga menjerit kesakitan dan terkapar. Namun harus langsung bangkit kembali. Yang aneh, jeritan mereka adalah suara kera, bukan manusia pada umumnya. "Kalian tahu, siapa mereka?" tanya Mbah Suro menunjuk pada ribuan orang tersebut. "Tidak, Mbah _," jawab Mario pelan. "Mereka adalah orang-orang yang telah ditumbalkan dan juga orang yang sudah sampai akhir masa perjanjian dengan Iblis, Raja kera," jawab Mbah Suro tenang dan dalam. "Kamu juga akan menjadi bagian dari mereka setelah sampai pada masa perjanjian berakhir," lanjutnya, membuat tubuh kedua orang itu bergetar. "Apa kamu siap?" tanya Mbah Suro langsung menutup pintu dan melangkah kembali ke depan sesaji. Sejenak Mario menjadi ragu, namun bayangan wajah penuh hinaan dari tetangga dan airmata anak dan istrinya membuatnya membulatkan tekad dan kembali duduk bersila di hadapan Mbah Suro. "Kalau kamu siap, akan segera kita lakukan syaratnya sebelum tengah malam. Jika kamu mundur, kamu bisa mencari jalan pulang sendiri. Aku tidak akan bertanggung jawab dengan apa yang akan kamu alami di jalan!" Ucapan

My husband doesn't touch me on our wedding night. He claims he's too tired and asks me to wait. Then, he sneaks into the basement in the wee hours of each night. Whenever he returns, he needs to shower to wash away an indescribable smell. I ask him what he does down there, and he tells me he works out. Why would anyone work out in the middle of the night? I can't take it anymore. One night, I decide to sneak into the basement to see what's going on down there. He chases after me and grabs my pajamas, roaring, "Come back up here! I'll divorce you if you step foot down there!"

Adam Lucky Lacuezo believes that his life is the antonym of his name, Lucky. After 10 years of being a broken man, he met the annoyingly beautiful promdi girl, Jazlyn Bautista. His life has never been the same again because of her. They always fight and scold each other but at the end of the day, she always smiles and let him know that she'll always be there for him. What will happen between this cold man who can't even get his old self back and this woman who wants him to find happiness again? The CEO and his secretary's story.

Depois que minha família faliu, meu noivo, Luis Ribeiro, rompeu o nosso noivado sem hesitação e escolheu Paula Sousa. Foi Jone Loureiro quem me ajudou a pagar as dívidas, cuidou do funeral do meu pai e me resgatou do caos. Nos três anos seguintes, ele nunca me deixou. Eu estava prestes a acreditar que tinha encontrado minha salvação, mas, na véspera do nosso casamento, ouvi ele conversando com o amigo Carlos Araújo: — Você realmente vai se casar com Sofia Lima? Não tem medo que um dia ela descubra que a morte do pai e a falência da família Lima foram obra sua? — Paula já está casada com Luis, e eu estou com Sofia. E se ela descobrir, qual é o problema? Paguei as dívidas dela, enterrei o pai. Já fiz mais do que deveria. Só então eu soube que Jone Loureiro também tinha me enganado. Do começo ao fim, a única que se entregou nessa história fui eu.

My father's adopted daughter was only locked in the cramped storage closet for around fifteen minutes, yet he punished me by tying me up and throwing me inside. He even sealed off the ventilation with towels. "As Wendy's older sister, if you can't take care of her, then you should also experience how scared she was," he declared coldly. He knew I was claustrophobic, but my desperate pleas for mercy, my terror, were met with nothing but heartless reprimands. "Let this be a lesson on how to be a good sister." As the last sliver of light disappeared, swallowed by the oppressive darkness, I struggled helplessly. A week passed before my father finally remembered my existence and decided it was time to end my punishment. "Let's hope this week served as a good lesson for you, Jennifer. If this happens again, you will no longer be allowed in this house." He would never know that I had already taken my last breath in that suffocating room. My body had begun to rot in the darkness.