Stepping Up

Natalia Punongbayan. Is an extraordinary woman. Kapag sinabing extra. Malamang higit pa sa normal ang kaya niyang gawin. She can ruin the life of other just by stepping into their lives. Dahil palos kung ituring siya ng mga kaibigan ay kaya niyang lusutan ang lahat ng problemang kinasasangkutan. She is a con-artist. She can manipulate the mind of her victims. Magaling siyang magpanggap at takasan ang problema sa isang pitik lang. Ngunit sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon ay bumaliktad ang dating komportable niyang buhay nang magkamali siya sa isang mission. Dahil maling kasal pala ang sinira niya nang magpanggap siya bilang kabit at nabuntis ng groom na sana'y target n'ya. Ngayon tila siya na ang pinaglalaruan ng tadhana nang hindi na siya pakawalan ni Argo Greensmith ang lalakng gusto siyang pagbayarin sa lahat ng ginawa n'ya.

“Elena Verlice, you are under arrest for aiding and possibly abetting the escape of an inmate. All you say now may or may not be used against you in the court of law so, you have the right to remain silent.” The voice of the fat policeman that looked like he had lived his whole life on donuts resounded in my office as he cuffed me. Oh my God! What the hell is going on? Why am I being accused of helping her escape? Wait…. He escaped? Tears started to well in my eyes. “How could he betray me this way? I had risked everything for him and this is all I get? I really hoped that he wasn't going to do it. I guess I was only a stepping stone in his elaborate plan. I guess I was the only one who fell, both in love and in life. I thought he…...” I trailed off in thought tears began to pour from my face for the first time in forever.

In this life, I told my father I didn't want to marry Leon Williams. I'd rather marry his half-brother instead. My father was shocked—after all, everyone in town knew I had been obsessed with Leon for ten whole years. But in my previous life, I only discovered the truth as I lay dying in childbirth: the baby I carried wasn't even mine. It belonged to Leon and the struggling medical student he'd been secretly funding. The cruelest part? They conceived it using the drug I had developed. After my death, the three of them lived happily ever after as one perfect little family. So in this life, I'm willingly stepping aside for them. I'm curious to see how their love affair works out without my drug. What I never expected was Leon's reaction when he saw his brother's ring on my finger—he completely lost it.

Adrian Cain has no past. At least, not one he remembers. He woke up at eighteen with a name, a guardian, and a carefully constructed identity that led him to build one of the most powerful tech empires in the world. Now, as the CEO of CainTech, Adrian is feared, admired, and emotionally impenetrable, his past locked behind clinical amnesia, sealed files, and a steel wall he doesn't dare breach. Until the suicides start. After two employees from his most classified division die under suspicious circumstances, trauma counselor Sera Vaughn is brought in to assess the psychological impact on staff. But Sera has her own reasons for stepping into CainTech, her older brother vanished fifteen years ago, and the only lead she has left is a face in an old photograph: Adrian’s. But his name back then wasn’t Adrian. It was Daniel Ward. As Sera begins digging into Adrian’s history and as Adrian’s carefully managed psyche begins to crack, long-buried memories start surfacing: a mysterious basement, whispered codewords, and a girl calling his real name. What neither of them knows is that they were both part of a covert experiment known as Project Phoenix, designed to erase identities and rebuild human obedience from the ground up. Together, they uncover a trail of lies, altered files, and fractured lives along with a chilling truth: Adrian may have been programmed to forget what he did… and who he destroyed. Now hunted by the people who created him, stalked by a version of himself he doesn’t remember becoming, and drawn to a woman whose trust he doesn’t deserve, Adrian must face the darkest corners of his past before they both disappear into it. Because some memories don’t stay buried. Some were never meant to.

Kaira Yaren wakes up with no memory of the man who left her pregnant. Just a pounding headache. She's mocked and shamed by people she called her family. She refuses to endanger her child's life even if it means continuously stepping on her. Meanwhile, Damian James, the cold-hearted billionaire heir, retrieves his lost memories of that one steamy night, after a discussion with his sick father about an arranged marriage, which he despised. He hates staying under the same roof with someone he barely knows except it's business related. But since the chairman made it clear that it would be someone he knows, someone he took as his sister, with no romantic feelings attached, can never be his wife. Hence, to satisfy his father about the marriage issues and ease his concerns. He planned to find the woman he had spent a night with. To him, he hates romantic feelings. He was going to find her only to offer a contract marriage. Just a business. As she's the perfect fit— Vulnerable, quiet, at least that he remembered. What he doesn't know is that she's carrying his child. And by the time Damian discovers the truth, it's already late.. His younger brother, Oliver is already in love with her. Now, Kairan became the only thing Damian has ever wanted after falling in love with her. So was Kaira's favorite cousin, Tony. Whom she thought only cared for her because they were family, but it turned out he had always harbored romantic feelings for her. Three men love a woman, each with a special story and bond with her. With whom do you think she would go? The cold-hearted billionaire with whom they had a night together? Or the others whom she cares dearly for. A must-read!

Just a hug. You're running away. Gets stuck in some trouble. A guy saves your life. Who also happens to be a really famous singer. Now, What if you hug him instead of taking an autograph? What if you both feel the spark? What if you get scared? But...what if he doesn't let go? ------ "You're stuck with me, angel." Asher whistled from behind me. "You'll wish you could take back those words." I said noticing a sort of sinking feeling in my stomach as I turned and looked at him. "What if I don't?" He asked leaning quite close to me. "You will. Everybody does." I said stepping away and continuing to walk. "Even if I'll want to, just hug me and I'll stay." He said making me stop and look back at him. He winked with that breathtaking smile. "Okay, Asherboy." I said back as a smile formed on my lips too.

As each finger was cruelly broken, the agony that surged through her body revealed the truth—her nanny and maids had betrayed her long ago. When her sister confessed to carrying her husband's child, Miranda realized that their prior kindness had been nothing but an act in a sinister play. When her gentle husband, a man she had once loved, directed his new lover to claim her life, she understood she had been nothing more than a stepping stone to his ascent to power... Twenty years in this mortal world, and she was merely a puppet manipulated by others. Yet, fate, in its mercy, offered her a second chance. This time, it was her turn to consign those deceivers to hell! Although she returned only to exact vengeance, how did she unwittingly capture the interest of a powerful magnate this time around? Watching the delicate yet resilient girl, the Duke turned to his subordinate and said “Remove the filth that marred her eyes. Feed it to the dogs."

Arabella Winters made a desperate choice to save her father’s life: sabotage Sebastian Bancroft’s engagement to the Windsor heiress. Her mission was simple, create a scandal that would destroy his wedding plans. And she succeeded. But Sebastian Bancroft is no ordinary billionaire. As the ruthless head of the Bancroft mafia empire, he’s a man who never forgives betrayal. To make Arabella pay, he traps her in a dangerous game of revenge, a contract marriage designed to humiliate and control her at every turn. What starts as cold, calculated vengeance begins to turn into something darker and far more dangerous. The lines between hatred and desire blur as Arabella finds herself falling deeper into Sebastian’s complicated world. Now, she must decide whether to play and submit to his rules or risk everything to rewrite the game against the mafia billionaire who refuses to let her go. Excerpt: “Did you really think you could cross me, Arabella? That you could disrupt my plans and simply walk away unscathed?” Her voice faltered, though she tried to hold her ground. “I… I didn’t have a choice.” “Oh, you had every choice,” he murmured, stepping closer. His breath brushed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. “But now, my vixen, you’ll live with the consequences.” He tilted her chin up with a surprisingly gentle touch, though it only amplified the tension in the air. His tone dropped, low and dangerous. “You’re mine now.” Before she could respond, his lips claimed hers, not gently, but a claim. It wasn’t the kiss of a man seeking affection; it was the kiss of a man who wanted submission. And, despite every instinct telling her to resist, Arabella found herself unable to pull away…

“You’re so wet for me, baby.” I yank on his clothes and pull him closer, “Always so hungry for my cock,” he groans, His eyes are on me as he pushes into me, and I whimper impatiently. He’s taking his sweet time filling me up, loving how he’s driving me crazy. “Good girl,” he murmurs. “Taking my cock like that.” He pulls back almost all the way and then slams into me, finally giving me what I want. I moan in delight and Alexander buries his hand in my hair, pulling me closer. He kisses me roughly, and I lose myself in him. “Tell me how you want it, baby. I want you to come for me,” he says, his lips lingering on mine. “Just like this,” I tell him. “More.” ___________________ In a desperate bid to save her mother's life, Elena finds herself at a crossroads she never imagined. Stepping into the dimly lit embrace of a gentlemen's club, she prepares to make a sacrifice she never thought she would have to make. But fate has a twisted sense of humor, as she comes face to face with a man she never expected to encounter in such a place - Alexander Kennedy. What starts as a chance encounter quickly spirals into a proposition that turns Elena's world upside down. Instead of selling her body, Alexander offers her a marriage of convenience. A deal that promises to save her mother's life, but at a cost she never anticipated. For hidden beneath his charming facade lies a web of revenge, and Elena becomes a pawn in his dangerous game. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Elena is left with an impossible choice. Does she embrace the devil she knows, Alexander, and risk losing herself in his twisted plans?

Valarie never dreamed she’d have to marry the Alpha King—a ruthless leader feared across the land. That was supposed to be her twin sister Vanessa's fate. But when Vanessa is attacked days before the wedding, Valarie is forced to take her place, stepping into a dangerous lie to save her family. Pretending to be Vanessa, Valarie faces a man as cold as he is powerful. Alpha King Tristan Blackwood trusts no one, least of all the bride who seems so different from the bold woman he was promised. But behind his icy walls lies a darkness that threatens to consume them both. As Valarie struggles to keep her secret, unexpected sparks fly between her and the Alpha King. Yet danger lurks in the shadows, and the truth about Vanessa's attack could destroy the fragile bond they’ve begun to form. In a world ruled by secrets and strength, Valarie must decide: will she fight for her freedom, or risk everything for the love of a king who might never forgive her betrayal?