Usual Coin

Luca - I saw her sitting in the booth at a cafe I was a regular at and knew she was different from other humans. There was something about her that spoke to me and my inner soul. We both wanted her from that moment on. I am the vampire king, and she will be my queen. She is stunningly beautiful with those emerald eyes and hair that reminds me of the sunrise. Something was nagging at my mind telling me she reminded me of someone. I felt someone nudge me, and I knew it was time for me to go. I knew that I would be here more because there was no way I was leaving her alone and unguarded from this moment on. Sienna - I was sitting at my usual table in the cafe when I felt the weight of someone's eyes on me. I looked up and into the most amazing pair of golden eyes I had ever seen. I can only describe them as fire since they have flecks of red within them. He was staring at me, and I found it incredibly difficult to look away. I shook my head and looked away. He might have been the gorgeous man I have ever seen, but I have more important things to worry about. I needed to finish college and secure my place in the world. I didn’t know then that he would become one of the most important people in my life, and he would help me discover what and who I am.

Growing up alone and becoming independent at such a young age was never easy for Mallory Addison Finley. For her, it was like walking on pins or entering a narrow loophole. Simply put, her journey was not a smooth-sailing one. After losing her parents in a car crash, her life had become a living hell for her. She had to go to such lengths to survive, even though she was barely alive. Nonetheless, she was under the impression that she would have a promising future in the actual world. She assumed she would have and live a great life. Until she reached her mid-twenties, and yet she couldn’t find a stable job. Hired today, fired tomorrow. She’d grown accustomed to her usual life. Her situation has remained unchanged for several years, and she has never been able to break the chain. Then, one day, the tables were turned on her. There came a time when she least expected it. Her closest friend, Tiffany Maurer, suggested that she apply to Crimson Group Incorporation because they were looking for a secretary, and Luke Crimson, the president of the company, wanted to find a suitable replacement for the position as soon as possible. Mallory accepted her friend’s offer, fearing she would squander the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Little did she know that not only a job awaited her at work, but also, romance. What lies, sacrifices, and pain must she bear as a result of her love for the young billionaire? Will she be able to handle it all? Or will she find herself giving up the man she loves?

Just a moment ago, after nearly bleeding to death, I gave the Rossi family their heir. But my husband, Carter, the Rossi's underboss, let his confidante, Sofia, film me giving birth just because she said she was bored. She captured everything: me losing control of my body, my screams, my face twisted in agony. Afterward, she took screenshots, turned them into memes, and passed them around a private group chat for the family's inner circle. Through the door of my hospital room, I could hear Sofia's wild laughter. "Carter, this is the best entertainment all year. You always know just what I want." "But Sloane's going to throw a fit when she wakes up and sees it." The anesthesia hadn't worn off yet. My eyelids were heavy, and through the haze, I heard Carter's usual, nonchalant tone. "She won't get really mad. You know Sloane. She always does what I tell her." "I'll just have to sweet-talk her a little. Besides, with the heir here now, she wouldn't leave me." My fingers, hidden beneath the silk sheets, clenched into a fist. My mind flooded with everything I had given up for him over the years. Carter had probably forgotten who made him the man who runs these streets. Since you love games so much, I'll play a real one with you. The day I walk away, you will all regret it.

At the annual company raffle, I had barely stepped onto the stage when my supervisor, Lily Smith, pressed a crumpled slip of paper into my palm. "A special reward for our top salesperson," she chirped. "Go ahead, open it. Let everyone see." Under the eager gaze of the crowd, I unfolded the note. Written in messy handwriting were the words: Clean the company toilets for three days. The room erupted in laughter. Lily folded her arms, cocked her head, and smirked at me. "Nice, right?" she said. "Everyone knows those sales of yours came from sleeping with old men. Dirty money. To keep things fair, the others get a break, and you pick up a little extra work. You don't have a problem with that, do you?" The laughter surged again, nearly lifting the roof. From the side of the room, my boyfriend, Seth Hoffman, the company's CEO, watched everything unfold. As usual, he said nothing in my defense. They all thought I would fall apart, cry, or make a scene. Instead, I simply gave a calm nod. The very next day, the company was hit with over three hundred property cancellations. Its cash flow collapsed overnight. That was when Lily and Seth rushed to me, demanding I go plead with the buyers. I smiled and said, "No thanks. I wouldn't want to help the company recover and end up with strong numbers again. That might make everyone even more uncomfortable."

My boyfriend, Drew Myers, has proposed to me 99 times. Meanwhile, his childhood sweetheart, Tammy Fowler, has relapsed into depression 99 times. When Drew makes his 100th proposal, Tammy's depression strikes once more. As usual, he picks up Tammy's call, a gentle smile playing on his lips. With a tired sigh, he turns to me and says, "She's having another breakdown. We'll have to put the proposal on hold this time." Despite it being my birthday, Drew starts clearing away the freshly served dishes as if it were any other day. Fearing I might complain, he shoots me a cold, disapproving glance. "I know you're jealous of Tammy, but she's the one who's struggling. You're a soldier. You should be the bigger person and give her some leeway." Not only does Drew want me to eat Tammy's scraps, but he also orders me to bring them climbing gear at midnight. When Tammy shares intimate photos of them hugging online, his only reaction is to lash out at me. "Do you honestly find satisfaction in pushing Tammy to another breakdown? Is this the honor of a soldier? Your cruelty sickens me!" Over and over, he tears down my character and mocks my integrity. But this time, I simply look down at the special forces recruitment letter in my hand and say nothing. Drew remains oblivious. At last, I'm the one who's letting go.

CONTENT WARNING: Please note that this book contains sensitive themes and includes explicit scenes, making up approximately 20% of its content. It is intended for mature readers only. _ "Teka lang, Sir! A-Ano kasi eh..." Napangiwi si Mahal habang naghahagilap ng mairarason dito sa lalaking ito na binili siya sa Auction. "Are you kidding me? 'Teka lang?' Are you sure that's really 'teka lang?" Napayuko na lang siya dahil sa pagalit na natanong ng lalaki. Halatang napipikon na sa kaniya. Inilapit pa nito ang mukha sa kaniya para iparamdam sa kaniya ang inis nito at nagsalita, "Remember, I paid a hefty 10.5 million at the auction just to purchase you. You wouldn't have even set foot in that auction if you hadn't given your consent. So now that you're under my ownership, don't think you can fool me with your usual 'teka lang, sir' tactics kasi kabisado ko na 'yan." Para siyang tinanggalan ng utak na nakatunganga sa pinagsasabi nito na ang tanging naintindihan lang ay ang salitang, 'kabisado ko na 'yan.' Ano naman ang alam niya sa English kasi tulog naman siya lagi sa subject na iyon noong nag-aaral pa siya. Para naman huminahon ito, nagsalita na lang siya. "Ahm...wag ka na magalit sir, maghuhugas lang naman ako. Ayaw mo naman ng mabaho, diba?"

Sophia was forced to marry a man she never loved just to stop her father from going to jail. The marriage however turned out to be a living hell after she discovered a painful truth that destroyed her. Sophia usually gets home late from work every day with expensive gifts, looking so flashy. She starts getting cold with Shawn, disrespecting him as though he never meant anything to her. He reported Sophia to Joana, her cousin, but she denied her involvement. Sophia kept her secret affair with Mathew away from everyone. Shawn stopped worrying about her mischief and decided to carry out his investigation on her. On her way to work, he trailed her movement and found Sophia heading to a different route. He was confused and kept trialing and behold, her cab alighted in front of a big mansion. Shawn was devastated and knew his girlfriend was cheating on him. He took a photo of her for evidence and returned home, disclosing it to Joana, her cousin. Hard for her to believe, they waited for Sophia to return. As usual, she returned very late. Shawn confronted her and accused her of cheating, but she denied it until he showed her the evidence. She was stunned! She had no idea Shawn trailed her. Frustrated by her act, Shawn beats Sophia to a pulp and throws her out of his house. Now his father's words were starting to get to him. He regretted not listening to his father. Sophia left his apartment in pain and went crying in Matthew's arms.

Celeste Rodriguez and Trevor Fleming have been married for seven years. He treats her coldly throughout the marriage, but she faces it with a smile because she loves him deeply. She also believes she can melt his heart one day. However, all she gets is the news of him falling for another woman at first sight. He gives her all his care and concern, but Celeste stands strong. On her birthday, she flies abroad to be with Trevor and their daughter, Jordyn Fleming. To her devastation, Trevor brings Jordyn to meet his true love. They leave Celeste to spend the day alone. She finally gives up on him. She's also no longer hurt when Jordyn wants the woman to replace her as her mother. Celeste prepares a divorce agreement and gives up her custody rights. She leaves without another look back, cutting Trevor and Jordyn out of her life. All she needs to do now is wait for the divorce to be finalized. After giving up on her family and returning to the workplace, she easily makes a fortune. She shows the people who once looked down on her that she's better than they think. Celeste waits for her divorce certificate to arrive, but it never comes. She also notices that Trevor starts coming home more often when he's always refused in the past. He clings to her, too. When he learns that she wants a divorce, he drops his usual aloofness and pins her to the wall. "A divorce? That's not happening."

David Smith was a celebrity, an actor and the country’s most distasted idol. While growing up, he got addicted to different kinds of worldly lifestyles like drug addiction and so on. He is also a sexaholic with a very rude personality and his acting skill is below the usual or normal level. His drug addiction led to his unfortunate death. Then came Rose Jack, a female fighter and a soldier who also died the same day on duty to serve her country because she was betrayed by her fellow colleagues out of jealousy. Jason Manny is known as the youngest and most handsome Chief Executive Officer of one of the biggest and most popular Companies in the country. Jason was loved and adored due to his handsome and cute features though he wasn’t an actor or such. His mother was a known actress in the film industry. One fateful day, Rose found herself awake in the hospital bed of an unknown environment with unknown teary eyes staring at her. The people in the room were all excited to see her awake but what got her attention was when she was called another name that wasn’t hers. David… Right then, she realizes that she was in another body entirely. “Oh my, what is wrong with me… I thought I was shot dead… Whose body am I in?? And the BIG question; WHY AM I IN ANOTHER BODY aside from mine and a male one at that? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??? . . Find out what happens NEXT and More in the Story, “THE REBORN IDOL” . . …….

Seven years ago, my mafia husband, Sergio Wexler, had me committed to a psychiatric ward. On the day I was released, I changed my name, cut my hair short, and vanished like a ghost. Seven years later, we meet again at the grave of my brother, Luca Lorusso. The bouquet in his hand falls with a soft thud. Sergio clenches his fists tightly, barely holding back emotions that threaten to break through his usual calm. "Janella, why the short hair? I almost didn't recognize you. Where have you been all these years? After that fire at the psych ward, I pulled every string I had, but I never got any leads on you. I've been looking for you for seven years. I even thought you were… dead." When I stay silent, he rubs his red-rimmed eyes. "You're avoiding me, aren't you? Do you still hate me for having you locked up? Believe me, I had no choice." I let out a bitter laugh. Sergio killed Luca to become the Don. He slept with Luca's woman and locked me in that dark, windowless "special ward", nearly erasing me from existence. And now, here he is at Luca's grave, playing the victim. To me, any love and hate I had for Sergio died long ago in that tiny, suffocating ward. Now, he's just a stranger to me.