Ashton finds himself captivated by the simplicity and hidden beauty of Winter, contrasting her with the flashy Trixie. Despite initial disinterest, he realizes his feelings for Winter have grown, even attempting to rekindle things with Trixie to no avail. Winter occupies his thoughts, and he hopes she reciprocates his feelings.
"Ashton Philip Pov.
"Are you not coming with us?" I looked at Uncle Henry when he spoke on my side. He's carrying a basket of flowers. Winter's dad.
"No, Uncle, I'll stay here..." Uncle Henry nodded before looking at the girl who walked towards us with a big hat.
She took it off and lowered the empty basket. She was sweaty before wiping her forehead due to sweat.
"You finished it all?" Uncle Henry chuckled while looking at his daughter. Winter nodded. She glanced at me but also avoided eye contact before lifting the empty basket again.
"I'll get another one; I'll join you..." Uncle Henry nodded.
"I'll wait for you..." Winter turned, carrying flowers. She's wearing black pants and a long sleeve to cover her arms. But even so, her style looks different to me.
"I'll go with you, Uncle..." Uncle Henry looked at me. It's better to join them since Trixie and her parents are busy. I stayed here with Uncle, who cleaned up before helping on the farm.
"Okay. You might get bored here; it's better to explore around." I nodded with a smile. Just right, I noticed Winter approaching with a basket of neatly arranged flowers.
I stepped closer to her. She stopped and looked up at me.
"Hi..." She turned to avoid me. But I blocked her way to take the basket she was carrying.
"Let's go, Uncle." I left Winter with a puzzled look. Uncle Henry laughed before walking ahead.
I'm not sure if Winter followed or not. She's been sulking since the night I kissed her behind their house. I couldn't help it. How many nights have I been thinking about her soft lips when I also kissed her in the restroom? Until now, it hasn't left my mind.
Our walk only took ten minutes, reaching the flower farm. It looks like a beautiful resort surrounded by flowers and designed cottages.
The surroundings are clean, and there's a separate rest house for the flower farm where we placed the basket.
Some customers were waiting there, attended to by Winter. They were buying flowers while taking photos around.
"He's handsome."
"Is he from here?"
"Looks like a city guy, so smooth."
The women whispered while pointing the camera at me. I tried to smile, but Winter handed the bouquet of flowers to cover the camera.
"Have you paid?" The girl asked Winter. She nodded, and one of them glanced at me.
"We've paid. Can we take a picture with you guys?" Winter turned to me as they pointed. She avoided eye contact.
"Up to you..." She went inside. Even the other girl laughed and said, 'She's so snobbish,' before approaching me.
Uncle Henry was on the side, attending to new customers trying to enter the flower farm. I could only look at the camera because of its sudden flash in front.
"Are you a visitor here?" I smiled before nodding.
"No wonder you give off a different vibe. Can we take a picture? It's just for Myday." I agreed. I smiled at the camera while noticing Winter on the terrace of the rest house.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
I shook my head to the question. They were thrilled with my answer. I noticed Winter subtly tilting her head before deciding to come out of the rest house.
I kept my eyes on her as she walked away. But before she left completely, I answered the girls again.
"The girl I like already has a boyfriend."
I saw her stop for a moment when I told them. Even they raised their eyebrows and showed disappointment on their faces.
"What a waste, brother. But you can confess to the girl you like..."
Winter walked away before I could respond. I just smiled at the three before saying goodbye and claiming I had something to do.
I followed Winter to where she was heading. She was walking on the straight path surrounded by tall sunflowers."
I could feel it from where I stood, observing how the wind carried her long hair. Her simple walk echoed in my heart. She paused by a large rock, surrounded by grass and beautiful sunflowers.
She sat there. Few people around, only the chirping of birds could be heard.
I walked gently, stopping at the edge before joining her on the rock.
That's when she looked at me. I noticed surprise in her eyes, yet she didn't move away.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
I chuckled lightly. Unchanged as ever. More gangster-like than a gangster with her questioning.
"I followed you. I got bored over there."
"Are you still bored despite that smile earlier?"
I furrowed my brow but couldn't help laughing. "I'm just forcing a smile. Honestly, I prefer sitting here with you now."
She grinned before averting her gaze.
"If I drop you there and you roll down..."
"I fell a long time ago, Winter, but you didn't catch me."
She stood up, glaring at me. "Why can't you stop saying those things?"
"What's wrong with what I'm saying?"
"Your actions, I don't like them. Leave me alone."
I sighed before standing. "What if I don't want to?"
"I told you, Ashong. You can't have feelings for me; your desires won't come true. What you feel will pass. It's not real!"
I didn't respond. I kept staring at her, my heart beating unchanged even with what she said.
"I want you. Not Trixie."
She squinted at me. "Why are you still talking like that?"
"What's wrong with what I'm saying?"
"What you're doing. Your behavior, I don't like it. Stop it."
I sighed before standing. "What if I don't want to?"
"I already told you, Ashong. You can't like me, your desires won't come true. What you feel will pass. It's not real!"
She turned away. I followed, persistent.
"I know you feel something for me, Winter. I feel it."
She stopped walking. Still facing away, she spoke. "You won't let me kiss you. You won't close your eyes; you won't delay if you don't like it."
"Come on!" she faced me, angry. "I was surprised; I didn't know what to do, so that happened. So please, I'm begging you, don't mention it again, someone might hear you!"
I didn't reply. My gaze remained on her, my heart beating unchanged despite what she said.
"You're the one I want. Not Trixie."
She blinked. She ran her hand through her hair before turning away. But she didn't move far. I held her hand and turned her back to face me.
"Let go of me!"
"Do you know that I prefer your attitude now?" She tried to snatch her hand away, but I didn't let go. I grinned. "Just be tough with me. I like that."
Her eyes narrowed at me. Instead of getting scared, my heart leaped even more.
But she moved away from me due to Trixie's voice approaching our spot.
"Philip!" I looked at her. She ran towards me, smiling. She wore a beautiful dress with her hair neatly styled.
She hugged me tightly when Trixie reached me. I couldn't move immediately because of surprise.
"I'll study in the States next year. In the school I want." I couldn't react. I didn't feel disappointment either because she would study in the States.
I just smiled before she let go of the hug, but her hand remained on my neck.
"I want us to be official, Philip. Mommy likes you so much; she agreed to let me be with you."
I couldn't do anything but stare at Trixie. But my mind was on the girl standing beside us, watching.
"And Winter is the witness for my answer. My answer is yes. I'm your girlfriend now."
I swallowed. Trixie had a beautiful smile before she looked at Winter, who was also smiling.
"Congratulations to both of you." I looked at her when she said that. She didn't look at me, but I witnessed the fake smile she gave to her cousin.
I wanted to appeal. I wanted to express my feelings, but I didn't want to hurt Trixie. But I didn't know it would come to this. I had no idea that Trixie would respond to me in this situation.
"I'm happy for you too, Winter. I know Calix has liked you for a long time. Congratulations to both of you."
Winter smiled again.
"I don't know how to express what's on my mind. I don't want her to think I'm just joking about liking her.
"I-I'll just go back to the rest house. You can show her around the farm..." Winter turned away. I wanted to call her, to stop her from leaving.
But Trixie faced me with a big smile.
"Hey, what happened?" I quickly smiled at Trixie.
"Nothing. Shall we take a walk?"
She frowned. "I'm not in the mood to walk; I wanted to rest at the rest house..." I nodded. I forced myself to step away before taking a deep breath.
I noticed Trixie's gaze on me. She seemed puzzled, and I couldn't read her thoughts.
"Are you happy, Philip?" I chuckled before laughing.
"Am I happy?" I held her hand to calm her. "I'm happy, of course."
"Are you no longer opposed to me studying abroad?"
"Of course, I support you for what you want."
"Are you really not against it? Are you sure?"
I nodded. "It's still next year, right? We have plenty of days to be together, and besides, this is for your future."
She smiled at what I said. If it were just for today, I wouldn't allow Trixie to leave. But now, there's no objection in my feelings. All I could think about was how to talk to Winter again.
We returned to the rest house for Trixie to rest briefly. Her parents were already there, happily looking at us.
Trixie shared the news about us, making our relationship official. The rest house was filled with teasing before I glanced at Winter, quietly sipping coffee on the side.
She looked distant, not even paying attention to the conversation.
"Ma'am Wen!" a young man entered, calling Winter's name. He's a worker here who approached Winter. "You have a visitor."
Winter stood up, curious, finally letting go of the cup she held.
"Who?"
The young man didn't answer as Calix suddenly appeared, holding familiar flowers. I've seen him give those to Winter twice before.
"Wow. Our lady has tulips..." Aunt Raquel teased the blushing Winter.
But upon hearing what she said, I couldn't help but wonder.
Is that tulips?
Purple and red tulips.
"Good morning, love..." I wanted to laugh at Calix's words. Love?
What's so special about love?
Everything with endearment like love ends. Much better if it's baby or babe. Tsk.
Winter just smiled. Calix handed her the flowers before kissing her cheek.
I wanted to explode.
I felt jealous, even with Trixie happily beside me. I couldn't stand seeing them being sweet. I excused myself, telling Trixie I'd go back home and take a quick shower.
She agreed, saying she would wait. But the truth was, I just didn't want to see how Calix would claim the girl I wanted to be mine.
I entered Winter's house alone. I went to my assigned room and changed into my boxer shorts. I lay on the bed, not even planning to shower.
I stared blankly for a few minutes before falling asleep. I woke up when a mosquito bit my face.
I jolted awake because of the sun's heat. I looked around to find the wall clock, and it was already past twelve.
Sh*t. Did I fall asleep?
I rubbed my forehead. I stood up and glanced out the window. But my disappointment deepened when I saw Calix there. I didn't know why he was under the tree. He was on the phone, but I couldn't hear. He wiped his face before abruptly ending the call.
Later, he got into his car and took something. It was a box, just a small one. He placed it inside before I went out.
I was on the second floor, observing his actions. He entered the kitchen with the box. Due to curiosity, I went downstairs. No one was in the living room, and it was evident that everyone was still at the rest house. But what was this guy doing here?
A tumultuous scene unfolds as Natasha navigates her way home through a lively atmosphere of rain, gambling, and revelry. Upon reaching home, she faces the harsh reality of her responsibilities, her meager earnings being demanded by her mother. The tension escalates, leading to a confrontation and ultimately, Natasha being cast out into the rain by her own family. The emotional toll is evident as tears mix with rainwater on her face.
Thankfully, someone with a kind heart assisted me. I stopped at a large gate and peeked inside. I was a bit sweaty from the heat of the sun. The gate opened, and an old woman with a garbage bag came out. I approached her, and she looked at me. "Can I ask for some water?" I boldly asked, my face almost begging, feeling thirsty with only a hundred pesos left in my pocket. I'll budget it until I find a job, so for now, I'll beg for water from the lady staring at me. "Water?" I nodded, my eyes pleading, and she seemed compassionate, so she nodded. "Come inside," she said, and I followed her, my lips craving for cold water. The gate was grand, sturdy even when hit by a truck. The luxurious garden welcomed me, and I couldn't help but smile. "Is this lady living in a palace?" "Follow me," the fairy white-haired mother said. I followed her, my eyes sparkling at the marble floor, ready to smile and admire myself. The stairs were shiny, and you could practically smile and see your reflection. The kitchen door opened, and the spacious area was almost as big as a house in the province. "I'm grateful for the water," I said, taking the glass she offered. She placed the pitcher on the table, and I poured another glass. "May I have more?" I asked. "Sure, dear. Water is free." "Really? Can I take this with me?" "Yes, you can. I'll give you a bottle," she smiled as she searched for a container for my water. While she was busy, a phone rang in the living room. Pausing her search, she stood before turning to me. "I'll answer the call. Wait for me here," she instructed. I nodded, holding four glasses of water, standing near the table. I could even admire myself with the sparkling marble floor and the vast kitchen. Everything was neat and clean compared to the houses I've been to. "Here's the water," she said with a smile, handing me the glass. "May I take some more?" I requested. "Sure, dear. Water is free." "Really? Can I bring this?" "Yes, you can. I'll give you a bottle," I smiled at my fairy godmother while she searched for a container for my water. But as she was busy, a phone rang in the living room. Realizing she was occupied, she stood up before turning to me. "I'll answer the call. Wait for me here," she said. I nodded, holding four glasses of water, standing near the table. I could even admire myself with the sparkling marble floor and the vast kitchen. Everything was neat and clean compared to the houses I've been to. I gazed around the kitchen, impressed. Unlike the places I've been to, this one was spotless. The kitchen's tiled floor was white, and there were two large refrigerators on the side, next to a half-naked man. "Wow!" I exclaimed, thinking he was a handsome ghost. He wasn't. He wore only a towel around his waist to cover his lower body. "Can you help me find my longsleeve?" he asked in English. I thought my encounters with nosebleed-inducing people were over, but apparently not. "I can't find my favorite longsleeve. Can you look for it?" he continued. "But I'm not-" "I don't want to ruin my hair. Just find it and go back to your work," he said, pulling up my sleeves. He was indeed good-looking. I couldn't believe I was in a celebrity's room, especially a shirtless one. "Make it quick, yaya." I pointed to myself, unsure if I heard him correctly. After looking around, I grabbed the white longsleeve I spotted earlier. "Why are you so fast to find this?" he asked, looking puzzled. I wanted to say that eyes should do the searching, not the mouth, but I didn't know how to express that in English. I might embarrass myself. "What are you waiting for? Dress me up and don't bother to mess my hair," he ordered. I was stunned. After dressing him, I planned to leave immediately. However, just as I finished, he stood up and placed the phone on the bed. Without any regard for my presence, he lowered the towel, completely ignoring me. And that was the first day I encountered a cobra's life. I rushed downstairs, carrying my suitcase, and sprinted along the street. I bent over and gasped for breath, feeling my heart pound
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
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. .
Daisy is the illegitimate daughter of Mr. Hubert. His company went bankrupt, so he asked for help from Drkov's house. They agreed to help Mr. Hubert but with one condition. One of his two daughters must marry their nephew - Atlas Drkov. Atlas Drkov is a billionaire but he is disabled and uses a wheelchair. Yaretzi - daughter of Mr. Hubert's official wife - does not accept marrying a disabled man. She and her parents made a plan. They kidnapped Daisy's mother, threatened her, and forced her to marry Atlas. To save her mother, she accepted. However, after getting married, she fell in love with this man, and so did he. Difficulties start from here.
"I've warned you from the beginning. Don't marry him, but you won't listen." She stood close to me and smiled with concern. "You are 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 in a quivering voice. "Take a good look at yourself, Heather." She looked at me in the mirror. "You can't even look at your ugly face. Do you think Blaze can endure a lifetime of looking at that face?" Heather Bailey had a surprise from her husband that night: a divorce agreement. After a year of marriage and facing ups and downs, she couldn't believe Blaze intended to divorce her. But she was devastated when she saw him gazing lovingly at another woman because that person was closest to her. Shortly after she put her signature on their divorce papers, shock waves caught her up. Her flower shop was severely burnt, beyond repair. 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 who came from influential families, she started her action against Blaze. She won the very thing he wanted. But that was just the beginning.
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."