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?
CLARA scratched her eyes. She was sitting on the counter of her coffee shop for more than an hour now. She was busy with the papers again. With her limited manpower, she had to do almost all of the work, including accounting.
"Are you alright, Miss Clara?" Jennifer asked. She was one of her baristas.
The shop had just closed, and Jennifer was preparing to leave. The rest of her staff had gone home already.
Clara nodded with a smile. She glanced outside the coffee shop. It was almost eleven o'clock in the evening, but the rain hadn't stopped yet.
She was never always in a hurry to come home, though. After all, there was only her Auntie Carlota in the house. But then, she rarely saw her at home because her aunt was a workaholic. She was good as alone.
"I guess I'll have to take these papers home, " she said.
"I'll see you in the morning, then." Jennifer hanged her backpack on her shoulder. "Drive carefully, Miss Clara."
"Take care, Jennifer."
Clara flexed her back as she watched Jennifer exit the door. Then, silence was Clara's only company left. She wondered if she would ever get used to it.
Clara may have got everything she wanted in life, but she was still lonely on the inside. Everything she had was because of her Aunt Carlota. And the latter wanted her to be indebted all her life.
She could not date even if she wanted to. Aunt Carlota had already chosen a man for her, but it would not be an easy quest. And Clara dreaded every time she thinks about how she will get the man her aunt wanted for her. It was like selling her soul to the devil.
Clara stood up and cleared her stuff. She could not afford to fall asleep inside the coffee shop.
CLARA put the plastic envelope on her head as a cover as she sauntered toward her car. It was still raining, but it was not as heavy as earlier. She fished the keys from her bag, and even before she could open the car's door, a force suddenly wrapped around her neck, almost choking her.
For a moment, she froze in horror, and she dropped her envelope on the wet ground.
"Give me your bag, and I'll let you live, " a man's muffled voice said. He was probably wearing a covering for his face.
The man's stinky odor filled Clara's nostrils, adding to the terror she was feeling at the moment. He was also reeking of alcohol. Clara could not breathe, but she was too scared to gasp for air, either.
"O-okay. I-I'll give you what you want. J-just..."
"Hey, I think you also want some of this, " said another man's voice from nowhere.
Clara was thrown off-balance on the side of the car as the robber was violently pulled away from her. She caught her throat as she desperately gasped for air. The second man, wearing an all-black attire with a helmet still on his head, gave the thief a headbutt.
The robber groaned sharply as he fell on the ground, the wet concrete making a loud splash. He tried to get up, and Clara saw his forehead bleeding as she struggled to stand straight. The man in black sat on his stomach and punched him remorselessly. She could only watch the horror happening in front of her.
He turned to her.
"Call the police, " the man in black commanded.
Clara fished for her phone in her bag with trembling hands. She swallowed and cleared her throat as she dialed the nearest police station's number.
After the quick call, she rushed to the man's side. The robber was already unconscious and could not fight.
"S-stop! Y-you're going to kill him!" she said.
The man's fist hung in midair as he turned to her.
"So what?" he said, panting. "Don't you want to get rid of all the criminals in the world?"
"Y-you're not a criminal. Stop."
The man drew a breath as he finally stood up. His fist was bleeding.
"You need first aid, " Clara said anxiously. She tried to hold his hand, but he flinched.
"This is nothing. I punch faces for breakfast."
"You could get an infection!"
"Thanks, but no, thanks."
"P-please..." Clara grabbed his bleeding hand and looked into his helmet-covered face. "I have a first aid kit in my car."
The man sighed, which Clara took as a submission. They sat on the dry pavement just in front of Aroma del Cielo after Clara retrieved her first aid kit inside the car.
"Thank you for saving me, " she said.
"Hmm, " he drawled. He took his helmet off and put it aside. Clara stared at what she thought the most handsome face she had ever seen in her life.
He had messy hair that hadn't been cut for months now. He has a thin stubble around his mouth. His thick eyebrows complimented his eyes. And his nose looked perfectly sculptured. He looked like the hero from the covers of her favorite romance novels.
"What are you staring at?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You're handsome, " she said and then blushed in embarrassment. How could she say those words into his face?
"I know, " he responded.
"I'm Clara. I owned that small coffee shop." She motioned behind her.
The man glanced at it, too.
"Aroma del Cielo? Too fancy, " he said with a smirk.
"My parents are coffee farmers. I thought of them when I was putting up this business of mine." Clara smiled at the memory.
When she glanced at his face, he was staring at her. Her heart skipped a beat.
"W-why? Is there something in my face?"
"You're beautiful."
She looked away and focused on putting alcohol on the cotton.
"T-thank you." She looked at him. "This is just going to sting a little."
"Go ahead."
She put his hand over hers as she tapped it lightly with the cotton bud.
"I'm Fuego."
Clara stared at his face once again.
"Hmm?"
"Just in case you're too shy to ask for my name."
"Ah." Clara nodded with a soft giggle. "Too uncommon for a man's name. But it suits you."
"I know."
"Does your hand still hurt?"
"It's nothing, " he replied with a shrug.
"You can drop by at my coffee shop when you are free tomorrow. I'll treat you for coffee."
"Is that indirectly saying you want to see me again? I'm sorry, but I don't believe in love at first sight."
Clara laughed.
"I see that you're a heartbreaker, Fuego."
"I know I said you're beautiful, but you look too young for my taste."
"Well, you're too old for my taste, either. Don't worry."
The police finally came, just in time for the robber to gain consciousness. Clara felt a little sad that she had to part ways with Fuego now.
"Don't forget to shower when you get home. You're going to catch flu, " Fuego said when the police car was gone.
Clara did not expect that. She could not help laughing.
"Thank you for reminding me."
He put on his helmet and mounted his big bike.
"Will I see you soon?" she asked.
"If fate would allow."
Clara could not help watching in awe as he kicked his motorcycle to life. He looked like a movie star. And just like his name, he was hot.
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.
Three years ago, Cecilia was left battered and alone by the man she loved most, Alston, yet she bravely completed the wedding ceremony while pregnant. Three years later, although they were married, they grew apart over time. Cecilia focused on her career, no longer foolishly believing in love. But her transformation instantly threw Alston into a panic... And what is the secret from 11 years ago that Cecilia has always been reluctant to reveal? *** "She went to a law firm, met with a lawyer..." A lawyer? Is Cecilia suing someone? Who? Is there any recent litigation against the company? Alston suddenly chuckled coldly, "Who could she sue? I'm the CEO of this company. How come such a matter doesn't come to me first?" The assistant swallowed nervously, speaking softly, "Sir, there's no litigation against the company. She met with... a divorce lawyer."
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
Dear readers, this book has resumed daily updates. It took Sabrina three whole years to realize that her husband, Tyrone didn't have a heart. He was the coldest and most indifferent man she had ever met. He never smiled at her, let alone treated her like his wife. To make matters worse, the return of the woman he had eyes for brought Sabrina nothing but divorce papers. Sabrina's heart broke. Hoping that there was still a chance for them to work on their marriage, she asked, "Quick question,Tyrone. Would you still divorce me if I told you that I was pregnant?" "Absolutely!" he responded. Realizing that she didn't mean shit to him, Sabrina decided to let go. She signed the divorce agreement while lying on her sickbed with a broken heart. Surprisingly, that wasn't the end for the couple. It was as if scales fell off Tyrone's eyes after she signed the divorce agreement. The once so heartless man groveled at her bedside and pleaded, "Sabrina, I made a big mistake. Please don't divorce me. I promise to change." Sabrina smiled weakly, not knowing what to do...
"I've warned you from the beginning. Don't marry him, but you won't listen." Darcy stood close to me and smiled with concern. "You're not a woman worthy of a man as handsome, rich, smart, and virile as Blaze." My whole body trembled at her words. "Have you no shame?" I asked. "Take a good look at yourself, Heather." She stared at me in the mirror. "You can't even glance at your ugly face. Do you think Blaze can endure a lifetime of gazing at that scar?" Heather Bailey got a surprise from her husband: a divorce agreement. After a year of marriage and facing ups and downs, she couldn't believe Blaze intended to divorce her. She was devastated when she saw him gazing lovingly at another woman. After signing the divorce papers, shockwaves caught her up. Her flower shop was burned to the ground. Her father's company collapsed, and her parents blamed her. She struggled to rebuild her life from the ground up and became more successful than ever. Having many customers from influential families, she started her revenge on Blaze. She won the very thing he wanted, but that was just the beginning.