[PUBLISHED UNDER POP FICTION, AN IMPRINT OF SUMMIT MEDIA] One competition, one man, twenty-five women, and a bet. Zachary Astor wanted to be the Bachelor for one purpose alone: to prove to his friends that he can ditch twenty-five women without ever looking back at any of them. But will he stand on to his words when he meets Julianne Grey, the only woman who seems to regret being in the competition? Despite what he thinks, Zachary will find his thoughts preoccupied by the weird, silent, and mysterious girl he keeps on giving a rose much to his own amazement and her disappointment.

I stood outside his door, suddenly nervous. I knocked and heard a gruff 'come in' before stepping into his office. He didn't even look up at me when I entered. "I'm pregnant." I blurted out. He continued writing, not paying me any mind. "Take off whenever you feel like it, then. Lisa will escort you out." I reeled back, anger creeping up my spine. He thought I was one of his employees. "It's yours." I stated and that's when he froze, looking up at me for the first time since I'd entered the room. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arielle Fortunato is the heir and daughter to the famous Italian billionaire, Antonio Fortunato. She wants for nothing and the press says the line of suitors she's dismissed is almost as long as the ones she entertains, which is false. Daxton King is the CEO and founder of Kingston, Inc. He's an overachieving billionaire and a sought after bachelor. The press says he will sleep with anything that walks and he always, ALWAYS uses protection. So when Arielle Fortunato struts into his office, claiming to be carrying his baby, he automatically assumes she's after his money.

She's probably psychotic. She's unbelievably innocent, doesn't even know the meaning of most cuss words. She loves her pictures and has a horrible sense of direction. She blindly trusts whomever she stumbles upon, causing them to either be touched or take advantage of her pure heart that only wishes to love everyone. She is beautiful, so truly beautiful inside and out. And I don't understand why in Hell's name I can't get her out of my head. She drives me crazy with worry, why does she have to so damn trusting?! For heaven's sakes! She trusted ME of all shitty people. A damned gang leader who almost blew her pretty little head off her petite shoulders. And I have never felt so savagely protective over anyone in my entire life. My beautifully innocent angel.

"Didn't I promise you? I'll destroy anyone who dares hurt you." But then he left-taking my heart with him.

It's a fight between Kara and Matias Del Franco, the snobbish businessman who's building a property on her family's land. With neither of them willing to back down, who will eventually get what they are fighting for? Or will this complicated scenario lead them to something they have never asked for? *** Matias Del Franco dreams of having his own business empire to prove his worth to his strict politician of a father. But just as his first building was built, his plans barely even starting, a raging woman called Kara demands for him to return her family's land to her. But neither of them is willing to back down. At such a crucial time, he cannot afford to fail, and he has no choice but to strike an unlikely deal with her. With Kara by his side, he finds his world turning more complicated--and it seems like he's getting more than what he has bargained for. Disclaimer: This story is written in Taglish.

Cynical Zara Gonzales and notorious playboy Blue Steele gamble their hearts in a game with a single rule: no falling in love. But when the past comes resurfacing back to Blue and Zara finds herself running for her freedom, maybe rules are meant to be broken. *** Running from her father's debt, Zara Gonzales masks her appearance and keeps a low profile working as a game developer for notorious playboy and bachelor Blue Steele. Intrigued by her obvious dislike for him, Blue is adamant to charm her, and eventually, she can't deny the flames of passion burning between them. With a single rule of they can't fall in love with each other, can Zara gamble her heart and risk losing to a man who believes that love doesn't exist? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Louise De Ramos

In a world where vampires feed from other vampires and males dominate females... there is but one precious thing left in their world which every vampire craves... A Mihr. Dohmenic is the Dralan - the King - of all vampires, and survives purely on clean blood; The blood of a Mihr, a virgin. Without a Dralaq, a Queen, he has to feed from Mihrs to ensure the continuation of his pure blood and the claim to the throne. But the times are dire; Mihrs are becoming rarer and rarer each day, and so the Dralan is slowly fading from bloodthirst. He desperately needs a Mihr to feed. Leyla is a Mihr. She is one of the few that is left in the world ruled by hungry, savage male vampires and she intends to stay that way. In hiding from the frenzied males, she ends up in the one place that should have been her only safe haven in the world; The Dralan's castle. Disguising herself as a Kischmir (a servant), she pretends she is but a mere commoner whose blood is not the purest kind in the kingdom. But when the Dralan nearly dies from cruel thirst, her blood is all that can save him. To be a Mihr means you can't be bedded by a male, otherwise your blood will be tainted. But as things grow heated between the Dralan and Leyla, will Dohmenic be able to keep his hands off her? After all, we always want what we can't have...

"Our next is a girl of eighteen summers. She has smooth, unblemished skin and has been schooled in the arts of love and seduction. But most of all, she is untouched." my auctioneer and captor said as he paraded me in front of the men. They eyed their fill of my body but they were forbidden to touch. "Bidding starts at two hundred pieces of silver." I was returned towards the stage as the men stated their prices. I was a rare commodity: a slave girl yet untouched, eighteen, fertile when the land has been struck with a plague that left women barren. The price for me reached eight hundred silver coins and many have already backed down. "Two hundred gold coins!" a man spoke up. It was he, the man who stared at me with passion and desire in his eyes moments ago. That was quite a sum for a slave! "Two hundred gold coins going once, twice... Sold to the King of Ivaris!" the auctioneer shouted. There it was. My fate was sealed. I am a love slave and it is just my luck that I am sold to the same cruel king that destroyed my kingdom. *A story of love, of gods and goddesses, of reincarnation and magic, intrigue and betrayal, of kings and war...*

Aerith always believed she was an ordinary mortal-clumsy, geeky, and completely out of place in the world. But on the eve of her 18th birthday, she discovers a shocking truth: she's no ordinary girl, but the long-lost daughter of the Fates, destined to rule the Underworld as Hades' queen. Thrown into the realm of gods and monsters, Aerith must learn to navigate her new life among immortal beings, where loyalty and power shift like the winds. Tutored by gods, pursued by ancient rivalries, and bound to Hades-a brooding, powerful god who's been waiting for her for centuries-Aerith faces the daunting challenge of learning how to rule an entire realm while still figuring out how to be herself. Can she rise to the challenge of ruling alongside the enigmatic Hades, or will the forces that oppose her destiny tear their fated union apart? With humor, heart, and a touch of magic, Aerith must learn the ropes of royalty and love in a world where even the gods themselves play by their own rules. How to be a Queen is a fun and fresh take on Greek mythology, blending romance, adventure, and self-discovery into an unforgettable journey through the immortal world.