"How can you tell me you never wanted it when you can't deny that you loved every second of it, my love? Shyne, no one will ever make you feel the way I do, and I'll spend every moment proving it. Not even time and death can separate us." Shyne De Leon runs away from her past and her ex-lover by using her family's power and influence to start a new life far away from her hometown. The memories and promises that her ex has given her made running away more difficult. A few years have passed, and the guilt of what she left behind started to haunt her. Her ex Rian Batista and their past rendezvous began to appear in her dreams more frequently. The dreams became darker, and Shyne started to have ghostly hallucinations of the man she had left. When the torture of her dreams became too much, her family's money and influence could no longer save her from her own past and mind. As the untold past starts to unfold, will she kiss the truth and embrace her past? Or will she wallow in regret and enter her ex-lover's offered damnation?
"One more drink. Come on, you can't be that weak." I said to my friend as I downed another shot of alcohol from my own glass. "I'll drink that if you say pass, but I'd call you weak for the rest of the year." I watched my friend sway out of drunkenness.
"You know your father would shoot you dead on the spot if he sees you drunk, Shyne. He'll never forgive his perfect daughter if he finds her messing around with us." My classmate said as he slyly tried to grope one of my best friends, who was a little too drunk for my liking.
"Keep your hands to yourself, KP. I'll break that faster than you can drink that shot." I said in a playful yet warning tone. He reluctantly removed his hand from my friend's thigh and fixed his own school uniform.
We finished drinking just enough to make us tipsy but not yet drunk enough to pass out. We still had exams in an hour, and we had to make sure we were presentable enough to not get caught. Going to school and taking exams drunk for me was easy. The problem was making sure my stupid friends didn't make it obvious. They had peas for brains whenever they were intoxicated.
I finished the test as fast as I could to go straight to my boyfriend's house. I didn't love the guy, but he was a good trial run to try all the firsts I wanted. I didn't want to show him to anyone because he was definitely NOT my type.
Being with Rian was stupid, but I'd rather be foolish and free than be stuck at home with people who don't understand me. All the money and awards will never be enough for me. I was looking for love, a home, and a place where I could be myself.
I knew wild activities were not what I would consider as my authentic self either. However, I dug my own grave in this pretend life I'm living, and I have no way out.
"What are you thinking?" Rian says as he covers me with the blanket. "You're looking into space again. Don't tell me you're too drunk to even feel anything." He said playfully while hugging me.
"You look like a psychopath with that mustache, so I guess that's distracting me," I said as I playfully hugged him back. "But no worries, hon, I won't call the cops on you for looking like a psychopath. I'd be in trouble too 'cause they'll see me with you." We just laughed and enjoyed ourselves for a few hours until I was decent enough to go home.
A few hours after I arrived at my house, my mom called me into the living room. Usually, I'd only be slightly nervous; however, my mom's eyes showed me otherwise. She is looking at me as if I was a walking disappointment, and the tears on the corner of her eyes added to the face of anger and disappointment that she was wearing plainly.
"Why were you seen by your aunt walking with an unknown guy in the middle of a small village a few kilometers from school?" She asked coldly. "How did you get there without anyone knowing, and who is that person?"
"He's my boyfriend, mom," I replied carefully. "I just visited him, and we're not doing anything wrong. Just leave it alone." I said and ignored her stares as I sat on the couch.
"I hired an investigator. He's an addict, a delinquent, and he didn't even finish his studies because he's wild and they can't afford his studies. Now, I want you to cut every communication with him and leave him. You are a De Leon, and your name as well as your father's name will be put to shame if you don't stop this." My mother ranted for an hour, and all I could do was nod.
My mind raised a hundred scenarios in a minute and planned out what I should do as soon as my mother allowed me to go back to my room. I was thankful for the perfect posture that I was trained to have, no matter the situation. If my family found out about Rian, I was positive that they would later find out about all of the crazy things that I was doing. An entire investigation could happen just to do a background check on my friends. If my father found out, the head of the clan would surely do everything in his power to polish the identity that I have tainted. Freedom was not an option as the eldest child of the boss of the De Leon clan.
"I can hire a killer to just shoot that boy, but I won't. But, it would be a waste of our family's money, and I don't want my uniform as a police officer to be tainted with his blood." My mother continued and said in disgust. "I'm giving you one last chance to get that boy out of your system before I take matters into my own hands." She looked me dead in the eyes. "Do not disappoint us, young lady. Never throw your future away for some bastard who has no future."
Leaving Rian isn't that bad, and honestly, I would gladly do it now that I have no choice. However, the bad thing is if my parents figure out that I haven't had my menstruation for nearly four or three months. I didn't even tell Rian I was having this problem. If I get pregnant at the age of twenty by a twenty-four-year-old out-of-school addict, then I'd be disowned for sure.
I left the room and went straight to my room, crying silently. I called because I had no idea how to get out of this mess for the first time in my life without getting busted. This is bad. The family can't know about this, or else both Rian and I would be dead meat. LITERALLY.
“You don’t know the pit you’ve dug yourself in, Ms. Elena Lubov. Can you honestly tell me that if I slit your neck right now, you can still love me?” Michael asked as the knife on Elena’s neck began to cut slowly and draw a bit of blood. Their gazes never wavered. “I’ll cut my throat on your behalf, Michael, if it would make you believe in every word that I say” she said without fear, “I have nothing to lose.” she whispered. When the most powerful mafia boss finds out his past never existed, how can he keep his madness from destroying the future he created? When power and money is useless, what can the words of the dead do for those left behind?
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?