The Ruins By Scott Smith

The narrative unfolds around Rachel West, the eldest daughter in a family with strong moral principles. Despite her high moral standing, she harbors unrequited feelings for James Smith, a man she desires but knows she cannot win. A one-night stand with James leads to an unexpected pregnancy, altering the course of Rachel's life. Rachel, aware of her condition, is compelled to become James Smith's wife. However, James, while respecting her grandmother's wishes, is far from pleased with the arrangement. Settling into the villa as the lady of the house, Rachel becomes a subject of envy and ridicule, particularly from her younger sister. As Rachel adjusts to her new life, her world is further complicated by the presence of James's concubine, Melody. Tragedy strikes with the death of Rachel's grandmother and Melody's sudden disappearance. The events take a darker turn when James accuses Rachel of murder and kidnapping, leading to her imprisonment. In prison, Rachel gives birth to twins but is denied access to them by James. She believes her children did not survive, adding to her emotional turmoil. A twist was introduced when a fire incident at the prison nearly claims Rachel's life. A Good Samaritan rescues her, offering a chance for redemption. She secures a job as a personal assistant, providing a glimmer of hope in her otherwise turbulent life. Simultaneously, James believes Rachel perished in the fire, unaware of her continued existence. The story leaves readers pondering Rachel's resilience and the potential twists that might shape her destiny. What fate awaits Rachel? Rachel's journey is marked by tragedy, betrayal, and an ongoing quest for redemption. As the narrative progresses, readers are drawn into the complexities of Rachel's relationships, her struggles against societal expectations, and the unforeseen events that shape her path.

"Apa kau mau menikahiku?" "Uhuk! Uhuk!" Janu tersedak ludahnya sendiri. Janu sadar bahwa dirinya memiliki rasa untuk Smith. Namun, ia belum berpikir sampai jenjang pernikahan mengingat untuk bisa dekat dengan Smith saja susah. Jangankan dekat, untuk tidak bertengkar saja mendekati mustahil. "A-apa katamu, Smith?" "Apa kau mau jadi suamiku?" tanya Smith lagi tanpa menoleh ke arah Janu, sedangkan Janu tidak berhenti memandangnya lekat-lekat. Selama ini Janu berpikir perasaannya untuk Smith akan bertepuk sebelah tangan karena sikap gadis itu tidak ada ramah-ramahnya sama sekali, selalu dingin dan kasar. Lalu, tetiba saja tengah malam begini, Smith datang melamarnya? "Tapi, kenapa, kenapa begitu mendadak? Kau bahkan selalu terlihat kesal saat di dekatku," tanya Janu dengan suara sangat lirih dan tangan yang sedikit bergetar. Smith menoleh dan menatap tajam mata kucing Janu. "Aku hamil."

She woke up to any empty bed , "panicking" she called 911 . She tried to sound freaked out but before she could say much about the matter at hand, her husband walked in . She was gravely disappointed but quickly masked it with relief . Reluctantly ,she cut the call and hugged her husband ,only for him to tense up. " who was on the phone?" He asked pulling back from the hug . She kept quiet knowing what would come next if she had said 911 . When she didn't reply ,he took her silence for an answer. He knew she was messed up but calling 911 all the time had been extreme. Annoyed he went farther away from her facing anywhere but at her . " you got to stop doing that" He clenched his jaw,really upset . " stop doing what?" ' stop wishing me dead ' he thought "Calling freaking 911 everytime I'm not around you " Silence followed. She thought he meant that as in I can't breathe without Lucas beside me kinda vibe but no... He knew. "I'm not asking you to go climb Mount Everest or jump off a cliff .I'm just asking you to grow up,Jen .You're a 22 year old act like it " He made his annoyance evident .He made no attempt to hide how pissed he was . His voice was harsh , cold and very very distant. It was always like that ,one had to get used to it She wanted to cry so bad that she had been caught but she knew he had known for a very long time now . 'Crying now would only prove him right' she thought. Finding her presence irksome, he left the room. Maybe getting married to Lucas was just crazy . Lucas was handsome ,rich ,independent. He was everything any girl wanted . everything that her father wanted for her .

Chynna Holland, is a province girl a full of dreams. Ngunit ang pangarap niyang ito ay wawasakin ng kaniyang ama-amahan ng walang awang ipang bayad siya nito ng utang sa isang negosyanteng pinagkakautungan nito. Dinala siya nito sa isang bar kong saan uso ang pag bid ng mga babae para ma-i-take-out lamang. Isa si Chynna sa napiling ipa bidding ng gabing 'yon kong saan makikilala niya si Luis ang kaibigan ni Zuigi Scott, isang bilyonaryong may problema sa kaniyang pagkakalaki at si Chynna ang ibibigay na regalo nito para sa kaniya. Paano kong ang isang gabi ay nag bunga??

In the month before my 20th birthday, Dad digs out the information on the oldest daughters of the four most prominent families in Jorvale and tells me to select one of them as my partner for our upcoming marriage alliance. I choose Grace Sutton without hesitation, which shocks everyone else. After all, everyone in Jorvale knows very well that Connor Foster, the sole heir of the Foster family, has always been crushing on Abigail Chandler since I was a kid. Only I know that I've gotten to marry Abigail in my previous life. But on the day after our grand wedding, Abigail told me that Louis Hayes, the low-income student Dad had been sponsoring, was the man she loved. She announced in public that she was only my wife in name, but she'd always be Louis' wife for real. But when Abigail tried to pick Louis up the next day, she found out that he had already disappeared after leaving a relationship-severance letter behind. Abigail was hell-bent on believing that I was the one who forced Louis to leave. Because of that, she treated me like her mortal enemy for the rest of her life. She went through a lover per week, and she'd always be intimate with them in front of me. All of those lovers resembled Louis one way or another. Finally, on the day Abigail officially took over Foster Group, I died in a car accident by "coincidence". Now that I've been reborn, I decide to marry another woman and avoid getting caught up in Abigail's affairs anymore. But once Abigail hears my decision, she goes absolutely berserk.

Luke Fagundes is the son of billionaire Gonçalo Fagundes. The boy sees his life change completely when he discovers that his father betrayed his mother. Willing to reveal to the world who Gonçalo really is, Luke faces his own father, who sends him to another state, without clothes and without money. Luke will live hell on earth until he meets Aurora. Their lives, even with similar stories, will teach them that love heals many things, including wounds from the past. Will the son and also Billionaire Luke, abandon the idea of revenge to live a love story?

It was Christmas Eve. Once again, my parents left me alone at home, chasing triple pay at work. However, after twenty years of the same lonely holiday, I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t want to sit in the quiet house by myself again, so I packed up some sandwiches and went to them. What I didn’t expect was to see them stepping out of a luxury car, arms linked with a boy who looked about my age, laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world, heading straight into a five-star hotel. “Mom, Dad, is it okay to leave Suzie all alone at home like that?” My mom waved it off and said, “It’s fine. She’s used to it.” My dad just brushed it off with a chuckle. “She’s nothing like you. You're our real treasure.” Upon hearing that, I turned and walked away. They'd been pretending to be broke all these years, lying to me about working overtime, about scraping by. Well, fine. If they don’t want me, I’m done wanting them, too.

The scholarship was supposed to be June’s salvation. Instead, it drops her into a world where everyone has secrets, including her. living at the estate where her father works means navigating impossible feelings for two boys who share everything but her heart, and a golden girl determined to destroy her. But when June starts digging into the accident that shattered this perfect family, she uncovers a web of lies that reaches back to her own mysterious past. Some truths are dangerous. Some secrets are deadly and some are worth dying for.

Narnia Melpomene Alvarez—ang tinaguriang "rebelde" na kakambal ni Urania, ayon sa kaniyang tiyuhin na si Luis Grimaldi. Buong buhay niya, iisa lang ang kanyang layunin: ang makamit ang hustisya para sa kanyang mga magulang, anuman ang kapalit. Sa murang edad pa lamang, buo na ang kanyang loob na ipaglaban ito, kahit sariling buhay ang isugal, lalo na para sa natitira niyang pamilya—ang kakambal niyang si Urania. Kaya’t hindi na nakapagtataka nang sumali siya sa isang lihim na grupo na konektado sa underground society. Alam niyang delikado ito, pero iyon ang tanging paraan para maabot ang matagal niyang pinapangarap. Ngunit isang gabi ang nagbago ng lahat—isang gabing ginulo ng hindi inaasahang estranghero. Ang pagtulong niya kay Zuhair Eros Smith ay tila isang maling hakbang na hinding-hindi niya makakalimutan. Bigla na lang napasok si Eros sa buhay niya—isang lalaking misteryoso, mapang-asar, at puno ng mga lihim. Wala sa plano ni Narnia ang pagbukas ng kanyang puso para sa sinuman, lalo pa’t hindi niya lubos kilala ang lalaking tila may koneksyon sa kanyang madilim na nakaraan. Hanggang saan ang kaya niyang isugal para sa pangako niya sa kanyang pamilya? Paano kung ang taong nagbubukas ng pintuan sa pagmamahal ay isa ring susi sa kasinungalingan? At paano kung ang laban para sa hustisya ay makasira sa pag-ibig na unti-unting namumuo? Ngayong nagbabanggaan ang kanyang puso at prinsipyo, kailangan niyang pumili: ipaglaban ang nakaraan o tanggapin ang pagmamahal na dala ng lalaking hindi niya sigurado kung kaibigan o kalaban.

Angela Quinn tiba-tiba terbangun dengan pria asing setelah dikhianati calon suami. Parahnya, dia baru tahu jika pria itu adalah bos barunya! Saat ingin melupakan semua, Angela justru harus berurusan dengan orang tua pria itu yang menuntut keduanya menikah! Lantas, bagaimana nasib Angela? Haruskah ia melarikan diri atau menjalankan pernikahan paksa yang sebenarnya ... memberikan Angela kekuatan keluarga Smith untuk balas dendam?