Sandejas Legacy #3: Chaining Lockets Sandejas Legacy continues... "He's still chained like a locket, not to me...but in someone else's neck." Crest Veronica Sandejas is the high-maintenance fashionista heiress of Atty. Iñigo Sandejas. The ultimate kikay of the century, she loves shopping, glittery things, booze, and parties. She believes in living her life to the fullest because she can only have it once. She loves spending money; she loves hanging out with friends and partying all night that her father could already imagine white strands of hair on his head. She's a happy-go-lucky woman, but behind those smiles lies the loneliest woman you'll ever meet. Crest was living the life until she met that man with seductive gray eyes and a strict, cold face, Lt. Lorcan Keith Dmitrov, the man who would turn her life upside down. She thought it was the start of her own happy ending, but soon realized she was not in a fairytale with rainbows and butterflies. Instead, they're in a dark fantasy, scary and twisted. When the secrets from their past start unraveling and monsters start chasing them, what if the ends of the links locking them met? Will they be able to free themselves from the chains tied to them?

Wounds heal, but scars remain. So even with the possibility that one can accept and move forward, it's impossible to forget. Because there will always be an irremovable mark that will remind you of every bit of pain. Growing up without a mother was Zarih's first heartache. It scarred her more than anything else. She sees how her dad grieves for her mom all the time-even after years-and it breaks her. When Zarih learned about the possibility that she might have inherited her mother's heart disease, she knew she couldn't afford to love because she wouldn't want anyone to suffer at her death. She wouldn't want to love someone just to wound him at the end. It was easy not to fall in love, only if Ace Timotheo Salvador, her summer enemy, didn't dare touch her scars... as if they were the most beautiful parts of her existence. Zarih feels like losing it... She wants to love and be loved. Maybe he can heal her scars. Maybe their story is different from her dad's. Maybe they can have a happy ending. Or maybe... She should've not risked it at all. Maybe she could've not scarred her heart more. Finished: July 21, 2022

Lavender is in love with Yuan, the perfect guy--kind, sweet, charming, and a musician like her. The problem? He's not real. He only exists in her dreams. *** Lavender Laxamana can't sing or play the guitar in front of anyone anymore. She hides in her dreams where she can perform and play music to her heart's desire with Yuan. Lavender has already accepted that the man she loves is just a figment of her imagination, but when she crosses paths with Aki, a starting artist who goes by the name of Musikero and looks and sounds like Yuan, Lavender is hopeful they can finally be together in real life. But reality slaps her in the face when she finds out Aki is the exact opposite of Yuan, and he loathes her. While Lavender struggles to find the connection between Yuan and Aki, can she finally find the courage to stop escaping from reality--no matter that Aki may be in love with another woman? And can she finally face the rhythm and beats of her heart and pursue her passion again? How far will she go--or not go--for her dreams? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Regina Dionela

It has always been a dream for Ammy to live prosperously. Worse luck, she was not born with a silver spoon. She has to endure the mud on her feet as she chases her ambitions. Notwithstanding, it did not stop her. She has set her goals and will go the extra mile to get what she aims for her and her mother. She excels in almost everything that she tries and rarely did she place second in competitions; in games. She adheres to her belief that success can only be attained through continuous actions and victory thus she does not let anyone steal her place. Playful kismet, a big threat comes her way. Conrad-a well-born son from an affluent family of Suarezes. He can do anything as great as her, bringing her plans into a blur. Two players, one game. There is only one seat for the victor, one winner in every play. Who will win and who will lose . . . a game with kismet? Ended : October 21, 2022

When Natalia Alexandrine Dela Merced was born, it was a bittersweet grain of ends and beginnings-her mother couldn't survive due to certain health complications. She was raised prim and proper by her father, who has constantly expressed his civil and straightforward plans for her in the City of Baguio. Buong buhay niya, hindi siya kailanman nagreklamo sa pagpapasiya ng kaniyang ama para sa kaniyang buhay. She's a Civil Engineering student with an exceptional sense of control and intelligence. She doesn't divert from her plans-she sticks with them through fire and water. But life turns a whole 180-degree when she starts resorting to spontaneous decisions. She began to appreciate uncalled decisions and plans made in a heartbeat because of Apollo 1997's lead vocalist -Octavian Desmond Santillan. But would that do her good in the long term? Especially when she encounters a twisted and wicked life event brought by the man she has finally found a home and genuine happiness with. Started: October 2020 Finished: June 2021

erps series #2 complete [unedited] If only you loved me; maybe our fate would have become better and maybe the pain would have become worth it. Princess Aziah "Ziah" Florencio doesn't believe in being attached to the concept of love and she had given up the idea of finding a prince as she never had been introduced to fairytales. Okay na sa kan'ya ang hindi magmahal, basta hindi rin siya masasaktan. Her habit of making players cry unexpectedly made her cross paths with a known player who seemed to be interested in her. . .but also sends her a lot of mixed signals. Ryker Miguel Adeva is the epitome of the reason why Ziah avoids being in love. . .unfortunately, he is also the reason why being loved seemed to be a good experience. With all the contradictions and bending of beliefs, will Ziah finally be able to let herself experience being loved? In exchange for also unguarding her heart against Ryker? If only she allows herself to love him?

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

It takes Xantiel Vouganville a lot of logic and lies to hide who he is--until he has to protect Feuille. She's not running away from danger; she's after it. *** Xantiel Vouganville lives three lives--an engineer by day, a vigilante hacker by night, and a street vendor of genius inventions in between. But when his friend, Xildius, asks him to protect a girl named Feuille Guivellnova, Xantiel finds himself tangled in a mission more dangerous than any system he's ever cracked. Feuille isn't just a damsel in hiding. She's the co-founder of a secret website that exposes and hunts down predators. The more Xantiel watches her, the deeper he falls for her brilliance and secrets. But with every discovery, he realizes Feuille isn't running from danger. She's chasing it to save others. And when the hunters become the hunted, will Xantiel keep his promise to protect Feuille or follow her into the dark where love and death share the same code? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish.

In the midst of solving mysteries and exploring their undeniable chemistry, Fifteen Salustiana is determined to help Xildius Vouganville confront his dark past and embrace the light once more. As they uncover the truth behind every crime, she must also seek the truth behind Xildius's fears. *** Desperate for money, Fifteen Salustiana takes a job as the personal assistant to the enigmatic Xildius Vouganville, or XV, a genius professor living in the eerie mansion of Villa Vouganville. XV, a master of anatomy and psychology, solves crimes from the shadows, haunted by a dark past that keeps him from stepping into the sunlight. Fifteen becomes XV's eyes and ears in the outside world, venturing out to gather clues and solve crimes. As they work together, she finds herself drawn to XV's brilliance and vulnerability. The more time they spend together, the more she realizes her feelings for him are growing stronger. Will Fifteen be able to help XV step out of the shadows and into the light, or will their love be consumed by the darkness? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish.

Tadhana (Self-published)