Carson and Mary Cris are two people marrying not because of love. Carson wants to keep his inheritance and double it if he was lucky, while Mary Cris wants to give honor to her tribe as the future leader. But things keep on going in the wrong track as the two clashed even at their first meeting! Well, Carson must tame his fierce wife if he wants the wedding to push through.
IT'S still dawn, but I'm already up. I'm already used to it, though. It's just that... today's a little different. I tossed and turned last night. My mind is filled with lots of thoughts-about my life changing starting today.
"Cris?"
I am gazing over the dark woods from my window, waiting for the sun to come up as a sign of a brand new day when my mother came inside my room.
"Good morning, Mother," I greet with a smile.
"Did you sleep well last night?" she asks and returns my smile.
I smile curtly and shake my head.
"Why don't you go back to bed then?" she says.
"I can't fall asleep even if I try."
Mother wakes up very early every day, but she does not always check me in my room and ask how I slept. I suppose she did not sleep well, too.
"Are you anxious about what will happen today?" Mother stands beside me.
"A little."
"Are you thinking of backing out? You know we'll understand."
"It's not that, Mother," I reply and sigh. "I'll do everything for our tribe. I'm never backing out as long as it's for our tribe's future."
And I mean it. I live for our tribe, and someday, I will become their leader. It's what keeps me on holding on despite my uncertainties. It's new to me. I don't think I am ready, but I don't think I could disappoint my tribe either.
"I am so lucky to have you as my daughter." Mother carefully caresses my hair.
"Because you did a great job of raising me," I reply with a smile. "Can I just help you with the chores today?"
"If you don't plan to go back to sleep, then you can help me while your grandma is recovering." Grandma has flu since the other day.
The three of us have been living in this house for years. My grandpa died when I was young, and I never met my father. According to my mother, my biological father lives in the city. They met when Mother was in her last year in college.
To cut the story short, my father got my mother pregnant and did not hold responsible because she found out that my father was already married. Just when my mother's dream of being a teacher was within an arm's reach, I happened. She was devastated, but she did not let it destroy her future. She said she used me as her inspiration to pick up herself and dream again.
And my grandma was disappointed for the first time in her life, but she did not regret having me as her granddaughter. My mother took bookkeeping as a vocational course, and she had been helping my Grandpa Mario, grandma's brother, manage Bianon's ample vegetable farm ever since. Mother handled being a mother, a father, and a teacher all at the same time. It's not a mystery why I also dreamt of becoming a teacher-to continue the dream she once dreamt of herself.
As for my father, I never wished to meet him. I don't want to cause a conflict with his family. His absence did not leave an inadequacy in my life either. I have my mother, my grandmother, and the tribe, and they are already more than enough for me.
***
Author's Note: "Adobo" is a popular dish made of marinated meat.
***
"AREN'T you going to cook adobo for the guests, Mother?" I ask her in the kitchen.
"Oh, good thing you brought that up. Can you catch chickens in the woods if you don't mind? I think three are enough for our guests," Mother says.
"Of course, I don't mind. Would that be all?" I say with a grin. "It's been a while since my hands got tainted with blood."
"Stop talking nonsense!" Mother retorted jokingly. "Don't act like that when you're in front of your future husband. You'll scare him."
"Mother, come on," I mutter, wide-eyed. I am not very prepared to face the truth yet.
I return to my room and fetch my bow and arrow under my bed. It's my weapon of defense against wild boars that destroy our crops.
As for the members of the tribe of Bianon, our physical features are not actually different from those who live in the luxury of the city. We are not from other minority groups. Our ancestors fled here in the mountains to avoid the influence of the Spanish colonizers.
I'm not trying to brag, but we are all good-looking, too. Most of us have sun-kissed skin as a result of working hard under the sun and the rain. I am just a little fairer compare to them because my mother said that my father was a mestizo. Ah, no wonder she got fooled. Right?
I walk a couple of meters from our house before reaching the falls.
Farming is our primary source of income. We have all kinds of vegetables here. Grandma says that our tribe was really different before Don Conrado Florencio, who is our generous benefactor, came.
According to my Grandpa Mario, who is the current leader of our tribe, the rich man's chopper had an emergency landing in the woods because of engine trouble. It happened more than thirty years ago. The rich man was wounded along with his pilot, and the people of Bianon helped them.
To show his gratitude for our tribe's kindness, the rich man helped us elevate our livelihood. He gave us advanced machinery in farming. He fixed the road that led to the town and gave us trucks to deliver our harvests. It was because of him that our tribe became the official supplier of well-known restaurants and grocery stores in the city.
He even built schools for us, and those who wanted to take college in the city were offered full scholarships. And of course, I am one of those who are privileged. I've been teaching here at Bianon for three years now. The children here are enjoying free education. I dream of raising our tribe's status in the society that's why despite the tempting job offers in the city, I chose to practice my profession here.
To me, Don Conrad is indeed a blessing to our tribe. And he is also the reason why from this day on, my life is going to change. He and grandpa made a pact a long time ago to strengthen the friendship between our tribe and the Florencios. A member of our family should marry a member of his family.
COMPLETE. Half of her life, Clara had been an obedient niece to her Aunt Carlota. She adopted her and gave her everything she needed. Clara treated her as her second mother, but it was not the same for her aunt. For Carlota, Clara was only a robot meant to follow her orders, including marrying the man she had chosen. Clara only wanted her aunt's affection. And if she follows her every command, maybe she would learn to love her someday. Clara's obedience will be put to the test when she met the rugged and handsome Fuego del Mar after saving her life. Clara could not deny her attraction toward him. She never once broke her Aunt's rules until she met him. But choosing Fuego meant disappointing Aunt Carlota. Will she be able to take the consequences? Is Fuego even worth it?
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
WARNING! This book is not suitable for young readers or sensitive minds. Some parts contain graphic sex scenes, adult language, and situations intended for mature readers only! BLURB She saved herself for the man she thought would be her forever. She believed in love, in promises, in happily ever after. Until she caught her fiancé tangled in another woman's arms. Betrayal burned through her veins, leaving behind only one desire. REVENGE. And what better way to break him than to seduce the one man who could shatter his pride-his powerful, dangerously handsome billionaire uncle? He's older, untouchable, and completely off-limits. But she's willing to play dirty, willing to risk everything, just to watch her ex suffer. But what happens when the game turns on her? Because the moment she steps into his world, she realizes he's not just a pawn in her twisted little plan. He's a man who dominates, consumes, and makes her feel things she's never felt before. And the worst part? She might not want to escape.
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
He told her to call him Daddy. Not because he earned it, but because he fucking owned her. The moment she signed that contract, she stopped being a woman with dignity and became his filthy little plaything. His holes to use. His mess to ruin. He didn't just fuck her, he rewired her. Stripped her clean of boundaries and filled her with sin. Every punishment made her scream. Every game dragged her deeper into his twisted world. And the way he praised her... Good girl. She should've run the first time he said it. But Daddy doesn't let his toys leave. He breaks them until they beg to stay. ** Mia's life changed the night she let a stranger ruin her. One night. She never expected to see him again. Until she walked into her new job... and her boss turned around. Ace.Her one-night sin in a thousand-dollar suit. Only this time, he wasn't asking her to be his assistant. She was to be his wife.
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?