Too Busy

Jen Salas has always kept her head down, working hard to support her struggling family in the bustling town of Cebu. When she meets Jacques Almerino, a young billionaire who catches her eye, she's swept off her feet. Jacques is drawn to Jen's down-to-earth charm, but as he returns to Cebu for a vacation, he knows he can't let himself fall in love - he's too busy managing his family's vast business empire. Despite their differences, Jen and Jacques can't stay away from each other, and their romance seems perfect. But when Jacques' esoteric secret is revealed, it threatens to tear them apart. As Jen and Jacques struggle to find a way to be together, they must confront their deepest fears and desires. Will their love be lost forever, or can they find a way to overcome the obstacles that stand in their way? Disclaimer: This story is written in Taglish

When my appendix bursts, my parents, my brother, and even my fiancé are all too busy celebrating my sister's birthday. I'm outside the operating room, frantically calling every family member I can think of to sign the consent form, but every call is either ignored or hung up on. After hanging up on me, my fiancé, Joel Graham, texts back. "Sophie, stop being dramatic. It's Yvette's 18th birthday today. Whatever it is can wait until after the party." I quietly set my phone down and sign the consent form myself. It's the ninety-ninth time they've chosen Yvette Norton, my sister, over me. This time, I choose not to care. I'll stop letting their favoritism hurt me. Instead, I'll do everything they ask of me without complaint. They'll all think I've finally learned to be obedient, and they'll never realize that I'm preparing to leave them for good.

My mate, Alpha Lucius, was kissing me when I heard it slip through his mind-link. “My sweet little pup. Daddy’s moving you and Mommy into the new villa tomorrow. I built it just for you.” That’s when I knew. The villa he’d spent a fortune of my pack’s money on… was a love nest. For his bastard and his whore, Clara. He didn't even notice I'd gone cold, too busy bragging about his re-election as Alliance Chairman. He’d been Chairman for four years. Everyone thought his re-election was a sure thing. But the fool forgot. He was only the most powerful Alpha because of me. He was only Chairman because of me. Because of my Silver Moon Pack. Because of my bloodline. I shoved him away. I sent an urgent mind-link to my father. "Lucius has betrayed the Silver Moon bloodline. He and that omega bitch… they’re going to die."

"Skye, please," Jaxon's voice was desperate, but I couldn't bear to look at him after what I'd learned. "Listen to me first, baby." "What is there to explain?" My words were bitter. "Why keep it hidden until now?" He didn't respond. I let out a mixture of sobs and laughter. "See?" "Skye, please. My situation is difficult. Just give me a chance to explain. I have too much on my plate." I shook my head. "No, I don't need to hear your lies." "Is it that hard for you, Skye? I always listen to you." His words hit me. "Are you blaming me? Sorry, Jaxon. This setup is tiring. I waited for you, but you were not there when I needed you most. I tried to reach out, but you were too busy with things you didn't tell me. So, I was left alone like I was no one." I could see a mix of emotions in his eyes—emotions I couldn't fathom, emotions I saw for the first time since we started our relationship. "I'm sorry, Jaxon. I want to let go. I tried so hard, but I'm choosing myself this time. You stole the only friend I had!" As I opened the door, my heart broke. "Baby, please. Don't give up on me. I love you." "I can't feel it, Jax. I'm too drained. I'm sorry." I stepped outside the room. "And I hope not to see you again."

The night before my wedding, my mom got into a car accident—she needed a blood transfusion, fast. Her blood type was rare. Mine matched. I was pregnant, but I didn't think twice. I donated. While I was bleeding out, losing my baby, my fiancé, Joffrey Habsburg, and his brother—my so-called childhood friend—Mateo, were busy holding Nancy's hand during her cosmetic surgery. I begged Joffrey to save my mom. Only then did he bother to pick up a scalpel. When it was over, he said, "Surgery failed. She's gone." Two days later, I overheard Nancy purring through the door, wrapped around the Habsburg brothers. "Mateo really is a racer—he hit that old hag dead on. And Joffrey? You were amazing too, making sure she didn't survive the surgery. Thanks to you both, I got Lori's blood for my operation."

Manu has never had the opportunity to fall in love. He became an Alpha at a young age and was forced to take over his father's role as CEO at the same time. Several years later, he was known to be the very serious, intimidating, cold and ruthless Alpha CEO Manu of the famous City Magnificent Pack. And while women would gladly throw themselves at him, he was too busy to desire any of them. Until he met her… Uneducated and nearly illiterate, Sasha would do just everything for her younger siblings. And by "everything", she meant the entire world. Putting herself aside, she didn't care what the means were as long as she achieved the ends she wanted. When the beautiful but mischievous human thief and the handsome and powerful Alpha's worlds collided, Manu's heart was captivated for the very first time. But with Sasha's passionate hate to his kind, and his own destiny with his mate, would there be room for a happy ending to his first romance?

My mafia boyfriend, Silas Vale, didn’t recognize me when I dragged myself back to him after being tortured and shot by his rival gang. He was too busy holding Amy—his childhood sweetheart—in his arms. “Get this woman away from me,” he snapped at his guard. “Amy’s afraid of blood.” I’d lost so much blood I genuinely thought I might die that night. But luckily, a stranger passed by and rushed me to the hospital. When I finally recovered enough to walk, I went home—only to find Silas there, completely unconcerned about the fact that I had disappeared for almost a week. And Amy was there too. Her clothes were scattered across the floor. I didn’t confront Silas or say anything. I just pulled out my phone and called my brother. “You said you are moving to Italy? I’m coming with you.” If Silas couldn’t cherish me the way he was supposed to… then I’d vanish from his world for good this time.

Blurb/Synopsis: Madison Lane's uncomplicated one night stand turns out to be anything but uncomplicated when the man she had been dreaming about since their explosive night together turns out to be her new, mean and ruthless English literature professor. Lucian Buford is out for her, constantly singling her out in the class. Maddie can say goodbye to having any friends in class or having any fun whatsoever. Nobody wants to come close to her and incurr Professor Buford's wrath and he keeps her too busy with assignments to even have time to breathe not to talk of going to get lunch with the cute boy who's interested in her. Maddie thinks Lucian hates her, but what she doesn't know is that he's doing everything in his power to not drag her into his office and kiss her senseless. What happens when the professor with dark secrets and the fiery red hair he's obsessed with clash in a battle of wills? Will they both come out unscathed or be torn apart by forces that are beyond their control?

Even after a full decade of marriage, my husband Rudolf and I were as deeply in love as the day we wed—an enviable couple in the eyes of all. On the day of our anniversary, I saw him lifting a little boy into his arms right outside the entrance of our neighborhood. "Daddy! Can you take me to the amusement park this time?" The boy's words were enough to stop me dead in my tracks. I instinctively hid around a corner. "Of course! I'll even take you on a trip." Rudolf smiled warmly and kissed the boy on the forehead. In that instant, something seemed to have been set off in my head, as if years of trust had been shattered at that one moment. Daddy? Upon closer examination, I realized that the boy's features were remarkably similar to Rudolf's. No one could deny they were blood-related. "Your dad's busy with work, sweetheart. Don't cling to him too much," said a beautiful woman standing next to the boy. The cruel moment before me made it clear. The man who swore he would love me forever had been cheating all along.

My mother-in-law got kidnapped, but my powerful husband, who ran both sides of the law, was too busy throwing a birthday bash for his old flame's dog. The kidnappers warned them they'd kill her if he didn't show up. I didn't beg him to act because, in my past life, I dragged him away from that party despite being eight months pregnant to save his mom. His old flame, who tagged along, got spotted by the kidnappers' lookout. They assaulted her and brutally killed her. Her body parts were left to be eaten by dogs. Furious, he gunned down the culprits and vanished for a month. When he returned, he never mentioned it. Then I gave birth to our son and was full of joy. But he threw me into the woods, weak and defenseless. Wild animals tore me apart, leaving nothing behind. "You were jealous of Alicia and had the kidnappers kill her?" he accused. "You don't deserve her happiness." When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day his mom got kidnapped.