The Wrong Game

"If I touched you, you’d never go back to him." Arden's words rang in my head. My breath caught. Now that I was out of the palace, nothing stood between us. No gilded cages. No cameras in every corner. No Ivana breathing down my neck. Nothing to stop him from making good on those words. And the worst part? A traitorous part of me was curious. What if he was right? Arden was Richard’s brother. The wrong man. The forbidden man. And yet my body betrayed me. My heart beat harder just thinking about him. My lips tingled at the memory of his voice, his smirk, the way his eyes had lingered on me like he saw everything I tried to hide.

Imagine loving someone in secret for a decade, watching them chase the one person who could never truly accept them, believing their wedding would finally free them and you, only to see him drop to his knees in front of everyone, begging her to stay and calling you, his best friend and secret mate, “just friend”. The pain rips through you, you drown it in alcohol, follow a scent that feels like home, and wake up beside a man who looks exactly like him and wants nothing more than to ruin you, strip every ounce of innocence from your bones, and worship the grounds of your sanctuary day and night.

Alliyah Agustin thought her life was finally falling into place. She was about to marry her long-time boyfriend, Chester — the man she’d built her dreams around, the man everyone envied her for. The venue gleamed with gold, the air smelled of white roses, and her so-called best friend, Kassandrah, stood by her side as maid of honor. Everything was perfect. Until it wasn’t. When the ceremony began, Chester was nowhere to be found. In his place stood a stranger — dark suit, darker eyes, a smirk that didn’t belong anywhere near an altar. The crowd murmured, the priest hesitated, and before she could even process what was happening, the papers were signed. She had just married Alexander Nicholas Astley, one of the most powerful billionaires in the country — and the most feared man in the underground world. What Alliyah didn’t know was that her “perfect” fiancé and “trusted” friend had sold her — a deal made to clear a debt, sealed with her hand in marriage. And in the dangerous world she was dragged into, her survival would depend on one impossible question: Was Alexander her captor… or her savior?

Katherine had always been in love with one guy; Ken Hart. He was her childhood sweetheart, and she had always secretly crushed on him without taking action. She thought it was a mindless crush, until her father announced her sudden marriage to Ken Hart. That moment, Kate knew dreams do come true. Ken was all she ever dreamt of. Unexpectedly, her marriage was the opposite of what she thought it would be. Ken wanted nothing to do with her; to him, she was just a trophy wife he used whenever he needed her. Most importantly, he needed her to seal a billion-dollar deal. He had married her for selfish reason. Kate’s parent had only agreed because it was the only way to save their company that had fallen into financial crisis, without informing Kate Kate wouldn’t sit to be used whenever her husband want, she would do all she could to make sure he needed her. Infusing herself into his life was going to be difficult, but when she wanted something, she would do all she could to get what she wanted.

A college student named Avaelena discovered that she is pregnant. She met a wealthy businessman named Kairos at a bar. After what happened, he became her fuck buddy. Avaelena became his fuck buddy to hide her pregnancy from her parents while claiming that she is working in Manila while studying. Kairos proposed a deal to her: become his fuck mate, and he will pay her a week to prove to her parents that she is indeed working and studying hard in Manila.

I was always flying for work, so I left the whole renovation thing to my husband, Daxton Pruitt. This time, my flight got scrapped last minute, so I swung by the house to check in. The second I stepped inside, some woman named Mona Scambley, who claimed she was the designer, chucked a stack of invoices at me. Couples' lingerie display case: $15,000. High-end waterbed: $40,000. One glance at that pile of overpriced tacky nonsense made me nauseous. My brows pulled tight. "Ms. Scambley, this is a private house, not some couples' motel. What is all this?" Her face flipped in a heartbeat. She jabbed a finger at me. "The owner gave those orders. You're just the site supervisor. Disobey me again, and I'll have Mr. Pruitt fire you!" Then she spun around and called Daxton right there. I laughed, cold and low, about to ask what kind of clown show designer he'd hired—until I heard his voice. Gentle. Doting. "This is Mona and my love nest. We'll do whatever we want. Don't like it? Get out." I smiled, snatched the list from Mona, and nodded. "Sure." One week later, that overpriced waterbed showed up—Daxton, very much not smiling.

Sa kagustuhan ni Aira na makalimutan ang ginawang panloloko ng boyfriend niya, naglasing siya sa bar. Kinabukasan, nagising na lamang siya sa sobrang sakit ng ulo niya, pati na rin ng ibabang bahagi ng kanyang pagkababae. Nagulat siya nang tumambad sa kanyang paningin ang estrangherong lalaking katabi niya sa kama. Dali-dali siyang nagbihis at nilisan ang lugar na ‘yon. Ngunit tila nanunukso ang tadhana. Pagkalipas ng ilang linggo, sa kanyang pagbabalik sa trabaho, doon niya muling nakaharap ang lalaking pilit niyang kinalimutan. Siya pala ang bagong CEO ng kanilang kumpanya—si Kael Ramirez. “Hindi ko nakalimutan ang gabing 'yon," wika nito nang minsang ipatawag siya sa opisina. “ “Sir anuman ang nangyari noon, it was just a mistake.” “But for me, that was the best mistake I've ever had." Bigla siyang kinabahan. "Sir, let's pretend it did not happen,” mabilis niyang wika. "Well, it's not my case,” anito. “I claimed you once kaya akin ka lang at paulit-ulit kitang aangkinin hangga't gusto ko."

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."

Two men. One was her best friend. The other was her infuriating boss. One is the man she has loved for twelve years. The other is the man she despised with everything in her. Yet on her wedding day, they both stood there, one as the groom, the other as the man who would never let her go. “I tried to bury you. I told myself it was nothing. But watching you love him? That was the first time I understood what hatred really feels like.” One said, his voice filled with resentment sharp enough to cut steel. “I don’t need you to choose me,” the other whispered. “I just need you to know that no matter whose name you take… You will always belong to me.” Forbidden. Addictive. A love so wrong it tastes like sin. A hatred so raw it feels like desire. A twelve-year devotion. A buried obsession. Two brothers. One bride. Some loves are safe. Some loves are reckless. And some are powerful enough to tear a family apart.

Akemi Sean Lee is a woman who was loved, was hurt, and will take vengeance. After the tragedy she considered the darkest in her whole life, she changed herself into a version of a woman she didn’t imagine she would be. She worked hard, graduated, and specialized in New York in the field of engineering. Five years later, she will be back in the Philippines. Wiser. Bolder. Braver. She will return to avenge the three people who threw her into the muddiest and darkest period of her life. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A heart for a heart. She will be back for her game—the game of vengeance. But faith is indeed playful. In her game, she will discover something. Something that will rip her heart and herself apart once more. How will she face and overcome the game that she thought was hers?