The Mats By Francisco Arcellana Summary

Zara Adigun never believed in fairy tales especially not the kind that involved arrogant billionaires and cold, calculated marriages. But when her father fell ill and her family is drowning in debt, she agrees to a one-year marriage contract with the most powerful and emotionally detached bachelor in Lagos (Dami Adeyemi). The deal is to pretend to be the perfect couple in public, live together under strict conditions that she must comply with, and leave when the contract ends with no strings and no emotions attached. But Dami’s icy rules begin to melt as Zara’s fire draws out the man he’s buried deep beneath his grief and guilt. The closer they get, the harder it becomes to stick to the rules, until secrets from the past threaten to destroy everything they were nurturing. Jide Adeyemi—Dami’s estranged brother and Zara’s first love came into the picture to reignite old flames and dark family secrets, Zara finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle where trust is fragile, and the truth is a weapon. Now, she must decide: 1. To follow the terms of the contract. 2. Run back to the man who once broke her heart, or 3. Fight for a love that was never meant to happen. When hearts are bound by fate, will love survive the truth?

"St... Stay away" Her voice trembled in fear as he leaned closer, invading her personal space. His palms were pressed against the wall, caging her in his embrace while her tiny fists were making futile attempts to push him back. "So, you want me to go out to satisfy my needs when I have a beautiful wife at home?" His thumb stroked her lips, his eyes fixated on them, unyielding and hungry. "But you made it clear that your heart belongs to someone else and our marriage is nothing but an agreement" her heart throbbed with pain as she thought about it. After the horrific and pitiful past, destiny has bestowed her a devil for a husband. "That's true," he cocked his head. "But we don't love every chic we fuck. Do we?" His callous words shattered Roseline's world. All she wanted was to cry on her fate! Her pain was evident through her eyes but this didn't stop him from getting what he wanted! ~•~•~•~ In an unexpected twist of fate, Orphan Roseline finds herself in a contract marriage with a ruthless Billionaire, Vincenzo De Luca. On the first night, she gets to know that he has married her on purpose, and the doors to his heart are securely guarded. He has money, looks, and fame, but not the love for which she has craved her whole life. She has an infectious laugh, he never graced his lips with a smile. She follows her path, he demands unwavering obedience. She is sympathetic, he is cold-hearted. Their personalities are worlds apart, yet both harbor secrets concealed behind their respective facades. Will Roseline be able to make her space in his heart or will she be cast aside once his hidden purpose is fulfilled?

Alina believed that Alpha Caleb was her true mate, but as secrets unravel and the truth comes to light, she discovers that she is merely a pawn in a game of deceit and manipulation. Her dreams shatter when she learns that she was never meant to be Caleb's mate but merely a substitute for his deceased wife. Betrayed by the one she trusted the most, Alina attempts to escape the pack and seek freedom. But as she runs away, Alina's path collides with Prince Alaric, her true mate. Haunted by past betrayals, she struggles to trust him, even if they are fated to be together. Alaric, a royal werewolf prince, had tirelessly searched for his mate, but to no avail. Attending a banquet at Caleb's pack, he unexpectedly finds her, but she is hurt and broken. Despite the odds, Alaric vows to heal her wounds and win her trust, determined to show her the love and devotion she deserves. Will Alina open her heart to the one who has been searching for her all along?

She never expected to fall for him. Jack Smith, the city's most notorious playboy, was everything she thought she should avoid. She was just a nobody-or so she believed. But when her fiancé cruelly discards her for a business deal with a billionaire heiress and frames her brother for a crime he didn't commit, she's left broken and desperate. With no one else to turn to, she seeks help from the one man she swore she'd never rely on-Jack Smith, the billionaire who had always seemed out of reach. But as secrets unfold, she discovers she's not the nobody she thought she was. She's an heiress in her own right, with more power than she ever imagined. Now, her ex-fiancé wants her back, realizing too late what he lost. But has she already fallen for Jack, the man who's shown her a world of wealth, power, and a love she never thought possible? In a battle of hearts and fortunes, she must decide: reclaim her past or embrace the future with the man who stole her heart?

“Cassie.” Everything around me froze. I stared at him without blinking for a second. “Cassie?” I repeated back to him. “The woman you brought into our house and claimed she was a distant cousin?” That was the moment I knew my marriage was over. Chloe Stone thought she had a perfect life, with a husband she loved and a future she had dreamed of since she was a child. But on the night of their fifth wedding anniversary, one text changed her life. Her husband was having an affair with another woman. Devastated, she walks away from her marriage with nothing but a suitcase and her pride. She leaves and tries to heal but it is difficult under the roof of a bitter father. Chloe lands a job in a powerful firm and comes face to face with Alex Blackwood, her ex-husband’s college rival, a powerful billionaire CEO with a guarded heart, raising a child on his own. Can two hearts shattered by their pasts, find love in the most unexpected second chance?

“You should have died.” His voice was cold. “But I saved you… and now you carry my heir.” I froze. “You’re lying.” “Am I?” His eyes burned into mine. Neglected by Mate, Accepted by His Brother Maddena thought finding her mate, Alpha Lucas of Fangsmoon Pack, would be her happy ending. Seven years of a childless union didn’t shake her loyalty—until she finally conceived… and he accused her of betrayal. Branded a cheater, sentenced to death, and cast into the sea, Maddena lost everything. But fate had other plans. Rescued by a mysterious Lycan King, Lucas’s estranged twin brother Damien, Maddena awakens in a world far from the cruelty she once knew. As truths unravel and forbidden feelings ignite, Maddena discovers a heartbreaking secret: her child doesn’t belong to the mate who betrayed her… but to the brother who saved her. Torn between vengeance, truth, and a love she never expected, Maddena must choose; return to the past that broke her or embrace the future that could heal her.

"Leave me," I said, struggling to get out of his grip… "Ahh," an unwanted moan escaped from my lips when he sucked on my neck harder. "If you want me to leave you then why do you call me daddy to tease me?" He groaned, having a hard time controlling himself. "Now you have to pay for it, my little dove." She closed her eyes in sensation knowing the dirty meaning behind those innocent words. She hated him, and his feelings were not different, but their desire was overpowering their hatred. . Monika is an Alpha woman who falls in love three times, but everyone rejects her, including her fated mate. She accepted her fate of being doomed in love until her ex returned to her life after knowing she hid her pregnancy for him. She was the mother of his child. He forced her to sign a contract marriage where there would be only lust and no place for love. What will she choose? If she said yes, then what would happen when a girl who is rejected by everyone gets accepted by a ruthless Alpha who is heartless as a rock? Wanna know? Read the journey of Monika finding love.

Serena’s POV Matagal kong inakalang hawak lang ako ng kontrata—isang papel na pumirmi sa buhay ko, sa katawan ko, at sa kalayaan ko. Pero ngayong nakahiga ako sa tabi ni Damien, natatakpan ng init ng balat niya ang lahat ng sugat sa puso ko, alam kong mali ako. Hindi na kontrata ang nagbubuklod sa amin. Hindi na utang. Hindi na desperasyon. Ako mismo ang pumili sa kanya. Dahan-dahan niyang hinila ang kumot pababa, inilantad ang bawat bahagi ng katawan kong kanina pa nanginginig, hindi dahil sa takot kundi dahil sa pananabik. Mainit ang hininga niya sa leeg ko, at ang bawat halik na inilapat niya ay parang panata na hindi na niya ako bibitawan. “Wala nang papel na nagdidikta sa’yo, Serena,” bulong niya habang pinapadaanan ng labi ang balikat ko. “Ako na ang pipiliin mo. Ako na ang kailangan mo.” Napapikit ako, hinayaan ang katawan kong lunurin ng bawat haplos niya. Hindi na ito transaksyon. Hindi na ito kasunduan. Ito ay kagustuhan naming pareho. Nagtagpo ang mga labi namin, mas mariin, mas buo—parang wala nang bukas. Ang bawat paghinga niya ay naging akin, ang bawat ungol ko ay naging kanya. Hanggang sa wala nang natira kundi ang mga katawan naming nag-uusap, nagsasanib, nagtatakda ng bagong simula. At sa gitna ng dilim ng kwarto, habang pareho kaming nilalamon ng init at ng pagmamahal, alam kong wala nang atrasan. Ako si Serena Villareal. Hindi na bilang alipin ng kontrata, kundi bilang babaeng kusang nagpa-angkin, kusang nagmahal, at kusang nagpasakop—sa lalaking siya ring nagpalaya sa akin.

Eureka was forced into a marriage with Raymond Blackwood, the CEO who never wanted her. Lies, betrayal, and a broken heart sent her running.   Years later, she returns successful, with a teenage boy Raymond doesn’t even know exist, and the quest to find her daughter because she gave birth to twins, but one was stolen. When fate brings them together again, the truth behind their broken marriage starts to surface.   Can Raymond fix the damage he caused, or is it too late for forgiveness and love?

"Can anyone else make you feel the way I do?" He whispered roughly while trailing kisses down my neck. A soft moan escaped me as I held him tightly "You aren't even my mate." His playful smile turned into a devilish smirk, "And do you think I care about that, little one? Mate-bond or not, I am going to make sure that you are MINE." ........................ The peaceful life of Delilah Dimitri was flipped upside down when she crossed paths with the ruthless and vicious cursed Lycan King, Xander Stoneheart. On her 18th birthday, after shifting into a wolf, Delilah's only hope in this cruel world is her true mate, Alpha Ethan. But to her disappointment, he rejects her and wants nothing to do with her. Heartbroken and shattered, Delilah is so done with the supernatural world. But little does she know that the heartless Lycan King has started to have forbidden feelings for her and is not yet ready to let her go. Adamant to make her his own, would the devil ever be able to win Delilah's heart? What about Xander's own true mate who he needs to break the curse?