The Battered Wife

MJ agrees to a marriage of convenience with her boss, CEO Julius, to cover her father’s medical bills—nothing more, nothing less. In order to appease his dying grandfather, who demands that Julius marry and have a child in order to preserve the family fortune, Julius needs a wife. When the grandfather dies, the marriage will be dissolved and MJ will get the money she sorely needs in return for her cooperation. But as they go through with their fake marriage, a bond that neither of them had expected develops between them. Julius, known for his business-first personality, starts to let his guard down, revealing a side of him that’s unexpectedly tender. As their arrangement draws to a close, MJ, who vowed never to fall in love, begins to cross the fine line between duty and love. Will their feelings lead to something permanent, or will they part ways in the end, with broken hearts and shattered dreams? Can a marriage built on a lie become something more, or is it doomed to fail?

Kathalina Ruiz never believed in fairy tales. Her mother's dying wish bound her to enigmatic CEO Thirdie Stone in an arranged marriage she accepted out of duty, not romance. Yet somewhere between quiet nights and fragile smiles, Kathalina fell deeply for her distant husband only to keep her love locked away, too afraid it would never be returned. For three years, their marriage balanced on politeness and silence. Then one stormy afternoon shattered it all. Kathalina walked into Thirdie's office and found another woman-half-naked-sitting on his lap. Without demanding an explanation, she signed the divorce papers he placed before her, his gaze as cold as the ink that sealed their separation. What she never knew was that Thirdie's betrayal was a lie... a desperate act to protect her from the dangerous threats circling his empire. Heartbroken and grieving, Kathalina fled abroad. From the ashes of her pain, she rebuilt herself into a celebrated jewelry designer, admired for her elegance and independence. But fate had other plans. Years later, her mother's lawyer makes a revelation she has inherited a vast fortune and controlling shares in Stone Corporation. The life and the man she tried to escape are waiting for her return. Back in the city where it all began, Kathalina comes face-to-face with Thirdie once more. Old wounds resurface, secrets linger in every shadow, and danger draws closer than ever. Now, she must decide to protect her heart from the man who once broke it or uncover the truth he buried......a truth that could change everything she thought she knew about their past. A story of love, sacrifice, and second chances, The Stones We Keep asks.....is it ever too late to believe in a love that never truly died?

Sa loob ng siyam na taon, buong pusong ginampanan ni Isabelle Reyes-Santiago ang pagiging isang perpektong ina at asawa. Tahimik siyang sumuporta kay Lucas—sa kanyang negosyo, sa kanyang reputasyon, at sa kanyang ambisyon. Nanahimik siya sa likod ng camera, sa mga board meeting na hindi siya inanyayahan, at sa mga sandaling kailangan niya ng karamay pero wala ni isang halik o salitang ginhawa ang kanyang nakuha. Ang mas masakit? Wala siyang lugar sa sariling tahanan. Hindi lang si Lucas ang may paboritong kasama. "Mas gusto ko si Tita Karina kaysa kay Mommy!"—sambit ng anak nilang si Marcus habang nakangiti si Lucas, tila sang-ayon. Ginawa na ni Isabelle ang lahat para mapanatiling buo ang kanilang pamilya. Pero imbes na pagmamahal at respeto, ang gantimpala niya’y pagtataksil at pangungutya. Habang binubura siya mula sa buhay ng asawa’t anak, si Karina Sison—ang ex ng kanyang asawa—ang inilalagay sa pedestal. Ginawang presidente. Ginawang reyna. Hanggang sa dumating ang gabing iyon. Ang gabing tuluyan siyang nagising sa katotohanan—na minsan, kahit gaano mo kamahal, hindi mo na kayang manatili sa isang lugar na matagal ka nang hindi pinipiling mahalin pabalik. Pagod na siyang umasa. Pagod na siyang maging tanong sa pamilyang matagal nang may sagot—at hindi siya iyon. Kaya handa na siyang magpalaya. Handa na siyang iwan ang tahanang dati niyang ipinaglaban, sa piling ng mga taong mas masaya nang wala siya. Ngunit nang sa wakas ay iniabot na niya ang annulment papers sa kanyang asawa… Hindi galit ang sumalubong sa kanya. Hindi rin pakiusap. Kundi isang malamig na titig lang. Isang mapanganib na ngiti. At ang mga salitang… “You’re not going anywhere, Isabelle.”

“I was just a pawn in your game!” Tears streamed down my face. “No!” He was quick to deny the accusation. “Look me in the eye, Declan, and tell me you didn’t marry me for revenge!” My heart was burning. “It might have started like that, but I swear, everything between us has always been real, Kendra.” It was hard to believe his pleading tone. “This is it, Declan. This is the end of us.” ***** Kendra Hazelwood’s world turns upside down the moment her father announces she must marry Declan Davenport—their sworn enemy. Knowing she has no choice, Kendra finds herself in a marriage built on secrets, lies, and the ashes of an old feud. Declan has waited his whole life for this chance. Marrying a Hazelwood is the perfect cover to finally take his revenge, and he vows to never let his heart get involved. However, everything about Kendra rattles his world, and soon the line between vengeance and desire begins to blur. Everything changes when Kendra uncovers the brutal truth. Feeling heartbroken and betrayed, she walks away, determined to reclaim her life. Declan is determined to win the woman who owns his heart back, but will he succeed? Can love survive betrayal and pain?

Tumakas si Florence sa kasal niya sa lalaking hindi niya mahal ngunit para lamang maging bride ng isang estrangherong lalaki sa araw ng kasal nito. No choice si Florence kundi ang magpakasal sa lalaking Joaquin El Greeco ang pangalan dahil nasa harapan na siya ng pari at ng guwapong groom. Ngunit paano kung malaman niya na ang lalaking pinakasalan niya ay isa palang pinuno ng mafia at kaya siya pinakasalan ay para paghigantihan dahil iniisip nitong anak siya ng taong kinamumuhian nito? Ano ang gagawin niya sakaling bumalik ang totoong bride nito gayong nararamdaman niyang umiibig na siya rito sa kabila ng paiba-ibang ugaling ipinapakita nito sa kanya? At bakit kamukha niya ang babaeng dapat sana ay bride ni Joaquin El Greeco?

Sex starved Alessia Cattaneo knows she’s ventured into dangerous territory when she asks her bodyguard to be her fuck-toy, while still married to her mafia husband. Because her bodyguard, Nico Rossi, isn’t the kind of man any woman can resist having a taste of. With his experience as a retired adult actor and a pleasure escort, he is everything that Alessia wants in a man. Plus, with her emotionally unavailable husband; Alessandro, having an affair with her cousin who ends up pregnant for him, Alessia figures it’ll be easier to keep her secret affair under control. Only… The fire she feels for Nico ends up burning more than she intends. And so does his. Tenfold. Now, he is obsessed with her. Wants to claim her in every way possible. Wants to wreck her in front of her husband. But Alessandro Mancini is not a man to be toyed with. If there’s one thing he hates the most, it’s having his toys taken from him. And Nico is crossing that line. Worse? He is willing to do more for this woman who’s captured his heart and cock in the palm of her hand. In a mafia world of blood, dirty money, betrayals, family loyalty, and sex… could this be a losing game for Alessia and Nico? Is Nico really who he says he is or does he have dark secrets that could ruin Alessia for good this time? Read to find out! WARNING: Contains dark themes of explicit sexual content, graphic violence, domestic violence, gun violence, murder, profanity, BDSM themes, and group sex scenes. Not suitable for readers below the age of 18. Read at your own risk. See you between the pages, dearest dark readers.

Kanaya Diandra never imagined that fate would bring her into the world of a man named Lucas Arkano Dinov, a cold, powerful mafia boss who never believed in love. Out of gratitude to Lucas' grandmother, Kanaya endured the hellish marriage Lucas created for her every day. Lucas hated Kanaya for agreeing to the marriage. However, Kanaya's patience and loyalty eventually transformed Lucas into someone who loved her, though their happiness was short-lived. A cruel slander from Lucas's family caused Kanaya to be expelled from her home. Lucas was unaware that Kanaya had left with his heir. How will their story unfold after fate finally brings them back together? Can love unite their hearts?

She loved him, he hated her. They were married, they shared intimacy yet she never felt loved. She gave her everything to save relationship but she was valued as nothing. Only after she left him, he realized what he had lost. ___________________________________________________________________________ In a "Marriage of Convenience", Evelyn Rockefeller falls for the cold-hearted Alaric Pritzker who only married her for business purposes. Despite her attempts to make him fall in love with her, he remains aloof and distant. When his ex-girlfriend returns, Evelyn's world comes crashing down as Alaric serves her with divorce papers. Will true love prevail or will their marriage dissolve into nothing more than a transaction between two families? Find out in this gripping tale of love, betrayal, and self-discovery.

Despite being married by contract, Fiona Clarke believed her husband could love her as much as she had loved him from the first day she met him. But as soon as his first love returned to town, Sebastian Blackwood filed for divorce. Devastated, Fiona had to face a different direction in her life despite loving him silently. After all, she was there when he needed her most, but now he was discarding her as if she were nothing more than a surrogate wife. But Sebastian misses her and realizes that Fiona is the woman he always longed for, but it seems too late for reconciliation since a man of interest is comforting Fiona.

Miles Armani’s life is thrown upside down when he loses his mate in a rogue attack, but what pushes him over the edge is when his mother arranges a marriage for him only two weeks after he had lost the love of his life.