Tends Toward

{Warning: Some chapters of this story, entails erotic and matured contents. Read as your own dim fit, or at your own detriment. Consider this an authors advise.} "Then I realize what it is. It's him. Something about him makes me feel like I am about to fall. Or turn into liquid. Or burst into flames." * * * Amethyst Villarreal had been secretly in love with her best friend - Sebastian Almonte. But something between her dream to win the heart of the man she love. Pietho, her cousin who is her best friends fiance. Alam n'ya na mali ang mahalin ito ngunit ayaw paawat ng kan'yang puso. She tried to hide it, even if it pains her the most, but she couldn't believe and never expected that Wade Harris Coleman - Seb's best man, knows her romantic feelings toward her best friend since then. Ngunit sa kabila ng inis n'ya rito ay natagpuan n'ya ang kan'yang sarili na ibinubuhos dito ang lahat ng sakit na dinaramdam n'ya sa mahabang panahon. And the next morning she found herself next to his bed . Now, how was she going to get out of that mess? ✓ Collaboration Series of PaperInk Publishing House ✓ Not for minors

Rose’s life has been perfectly planned out by her mother. She is to marry as a virgin to a wealthy heir, ascend the social ranks as a devout religious ambassador, and, above all, never tarnish the family’s impeccable reputation. But Rose isn’t one to follow anyone’s script. She’s writing her own story. And in one reckless night, everything goes terribly wrong. A harmless crush turns into a passionate kiss with a mysterious, older man at a club. The morning after, things take an unexpected twist. The stranger from last night is now sitting in her living room—his name is Ryan, her step-uncle. He’s moved to town for business and will be staying in her father’s house for the foreseeable future. With her mother already planning her wedding and pushing her toward a future of obedience, the last thing Rose needs is a sinfully-hot, irresistible step-uncle who defies everything her upbringing has taught her. But what if Ryan is the one temptation she can’t resist? As the undeniable attraction between them grows, Rose faces an agonizing choice: will she surrender to the forbidden desire and risk destroying her family’s legacy? Or will she cling to the life her mother has meticulously crafted for her—at the cost of her own happiness?

After I help my boyfriend register his company and successfully land his first deal, he finally decides to make our relationship public. But his junior from college, who's always had this weird hostility toward me for no reason, beats me to it by sliding into the seat next to him. She leans against my boyfriend's chest, her voice smug and satisfied. "Didn't you say you'd wait until the company officially launched? So why the rush now?" My boyfriend says nothing. Instead, he hands her a share certificate and announces to the entire room that she's the company's largest shareholder. The room explodes. Everyone starts whistling and cheering them on. The junior takes the opportunity to kick me while I'm down, throwing insults my way. My boyfriend doesn't just fail to stop her. He actually joins in with his own snide remarks. "Sure, you helped me set up the company and brought in our first client, but she's the one who can actually take us somewhere." I don't get angry. I graciously acknowledge the junior's new position. I want to see how far they would get without me, their biggest asset and most valuable connection.

On the night before our wedding, my fiancée's ex-boyfriend lost in three rounds of Truth or Dare. Round One was Truth. He had to confess the most intimate thing he'd ever done with the opposite sex. Rob Ross shot me a wink. "That scar on Dorothy's thigh? I accidentally bit her there." Round Two was Truth again. He had to reveal a secret no one else in the room knew. He blushed a little. "When Dorothy was fast asleep, I took care of her physical needs for her." Round Three was Dare. He had to kiss a lady in the room for a full ten seconds. Without hesitation, he turned and kissed my fiancée, Dorothy Bryant. Dorothy froze for a moment, then held the back of his head and kissed him back. As the room watched in shock, she pulled Rob behind a screen, and they proceeded to entwine passionately, oblivious to the stares. The entire room fell into a stunned, suffocating silence. Every pair of eyes swiveled toward me. They all braced for an explosive outburst. But when the pair finally emerged from behind the screen, still lost in each other, I was the first to break the tension by clapping enthusiastically. "Such being the case, why not make him the groom tomorrow?"

My mother gave birth to a pair of twins. I, the first twin, lived with my grandmother in the countryside since I was little. My twin brother, Felix Carter, lived with our parents during the same period. After I got accepted to a high school in the city, I was finally allowed to live with my parents. I thought I could finally have a taste of the familial love I'd been yearning for. Little did I know that this was the start of my nightmares. My parents and Felix ostracized me all the time, as though I were an outsider. Heck, my status at home wasn't even comparable to that of Felix's pet dog! One day, Felix stuffed a piece of kiwi into my mouth against my will, claiming that he wanted to help me get rid of my allergy toward kiwis. I pleaded with my parents for help with great difficulty, and yet all I received were cold glances from them. "Don't be a wuss! Are we expected to quit eating kiwis because of you?" "You're allergic to kiwis? Ridiculous! You'll get used to them after eating them a few more times!" But what my family didn't know was that severe allergies are actually fatal to the patient.

My CEO wife, Gianna Richmond, plans on finally publicly announcing our marriage after our company successfully secures funding. However, Shane Jagger, a junior colleague that she recently hired, suddenly takes the mic from her and bashfully says, "Ms. Richmond, I really didn't think that you would be making our relationship public so quickly. Aren't you spoiling me a little too much?" Gianna doesn't refute that. Instead, she arranges for him to work on a very important project to help him fast-track his growth. At once, all of her employees erupt in cheer and applause, praising them for being a match made in heaven. A long-time colleague, Henry Danson, notices that I'm not saying anything in response, so he whispers to me, "Hey, Brandon, aren't you usually really good at pleasantries and networking? Hurry up and show some support!" I decide not to make a fuss. Instead, I take off my project manager work badge and push it toward Shane instead, declaring, "I don't think just being part of the project is good enough for your status. You should be the project manager as well. Think of it as my gift to you for making your relationship public!"

My sister, Vivian Richmond, is celebrating her birthday with the rest of the family while I lie trapped in an abandoned factory, bleeding heavily. She's hired four thugs to torture me, and they've left me fighting for my life. I crawl toward my phone with what little strength I have left. When I finally reach it, I call my husband, Ethan Monroe. "Ethan, I'm seriously injured. Come save me now… I'm at the factory nearby. It won't take much of your time…" He scoffs at my weak, desperate voice. "Sienna, whining won't get you anywhere. Are you playing the victim now?" he says. "You'll stop at nothing to ruin Vivian's birthday party, huh? Hurry back with a gift and apologize to her, or I won't go easy on you this time." Before I can speak, I hear Vivian calling his name over the line. Ethan has no idea that the moment the call ends, I no longer need his forgiveness. He doesn't know that the foul, rotting corpse that makes even an experienced forensic pathologist like him recoil in disgust belongs to the wife he's hated for years.

I had just been discharged from surgery for a collapsed lung when my boyfriend took me to a childhood friend’s birthday party. At the party, he yanked off my ventilator and used it to inflate party balloons. My chest seized violently, as if my lung had been torn open. Justin Miller turned to Sophie Shaw proudly and said, “See? This is so much easier than blowing them up with your mouth.” I gripped the doorframe. I was gasping as my vision blurred. “Justin, I need that to survive! I can’t breathe!” His expression darkened. “Sophie was kind enough to invite you to her birthday party. Know your place! Besides, she put in a lot of effort for this day and spent hours preparing for it. Are you really going to ruin the celebration?” I struggled to speak through the pain. “Is her surprise more important than my life?” I extended a trembling hand toward the ventilator, but Justin waved it aside. He said impatiently, “I already checked. You won’t die from holding your breath for just a moment. Don’t be so selfish!” At that moment, pain stabbed me in the chest, and I used every ounce of my strength to press the emergency call button my brother had given me.

This novel contains mature themes intended for adult readers only! ----------- "Dean," I cried out his name. He shushed me quickly with a finger to my lips. "Quiet. Not a sound." His thick fingers slammed deep into my soaking wet pussy, curling against my G-spot while I moaned like a total slut and bucked my hips desperately. I was dripping, quivering, about to explode all over his hand. ----------- Years ago, Alex Chen watched a sex movie and was enchanted by the actor. She wanted to be touched by him. From then on, she harbored an intense, secret crush on the 46 year old famous actor signed under her mother's management. But she buried the feeling the day he married her mother. And she disappeared from his life entirely. Now she’s back for her mother’s funeral, only to learn that her inheritance comes with impossible conditions; She must live in the family home for one year under the supervision of her step father; Dean Billie, the very man she’s spent years trying to forget but yet, still desired sinfully… and he's to “guide her toward a suitable match for marriage.” Will they finally give in to their forbidden desires? Or will Alex have to get married off by the same man she sinfully craves?

I was the top bounty thief in the organization. The best they had. After turning in my final score, I announced on the spot that I was done for good. Then, I stood in my studio, blending paint. A single photograph was pinned to the wall before me. Black Viper filled the doorway, the light behind him casting his face in shadow. "What's it like," he asked quietly, "pretending to be an artist?" He stepped further inside. "Does paint smell better than blood?" I placed the palette knife down and wiped my hands slowly. "I'm done. I walked away." "Old Fox didn't approve of it." "That's not my concern." Black Viper crossed the room and tapped the old photograph on the wall. "Are you certain?" I did not want to look. I told myself not to. However, my gaze shifted anyway. A young boy stared back from the photo. "The blind kid?" I had spent ten years searching for him. "Where is he?" I moved toward the wall, reaching to rip the picture down. "One last job," Black Viper said, pressing his palm against the photo. My hand stopped in midair. "What's the target?" "The final lot at next month's auction that the Gilbert Group will be holding. "It's called Mermaid's Tear."