Twelve Minutes

I am Ivy Blackthorne, the Luna of the Graystone pack and a princess of the White Wolf royalty. Tomorrow, when the full moon rises, I will personally place the heirloom upon my nine-year-old pup, Lucas Gowling, as both his mother and Luna. Lucas is not only my pup with my Alpha mate, Alexander Gowling, but he is also the Child of Prophecy foretold to lead the Graystone pack to glory. For nine years, I have believed that moment will be the most perfect in my life. But three minutes ago, I caught a faint yet chillingly bitter scent in my breakfast. It is wolfsbane, a rare poison that can kill wolves. My blood runs cold. Who would poison my food? I force myself to stay calm and not react immediately. I lift my bowl and pretend to drink its contents, but I secretly pour it into a napkin under the table. A more terrifying thought forms in my mind—if my breakfast is poisoned, then what about Lucas' food? I shoot to my feet right away. Without even stopping to grab a coat, I rush toward the training grounds in the back of the mountains. Before I reach it, I hear Lucas' voice from the woods toward the north. "Mother, did I do well today? I watch her eat breakfast with my own eyes." I freeze like I was hit by a bolt of lightning. Trembling, I push aside the bushes, only to see someone unexpected standing there. It is Sophia Crow, Alexander's childhood sweetheart, whom he had supposedly cut off from his life long ago. She crouches slightly and wipes Lucas' sweat off his brow, her movements intimate and natural. "Very good. Just one more day. After the succession ceremony tomorrow, you won't need to call her 'Mother' anymore," says Sophia. Lucas replies, "I've grown tired of calling her Mother for a long time. If she dies, can I openly call you 'Mother'?" Sophia gently pulls Lucas into her arms. "Of course. You are my pup to begin with." In that instant, every breath I take feels suffocating. The pain is unbearable. The pup I raised for nine years is actually the illegitimate child of my mate and his childhood sweetheart.

Le jour où je me suis effondrée et où on m'a diagnostiqué un cancer en phase terminale, c'était notre vingt-deuxième anniversaire, celui de ma sœur jumelle, Julie, et moi. J'ai quitté l'hôpital en ignorant les recommandations des médecins, juste pour passer un dernier anniversaire insouciant avec ma famille. Mais quand je suis arrivée à la fête, le serveur m'a arrêtée à la porte et m'a informée que le lieu avait été réservé pour l'anniversaire de la fille de la famille Thomas et que les étrangers n'étaient pas autorisés à entrer. À travers la vitre, j'ai vu mon frère portant le gâteau, mon père mettant un chapeau d'anniversaire sur Julie, et même mon petit ami, tout sourire, regardant Julie faire un vœu. Après être restée là pendant une demi-heure, mon petit ami a enfin répondu à mon appel. « Je viens d'aller à l'hôpital, maintenant… » Il a interrompu mes paroles : « Aurélie, tu es toujours en bonne santé. Aujourd'hui c'est l'anniversaire de Julie, on en parlera plus tard. » Alors, ce n'était pas aussi mon anniversaire aujourd'hui ? Tout simplement parce que notre mère était morte d'une hémorragie en me mettant au monde. Les médecins avaient aussi dit que j'avais pris les nutriments de Julie dans le ventre et que cela l'avait rendue fragile depuis son enfance. Tout le monde pensait donc que je devais toujours céder à Julie, née cinq minutes avant moi. J'ai froissé mon diagnostic et je l'ai jeté à la poubelle, décidant de ne plus souffrir de leur favoritisme. Puisque je n'avais jamais reçu leur amour, j'ai choisi de partir pour toujours.

My CEO wife, Cassandra Solis, has high hopes for me. In fact, she has drafted an elite training program for me. I have to work over 20 hours a day, finish every meal within 3 minutes, and spend no more than a minute in the restroom. "Honey, elites must achieve what normal people can't. Only when you become a true elite can I entrust the company to you." I can feel the major responsibility weighing down on my shoulders. Every day, I devote everything I have to work. Five years later, I've successfully taken the company public. I've also completed Cassandra's hardcore training program. But at the end-of-the-year gala, Cassandra hands over the position of the Executive Vice President—the same one that she's promised to me—to her newly-recruited assistant. Upon noticing my displeasure, Cassandra explains to me smilingly while holding a bouquet of flowers, "Oh, silly you! Having a completely useless boss is the final trial I've set up for you! Once you've completed this trial, I can finally hand the company to you!" But lines of text suddenly flash across my vision. "Oh, poor Harvey! He still has no idea that Cassandra has been training him just so he can earn more money in order to clear off Xavier's debt! Not only that, but she also steals the position Harvey has been longing for and gives it to Xavier! Cassandra really has crossed a line this time!" "You're being too dramatic. Cassandra is just paying Xavier back for his benevolence. She feels guilty for what she's done to Harvey, you know. Once she's done paying back her debt to Xavier, she'll pay attention to Harvey once again and live happily ever after with him." I'm stunned by what I see. Is this the actual purpose behind the elite training program? I'm about to pull out the terminal cancer diagnosis report, but I quickly stuff it back into my pocket. It's a shame that I'm about to die. I suppose that I can't live long enough to see that day.

PAG-IBIG Animo'y naubusan ng dugo sa putla si Mia nang ipakilala ng mag-asawang Fuchs si Phineas. Ang estrangherong kaniyang sinuntok at tinadyakan thirty minutes ago sa loob ng airport. Hindi naging maganda ang nagdaang araw ni Mia sa mansiyon simula nang dumating si Phineas. Inis na inis siya sa ginawa nitong pagkuha ng litrato habang magkatabi silang natutulog. Nawindang pa siya nang bigla nalang nagbakasyon si Miss Ivy at ibinilin nito sa kaniyang gumawa ng paraan para hindi umuwi ng Germany ang kaniyang mainiping unico hijo. Hindi alam ni Mia kung ano ang gagawin kay Phineas na palagi nalang siyang iniinis at hindi siya sineseryoso. Sabi pa nito’y she effortlessly beguiled him with her cute curves on her lips na mas lalo pa niyang ikina bwesit ang tono nitong sarkastiko. Sa pagdaan ng mga araw ay nagamay din ni Mia kung paano pakisamahan si Phineas. Hindi niya akalaing aabot sa puntong hindi niya naasahan ang pusong pigilan ang nararamdaman at naisuko ang lahat sa lalaki. Akala ni Mia ay maayos ang lahat hanggang sa isang umaga’y naabutan niya si Phineas na nagmimilagro sa sariling kuwarto kasama ang isang babae. TRAHEDYA Pinatay ni Mia ang kaniyang sarili sa mata ng lahat ng nakakakilala sa kaniya. Sinabayan niya ang isang trahedya na kinasangkutan niya at ng kaniyang pamilya. Upang paghandaan ang paghihiganti sa walang awang umubos ng buhay ng kaniyang pamilya ay umalis si Mia ng San Martin dala ang nakakakilabot na karanasan at ang sakit ng pag-ibig na kaniyang labis na pinagsisisihan. Paano kung sa pagkalipas ng tatlong taon ay dalahin si Mia ng kaniyang paghihiganti pabalik sa San Martin at makitang muli si Phineas? Mapanindigan kaya niya ang binuong bagong mukha at pagkatao? O tuluyan ng susuko ang kaniyang puso?

I'd had a crush on my brother's best friend, Ethan—the most powerful Alpha of our Northern Territory—since I was twelve years old. When I was fifteen, I boldly confessed my feelings to him. He laughed and patted my head, casually promising, "When you turn eighteen and shift, if you're my mate, I'll mark you." That offhand promise became my greatest hope for three years. I spent every day waiting for my wolf to awaken, praying to the Moon Goddess that she would designate us as mates. But on the night of my eighteenth birthday, after my wolf first awakened, I was shocked to discover that Ethan truly was my mate! Ignoring the intense shifting pain coursing through my body, I immediately shifted into my wolf form and ran toward Ethan's training grounds. I clutched the gift I'd prepared long ago, but instead heard Ethan urgently confessing to his Omega assistant Victoria: "Who would be stupid enough to actually care about a true mate? The bond between her and me is just the Moon Goddess's mistake. I only love you. I'll only mark you as my Luna." The words hit me like silver bullets to the chest. My wolf whimpered in pain, the mate bond burning like acid in my veins. I stood frozen behind the trees, watching the man I'd loved for six years dismiss our sacred connection as if it meant nothing. Later, Ethan introduced Victoria as his "fiancée." When Victoria demanded that I publicly bless their marking ceremony, Ethan remained completely indifferent to my humiliation. "Sylvia should give us her blessing," Victoria announced at the pack meeting, her voice sweet as poison. "After all, she's been like a little sister to Ethan all these years." Every wolf in the room could smell my distress. But Ethan said nothing, refusing to even look at me. When rogue wolves attacked our territory and I was surrounded, Ethan didn't hesitate to scoop up Victoria—who had only a tiny scratch on her finger—and carry her away to find the pack healer. He left me bleeding and alone, silver claws ha

Cecilia Laurent’s husband, Lyon Melville, was known across North Ameria’s underground circles as the biggest womanizer. As the current Don of the Melville family, the women who wanted to get close to him would line up from New Yorke to Rondon. He never turned anyone away from his bed. Cecilia had been married to Lyon for five years. The taunting messages and intimate photos from his mistresses were enough to fill the storage on three of her encrypted phones. Cecilia showed no mercy. After the photos of Lyon in the car with a model were made public, she had the sports car dismantled completely. When he went out to sea with an actress to watch fireworks, she had the yacht blown to nothing. She blacklisted every woman who tried to cling to him. She overturned tables at family banquets. She risked every bit of dignity she had as the Melville family’s Donna in the hope that he would come back to her. Lyon allowed it. He let the rumors spread without denying anything. For five years, Cecilia was the joke of the family and the entire underworld. When the New Year came around, Cecilia received her first “gift” of the year. It was an intimate photo of Lyon in bed with another woman. At nearly the same time, a headline broke across New Yorke’s social media and tabloids. [Don Melville Meets Superstar Gianna Moretti Late at Night.] Inside the banquet hall of the family estate, the band continued to play. The champagne tower reflected a cold light. Everyone was waiting for her to blow up. Her assistant expertly pulled up the PR department’s number and held the phone out to her. “Donna Melville, the PR team is waiting for your instructions. Do you want us to make this bigger, like last time?” Cecilia looked at the man in the photo. Ten minutes ago, he had held their daughter on the balcony and watched the fireworks together. She suddenly smiled. “Take it down,” she said. “I don’t want to see this on the front page in two hours.” Everyone in New Yorke knew that the Melville family’s Donna loved like a madwoman. She could lose her temper just as easily. But this time, she did not lose control. She wanted a divorce.

I'm Alpha Bruce Smith's most docile and understanding daughter. In fact, I'm the type who obeys literally anyone's orders. When my parents pick me up at the Rogues' den and take me back to the pack, my adopted younger sister, Andrea Smith, begins making fun of me. "I thought the Rogues killed you for sure! I never thought you'd be able to return to the pack, safe and sound! You really are lucky! Why can't you just die already?" With hollow eyes, I just nod quietly. Then, I extend a claw and move to stab myself in the neck without hesitation. My parents are terrified out of their wits. They quickly stop me from hurting myself. But my older brother, Tobias Smith, remains impassive about my condition. "You really love attention that much, huh? What makes you think you can still remain my sister, anyway? You might as well drink some wolfsbane and die!" That night, I grab a bottle of poison and down it immediately. Tobias discovers me afterward. He whisks me to the hospital anxiously. When the doctor tells him that I'd die if he were two minutes later in discovering me, Tobias' complexion turns pale. Some time after that, when Andrea snatches my necklace from me, she loses her balance and falls down the stairs. Her fiance points at me while exclaiming, "It's just a necklace! If anything were to happen to Andrea, you'd better pay the price with your life!" Pay the price with my life, huh? I don't hesitate to draw the silver sword out of its hilt on the wall. Then, I slash my throat with it. My parents happen to witness it. Shell-shocked, they scream at the top of their lungs. "Call an ambulance! Hurry!" Tobias tries to stem the blood flow with trembling hands. He's completely stunned by the ordeal. What everyone doesn't know is that they've been calling me a lowlife during my five-year stay in the Rogues' den. Even if I could live 100 times over, those lives are nothing compared to Andrea. Even if I gave my life, it would never be enough—because to them, my life was never worth anything in the first place.

RÉSUMÉ : Je l'ai vu prendre ses clés de voiture, ses gestes si différents de ceux de l'homme que je connaissais. « Où vas-tu, Ethan ? » ai-je demandé, le voyant se raidir quelques secondes avant de reprendre son attitude normale. Une réaction qui m'aurait échappé si je ne l'avais pas observé attentivement. « Au travail », répondit-il nonchalamment, un sourire froid plaqué sur le visage. Il me lança un regard qui me glaça le sang, laissa échapper un rire grave, puis partit. Quelques minutes plus tard, il revint. Son expression était cette fois radicalement différente. « Quoi ? Tu m'as déjà manqué ? » Sa voix résonna dans le couloir et un frisson me parcourut l'échine. Quelque chose avait changé. Et c'était le genre de changement qui rendait les choses mauvaises, voire catastrophiques. Un accident survenu plus tôt l'avait transformé. Les médecins disaient que c'était un effet secondaire qui disparaîtrait avec le temps. Mais les effets secondaires incluent-ils des baisers plus rudes, un sexe intense et addictif, et un mari qui m'appellerait par un autre nom et oublierait tout ce que je disais dès qu'il aurait le dos tourné ? Alors j'ai creusé plus profondément jusqu'à trouver la vérité. Deux hommes identiques. Des jumeaux. L'un est présumé mort depuis des années. L'autre a survécu. Tous deux prétendaient être mon mari. L'un jurait de m'aimer. L'autre a juré de le tuer avant qu'il ne puisse plus jamais s'approcher de moi. Désormais, chaque murmure, chaque caresse, chaque baiser me faisait me demander : « Qui était dans mon lit ? Et qui a survécu à cette nuit-là ? »

Leon Vincent, the shark of Warren Street, is the one who raised me. Twelve years ago, a fire tore through the orphanage and took everything from me. He was the one who pulled me out of the flames and gave me a second chance at life. To repay him, we make a weird deal—a 99-debt contract. I have to either obey him or be abandoned 99 times. After that, the debt will be cleared. Every time he goes on a date with some high-society socialite, he'll toss another insanely expensive piece of jewelry into my safe. In just two short years after turning 18, I've accumulated 96 diamonds in my safe, each one marking the 96 times he's cast me aside. One day, his fiancee, Elena Harrington, sends me a provocative email. "Dearest Isabelle, Leon and I are finalizing the wedding invitations. Do you think velvet with gold foil or matte leather would be more elegant? The ceremony's early next month. Can't wait to see you there! Love, Elena." Right after that, Leon calls, asking me to pack his bags for the summit in Parienne tomorrow. I simply send the wedding gift I've prepared in advance—a seven-figure emerald necklace—straight to his darling Elena without any words. That night, Leon returns to the apartment and finds out what I've done. He praises me for being considerate. Late into the night, he pulls me into his arms with rare tenderness. Nothing is left between us; no clothes, no holding back. He whispers that he wants to give me a special kind of reward, one that only I can carry. Somehow, Elena discovers my pregnancy. She stands on the balcony of Vincent Estate, screaming like her life depends on it. "Leon, I'm begging you! Don't let her have that baby! If you do, I'll jump!" The cold and proud Leon begs me, for the first time, to get rid of the baby. Everyone at the party awaits my breakdown, but I just smile softly and nod. "Alright. I will." He whispers in my ear, "Our marriage is just a business arrangement. I don't even like her. Once we're divorced, I'll give you another baby." What he fails to realize is that it was never in my plans to keep this one. There are only three more times left before I pay off this life debt from when he pulled me out of that fire all those years ago. After the 99th time, I board a ship bound for Azara to join a medical research mission. From that moment on, my life will be mine alone to live for.

When I was born, I was already a certified liar. That's a fact that everyone seems to agree with. The truth is, my mom, who's a scientist, has implanted advanced chips into me and my fraternal twin brother, Ryan Hartwell, when we were still babies. By right, as long as we lie or make mistakes, our mom will receive the devil signal from the chips. Then, she'll administer electrical shocks as a form of punishment. Ryan's chip often transmits the smiley signal. Even if he destroys our mom's research equipment and pins the blame on me, his chip still has the smiley branded on it. Meanwhile, when I reach home ten minutes later than usual because I had to help out a classmate, my chip transmits the scary devil signal. The next thing I know, I've already crippled to the floor from the intense pain caused by the electrical shock. At first, I'll still explain to Mom what happened. But she often exclaims, "Don't think you can pull off clever little tricks just like that gambling father of yours! The chip is ten thousands times smarter than you! The punishments will only be branded into your bones if the pain is searing enough! What I'm doing is saving your life!" After suffering from the pain countless times, I get brainwashed into thinking that I really am a liar and a troublemaker by nature. On the night of Christmas Eve, Mom comes to the attic to tell Ryan to join the family at the table for the Christmas dinner. That's when my asthma suddenly acts up, causing me to stumble and fall to the floor. "I… I can't breathe… Save me, Mom…" But Mom just coldly gazes at the devil signal that she has just received on her phone. Then, she dials the shock value to the maximum. "You don't have asthma at all! Ugh, you're kicking up another fuss just to attract attention! Seriously, you never change your ways!" After that, she takes Ryan's hand and leads him out of the attic. Soon, she slams the door heavily behind her. As I suffer from asphyxiation while on my deathbed, I can't help but think that Mom is right. After all, my chip has just transmitted the devil signal. Maybe the asthma attack really is just a figment of my imagination. I've always been a bad girl who loves lying to others, after all. When Mom finds out that this is the last time I've ever lied to her, she must be really happy, right?