~Excerpt~ She looked at him. Her gaze was resolute. "Let's date, Tinghao." The office was quiet. A cold breeze blew into the room and it sent shivers down Fu Tinghao's spine. He reached out to button the top buttons back. He couldn't believe his ears. For a moment, he feared he had heard the wrong thing. He lifted his head and he looked at her. She was looking at him quietly as though waiting for him to speak. He couldn't help but shake his head and laughed dryly. But, there was a lack of humor in his voice. "Tang Wan, it's not April Fools Day. Can you stop pulling my leg?"[1] Tang Wan was speechless. She looked carefully at him and realized that he didn't seem to be kidding. He really didn't believe her words. She pursed her lips and repeated, "I mean it. Let's date." Then, she stressed, as though to make her words more believable. "I love you." Fu Tinghao was stunned. He stared at her in a daze. It was then he felt the urgency in her words. He could sense the sincerity in those words. She said she loved him. He was unable to react, trying to comprehend her words. He felt a surge of happiness invade him. It was as though he was in the clouds. But on the surface, he was calm and his head was lowered. After some time, he looked up at her and gave a small chuckle, "Tang Wan, why do you like playing around like this? Just yesterday, you said you couldn't love anyone. I already accepted my fate that my love will forever be one-sided. But now, you are telling me you love me?" Tang Wan lowered her head as embarrassment sunk in. He was right. She had been unresponsive to his advances for a long time. And suddenly, she confessed to him. Anyone would feel doubtful. She opened her mouth to talk but he didn't let her… He cut in. "I don't love you anymore though." Tang Wan looked at him. He was staring at her seriously. His eyes were fixated on her and he seemed to be deadly serious. Of course, she had no idea he was only playing hard to get. Her heart skipped a beat. As his words sunk in, she felt a surge of panic. Her chest tightened as though there was a hand squeezing it. It was extremely uncomfortable. Was this how he felt all this while? No, she could not accept this outcome. "Fu Tinghao…" He looked at her. "I can't accept your love." Then, he picked up the light switch remote and clicked on it. The light immediately came on and the surroundings brightened. He then turned to the documents on the desk. He picked the blue fountain pen in the pen holder and stated, "I got to work." He lowered his head and began to write seriously. He didn't look at her anymore. Tang Wan was unable to move as she looked at that handsome face. She felt a strong sense of panic she had not felt in a long time. She didn't know what suddenly got into her. But, she rushed towards him and grabbed him by the collar. Then, she grabbed his chin and lifted his face up to look at her. She could vaguely see traces of emotions in his eyes too. But, she couldn't dwell on that anymore. She lowered her lips to his. She kissed him. *** Tang Wan, the beautiful daughter of the Tang family suddenly went insane after her parents deaths. Her very loving husband, Feng Jun immediately registered her at a mental hospital to protect and make sure she doesn't embarrass herself in the circle. That was what everyone thought... They were all discussing about how loving and patient Feng Jun was. But in reality... It was all a sham. *** Tang Wan, 22 years old went into a state of mania after her parents death and her husband's infidelity. There she met Fu Tinghao, a renowned doctor and with his help, she was able to recover. She returned to take over her family's entertainment company. Then, she started to create her own path in the industry, gaining a foothold as a renowned director and agent. Phoenix_10 (Mide) First Published: 2022
Gifted a candle that was said to make wishes come true, Alice Clemente burned it to find herself awake in a different world. She had wished for a life of adventure away from the city and its routine. With her wish granted, she was no longer in the 21st century and was instead lost in the middle of the Kingdom of Gladiolum, a place reminiscent of the 1800s. With luck, she soon gained connections to the rich and powerful of this new world— the nobility. However, how much of it was good and how much of it would eventually be detrimental? After all, mingling with royals not only meant extravagance and daily parties. It also meant warfare and death. Caught in the middle of the two princes and other nobles, Alice would soon have to face the battle between those two royal brothers― a fight for the throne. She had wished for adventure, after all, and she received just as such. Kept in the center of all this, would Alice be able to emerge from the rabbit hole unscathed? Or will the overwhelming troubles of love and war be too much for her to bear? *** “And what if you, too, are unable to help?” Alice threw the question back. “What if helping would risk everything?” Spade didn’t miss a beat. “You are everything.” “Don’t say things that you don’t mean,” Alice chided. “You’ll leave a trail of broken hearts.” “And would you believe me if I say that I have no intention of breaking yours?” Spade countered. “However, mine is yours to play with. Shatter it, fix it, do anything you desire. As long as it feels the warmth of your hand, I am content.” *** Image used in cover not mine.