True Bond

During the ten years since I was found and brought to my biological family, Sonia Baxter, the girl who took my place, and I have been as close as real sisters. Even Mom says that Sonia cares more about me than a real sister would. I once swore I'd give my life to protect our special family of four. When Sonia is rushed into emergency surgery with a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, I am in my office, calmly practicing a basic suturing technique on a surgical simulator. On the screen, the robotic arm threads the needle with such precision that it looks like a work of art. A few minutes later, my boyfriend, Oliver Lyons, slams open the office door and shouts at me, "Amelia Baxter! Sonia's in critical condition. Only your micro-dissection skills can save her! Every expert in the hospital is waiting for you! We've got less than an hour before the window closes!" He looks at me with hopeful eyes. I'm the only person in the country capable of performing a surgery this complex. My hands are even known as the "Hands of God". However, I simply reply with a hum and continue fiddling with the model. Suddenly, my parents rush in. Mom grabs my arm and cries out, "Amelia! That's your sister in there! How could you just stand by and watch her die?" I gently pull away from her and hold my right hand out in front of them. This hand, which had once created countless medical miracles, is now trembling slightly. "Unfortunately, since yesterday, I've been showing symptoms of essential tremor. Dad, Mom… this hand is ruined."

I get sent away to the countryside because my parents fear that I'll use my privileged background to lord over others. In turn, they're taking in Tina from that family to the city for her upbringing and schooling. In the countryside, I get up at 4:00 am daily to feed the pigs, then it's a grueling three-hour trek through the mountains to school. I'm also barely surviving due to constant malnutrition. I reach out to my parents for a mere 300 dollars for tuition, only for them to accuse me of spending recklessly. In the meantime, they're donating an entire building just to secure a spot for Tina at her preferred school. I finally make it into Tina's high school and earn a guaranteed university admission spot, only for my parents to order me to hand it over to her as they unleash their fury on me, yelling, "You're clearly bad to the bone, always trying to take things that belong to Tina." "Tina almost gave up on life because of what you did. You're indebted to her for the rest of your life." They, using their parental rights, forfeit my guaranteed university admission spot to fulfill Tina's wish. They then transfer all company shares and real estate to her for her future security, while the whole family makes arrangements to move abroad together. I take in everything before me, no longer feeling hurt. I calmly pack my belongings and walk away from the place where I don't belong.

I stand in the hospital after my two older brothers decline all 99 of my phone calls. They finally appear, bringing with them the biological sister they found. My gentle eldest brother, who had once rescued me from my so-called abusive parents, raises his hand and slaps me across the face. "Cynthia, you're actually pretending to have a terminal illness just to compete with Sarah for our affection? And you came to this kind of place to frighten us?" I clutch my swollen cheek and listen as my second brother, who always says he'll trust me no matter what, holds Sarah in his arms and laughs out loud. "Are you trying to fake being sick to get our attention after seeing that Sarah is in poor health? "Just cut the act. You've been living in luxury since childhood and have always been in perfect health. How could you possibly be ill?" Sarah Crawford speaks up thoughtfully, "Don't blame her, you two. I think she just feels like I've stolen away your love for her, which is why she has become so unreasonable..." I look at the two brothers who have doted on me for ten years and suddenly feel that nothing matters anymore. After all, I only have seven days left to live. In seven days, everything will return to normal after my departure. But by then, they'll be the ones unable to accept it.

An invitation coated in dust, an oath in exchange of a soul and a bond too tight to break. But it is all an accident, a huge mistake Ria got herself into, tangling herself in ropes of the only demon king known to travel with chaos following behind him like a shadow, the devil himself. What happens when Ria accidentally sells her soul to the devil over something so desperate and cynical. And how does their bond come to be, bringing along dark desires and suppressed emotions? Why is the devil taking interest on this particular soul enough to stain with his dust? How will Ria set herself free?

The night before returning to the Cantrell residence, I had a dream where I was the despised antagonist in a book. In the story, my father had adopted a girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to my late mother. On the day he came to pick me up, he got into a devastating car accident. After that, my second brother, Shawn Cantrell, lashed out, calling me a curse, while my eldest brother, Seth Cantrell, treated me with cold indifference. In the end, I was abandoned by everyone, meeting a tragic and lonely end.

I am in the middle of hosting an international conference when my younger sister, Aubrey Keller, suddenly calls me. She is sobbing over the phone as she says, "Aster, my spot in the student exchange program was taken away…" I immediately rush over to Aubrey's university campus. She's cornered in the teachers' office, her eyes brimming with tears. A young girl with punk flair is standing in front of Aubrey, gesturing at her with disdain. "Trying to fight for the spot against me, are you? I'm the heiress to the Keaton family in Centuria. "My father even funded an entire laboratory building for the university! Who do you think you are?" A teacher standing to the side is also adding fuel to the fire. "Aubrey, Ophelia's father is one of this university's key funders. Why don't you just let this go this time so we can all move on?" I'm about to rebuke the two when I hear the phrase 'heiress to the Keaton family.' Keaton family from Centuria? Since when did my father, Tristan Keaton, have another daughter besides Aubrey and me? I immediately call Tristan's number and ask coldly, "Dad, when did you cheat on Mom and sire another daughter behind her back?"

Steven Zimmer, the assistant of my wife, Lucy Quinn, has lost in a truth-or-dare session. Lucy doesn't hesitate to file for a divorce from me for the ninth time. In the courthouse, I hear the staff member asking Lucy curiously, "Your husband is like a well-trained dog now. You've already married and divorced him nine times! Aren't you worried that your husband might ditch you for real?" Lucy merely smirks at her. "Do you know that the more ruthless you are when you abandon your pets, the harder it'll be for them to live without you? In fact, they will just become more obedient and docile. As long as I curl a finger at him, he'll definitely sink down to his knees and beg me to remarry him." Everyone bursts into laughter after that. They bet that I'll plead pathetically to Lucy to remarry me for the tenth time in less than a day after I've obtained the divorce certificate. Lucy even declares that she'll stream the tenth wedding proposal on the Internet when it happens. But the next day, Lucy keeps waiting for me to show up at the city hall while clad in a wedding dress. All she gets is a text from me. "No more proposals. This is the end between us, Lucy."

The moment the acid hit my skin, I heard my own flesh sizzle. In the last moments before my consciousness faded, my trembling fingers managed to dial my brother, the new Don of the Steele family. To my relief, Farrow finally answered. The sounds of expensive jazz and clinking glasses bled through the receiver. His voice was cold as ice. "What is it this time, Grace?" "Farrow... help me..." He cut me off before I could finish. "Listen, Betty's book launch is tomorrow night. If you dare cause a scene or embarrass the Family, I'll disown you. I'll ship you off to a convent in Sicily." The line went dead. A moment later, a second splash of acid hit my face, and the searing agony consumed me. My eyes were gone, leaving nothing but hollow, bloody sockets. You don't need to exile me, Farrow. I'm already gone. Forever.

Alpha Damian is ruthless and spares no one when it comes to his business. Love is out of the question and only money matters till he is forced to choose one or nothing.

Ibsen Maulanza atau Moza adalah seorang remaja tampan rupawan yang salah asuhan, ia hakikatnya hanyalah pemuda biasa yang dalam pencarian jati diri. Namun, karena ia dibesarkan dalam lingkungan orang-orang yang menentang pemerintah dan mengemban misi untuk membuat berbagai kekacauan dan keonaran dalam negeri dengan maksud hilangnya kepercayaan masyarakat pada pemerintah, dan pada saat itulah para pemberontak yang sedang memperjuangkan kemerdekaan muncul sebagai pahlawan, begitulah yang diutarakan pemimpin mereka. Senjata dan peperangan adalah keahliannya, karena sejak dalam asuhan Gandara, ia sudah diajarkan cara merakit dan menggunakan senjata serta berbagai strategy perang hingga ia pun tumbuh sebagai mesin pembunuh. Misi utama Moza bukan hanya memerdekakan wilayahnya, tapi juga ingin mencari tahu siapa sesungguhnya orang yang telah membunuh keluarganya dengan keji. Kekacauan dan keonaran yang ia buat, hakikatnya hanyalah pelampiasan dendam yang bersarang di dadanya. Sebuah Misi hampir saja berhasil jika saja tahanan utama mereka tidak berhasil meloloskan diri, dan lolosnya tahanan mereka mengakibatkan peristiwa fatal. Markas pemberontak dibombardir dan banyak pasukan pemberontak yang tewas. Apalagi setelah peristiwa itu pemerintah mengadakan sapu bersih yang mengakibatkan semakin sempitnya pergerakan pasukan pemberontak. Moza yang masih berusia remaja namun menjadi salah satu yang diperhitungkan oleh pemimpin pergerakan, demi keamanannya, lewat relasi tersembunyi pemimpin pergerakan, Moza akhirnya dimasukan ke sebuah kampus dan menyamar sebagai mahasiswa. Namun, keputusan pemimpinnya itu justru menjadi bumerang bagi pergerakan mereka, karena Moza ternyata hanyut dengan rutinitas barunya. Apalagi setelah ia berjumpa dengan seorang gadis cantik mempesona bernama Zahra Maorrin Ayesha, dan karena gadis itu juga lah Moza berbalik arah memerangi pemberontak, dan para tentara Republik yang penasaran atas aksi heroik Moza yang berhasil menonaktifkan bom di kantor gubernur, kini mencari tahu siapa sesungguhnya Moza. Gerak gerik Moza pun semakin sempit, karena ia kini diburu oleh dua kelompok, pemberontak yang ingin membunuhnya dan tentara Republik yang ingin membongkar jaringan pemberontak.