|Wattys 2025 Shortlist| She was a sunlight. Wild, daring, and free. He was the crescent moon. Silent, disciplined, and powerful. Dorothy Maeve Andino lived like life was a dance she already mastered. But then came Zul Qurnain Rabbani-the man born into legacy, built from faith and restraint. He wasn't supposed to notice her. Yet when their worlds collided, something shifted. What started as curiosity turned into something deeper and too deep for what their pride, culture, and beliefs could endure. Because when the storm meets stillness, something always breaks. She once said if she ever got lost, she'd beg the sun to change its rays just to find her way. But what if even the sun couldn't save her this time? Date started: 03-13- 23 Date Ended: 02- 22- 24

She was raised on Sunday hymns. He lived by Friday prayers. She valued structure. He carried peace. Their differences should've been a warning, but the pull between them was hard to ignore. Aiferniza Key Claramoza and Hafzajid Mateen Rabbani. She told herself their bond was harmless. That maybe, just maybe, love could survive between two people with such different truths. Until one secret unraveled everything-and love was no longer just about hearts, but history, family, and faith. How do you hold on to someone when your whole world tells you to let go? She tried to stay strong, unfazed by the noise and the past. But some truths were never meant to be silenced. And maybe this time, even love can't promise to never faze you. Date started: 02-14-24 Date ended: 06-24-25

The stained bloodline. The name she never asked for. The girl who was never meant to belong. Aqilah Ranya Suldaha and Zaram Rasheed Rabbani. She was the quiet shadow in a loud legacy-born out of wedlock and raised far from the power tied to her surname. He was the pride of a noble bloodline-the son of a Datu, raised on duty and the bitterness of old wounds. She is everything his world was taught to reject. He is everything her world was built to fear. Their lives should've never crossed. But in Sultan Naga, where names hold power and silence screams louder than truth, fate doesn't ask for permission. He looks at her and sees disgrace. She looks at him and feels the weight of blame she never chose to carry. But what if everything they believed-the shame, the loyalty, the hate-is just noise meant to keep them apart? This isn't just a clash between two souls. It's a rebellion against the path they were forced to follow. A journey that begins when one girl dares to step off the trail...and walk into a world that never wanted her. Date started: 05/18/25 Date ended: 10/18/25