Until You Catharina Maura

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Hindi naging maganda ang unang pagkikita nila Harry at Reyna dahil mayabang ito at antipatiko. Kapag nakakita naman ng mga magagandang chicks, mabilis pa sa alas-kwatro ang mga mata nito para titigan. Kaya asar talaga siya sa pagmumukha nitong chickboy at manloloko. Pero tinamaan si Reyna sa kasabihan na "The more you hate, the more you love". Ang tunay niyang nararamdaman para kay Harry, kaya umiiwas siya dito. Pero sa katagalan, hinahanap-hanap na nito ang mga pang-aasar ni Harry sa kanya. Ngunit balakid sa kanilang namumuong pagtitinginan si Julliene Cheng, ang spoiled brat na younger sister ni Harry. Hindi niya gusto si Reyna para sa kanyang kapatid, dahil may napipisil na itong iba para sa kanyang kuya Harry, si Ruiz De Vera, ang bagong Restaurant Manager ng resort. Nahuhumaling sandali si Harry kay Ruiz, pero napatunayan niyang si Reyna nga ang kanyang gusto dahil labis s'yang nagseselos ng makita nitong may kasamang ibang lalaki si Reyna. Kaya ipinaglalaban nito ang kanyang pagmamahal para sa kanya. Kung kailan masaya na silang dalawa sa kanilang pag-iibigan, tsaka naman nagparamdam muli ang lalaking minahal noon ni Reyna ng labis. Pero sinaktan lamang siya at iniwan lang basta-basta na parang basura dahil walang silbi sa kanya. Pero hanggang saan sila dadalhin ng kanilang masayang pagsasama, dahil hindi lang si Julliene Cheng ang tutol sa kanilang relasyon. Kundi pati ang dati niyang kasintahan na si Jonel Cornelio. Isang bangungot ang muling pagbabalik nito sa buhay ni Reyna. Ang dahilan kung bakit siya naging matigas ang kanyang puso at ang nagtulak sa kanya para lumayo para lang makalimutan siya. Mananaig pa kaya ang second chances para sa dati nitong kasintahan? O ang bagong pag-ibig nito para kay Harry Cheng, that against all odds? Dahil hindi siya tanggap ng family nito. Ano ang pipiliin ng kanyang puso?

10 years have passed and she got everything, so they said. A face that no one could ever deny its beauty, a body that makes men go crazy and a successful career in the legal profession. She has it all, except him- the man she so dearly loved but has to let go of for her to get all these things she has now. Cattaleya Rillera really thought then that it would be worth it. Afterall, she was only 17 at that time when an elderly couple chose her to be their adoptee. Hindi niya inakalang may magkakagustong ampunin pa siya dahil sa edad niya. When she reached the age of 16, hindi na siya nangarap pang may magkakainteres sa kaniyang maging parte ng kanilang pamilya dahil isang taon na lamang ay aalis na siya ng bahay-ampunan dahil magiging isang ganap na siyang maygulang. At ngayong may gusto siyang ampunin, hindi niya papalampasin. This is all she ever wanted. Lahat naman sila doon sa bahay-ampunan. Thus, she consented to such an adoption even if she would have to break her promise to the boy she loves- Caleb Sanchez- the boy she promised to marry when she left the orphanage. Isa ding orphan na naunang umalis ng orphanage dahil mas matanda ito sa kanya ng 2 years. Ang taong nangakong magsisikap para makapag-ipon at paghandaan ang kanilang pagsasama sa oras na umalis siya sa bahay-ampunan. Now that she has finally achieved the success of her chosen career, she thinks it's time to locate him. And if she succeeded, she could only pray that he was still single and that he would find it in his heart to forgive her.

Bradley is faced with a difficult decision: let go of the past, give up on the present, and give the future a chance. However, no decision becomes easy when it comes to sex, love and fears. This is when Bradley questions everything. Is it possible to help others to the point of sacrificing your own happiness? He has no idea what to do: Claire or Chelsea? Which of the two will he really get to know, to the point that his heart chooses the right woman?

Love makes the world go round, sabi nila. Pero iba para kay Alexena dahil pinatigil nito ang isang bahagi ng buhay at pagkatao niya. Kahit na dala ang sakit ng kahapon ay pinili niyang mag-move forward at ngumiting muli upang ipagpatuloy ang buhay. Ngunit pagkatapos umalis nang walang paalam makalipas ang ilang taon ay hindi niya kailanman inakalang maglalaro ang tadhana at pagtatagpuing muli ang kanilang landas ng nag-iisang lalaki na kanyang minahal at iniwan sa nakaraan. Pero nagbago na ito, wala na ang bakas ng pagkatao ng lalaking kanyang nakasama noon. Wala na ni anino ng suyo kapag tinatapunan siya nito ng tingin at lambing sa tinig kapag kinakausap siya. Sa halip ay puro pang-iinsulto at masasakit na salita na lamang ang lumalabas sa bibig nito sa tuwing bubuka iyon. At ang nakakaloka pa ay napapansin niya na palagi na lang siya nitong pinag-iinitan at pinepersonal. Palagi ring iritado at akala mo ba ay may buwanang dalaw sa sungit. Aminado naman siyang may malaki siyang kasalanan dito. At mukhang dumating na rin ang panahon ng paniningil nito, ayaw man niya ay kailangan niyang magbayad. Ngunit sa kabila ng mga iringan nilang dalawa at hindi pagkakasundo ay hindi maikakailang ito pa rin ang nag-iisang tao na may kakayahang patibukin nang mabilis ang puso niya. Akala niya ay okay na siya, akala niya ay naka-move on na siya rito. Pero mukhang mali ang lahat ng naging paniniwala niya dahil tutol man ang isip niya sa kanyang nararamdaman ay sadya namang may pagkatraydor, suwail at balimbing ang puso niya basta pagdating na rito ang usapan. Love is sweeter the second time around, maging applicable naman kaya ang kasabihang iyon sa dalawang ito? O sa halip na maging matamis ay baka naman pait ang malasahan at maging kapalaran ng mga ito sa dulo?

Ciara Lewis suffered an indescribable pain in her heart when her parents broke her soul into a million pieces. They promised to go with her every step of the way but ended up imposing the worst pain she could ever imagine. Her father abandoned them to be with his mistress, the reason her mother suffered depression and took her own life. At the thought that she couldn’t move forward, she found a light with the help of Zachary Denver Ford. An intelligent guy and blessed with so many opportunities. Ciara and Denver fell in love and were undoubtedly happy in their relationship. Ciara thought the heavens had sent Denver to cover up the pain she endured in her heart, but she was wrong.  Denver got bumped between her and a massive opportunity that could offer them the best future. When he chased his dreams, Ciara felt rejected and her life went upside down. Denver promised to win her back, but EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED to the extent that he wished he had never left.

Irene Hoopai kept pursuing her passion kahit na tutol dito ang kanyang mga magulang. Dalawang pangarap niya ang gusto niyang matupad. Una, ang makapagtayo ng sariling photography studio. At ang mapansin ni Riley Romualdez, ang lalaking matagal niya nang gusto. She's one step closer to her dreams ngunit isang hindi inaasang balita ang nakarating sa kanya. Ipinagkasundo siya ng kanyang ama sa pamilyang karibal ng mga Romualdez sa negosyo. Clymer has set his eyes on Irene for years at handang niyang gawin ang lahat makuha lamang ang puso nito. Kahit ang itali ito sa relasyong siya lamang ang may gusto. But how could he keep someone who loves freedom so much? Can his love alone keep her tight?

I'd rather die. That's what Lauresse San Forte words. She was taken to a prison cell and had not eaten for days. She was taken with the other girls as a means of a business, bought with a price in a life she did not know. Ashton Sid Del Aveiro was in pursuit of finding his only sister when Lauresse met him in a situation they didn't expect. In a world Lauresse has never been, she was brought with a price for the price. The price that needed her to act as his wife in the eyes of his rivalry, elite families, the organization, and his business associate. For Lauresse's safety. He had a goal, and she had her to be free again. But it won't make an easy way when she needs to dive into his world and into his life. In a game she joined, they were dancing in the system that Ashton would surely be his greatest fall if he let feelings rule him over his mind. His life was nothing but about the organization and as part of the family. He needs to keep it safe even if it's too risky. Life has one meaning, his family. His only sister. His father's happiness. His mother's sanity. But her, his greatest mistake yet his most significant happiness.

Savannah Elin S. Mercado has been punished by her own father because of their feud, she was devastated knowing that her father had to give her a punishment just because she protected herself. She believed that love will give her reasons to hate marriage but then Clyde Oliver M. Reyes entered her unlovable life, he wants her but he can't have her, that was it. What other misfortunes can happen in this lifetime? Does her mission to save someone be the reason why she will be at her lowest?

Sabi nila makikilala mo ang mga tunay mong kaibigan sa oras nang gapitan. Ito ang tumatak sa isip ni Drake. That night when everything in his world crumble. Napagtanto niya kung sino lang ang tunay na nagmamahal sa kanya at sa pamilya niya. In a single night he lost almost everything. His father died, his mother went ill. And his fiancée left him. Bukod sa Nawala ang yaman at karangyaan sa kanila. Kahit mga kaibigan nang pamilya nila tinalikuran siya. He is lost and in rage. He hates the entire world and curse the world. Then he meets Leandro Montefuego the very man who's responsible for his family's downfall. What's worse is he was asked to marry his grandchild and heiress to his wealth. She has nothing to do with his anger. But he is determined to take his revenge one way or another.