Wind-up Bird

Sehari sebelum pesta kelulusan SMA, Ethan menyeretku ke ranjang. Gerakannya kasar dan dia menuntutku sepanjang malam. Meski tubuhku kesakitan, hatiku justru dipenuhi rasa manis. Aku telah diam-diam mencintai Ethan selama sepuluh tahun. Akhirnya, impianku menjadi nyata. Dia bilang, setelah lulus, dia akan menikahiku. Begitu dia mewarisi kekuasaan Keluarga Luciano dari ayahnya, aku akan menjadi wanita paling terhormat dalam keluarga itu. Keesokan paginya, Ethan memelukku erat dan mengaku pada kakak angkatku bahwa kami telah bersama. Aku duduk malu-malu dalam pelukannya, merasa diriku adalah wanita paling beruntung di dunia. Namun tiba-tiba, mereka mengganti percakapan ke dalam bahasa Italia. Lucas, kakak tiriku, menggoda Ethan dengan tawa, "Nggak heran kamu disebut-sebut sebagai Bos Muda. Baru pertama kali saja sudah ada primadona kelas yang nyerahin diri ke kamu." "Gimana rasanya adik tiriku?" Ethan menjawab dengan nada santai, "Luarannya memang tampak polos, tapi di ranjang ... luar biasa liar." Gelak tawa memenuhi ruangan itu. "Jadi, ke depannya aku harus panggil dia adik atau kakak ipar?" tanya Lucas. Namun, wajah Ethan tiba-tiba berubah dingin. "Kakak ipar apanya? Aku lagi coba dekati kapten tim pemandu sorak, takut dia kecewa sama kemampuanku, jadi Cynthia aku jadikan latihan dulu." "Oh ya, soal aku tidur sama Cynthia, jangan sampai Sylvia tahu. Aku takut dia marah." Tanpa mereka ketahui, aku diam-diam telah belajar bahasa Italia, hanya agar kelak bisa lebih dekat dengan Ethan. Mendengar semua itu, aku tidak berkata apa pun. Aku hanya diam-diam mengubah tujuan pendaftaran universitasku dari Caxtech menjadi Maltech.

Di tahun ketujuh pertunangan dengan Benedict Liander, dia mewarisi seluruh harta dari kakaknya yang telah meninggal. Termasuk istri kakaknya, Diana Lowi. Setiap kali setelah tidur bersama Diana, Benedict selalu memeluk dan menghiburku, “Jenny, sabar ya. Setelah Diana hamil, kita baru mengadakan pesta pernikahan.” Itulah satu-satunya syarat keluarga mafia di Wilayah Noesa, agar Benedict bisa menjadi bos besar mafia yang baru. Setelah kembali ke dalam negeri setengah tahun lalu, Benedict sudah pergi ke kamar Diana sebanyak 59 kali. Dari awalnya sebulan sekali, kini hampir setiap hari dia pergi. Akhirnya, pada kunjungan ke-60, aku melihat tunanganku keluar dari kamar Diana dan kabar baik pun datang. Akhirnya Diana hamil. Namun bersamaan dengan itu, Keluarga Liander mengumumkan bahwa Benedict dan Diana akan menikah. “Ibu, ada yang mau menikah di rumah?” Aku memandang ruangan yang dihias dengan meriah oleh penyelenggara pernikahan, lalu dengan dingin menggendong anakku yang polos, menjawab, “Iya, ayahmu akan menikah dengan orang yang dia cintai. Jadi, kita harus pergi dari sini.” Yang Benedict tidak tahu, Keluarga Marilin sudah menjadi keluarga mafia yang bisa menandingi Keluarga Liander. Dan aku, Jenny Marilin, putri bungsu yang paling dimanja Keluarga Marilin, tidak akan pernah terkekang oleh pernikahan.

[COMPLETED] Fates... How much do you believe in Fates? Centuries ago, a prophecy was told. In time, bits of pieces were lost. The remaining was preserved but it left many questions: "Every period of time comes forth the Archnemesis. The night will fall like the snow in winter season and the day will come like a flower that blooms in springtime. War shall cause the lives of many and the weak shall suffer. But lo, and behold, in a family of winter shall come the Blood Star of every generation. Strength and might that shall spill the blood of its Adversary by the death with its soul." Chloe Liu just wanted to become a fully pledged Kryst, a soldier of the Kingdom of Demetrius. Lucian Liu and the members of the Seven Geniuses just wanted to protect his sister. Prince Ciaran, the Særi ust Trūx (Future King), just wanted to protect the Kingdom of Demetrius along with his friends. What if the Fates wanted more? Ambition, love, manipulation, and power. The 27th Blood Star Bellatrix has to get through to the end. But will Bellatrix be able to turn the water to blood?

Ilang beses na naghanap ng trabaho si Gianna para kumita at nakahanap naman ito ng trabaho sa isa sa pinakamalaking kompanya ng inumin sa Pilipinas. Pero sa hindi nya inaasahang pagkakataon magiging boss pala nya ang taong kina-iinisan nya ng gusto at ito ay si Francis Locan the CEO and President of one of the most famous Wine Company in the Philippines, The Golden Scenery. Cold ito at ayaw sa mga taong pera lang ang habol sa kanya. Pero sa kabila ng malalamig nitong mga mata ay nakakubli ang secretong tinatago nya ng mahabang panahon. Meron itong karamdaman na tinatawag na monochromacy disorder , kaya't hindi ito nakakakita ng mga kulay at malabo rin ang paningin nito kumpara sa normal na tao. Ngunit nang makilala nya si Gianna hindi nya maipapaliwanag kung bakit nakikita nya ang kulay ng dalaga. Kaya gumawa ito ng paraan para gamitin si Gianna para tuluyan na itong gumaling. Pero habang tumatagal ay nagiging totoo na ang nararamdaman nya sa dalaga kahit na ilang beses man nya itong balewalain. Ayaw nya mang tanggapin pero sya narin mismo ang nahulog sa sarili nyang patibong. At paano kaya kapag bumalik ang unang babaeng inibig nito sino nga ba ang mas mahalaga sa puso nya? Ang babae bang una nyang minahal o ang babaeng handang mahalin sya kahit anong oras at pagkakataon? Paano kaya kapag nalaman ni Gianna na planado ang lahat ng ipinaparamdam sa kanya ng lalakeng natutunan na nyang mahalin? Mapapatawad nya pa kaya ito o pipiliing umalis dahil sa nasaktan nyang puso?

“True love stories never have endings.” Dean said softly. “Richard Bach.” I nodded. “You taught me that quote the night I kissed you for the first time.” He continued, his fingers weaving through loose hair around my face. “And I held on to that every day since.”

Eleanor sterling finds out she is pregnant with quadruplets after an unforgettable one-night stand with a mysterious man.  Years later, she is employed to work for the billionaire CEO of the skyline company, Sebastian Donovan, who was also the father of her quadruplets. They instantly get attracted to each other and as hard as Eleanor fights it, she gets deeper into a strange and dangerous world of riches. She finds herself drowning in secrets, mysteries, and seduction. Will she hide the truth forever, or tell the truth to him? Will Sebastian come to love her, or will he treat her like many others…?

“I am King Thorn, and I will marry your daughter…” his lips tugged in a smirk as his eyes landed on her. “What, marry?!” Payton widened her eyes. “Yes, Payton Vass. You will marry me,” he stated firmly while he locked eyes with her. Payton stared at the man who had undoubtedly lost his mind. As if the mess that they were in was not enough, how dare he show up at her house to tell her family that? === The only thing Payton Vass thought remained for her was to marry her fiance and then fully live in her dream. What she did not expect was that this beautiful dream of hers would get shattered on the night of her fiance's birthday party. How she ended up in this icey, yet hot billionaire’s bed was something she had no idea of. And as if that was not enough… The paparazzi got wind of it. To repair their broken reputations, these two strangers were forced to marry each other. “It was you who put us in this mess, Payton, and you will do as I've told you!” his eyes blazed in anger as he grabbed her arm. “It was you who did this to me! You better get us out of this mess!” she snapped back as she yanked her arm away. These two would never believe that what happened that night was a mistake and not on their own accord and would not stop hating each other. Yet, they could not get out of this marriage. While the person he hated the most was the woman who could fix his tarnished image, he was also the only one who could save her father and her business from falling.

Si Beatrice ay niloko at ipinahamak ni Minda, ang dapat ay kanyang magiging biyenan. Dinala sya nito sa kwarto ni Marcus, ang tiyuhin ng kanyang fiance na noon ay nakawheelchair dahil sa aksidenteng kinasangkutan nito. Napilitan syang pakasalan si Marcus upang mabawi ang dangal na nawala sa kanya. Ang inaasahan nyong miserableng mangyayari sa buhay nya mataposa maipakasal kay Marcus, ay kabaliktaran pala ng tunay na mangyayari. May tangi lamang syang problema sa kanilang pagsasama, si Marcus ay may sakit at mahina na. Ngunit isang araw matutuklasan nya ang isang sekreto ng kanyang asawa na ito pala ay palihim na nagpapagamot. Ito na kaya ang magiging umpisa ng kanilang perpektong pamilya o ito kaya ang magiging dahilan upang mas gumulo pa ang kanilang buhay.

Setelah mendengar kabar dari pasukan bahwa kakak kembar suamiku gugur dalam sebuah misi, kakak ipar yang baru ditinggal suaminya itu sangat terpukul hingga pingsan. Saat sadar kembali, dia kehilangan ingatannya. Tangannya menggenggam erat tangan suamiku dan tidak mau melepaskannya. Hanya karena dokter mengatakan, “Pasien tidak boleh menerima guncangan.” Suamiku dan ibu mertua pun membujukku agar ikut dia bersandiwara. Setiap kali aku menyinggung soal itu, mereka berdua selalu menjawab, “Tunggu aja sampai kakak iparmu pulih kembali ingatannya!” Maka dari itu, aku hanya bisa memandangi suamiku sendiri tinggal dan makan bersama kakak iparnya dengan mataku sendiri. Bahkan putri kami pun hanya bisa melihat anak kakak iparku memanggil suamiku sebagai papa di hadapannya. Sampai suatu ketika, putriku demam tinggi dan tak kunjung sadar. Aku memohon padanya untuk mengantarkan kami ke rumah sakit. Dan yang tidak kusangka, kakak ipar justru marah besar karena hal ini. Dia menangis sambil mengancam bunuh diri. Pada saat tarik menarik pertikaian mereka, sebilah gunting itu malah menancap ke jantungku. Saat kembali membuka mata, aku mendapati diriku telah kembali ke hari ketika suamiku memutuskan untuk menjadi suami pengganti bagi kakak iparnya.

“I pressed a hand to my stomach and forced myself to stand taller, even as the howls grew louder, closer. They will not take you from me, I whispered. Not him. Not the pack. Not even fate. The wind carried my vow into the night. Somewhere far away, I swore I felt a shiver of response, like Kael himself had heard me. Like he was already hunting me.” “You can run, Aria. You can hide. But the child is mine. You are mine. And I will claim what belongs to me.” The bond inside me pulsed, as if she heard, as if she trembled somewhere in the dark. I smiled then, a sharp, dangerous curve of lips. The hunt had only just begun.