|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

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

Karyll Katalina "Kai" Ortega lives as a pagan and chasing questions the world refuses to answer. Hafiz Nazer Rabbani, bound by his Muslim faith and walks with certainty she both envies and resists. When their lives intertwine, love and conflict ignite fragility yet enduring like scented burned petals. But what will be the prize of this? Date started: 07 - 15 - 2025 Date ended:

Kiraz Nehal Rabbani drifts from her faith after witnessing how her devout father mistreated her mother. Haunted by questions and scars, she finds unexpected solace in Hizam Khair Didaratu-a man whose steady devotion and tender love seem to promise healing. But when the day of their union arrives, Kiraz makes a choice that shatters everything. For in the moment she was meant to surrender her heart, she realizes that what attempted to kiss her wasn't serenity at all-and so, she runs. Date started: 07 - 22 - 2025 Date ended:

Bar Series #5 Hidden messages. Ignored calls. Stealing glances. Secret rendezvous. Those were the things Zaña Fabiaña never imagined experiencing. She simply desired a normal life in which she could walk through a crowd holding the hands of the man she loved without fear of being discovered. But what can she do? She fell in love with her sister's husband. Aero Lopez has been in love with Zaña ever since he laid eyes on the woman. However, destiny seems not to have agreed when his family forced him to marry the woman's sister. Years later, they met again and found themselves in a tangled relationship. Trying their best to create distance for the sake of their families, they soon found each other lying in one bed and sharing their dreams. But what happens when someone learns of their secret rendezvous? Will they continue to see the silhouette at dusk, or will they stop staring at the same sky? [Photo not mine]

Bar Series #2 Love for brewed coffee. That is one thing that Asha Montemayor and Skater Mejia have in common. Unang nakita ni Asha si Skater sa event ng company ng binata kung saan siya ang barista sa coffee booth. Asha is deeply aware that it wasn't love at first sight. In fact, it was hate at first sight. Possible ba 'yon? You just hate the person kahit na wala naman itong ginagawa sa 'yo. You just hate the mere fact that he is standing next to you. Or maybe it wasn't what Asha hated; it was the fact that Skater was paying attention to her. Asha just hates it when people care for her because she grew up not needing that care. Being dependent on someone else is the last thing she wants. Skater showing care means the man can see through her facade. She's not strong; that is why she wanted to become a lawyer-to be strong enough to fight for her rights. Love for brewed coffee. That's what they thought they had in common. Little did they know that the past they had left behind connects their future. One is trying to build a home; the other one is trying to find a home. Sa piling ba ng isa't isa sila uuwi? TRIGGER WARNING!!!!

Bar Series #4 Ceej Del Forje is a medical student pressured to become successful after choosing medicine over law. Fuck buddy is her definition of relieving stress. She moves from one to the next with no intention of committing or having her own family. After meeting Sai Villatoro, both agreed to become fuck buddies within a certain period of time. No strings attached. Certainly, no asking or spilling about personal lives. Just fuck. However, an accident happened, making Ceej slowly realize how much she cares for the man. Let's see if the strings are enough to put glitter in their own sky. Book Cover - Starry Tan

Bar Series #3 For Eve Ryn Sotto, time is the most powerful and important thing in the world. Ayaw na ayaw niya na nasasayang ang oras niya sa mga walang kwentang bagay kaya't sinisiguro niya na lahat ng gagawin niya ay naka-plano. She already planned everything in her life. However, Jhules came unexpectedly. It was so sudden that she didn't even foresee it. What is she going to do now? Isasama ba niya ang binata sa mga plano niya o hahayaan na lang niya ang tadhana na mag-desisyon? Will she let Jhules be the hands of her clock, or will she let time ruin both of them? WARNING: This story contains disturbing details that might not be suitable for you such as murder, illegal drugs, and abuse. Please read another story of mine if you are triggered with these kinds of topic. Thank you! Book Cover - Starry Tan

PUBLISHED UNDER LIB Note: If you're not into flawed characters who make wrong decisions, don't read this. Save yourself from stress. Started: 09/09/2020 Ended: 10/07/2020 Solene Clemente was a typical Civil Engineering student who struggled to put up with her studies. Kung pwede ngang i-bake na lang ang napakaraming itlog sa test papers niya, ginawa niya na. At a young age, she experienced the harsh reality of life-poverty, abuse, and a broken family. But, as someone who could see the bright side of everything, she knew she could make it with only her mother and best friend, Duke Laurence Sanders, whom she secretly loved. Kahit pa naghihirap, basta kasama niya ang ina, kaya niya. Kahit pa madalas niyang hindi maintindihan ang lessons, ayos lang kasi may Duke naman na tuturuan siya. Na kahit gaano kalupit ang tadhana, patuloy siyang lumalaban sa buhay dahil may dalawang taong sumusuporta at nagmamahal sa kanya. She became too dependent on the love they could offer. But little did she know, like the sun she adored, she was destined to be alone.