|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

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 what Asha Montemayor and Skater Mejia have one thing in common. Little did they know that the past they have 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? WARNING: This story contains disturbing details that might not be suitable for you such as murder, illegal drugs, abuse, and rape. Please read another story of mine if you are triggered with these kinds of topic. Thank you! Book cover - Starry Tan

Bar Series #6 For as long as Avey Hermoza remembered, River Eustaquio wasn't into her. River made it clear that he would never love Avey. Friendship is the only thing he can offer. Avey was fully aware that a man like River would never break his rules for her. So, she tried to pretend that the man meant nothing to her. She even asked River to introduce her to his friends in the hopes that she would forget about him. She never did until she got married to Gael Toledo. Her marriage was supposed to be perfect. She loves the man, and the man loves her. However, everything changed when Gael discovered Avey's betrayal of him. While trying to save her marriage, Avey found herself in a tangled rendezvous with River that eventually led to bloodshed. River has finally realized that he cannot lose Avey for the second time. Now, he holds the gun. Will it be able to save Avey, or will it seal their love for each other until the end of time?

Forced to enter law school, Artellia Mercaveles wants to prove to her ex-boyfriend and her mother that she can finish her degree despite her passion for the arts. But when she meets Fierro and her newfound friends, she soon realizes that life is more than living up to someone else's expectations. *** Art is the heartbeat of Artellia Mercaveles' soul. But when her boyfriend admits he cheated with someone from law school, she vows to prove him wrong and show the world she can be a lawyer despite her passion for the arts. Living under the shadow of her mother, a celebrated bar topnotcher, the pressure to succeed weighs heavily on her shoulders. Law school becomes her battlefield, and crossing paths with Fierro Oeuvre Fortaverde is the twist she never saw coming. Yet as destiny unfolds, Artellia realizes that chasing everyone's expectations is an endless void. She must now fight to define herself, not how others demand, but as the masterpiece she was always meant to become. DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. ILLUSTRATED BY: ArtbyMakade COVER DESIGN: Rayne Mariano

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