Strive Harder Quotes Novels & Stories

(Warning: 18+) He signed the marriage certificate… without ever seeing the bride. For Lucein Don Maginoo, it was nothing more than a transaction — until two years later, when fate throws the truth right at him. His wife has been working under his nose all this time — smart, passionate, and fiercely devoted to her job at the company he leads. Admired by colleagues, trusted by his grandmother. And when he finally meets her… she turns his world upside down. He’s falling—fast, deep, and harder than he ever thought possible. "Let’s make this marriage work. All the couple things to do, I’ll do them with you." But love doesn’t come without battles. When family expectations and deep responsibilities clash with their growing passion, will they fight for each other— or destroy each other in order to protect the ones they love?

Iris and Irene was born as identical twin. Despite of having the same face, their personality often clash. Irene chose to live an ordinary life with her grandmother. Living simply is not that easy. She has to work harder than anyone else, especially when the doctor tell her that her grandmother needs a heart surgery. Meanwhile, Iris was able to live an extravagant life with the support of her parents. Not until she was force for an arrange marriage by her mother. She was now three years married to a cold and arrogant billionaire—Bryle Sanchez. To gain the freedom that she once lost, Iris offered to pay for their grandmother medical bills. In exchange Irene must agree for a one month switch and help her to divorce Bryle. After knowing what kind of person Iris and Bryle during the switch, Irene was left in the middle of choosing what to do and who to side? What if in the end, she can't help herself to feel something special to the target of her mission?

A contract. A night. A mistake that turned into something more. Naia Isadora Lastra never believed in second chances—especially not after catching her boyfriend red-handed and breaking down in the arms of a dangerously charming stranger at a bar. One night. One decision. One unforgettable mistake. She never expected to wake up sore, breathless, and tangled in the sheets with a man who disappears before dawn… only to reappear days later in a designer suit, announcing: "You're going to be my bride... on paper." Ammir Alejandro Silvestri is a cold, calculating CEO, forced to fake a perfect marriage for the sake of his dying grandmother—and the woman he shared a bed with becomes his only option. Now, all eyes are on them. The press, their families, and the ticking clock of a six-month contract. But the longer they pretend, the harder it gets to remember what's fake and what’s not. And when secrets surface, hearts aren't the only things at risk—because falling in love was never part of the deal.

Celestina "Tin" Mercado thought she was the perfect wife—until she found herself hiding in a hotel closet, watching her husband cheat on her with the fiancée of the country’s most feared billionaire, Atticus Valderama. Broken, homeless, and labeled "convenient" by the man she loved, Tin hits rock bottom. But her life takes a twist when Atticus offers her a lifeline. He doesn’t offer her pity; he offers her a deal. To secure his inheritance, Atticus needs a wife. To destroy her ex-husband, Tin needs power. The agreement is simple: Sign a marriage contract, pretend to be the perfect couple, and watch their exes burn. Rule #1: Make it convincing. Rule #2: Destroy their enemies. Rule #3: Never, ever fall in love. But as the lines between "fake" and "real" start to blur inside Atticus’s penthouse, Tin realizes that guarding her heart might be harder than getting revenge.

Aliyah's life has been complicated since she was only a child. Her childhood was so messed up and she never experienced being loved by others— especially by her own mother. That may be the reason why her life became more complicated and uncontrollable to deal with— In fact, she became a rumored mistress of the most admirable and well-known business tycoon in the country, Caleb Walton. Her name became headlines of news and various gossip about her spread all over the country that made her quiet life become tumultuous. As her name became known by many, the negative judgments, various insults about her life, slanders, and threats from the public became much harder to take for Aliyah. But unknown to everyone, she didn't like anything that was happening in her life. She was left with no choice but to become a mistress when her mother sold her for money. How will Aliyah deal with the ordeal of being Caleb's mistress? How can she handle all the judgment and pain that people around her bring into her life when she's just The Innocent Mistress?

Dante Matino Cruz is a delivery rider, sweating day and night just to keep food on the table and medicine for his ailing mother. Life is hard, but his pride is harder—no shortcuts, no handouts, no selling himself for money. Celestine Isla Navarro is a CEO who thrives in a world where hesitation means weakness. She’s used to buying what she wants and bending people to her will. But the day she crosses paths with Dante—sun-bronzed, stubborn, and infuriatingly unyielding—something inside her shifts. Her first proposition is reckless: a single night, no strings attached. Dante’s answer? Not for sale. But fate doesn’t end with one rejection. Celestine offers him something else: a job. A dangerous but well-paid position as her personal bodyguard. The money could save his mother, even secure work for his childhood friend, Liza. It’s everything he’s been breaking his back for—served on a silver platter. Now Dante faces a brutal choice: swallow his pride to protect his family, or stand firm against a woman who never takes “no” for an answer. What begins as a battle of wills turns into a dangerous, slow-burning game of temptation. Pride versus desire. Fire against fire. And in this game, someone will surrender. The question is—who will break first?

COMPLETED. WARNING: Mature Contents! Lumaki ng magkasama si Amelia at Kraner ngunit hindi 'yon naging dahilan para maging malapit sila at ituring na kaibigan ang isa't isa. Kulang na lang ata ay magbuga sila ng apoy sa tuwing nagko-cross ang landas nilang dalawa ngunit sa kabila ng ipinapakita nilang pagkadisgusto sa isat' isa ay nakakubli roon ang tototoo nilang nararamdaman. Protect Amelia at all costs. Kraner vowed to his former police partner, Lucas, that he'll protect Amelia but while carrying out his mission, Kraner falls harder for her. The feelings that he's been hiding for years become more evident. *** Isa lang ang misyon ni Amelia at iyon ang hanapin ang pumatay kay Lucas. Hunting criminals became Amelia's hobby for the last 3 years. She faced countless scoundrel for a much bigger catch–her brother's killer. Nang malaman ni Kraner ang ginagawa ni Amelia ay gumawa s'ya ng paraan para pigilan ito. Kraner stole Amelia's notebook that contained all of the information she gathered for the last 3 years regarding the alleged perpetrator who killed Lucas.

Aiah Villegas is your typical social butterfly. Sunod sa luho, hindi alintana ng beinte ocho anyos na dalaga ang kahit anong negative notion patungkol sa kanya. Party. Men. She loved them all specifically the attention. Not until her grandfather meddle her affairs and wedded her to a certain Rodrigo Dela Costa. Just like the name, literal na lahat dito mula pananalita at kilos ay pangmatanda. And unlike all men circling around her, he doesn't give a damn about her mere existence. Isang pabor na di niya kayang tanggihan. That's how Rodrigo viewed the existence of the pampered princess of the Villegas on his private space. Nothing more. Nothing less. But why does her cheap antics get inside his nerves? At tila ba hinahamon nito ang katatagan niya bilang lalaki... "I guarantee, you'll fall for me, My dear husband." Aiah leaned over his table, deliberately showing the generous view of her cleavage. There's a playful smirk etched on her lips. "Wala pang lalaking tumanggi sa akin." "Then I'll be the first," tugon ni Rodrigo, unbothered, drift his focus back on the piles of papers. "Try harder, My Aiah, then maybe there's a slim chance that I'll fall for you."

"I'll make sure my kiss burns into you, driving you wild and haunting your dreams every night." Hinding-hindi makakalimutan ni Clein ang araw na iyon. Ang araw ng kasal ng bestfriend niya at ang araw rin kung kailan siya unang nabastos sa buong buhay niya. Akalain mong paglabas niya ng cr sa hotel ay may isang gwapo at matangkad na lalake ang humarang sa kaniya at nag-offer ng blank cheque para lamang maikama siya! Clein shredded the check and threw it in the man’s face. “He’s insane! Oh, my, I can’t believe those kind of men exist! Kahit guwapo siya ay wala akong pakialam! Ang bastos! Ang pangit rin ng ugali niya!” Humiling siya na sana ay hindi na niya muling makatagpo ang lalake ngunit pinaglalaruan talaga siya ng tadhana! She discovered the man was none other than Clauze Lexus Ravano, an arrogant billionaire with the world at his feet-and worse, he was a close friend of her boss. And now, Clauze wasn't just offering money. He was weaving a seductive game, one laced with power, charm, and persistence. Clein wasn't easily swayed, but as he pushed harder, it wasn't just his motives that became unclear-it was her own. How long could Clein resist when everything about Clauze drew her in, even the darkness beneath his intentions?

Ga-eul was born in the lowest class status in Joseon. He belonged to the cheonmin or vulgar commoners—like butchers, shoemaker, shamans, magicians, etc. He never had a real name since he was born. Ga-eul was the one that is use to call him because of it's literal meaning that a baby boy born during fall. His family earns a living by performing at town alleys and even in gisaeng's places—typically located near the center of a town. After the early death of their parents, Ga-eul was forced to work harder for him and his sister to survive. Being a performer is not enough that's why he was urged to enter the gisaeng—trained to be courtesans, a prostitute, especially one with upper-class clients—world even though he is a male. He knows that he has a soft heart like a woman but doesn't want to be one. The life of Ga-eul is indeed miserable and unfortunate. He is literally going crazy on how he can managed to send his sister into a hospital—who has a osteosarcoma—tumor in the bone. A huge amount of money is needed for his sister's recovery. One night, while having a mental breakdown, he went to the gisaeng house to plead for his advance payment but the head gisaeng threw him outside. He cried out but then, a nobleman in his 20s approach and asked him to come inside again. He never knew that the nobleman was also struggling in a problem. He thought that the nobleman was just like the other middle class people. He plead but the nobleman offer him a huge amount of money. All he need to do is to marry him. The money offered was extremely helpful to resolve his problem, but should he really let the nobleman buy him?