The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

UNIVERSITY SERIES #6 Past experiences. Broken hearts. Present tragedy. Those are the things Kierra Ynares from UST Architecture and Shan Lopez from DLSU Psychology have in common. No matter how wretched their similarities are, they still found ways to escape... to look forward to tomorrow, and keep everything that happened yesterday behind.

Nakaplano ang pagpapakasal ni Nicole sa kasintahang si Rico. At kuntento siya sa relasyon niya sa kasintahan. Then out of the blue, dumating sa eksena ang pinsan ni Rico, si Mitch Salvatierra, a farmer. Namumula ang balat sa pagtatrabaho sa arawan. Tall and attractive. And she was enchanted for the first time in her life. Tila may magic sa simpleng pakikipagkamay niya rito. Yet she was alarmed. Naguguluhan sa estrangherong damdaming pinukaw ng estrangherong lalaki. ©Martha Cecilia

Isang mapait-matamis na bahagi ng kabataan ni Emilie si Liam, her teenage crush her first kiss. Paminsan-minsan ay sumasagi ito sa isip niya. Pero hanggang doon na lang at hindi niya inasam na muling makikita niya ito. Pero muli ay nagkita sila pagkalipas ng sampung taon. And men like Liam, a hunk, gorgeous, and rich, didn't stay single. And yet, to her delight, he was actually unattached. Then he offered to marry her. A marriage that had nothing to do with love but everything to do with convenience. His convenience and advantage. At kapag tapos na ang itinakda nitong panahon ay maiiwan siyang sugatan ang puso... uli. Kaya ba niyang masaktan uli?

Ipinakasal si Mariel ng kapatid na si Vincent kay Adrian sa Nevada nang labag sa kanyang kalooban. Sa buong buhay niya'y noon lamang niya nakita ang lalaki. Nang matapos ang kasal ay pinauwi siya ni Adrian sa Pilipinas sa pamilya nito. Nakilala niya si Brad, ang stepbrother ng asawa niya. And she fell in love with him, sa kabila ng masamang impresyon nito sa kanya. A forbidden kind of love.

Kiel 1 Tumakas siya mula sa kanyang mga magulang upang kamtin ang kalayaang inalis sa kanya. From one place to another, Aleya kept running from his stepfather's men. While on the run, a complete stranger, named Kiel Montañez, abducted her and brought her to paradise as his captive. She was his hostage to lure his stepfather to a trap. Nakapagitan siya sa dalawang taong parehong mapanganib at mahigpit na magkaaway. But Aleya was shocked to discover that she wanted to be freed from devastatingly handsome captor just as much as she wanted him. But would she be his hero? O para kay Kiel, was she just a mean to an end? Kiel 2 Sa hindi miminsang pagkakataon kay Kiel tumatakbo si Aleya in her moments of fears and nightmares. At Tuwina'y naroon parati ang mga bisig nito, to comfort and make her feel safe and secure. As much as she hated the idea, she was falling into him helplessly. At hindi niya akalaing may katugon ang damdamin niya. She gave her heart and soul to him only to find out that he was using her from the very start. Ang sakit ay tila patalim na humihiwa sa kanya. Naroon ang posibilidad na makalaya siya mula kay Falvio subalit ang makalaya mula sa hawlang pinagkulungan ni Kiel sa kanya ay imposible. Subalit gusto ba talaga niyang makawala sa hawlang iyon sa kabila ng lahat?

"Isusulat mo ito sa nobela mo, Maxine... 'She opened to him like a flower drinking in rain. Her mouth was soft and inviting. His tongue slid between her lips... And she was lost,'" he murmured as his mouth did what he just narrated. Kinasusuklaman ni Maxine ang mga lalaking tulad ni Leandro Villarica, mga lalaking nagsasamantala at naglalaro sa mga mahihinang babae. Oh, yes, he was rich and gorgeous, mga katangiang sapat upang sambahin ito ng mga babae. Pero hindi siya. Magyeyelo na muna sa impiyerno bago siya maging biktima nito. Having Maxine in his house was pure hell! Kung alam lang nito ang kababalaghang nagaganap sa katawan niya tuwing tititigan siya nito. Pero kinasusuklaman siya nito, which made him want her all the more. Pero paano ito mapapasakanya nang hindi kailangang mabanggit ang salitang "kasal"?

It was a "forced" marriage. Nagpakasal si Marianne kay Victor dahil kailangan. Kahit ang mahal niya ay ang kapatid nitong si Rogel, tinanggap niya sa sariling ito ang kanyang kapalaran. At sino ang hindi mai-in love sa isang katulad ni Victor? Guwapo, matikas, responsable. Kahit paulit-ulit tangkain ni Marianne na tanggihan ang mga halik nito ay parang yelong agad na natutunaw ang kanyang depensa sa haplos pa lamang ng lalaki. Ngunit isang araw ay nakita ni Marianne si Victor sa piling ng ibang babae. At si Victor, nakita si Marianne sa mga bisig ng dating katipan. Pero sino nga ba ang nagtaksil kanino?

"Ai shite imas, Nyssa-san." Inabot nito ang kamay niya at hinawakan iyon. "The presence of your hand and holding it like this balanced me. Everything seems straight and perfect." Suot ni Nyssa ang singsing na ibinigay ni Erik dela Torre sa buong labindalawang taon. It was given to her when she was sixteen ;noong ang batang pag-ibig niya ay tinabunan ng insekyuridad at takot. Sinaktan niya ang lalaking nagbigay ng heirloom na iyon sa kanya. Erik had OCD. He was obsessed with her. Natakot si Nyssa at hiniya niya ito sa mismong gabi ng prom sa hindi sinasadyang paraan. Erik left San Ignacio sooner than she thought hurting. Twelve years later, she still kept the ring. Isinusuot iyon ni Nyssa para i-discourage ang mga unwanted suitors niya. Until she met Kichiro in Tokyo. He was a Daniel Henny look-a-like. Gusto niyang alisin at itago ang singsing niya para dito. But the subconscious thought of Erik stopped her. Nahahati siya sa pagitan ng kahapon at ng ngayon. Sino ba talaga ang bukas niya?

Gustong makilala nang lubusan ni Meredith si Andrea Monte, ang babaeng buong buhay niya ay pinagseselosan ng kanyang inang si Agatha. Tinanggap niya ang paanyaya ni Andrea na magbakasyon sa Rancho Monte. She had never known paradise until she saw the mountains, forests, and seas of Rancho Monte. It was an island in the sun. Ang mansiyon ay nasa ituktok ng isang burol at nakatanaw sa karagatan at mga isla. And she had never known love until she met Tristan Falco, the handsome ranch help who was as rugged and mysterious as the virgin forest that he so much loved and as untamed and wild as the strong winds of Monte mountains. Subalit kinasusuklaman ni Tristan ang mayayaman at taga-Maynilang tulad niya. Could she tame the winds and smooth the waters? ©Martha Cecilia