Around Manila Series 3 Ysa and Jaxiel Growing up, Ysa never felt beautiful. Allysa "Ysa" Elara Victoria is a Psychology student and iskolar ng bayan from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She loves fairytales and once dreamed of being beautiful like the princesses in their stories. But, she grew up believing that intelligence was the only thing she could rely on. Kailan magaling siya. Kailangan, kayanin niya. Jaxiel "Jax" Justine Jose Jinera, a biology student and iskolar ng bayan from the University of the Philippines, is effortlessly brilliant and seen as the future of medicine. He doesn't believe in fairytales, finding them too unrealistic. Behind his flawless image, lies a dream he hides from the world, he wants to become a designer and makeup artist. Namulat siya sa praktikalidad. Lahat ng meron siya ay utang niya lamang. Former schoolmates in high school, Ysa and Jax meet again in college and reconnect in unexpected ways. When Jax asks Ysa to be the model for his secret creations. They see sides of each other that no one ever sees behind their perfect images. But as Jax struggles with a mysterious stalker watching his every move, their fragile connection is put at risk. They write pages they never knew existed and share unhappy moments together. And so, will they find their happily ever afters after all the unhappiness they've endured? Can they still find their own version of a happy ending or is this just another story meant to remain unfinished?

✔ | Sun Rays Series #1 Ritienzy, a social butterfly from HUMSS, wears her carefree smile like armor. Palakaibigan siya, oo, pero hanggang do'n lang. Ever since she witnessed her parents' love collapse, she learned to keep her heart at arm's length. Maybe bata pa siya at marami pang kailangang matutuhan, but the wounds beneath her laughter aren't as healed as she pretends. Then there's Jayscen from STEM, a smart, academically-driven guy who chases dreams bigger than the limits around him because of his expectations to himself. And behind his quiet composure hides a temper he once couldn't control. Fate crosses their paths twice, accidental yet strangely inevitable. . . at sa gitna pa talaga ng kalsada. Two teens. Two masks. Two hearts carrying battles the world doesn't see. Naging magkaibigan sila, pero hanggang kaibigan na lang ba talaga? And how will she, who's afraid to love, and him, who's afraid to fail, ever realize that their meeting is more than an accident, but the beginning of a path they must walk together--one that might just lead them past their limits, and into something infinite? Disclaimer: story is written in taglish. Date started: 9/18/23 Date ended: 1/29/24

It hurts the most when the person that made you feel special yesterday can make you feel unwanted today.

Legacy Series #4: Sky Rydge Galvez Pola was never anyone's first choice---not in the family that raised her, and definitely not in love. She was always the one left behind. Unwanted. Unchosen. So she learned the hard way that love was never meant for her. As a UAAP courtside correspondent and UP scholar, her world revolves around academics and work. She has no time for distractions, especially not for Sky Rydge Galvez---the arrogant, full-of-himself basketball player who's had his future written for him since birth. Groomed to take over his family's empire, Sky has spent his life coasting on charm, wealth, and the certainty that one day, Pola, the girl he's wanted since childhood, will be his. The problem? Pola despises him. But Sky is relentless. He'll do whatever it takes to break down her walls, even if it means signing an agreement that keeps him close to her in the most twisted way possible. A deal is made. Boundaries are set. Lines are drawn. But some lines are meant to be crossed. And some truths, no matter how deeply buried, have a way of rising to the surface. louder, crueler, and more life-altering than anyone is prepared for. So what happens when the girl Sky has always wanted turns out to be the one person he should never have? 05/01/25

Legacy series #3: Sierra Lavelle V. Galvez Sierra Lavelle Galvez has it all---beauty, wealth, fame, and an attitude that no one dares to cross. A spoiled brat, social influencer, and Atenean college student, Velle is used to getting her way. But when she pushes her father too far, he hires Isaac, a scholar of the Galvez and a UP student, to be her bodyguard and, much to her horror, her full-time babysitter. But Velle isn't one to back down, and Isaac isn't one to break. As Velle's perfectly controlled world starts to crumble, Isaac finds himself stepping in, not just as her protector, but as something more. What happens when sparks turn to flames? Velle and Isaac are forced to face questions neither are ready to answer. But secrets have a way of surfacing, and their growing connection might cost them more than either of them is ready to lose. Can Isaac protect Velle from the dangers around her and the ones within himself? Will Velle risk everything for a love she never expected? Or will the truth tear them apart forever? Sometimes the greatest risks are the ones taken in the dark. 01/02/25

Spoiled brat Brandy Varquez always gets what she wants in a snap. But when she meets Asiel Fortier and gets entangled in a mess that taints them both, Brandy starts to wonder how far her so-called power can go. *** Spoiled and bratty, Brandy Varquez is always used to having things go her way. With her family's wealth and connections, she effortlessly puts everything under control. However, her life takes a turn when she gets entangled with Asiel Fortier and mistakenly believes that he is her fiancé. Despite their growing feelings for each other, circumstances repeatedly break them apart. As they fight to save their relationship, an event suddenly tarnishes Asiel's reputation, and Brandy unexpectedly finds herself trapped and powerless. With a love story that started out with a lie, can Brandy and Asiel seek justice and find a second chance at life? Or will their shared memories become nothing more than a taint on the past? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Louise De Ramos

SAGADA Inspired by the song "SAGADA" by Cup of Joe WYATT ALEXIS GATCHALLIAN She vowed her life to God. He never believed in forever. So why does it feel like their hearts were written in the same prayer? AYOKONG IKASAL. I never dreamed of a wedding. It was beautiful, sure---for some. But not for me. Hindi 'to ang buhay na inaasahan ko. Hindi ang pinto na 'yon ang naghihintay sa'kin. Hindi sa ganitong paraan ako magsusuot ng telang puti. Hindi. Ayoko. Hindi ito ang pinlano ng Diyos para sa'kin. Because my dream was different. I thought I heard it in the stillness of dawn, in the hush of chapel walls, in the gentle rhythm of prayers. I thought I knew the life God was calling me to live. But then, he came---Wyatt Alexis Gatchallian. Parte ng isang bandang kinakabaliwan ng lahat. His life is loud music, late nights, fleeting kisses, and freedom without consequence. Palaging lasing. Palaging magulo. Palaging hindi ko maintindihan. and yet somehow, he's the one I'm told to marry. Arranged. Unexpected. Unwanted. I wanted to serve God. They wanted me to serve tradition. Now I'm stuck in the space between this mess. Between a God I've always loved and a man I never asked for... Pero bakit habang tumatagal parang hindi na makuhang lumayo pa ng mata ko sa pagtingin sa kaniya. The more I try to push him away, the more he starts to feel like a hymn I never meant to memorize. And maybe... just maybe... He's been searching for something sacred, too. How do you choose between a calling you've always known... and a love you never saw coming? 05/22/25

The Prestige Series 4 Ang hirap pala maging panganay at breadwinner. Akala ng lahat, palagi kang matatag-na hindi ka napapagod, na hindi ka sumusuko. Ganiyan ang takbo ng buhay ni Nazarrea De Alba. Sa murang edad, natuto na siyang magbanat ng buto. Dahil kung hindi siya magtatrabaho, magugutom ang pamilya niya. That's why she promised herself she'd do whatever it takes to graduate with top honors-to land a high-paying job and finally lift her family out of poverty. But life has a funny way of throwing curveballs especially when Juan Miguel Lorenzo Alcaraz, the town's notorious playboy, suddenly made a comeback in school. Out of nowhere, he was climbing the ranks and worse, he was starting to outrank her. Simula noon, unti-unting nagbago ang takbo ng mundo ni Nazarrea. She hated everything about him-his smirk, his smarts, the way he walked into her life like he owned it. He was like a parasite she just couldn't shake off. Then came one small misstep...and suddenly, everything spiraled out of control. What comes next? Will she find the strength to stand back up? Or will she stay stuck in the darkest parts of her fall? What comes next after the fall? *** Cover is not mine. Credits to the rightful owner.

If we were to talk about making the first move, boys are usually the ones who do it, but not in the case of Ireena Razon. For her, it was a now or never situation. Given that it was her last year of high school, she felt she had to do everything. You only turn 17 once in your lifetime, and after that, you can't afford to make foolish decisions anymore, she thought. Little did she know, this "foolish" 17-year-old decision she was about to make would shape the rest of her life. Book Cover from: Su Minh in Pexels

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