Take Off Chapter 1

"Marry me for three years. Once Leah is back, we’ll divorce, and I’ll give you ten million dollars." The words were a cold offer, spoken so close to her that she could barely breathe. Alexander King—ruthless, untouchable, looks to die for and heir to the King empire—has never been the kind to beg. But when his first love, Leah, disappears, he makes a deal with Athena Dawson, the orphan girl his family has sponsored for years. Three years of marriage to protect the position of wife for Leah. A contract. And a promise of millions. But Athena doesn’t want his money. She wants him. She agrees, hoping that in those three years, she can make him love her—not as deeply as he loved Leah, but just enough to make him keep her by his side. And for a while, it almost seems possible. He’s sweet. Protective. Almost hers. Until Leah returns. Just like that, the dream shatters. The warmth disappears. And the man who once held her so gently turns cold, placing divorce papers in her hands as a cruel reminder of the deal they made. Their dirty little secret. But what if Athena isn’t the same girl who agreed to the contract? And what if, for the first time in his life, Alexander King realizes he made a mistake?

On the day I go to the car dealership to pick up my car, I'm told that the previous salesperson has resigned, so a different salesperson will attend to me. Yet the first thing the salesperson does is say that I paid too little for the car and demand that I pay more to make up the difference. "The other salesperson is truly an idiot. How could he sell a car for 300 thousand dollars in cash? It's no wonder he got chewed out and quit. If you want to take the car, you'll have to switch to a five-year loan with an interest rate of 12%." I'm rendered speechless as he blatantly tries to extort me. "I've already paid and signed the sales contract. You're breaching the contract!" The salesperson scoffs. "So what? The car is with us anyway. If you're not going to pay the difference, don't even think of taking the car with you!" I can't help but chuckle. I calmly pull my phone out of my suit pocket. "Walter, place Mr. Paul Roland's loan application on hold for now. He's earning big bucks for his business. It seems like he doesn't need it anymore."

Auretta never imagined that one day, her mate would slander her, reject her, send rogue assassins to kill her and claim her pack and all its members ten days after she gave birth to their son. However, the two rogue assassins did not murder her. They helped her take revenge and reclaim everything Alpha Andrew had taken from her. Alpha Andrew of the River Oval Pack was unaware that his former mate dared to pose as their child's nanny and was secretly plotting to destroy him. Will Auretta succeed in her revenge, or will she allow herself to fall back into the arms of her ex-mate?

My husband's first love jumped to her death due to depression and landed right on me as I was passing by. I was rendered unconscious on the spot and subsequently rushed to the ICU. However, my orthopedic surgeon husband stayed by his first love's side to comfort her over her minor scratches. He even refused to sign my Critical Care Notification. "Whoever joined her charade can get lost along with her! Come to me when she's really dead!" he said. It wasn't until he received a death certificate that he realized in horror—the deceased's information was identical to mine.

On my wedding day, my groom's sister, Nadia Lawson, wears an elaborate ball gown and comes on stage to snatch the emcee's microphone. Before all the guests, she arrogantly says to me, "Can't you see the princess is here? Why didn't you curtsy and greet me? You deserve to be punished! Get on your knees and prostrate yourself before me as an apology!" My expression sours at her insolence. I turn around only to see the indulgent expressions on her parents' faces. The groom, Bowen Lawson, says dotingly, "We spoiled Nad silly since she was a child. You are her sister-in-law now. Don't make things hard for her." I am so mad that I can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. The clown thinks she's a princess, asking me to kneel before her? Ridiculous.

My boy friend Caleb Ford's childhood sweetheart, Julia Leclair, is losing her hair from chemotherapy. So, he orders me to cut mine off and make her a wig. "Julia's allergic to synthetic wigs. You've been growing your hair for ten years—it's perfect." I refuse, but his friends tie me down. Someone shaves my head to the scalp, buzzing through my thick, glossy hair until nothing's left but a butchered mess. Julia sits in her wheelchair and laughs, saying I look like a toad. Caleb smiles and nods in agreement. He adds with a chuckle, "It's just some hair. Was that really necessary?" But back when I was bullied for having uneven, choppy short hair for six straight years, it was he who stood in front of me. He had his arms spread wide as he shielded me from harm. Now he's the one wielding the blade. One by one, their little circle chimes in. They tell me not to hold a grudge against someone who's sick. Caleb snaps impatiently, "Stop trying to talk sense into her. She can get lost! Did you see that fit she threw over a few strands of hair? It's not like they won't grow back." I turn around and walk away. I never look back. Later, I hear that Caleb begs for my forgiveness by kneeling his way up 9000 steps until his knees are ruined.

“Alright, thank you. Mrs. Andres… Or should I call you, Ms. Santos?” Anim na taon silang kasal, ngunit kahit minsan ay hindi naramdaman ni Lorain na minahal siya ng lalaki. Ngayon na napirmahan na niya ang divorce paper na nais ng asawa, pinili niyang lumayo. Pero paano kung sa pagbalik niya sa pilipinas ay muli silang magkita? “How dare you to touch my wife?” Mariin na sabi ni Jake sa lalaking kahalikan ni Lorain sa bar. Pagak na napatawa si Lorain,asawa… Wala akong asawa.

After an unexpected pregnancy, Silas Shaw, who had always avoided the topic of marriage, suddenly proposed to me. Overjoyed, I readily accepted. However, on the day of the wedding, I stumbled upon an unexpected conversation between him and his friends. "Are you really going to marry Chaldene just because of your child with Nora?" one of them asked. Silas was visibly irritated and full of disdain as he responded, "It's all because of my mother. She kept saying that Nora's family background wasn't good enough.” "If it weren't to give my child with Nora a better status, why on earth would I marry Chaldene?” "You have no idea how boring a woman like her is in bed. I got tired of her after sleeping with her twice."

Ei-An had chosen to live in seclusion sa isang liblib na lugar na pag-aari ng kanyang namayapang mga magulang. Being the writer as she is, the atmosphere suits the life she wants - tahimik, relaxing at cozy, and of course, being one with nature... Ngunit nasira ang pananahimik ni Ei-an nang biglang maligaw sa kanyang munting paraiso ang isang hari - hari ng kayabangan at kaarogantehan! Ang hindi lang niya inasahan ay nang mawindang ang kanyang puso, dahil ang isang King Pierce Kevin Santillan ay hari din ng kaguwapuhan at kakisigan! There's a small voice telling her that she could trust him. Hanggang sa namalatan na lamang ni Ei-An, si King na pala ang "hari ng kanyang puso"... Sa paglalakbay ni King sa mga bundok ng Pilipinas, nakilala niya ang isang babaeng taga-bundok. But contrary to the typical "babaeng taga-bundok", Ei-An is the most alluring goddess in her nature paradise. King feels serene and calm whenever Ei-An is around. It's the first time na nakaramdam siya ng ganoong klaseng contentment. He wants Ei-An to be his. Nag-propose siya sa dalaga at ipinangako na babalik makalipas ang isang buwan para sa kanilang kasal. But something very unfortunate happened... Sa kanyang pagbabalik, natuklasan ni King na ang babaeng itinatangi ng kanyang puso ay kasal na sa kanyang kapatid, Prince Kevin Kiev Santillan. They're expecting a baby too! Paano pa niya ngayon makukuha ang babaeng pinakamamahal kung sa mata ng lahat ay asawa na ito ng kanyang kambal?

I took a bullet for my boyfriend, Leo. When I woke up, I decided to play a little game. I told him I had amnesia. I wanted to see what he'd do. Instead, I saw a flash of excitement in his eyes. Next thing I know, he brings in his cousin. Dante. The Don of the family. "This is your fiancé, Dante. You've been engaged for two years." Dante. The man who supposedly hated me. Now he was staring at me like I was his whole world. "Yes," he said. "I'm your fiancé." Fine. I'll play along. I need to know what game Leo is playing. That night, I saw it. Security footage in Dante's mansion. Leo, in bed with another woman. He kissed her like he was starving. Pushed inside her. And he talked trash about me. "Let my cousin watch Bella for a while. She's so damn needy. You're what I really need, Scarlett." My heart shattered. He pawned me off on another man. Just so he could screw around. Fine. Two can play at that game. I'll get myself a new fiancé. I put on the wedding dress. I kissed Dante—a deep, devouring kiss, right in front of Leo. And that's when he finally broke. He lost his mind. Told me he was wrong and begged me to come back.