Todays Dinner Manhwa

Everyone in Palermo knew Alessandro De Luca had a reputation. He was the Boss of the De Luca family, one of the oldest bloodlines in Sicily — a name tied to the port, the courts, and half the construction contracts in Palermo. Wealth, power, discipline—those things were expected. Romance was not. He didn’t chase women, and he never went back to the same one twice. Until me. When we broke up after a brutal argument, he did something no De Luca had done in generations—he stood outside the gates of the Moretti estate, my family home, for an entire day and night. I watched from behind the curtains and never opened the door. The next day, he came inside the estate kitchen himself. Alessandro De Luca, who grew up surrounded by servants, tried to cook my favorite seafood pasta with his own hands. He burned the sauce. I threw it away without tasting it. On the third day, he found the necklace my grandmother had left me—something my uncle had sold years ago—and bought it back, paying far more than it was worth, just to return it to me. At a formal family dinner, in front of elders and allies, he made it clear: No more women. Only me. It took him a year to win me back. That summer, fireworks lit up the Palermo coastline as he announced our engagement. I believed he had chosen me. Until the night of a private gathering at an old harbor estate. A young woman was being pulled forward in the middle of the courtyard, her dress torn at the shoulder, tears running down her face. Alessandro went still. Then he stood up. He didn’t look at me. He didn’t explain. He just walked toward her. And something inside me went cold. I rested my hand over my abdomen. There was something I hadn’t told him yet. He broke his word that night. So I broke mine.

Kaelan noticed I hadn't filed a single medical or living expense request in the pack’s resource channel for a week. He must have thought I’d finally kicked my greedy human habits. At dinner, he tossed a black card at me. It cut a cold arc through the air, landing beside my plate. “Your father’s treatment for next month. The wolf gene serum, the lab fees—it’s all approved.” His voice was pure Alpha command. An order, not a suggestion. “Bringing you and your father here was a risk. I fought the Elders for you. You are my mate. Stop begging for pack funds like a common stray. It’s a bad look.” He didn’t know my fingers were ice-cold when I picked up the card. The papers to sever our mate bond were already signed. So was my will. The hoodie I wore when I left was a faded thing he’d tossed at me three years ago. No one would believe it. The fated mate of an Alpha who ran a corporate empire… had to send a photo of a $10 painkiller receipt to a Beta assistant for approval. All because he thought a fragile human like me was a leech who couldn’t be trusted with cash. But a week ago, when my father’s lupus caused his organs to fail, I needed $50,000. He needed a dose of pure gene repair serum, synthesized in the pack’s high-tech med-bay. I begged him on my knees. His childhood friend, Seraphina, just laughed. She froze my request, saying she was helping me break my bad habit of “cashing in on my mate status.” Kaelan never knew I endured that humiliation just so my father could stay alive in his top-tier medical lab. Now, my father was dead. The medicine was cut off, and his ashes were already in the ground. I didn’t need to be his obedient little pet anymore.

At the New Year's Eve dinner, my mom suddenly assigns some rules to me and my siblings. She claims that those who don't fit the criteria aren't allowed to eat at the table. Rule number one: One must have spent at least 50% of their time keeping Mom company at home last year. Rule number two: One must have gone shopping with Mom all the time. Rule number three: One must keep giving Mom allowance. But it appears that I, the oldest sibling, am the only one who doesn't meet the requirements. My little sister, Chelsea Cage, begins acting coquettish immediately. "All Cassidy cares about is her business, unlike me, Mom! I care about you!" Meanwhile, my younger brother, Cameron Cage, lectures me with a frown, "What's the point of you being able to earn more money than average people? No matter how good a breadwinner you are, the fact that you don't care about Mom completely nullifies it!" My mom tells my siblings to sit around her happily. Then, she criticizes me in a sarcastic tone. "As parents, when we become old, what we need is our children's company, not cold hard cash." I'm pissed off, to say the least. I'm the breadwinner of this family, and yet these freeloaders get to put on airs in front of me. The reason why I don't go shopping with my mom is that she's never satisfied with whatever gifts I've picked out for her during the times I did go out with her. That's why I gave her money straight away. I didn't give my mom any allowance at all because all the money is regularly deposited into the supplementary card, which she has. Since my long-term efforts are worth nothing compared to my siblings' sweet talk, I suppose I can quit being the ATM of this family.

My partner, Derek Crawford, calls himself a traditional man. On our tenth anniversary, I bought him a pair of his favorite AJ sneakers. Instead, he gifted me a bag of pastries. "Your cake is extremely tiny, and yet it costs you a few dozen dollars! Look at the pastries I got you—not only are they cheap, but they are also huge in quantity! Now this is what I call worth it!" After that, Derek tells me that he'll make it up to me by throwing an engagement party. He has also invited my parents and my relatives to the party. With anticipation brimming in our eyes, we arrive at the restaurant, only to see Derek serving us with store-bought pickles and dinner rolls. "I'm a traditional man, you see. I'm not used to fancy food and foreign cuisines. This, right here, is the basics of a traditional dinner. You don't see patriotic men like me nowadays!" My relatives' expressions change drastically on the spot. Meanwhile, my parents look very mortified. I can only smile awkwardly at them while doing everything I can to stop them from leaving. But as soon as I leave the hotel, I receive a notification from the bank that 200 thousand dollars have been deducted from my account via a supplementary card linked to it. At the same time, Derek's childhood sweetheart, Renee Young, posts a photo of her 12-layered luxurious cake on her social media account. "When I told Derek that I wanted to celebrate my birthday, not only did he buy me the most expensive strawberry cake, but he also reserved a dozen or so tables that are served with the grandest feast! "If your man loves you that much, he won't need any lessons in pampering you! Traditional men definitely know how to love and pamper their queens!" I tighten my grip on my phone. As I look back at Derek, who keeps claiming that he's a traditional man stuck to his traditional ways, I suddenly find it exhausting to continue being in a relationship with him.

WARNING: Contains explicit scenes, intense heat, and a hero who plays dirty. Proceed with caution. SYNOPSIS Si Ava Dominique ay dalubhasa sa pagtakbo. Iniiwasan niya si Zion Alexander—ang pogi, madiskarte, pero "unfiltered" na businessman—dahil sa isang malaking pagkakamali: Akala niya, si Zion ang boyfriend ng kanyang kambal na si Aria. Habang todo-kayod si Ava para suportahan ang palamunin at cheater niyang boyfriend, si Zion naman ay may ibang plano. He’s the twin who didn’t go to Harvard but built an empire through pure grit—and he’s been eyeing Ava since day one. Nang mahuli ni Ava ang boyfriend niya na may kargang iba, doon nagtapos ang pagiging "good girl" niya. In a moment of pure heartbreak, she crashes into the arms of the one man she thought was off-limits. "Z-Zion... stop! My sister... your brother..." Ava panted, her back pressed against the cold office door. Zion chuckled, a dark sound that made Ava’s knees melt. He trapped her with his massive arms, smelling of expensive bourbon and raw power. "My brother is a saint, Ava. But me? I like getting my hands dirty," Zion whispered, nipping her earlobe. "And for the record... Zane is at dinner with your sister right now. So, who are you moaning for?" Ava’s eyes widened. Maling kambal. Pero nang maramdaman niya ang kamay ni Zion na humahaplos sa kanyang hita, nawalan na siya ng lakas tumakbo. "You're... not Zane?" she gasped. "God, no." Zion smirked, his eyes burning with hunger. "I’m the twin who’s about to make you forget your own name." He claimed her lips in a kiss so wild, it tasted like a beautiful, forbidden sin. At doon nalaman ni Ava—ang "maling akala" pala ang pinakamasarap na pagkakamali sa buhay niya.

Hindi inaasahan ni Jillian na sa pagsama niya sa kanyang boss sa isang pribadong dinner party, makikita niya ang dating nobyong matagal na niyang hinahanap—si Zacharias. But the Zacharias standing before her was no longer the simple, funny, and loving man she once knew. He is now Zacharias Wolfgang, the only heir to the Wolfgang Empire—the powerful family everyone wants to be connected to. Five years ago, they met at one of his family's companies in Cagayan. Walang kaalam-alam si Jillian na ang lalaking minahal niya nang sobra-sobra ay nagpapanggap lamang na mahirap na empleyado. Sinusubok pala siya nito kung pera lamang ang habol niya. Nang bumagsak siya, Zacharias mercilessly erased her from his life. "Jillian Aguillar," he says mockingly, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Weren't you desperate to marry rich? Nakahanap ka ba?" Pilit ang ngiti niya. "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Wolfgang." Kumuyom ang palad niya sa likod. "I almost did." Later, she gathers the courage to stop him outside the restroom. Gusto niyang magpaliwanag. Gusto niyang sabihin na may anak sila. Pero hindi siya binigyan ng pagkakataon. "Now that you know who I am, you regret it?" he sneers. "Another scheme to get close to me?" Nadurog ng husto ang puso niya. Sa mga oras na iyon, napagtantao niya na may mga bagay na talaga na kahit anong gawin ay hindi na maayos. After all, Zacharias Wolfgang hates her. So why does he keep showing up in her life again and again? And when the truth finally comes out—about that night five years ago, about their child—Zacharias Wolfgang, the man who once abandoned her without hesitation, will stand outside her door, swallowing his pride… …and begging her to take him back.

My daughter was born with silver poisoning in her blood—passed down from me—which made it hard for her to sense her wolf, and even harder for her to shift. I worked tirelessly, taking on every job I could, to earn enough money to find a cure for her. One night during a late shift, I saw her. My daughter, dressed like a princess in an elegant, Silverlight-woven gown, sat at a table in a high-end restaurant. With her was my mate—supposedly bedridden and paralyzed—wearing a tailored haute couture suit. Across the table sat the famous she-wolf of our pack, the daughter of a respected elder. They had ordered a lavish dinner, the bill totaling over $500,000. After the meal, I overheard my mate ask our daughter, “You remember how to tell the story, right?” She nodded and replied, “Yes. I’ll tell Mom we were working as werewolf junk collectors all night, collecting waste paper crates, and in the end, we only earned enough to buy half a loaf of bread.” My mate smiled, pleased with the answer. The she-wolf then gifted my daughter an entire collection of newly released moonstone jewelry. Before they left, my mate tipped each waitress $5,000. I stood frozen, tears falling as the truth shattered my heart: my mate—and even my beloved daughter—had been lying to me. Even in dormancy, my wolf mourned. A colleague saw me crying and asked what was wrong. I forced a smile and said, “I’m just happy. I got $5,000 tonight. It would’ve been even better… if it hadn’t come from my mate, the one who’s supposed to be paralyzed and lying in bed.” No one knew what I had sacrificed to be his mate. I waited for an apology. But it never came. So I made my decision. I called my father—the one who had been waiting all these years for me to return as his heir. When I disappeared from their lives, just as they had always secretly wished... That’s when they finally began searching for me across the world.

Paninumula: Pagkatapos ng limang taon na patago nilang kasal, hindi kailanman malapit sa kanya ang kanyang asawa sa harap ng iba. Hanggang sa isinama nito ang kanyang dalawang anak na lalaki at maging si Trixie Domingo para mag candle light dinner at makatanggap ng papuri mula sa pamilya ni Shania mula sa internet bago ito tuloyang mamaalam. Nang marinig niya ang kanyang anak na tinawag itong "Auntie Trixie" dahilan ng pagkaguho niya at pagkawalang interest nito sa asawa niya na kailanman ay hindi ito mahal maging ang kaniyang mga anak ay kinamumuhian siya. Naisipan na lamang ng Thessa na magpaka layo-layo at tanging paraan niya lamang ay mahalin ang sarili matapos ang pakikipag diborsyo sa asawa nito, at balikan ang dating maliit na negosyo sa Baranggay Payapa, doon ay nakakapag experimento siya ng mga halamang para sa mga may sakit , at mga halamang pang paganda. Matapos malaman na gusto niyang maghanap ng Tatay para sa anak niyang Babae , isang sayantipikong boss, isang financial tycoon , at isang nangungunang idolo sa isang aktibadong teleserye at lahat ng mga ito ay nag rekomenda at nagpakilala sa kanilang sarili. Para humingi lamang ng pabor. Kalaunan ang kanyang dating asawa ay biglang lumuhod at punong puno ito ng pagsisi sa mukha, "Thessa" mahal kita pwede ba tayong magpakasal muli? Ang tila bosses na puno ng pagsisi ng kanyang asawa. "Carlo" para alam lang alam mo sariwa pa saakin ang lahat ng nagyari mula ng ikaw ay nagloko! Maging ang mga anak nito ay nagmakaawa na rin na balikan sila: "Nay" ikaw ang kailangan namin. At si Thessa ay iwinagayway na lamang ang mga kamay, " Hindi!" Hindi ko na kaya pa.

On New Year, my childhood friend, Maverick Kirk, asks for the passcode of my new home. Initially, I thought he wanted to give me a housewarming gift. But when I open the door, I'm stunned to see more than a dozen people gathering in my home. As Maverick smiles and approaches me, he makes sure to shoot me a look. "What are you doing here, Chloe? You're in luck—we're having a family dinner!" I just look very confused in return. Before I can even ask Maverick any questions, his girlfriend, Bianca Bennett, adopts a passive-aggressive tone instantly. "Is your childhood friend extremely charismatic? I'm curious as to how she managed to coax your home's passcode out of your mouth!" Maverick's expression turns grim instantly. "Chloe didn't coax it out of me! In fact, she got down on her knees and begged for it! She claimed that she didn't have anywhere else to live after she got into a big fight with her family and got kicked out of her home! You know how big of a softie I am, Bianca. I didn't think much about it when I gave her the passcode." Bianca's expression becomes one of disdain afterward. "Regular women aren't as shameless as her, you know. Maybe she's done the same thing to countless men just to obtain what she wants behind our backs." Maverick gives her a thumbs-up immediately. "Wow, you really are smart, babe! Previously, Chloe had stripped naked and begged me to buy her her favorite bag! I told you what happened afterward last time." Bianca covers her mouth and starts giggling. "Oh, so that was her, huh? She really is shameless!" The sight of Maverick's despicable face pisses me off to no end. So, I rush over and slap him right away. "Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you make my home your own while slandering me on the side! Now get lost!"

"Sir, the system doesn't have any data on your marriage records with Ms. Lydia Payne." I can feel my knees starting to go weak beneath me as I clutch the gastroscopy report. Five years ago, Lydia was recruited by a top-tier law firm all the way in Starbrough. I made the ultimate decision to travel thousands of miles across the sea with her to start a new life there. She had told me, "Once I've garnered enough wealth and a solid reputation, I'll help you apply for a PR card right away." But it has been five years, and yet my Permanent Resident Card is still in the process of being approved. On the other hand, Lydia's assistant, Philip Wilder, who has traveled to Starbrough with us, has already received his own PR card thanks to Lydia vouching for him. When I received news back then, I wanted to break up with Lydia and fly back to Luxoria. Lydia, who had always prided herself on being cool and calm at all times, panicked for the very first time. She gripped my hand as she said, "It's difficult for Philip to hold down a career in another country, so I view it as my responsibility to help him out. "You're my husband, Nathaniel. You'll have your own PR card sooner or later. My job is a sensitive one, you see, so I need to avoid showing favoritism to you. Please be more understanding toward me." Well, I've been understanding toward Lydia for five whole years. My phone suddenly rings. When I answer the call, I can practically hear the smile dripping off Lydia's tone. "Phillip has successfully passed his citizenship exam! We're celebrating the occasion tonight. Hurry up and come home so that you can get dinner started." I feel my heart going stone-cold as I stare at the marriage certificate in my hand. Well, it's more like a piece of useless paper now. It turns out that I'm not Lydia's legal husband at all. I don't have an identity here, which means I can't receive any benefits. Heck, I can't even get started on the medical insurance that's needed for my follow-up treatments. After ending the call, I book an appointment for a keyhole surgery. Then, I book a ticket on the quickest flight back to Luxoria. This time, I won't go back to Lydia ever again.