"You can't escape me Samantha. Not now. Not tomorrow. Never." wika ni Tres sa nanggagalaiting tinig. I take a step backward to avoid his skin to touch mine. May kakaibang damdamin ang pumupukaw sa akin kapag nagdidikit ang mga balat namin. And its not normal. "Y-You can't lock me up in this Island Tres! Hindi mo ako pagmamay-ari! No one owns me!" kahit natatakot ay pilit kong pinatatag ang boses ko. "No sweetheart. I. Own. You. Your father sold you to me. Pag aari kita. So better be a good girl like before kung ayaw mong magalit ako. You know how mad dogs are." Mariing wika nito pagkatapos hapitin ang bewang ko na naging dahilan ng malakas kong pagsinghap. I am trapped with the Lions cage.

"H-Hanggang k-kailan m-mo ba ako ikukulong dito A-Alas?" tanong ko na niyakap ang dalawang tuhod habang hilam sa luha ang mukha. Itinaas niya ng Zipper ng pantalon niya at lumapit sa akin. So close that I can smell his breath. Hinawakan niya ang baba ko at tumingin ng diretso sa mga mata ko. Anger, hatred and lust was visible in his eyes. "Until I die." aniya na mabilis hinalikan ang labi ko. I closed my eyes and cried. Sa sakit at awa sa sarili. "If you want to leave this hell, kill me." mas lalo akong napaiyak.

"I dont do love, Maddy. I do fucking." Nagulat ako sa sobrang bulgar ng mga salita niya ngunit hindi ako nagpahalata. "Then atleast make love to me." determinadong wika ko. If I cant get his heart, well atleast I can feel how to make love to him Im too desperate. I want him. I want his love. Bigla siyang tumawa ng mapanuya kaya natigilan ako. "You dont get it, dont you?" aniya. Hindi ako sumagot kaya muli siyang nagsalita. "I dont do love, if we're going to have sex, it was purely fucking. And fucking is different with love making." sarkastikong wika niya habang seryoso ang anyo. Nasaktan ako. Parang pinilipit ang puso ko. It hurts! Ngunit kita naman ngayon sa mukha niya na wala siyang pakialam sa nararamdaman ko. "And for the record, I cant love someone who killed my girlfriend." patuloy niya na mula sa seryosong anyo ay naging mabalasik iyon. Napalunok. I am guilty. Not because I killed her but because I am the reason why she died. "B-But you're p-protecting me." "I am doing my job." Damn! I wanna shout at him, curse him and slap him. Ang sakit. Ang sakit ng harap-harapan niyang sabihin sa akin lahat ng iyon. Ang sakit na harap-harapan niyang ipamukha na trabaho lang ang ginagawa niya. Para bang wala akong pakiramdam kung magsalita siya ng ganon. And this fucking heart is aching.

Nurse Cat Villanueva has had enough of Dr. Russel 'Rat' Velaroza's arrogance, until one hot night blurs the line between hate and yearning, forcing her to see him in a way she never expected. *** Everyone may like OB‑gynecologist Dr. Russel "Rat" Velaroza, but not Nurse Cat Villanueva. She's had enough of his arrogance and self‑centered appeal. Freshly promoted as HC Medical City's head nurse, Cat braces herself for the challenges of leadership until one impulsive night changes everything. Cat wakes to the shocking realization that she has spent the night with the man she hates, mistaking him for her best friend Flynn. Pregnancy was never part of her plan, but destiny has its own game, forcing her to face not only her future but also the possibility that Dr. Rat may not be as bad as she thought. DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Louise De Ramos

It was hard for Dr. Hideo Canliagn to start again after his fiancée died in a tragic accident. But fate seems to enjoy playing its little games with him, especially when he meets Sychelle--a devout nurse who shares the same name as his lost love. *** In the aftermath of the tragic death of his fiancee, Sychelle, Dr. Hideo Canliagn committed himself to his career as a surgeon and as the owner of HC Medical City. Shattered by the loss of his beloved, he did everything he could to shield himself from the pain of her memory. But when a devout nurse named Marikah Sychelle crosses his path at HC Medical City, he never expects to encounter someone so pure and innocent. Could Sychelle be the one to heal Hideo's heart that has long been broken? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Louise De Ramos

Klaxon Vela Rosa

Skie Vernon Santford

Vandeon Brix Santford

Kiefer Stan Montefalco

college hockey player Wes Graham has tormented Adare Wells since they were in the first grade. pulling her hair, breaking her crayons, calling her names-- anything to get her attention. they spend all of high school together, never giving each other the time of day until they end up on first day of university. there's only one empty seat, and it's next to Adare. even though Adare hates Wes and he's an asshole to her, they both have some baggage that only each other seem to understand.