"Hanggang ganito na lang ba? Ang tingin mo sakin pamatid ng panandaliang pangangailangan mo?" Iritableng napatingin ako sa pigurang iyon ni Corinne. Si Corinne! Fuck! Bakit ko ba kasi sya dinamay sa gulong ito. "Sinabi ko na sayo nung una pa lang di ba? Stay away from me!" Gigil na singhal ko sa kanya. "Dikit ka ng dikit! Tapos ngayon ako pa lumalabas na masama." Tila matutunaw naman ako ng unti-unting tumulo yung luha sa mga mata niya. "I love you, Aria. Pero kahit ilang beses ko namang sabihin iyon sayo wala lang di ba? Kasi until now hindi mo pa din kayang ibigay yung sarili mo ng buong-buo. Kasi hanggang ngayon nakakulong ka pa din sa kahapon mo. " "Hindi totoo yan.." Nanghihinang napaupo ako. What have I done? Bakit ba paulit ulit ko na lang syang nasasaktan? "I can't save you, Aria." Punung puno ng pait na sabi nya. "I can't save you kasi ayaw mong magpasalo. Hindi lahat sasaktan ka. Kelangan mo din magtiwala na hindi ko kayang saktan ka." Natawa lang ako ng pagak. "Tell me, Corinne. What's holding you back? Akala ko ba mahal mo ko? Bakit hindi mo magawang ibigay ng buo yung sarili mo?" Pinalis ni Corinne yung luhang umaagos sa magkabila niyang pisngi. "Because I know you. I know na pag nakuha mo na ko, Game over na. And I don't want to end everything that we have just because of that. " "Wow!" Napapalatak ako sa kanya. "Now, who have trust issues sa ating dalawa ngayon? " Ngumiti siya ng pilit. Another broken smile. How many times should I break her before she gives me up? "If I give myself to you now, Will you give me your heart?" Fuck! No! I don't know. I really don't know. She can have me. But I know that she can never have my heart.

"Change your clothes." Napatingin ako sa suot ko. It's just a knee-length simple dress. Formal naman para sa meeting namin ngayon kasama ng mga investor nya. Sinundo na nya ako sa unit dahil lagi akong nalelate. "Problema mo ba? I'm decent. It's not my fault that you're just out-fashioned." Sinulyapan ko pa yung suot nyang dark blue pant suit na katerno ng suot nyang white na tops at dark blue blazer. Masyadong conservative tingnan. "Just change your clothes." This time, pautos na iyon. "Ayoko nga. Bakit hindi ikaw ang magpalit ng dam-" Napasinghap ako nang hablutin nya ako palapit sa kanya. "You are utterly indecent." Mahinang bulong pa nito. Pakiramdam ko para akong ipinako sa pwesto ko habang magkadikit kaming dalawa. "Change your clothes or I'll do it for you?" Napalunok muna ako ng ilang beses bago sinalubong yung mga mata nya. I am Alliston Parker, hindi ako natatakot sa kanya. "Change Alli. I don't want to get into trouble tonight." "Trouble?" Itinuro nya ako. "It's a sin to look so tempting and dashing like that, it's not fair." She murmured again under her breath. Nalilitong tiningnan ko si Louella. "Tempting and dashing?" Baliw ba sya? Hindi na nga ako nag-ayos dahil aawayin na naman nya ako pag nahuli kami. Umiling ito na para bang gusto na akong sapakin. "Basta magpalit ka! Ayoko ng ganyang suot mo. Mag-jeans ka na lang. You're not even the one I'm bargaining to them. Make yourself presentable and decent, atleast." Inggitera talaga itong matandang ito. Palibhasa napaglipasan na ng panahon. Yung kagaya kasi nitong malapit ng mawala sa kalendaryo yung naiinsecure sa mga ganitong itsura na gaya ng sakin. "Ibigay mo na kaya sakin yung kailangan ko sayo para tigilan na natin ito? Sarap mo talagang patayin na lang." Bubulong - bulong na sabi ko. Napapikit na lang ako nang maramdaman na lumulutang na ako sa ere. Damn! "Ang dami mong reklamo." Naiiritang sambit nito. "Let me just show you how tempting you look for me." *

2ND INSTALLMENT OF ZACATENCO SERIES. Arranged marriage. Forced into an elaborate ceremony they never wanted, two women, Alvira and Austyn, stand at the altar. Their shared fate isn't love.

Cee lives her life hiding her true identity as a woman just to be accepted into the Seriantel family. She may be pretending as a man, but she is certain that she is straight - until she deals with Verra Normans.

Written in Taglish • Slow-burn troupe • Haciendera x CEO

Eastwood University Series #1: Adira Fayre Tuazon Adira has one goal: to graduate and earn her degree. Now in her second year at Eastwood University, she's determined to stay focused and keep things simple. But everything changes when she crosses paths with a cold and distant professor-someone who isn't just hard to read, but impossible to ignore. What happens when the person you least expect begins to unravel everything you've carefully kept in place? "She was my kryptonite. She made me weak and for that I was in constant turmoil." - F

Written in Taglish • Slow-burn troupe • BossxMaid Date Started: May 18, 2025 Completed: June 5, 2025

𝗘𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘀, 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 ＃𝟲 || I know it isn't right, but secretly, I ended up caring about him.

𝗘𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘀, 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 ＃𝟱 || Keeping them alive is my job.

Erityian Tribes Novellas, Book ＃2 || What's the use of this power, if I can't even stop his death?