[The Wattys 2025 Shortlist] ********** She spent twenty-four years preserving herself for one man-only for him to choose her best friend instead. Tomorrow, they would vow eternity to each other, while she remained nothing but a spectator to a love she had longed for. Desperate, she devised a plan, one final chance to make him hers. A single drop of aphrodisiac, a carefully orchestrated encounter-she would take what was meant to be hers. But fate had other plans. In the darkness of her deceit, she fell into the arms of the wrong man. A ruthless, merciless, and identical in every way except for the shadows that clung to him like a second skin. Her trickery had backfired, and now, she was at the mercy of a man whose hunger knew no bounds. He devoured her, claimed her, and became intoxicated by her taste, scent, and the desperate, helpless moans she never intended for him. She had set a trap, but it was she who had been ensnared. In her desperation, she had tasted her own poison. And he had found a new obsession. *********************************** Started: March 22, 2025 Ended: April 21, 2025 Revised: August 2, 2025

Laki sa hirap si Xy at dahil doon isa lang ang gusto niya sa buhay: Ang yumaman at magkaroon ng maginhawang buhay. Kaya nang biglang dumating sa harap niya ang isang mayamang lalaking nagpakilalang ama niya ay pumayag agad ito sa gusto niyang gawin upang pamanahan siya: Ang makapagtapos siya sa Mainland Private High School bilang valedictorian. Walang reklamong ginawa ni Xy ang gusto ng ama at agad na hinarap ang hamon. Ngunit ang inaakala niyang madaling gawain ay naging isang suntok sa buwan nang ma-diskubre ang madilim na sistema ng eskwelahang pinasok niya. Ang inaakalang simpleng pag-aaral ay nahantong sa pagdiskubre sa lihim ng mga kapwa estudyante at propesor, at pag-ungkat sa mga madidilim na sikreto ng institusyong pinasok niya. Akala ni Xy ay lumabo na ang tyansa niyang maging valedictorian pero nagbago ito nang madiskubre niya ang sikreto ng kaniyang gwapo at matalinong propesor na si Havoc Hidalgo. Makakayanan kaya ni Xy harapin ang hamon ng misteryosong eskwelahan sa tulong ng propesor o matatagpuan niya ang sarili pabalik sa buhay ng kahirapan? ₱₱₱ TRIGGER WARNINGS AHEAD. PLEASE READ WITH PRECAUTION. Language: Taglish (Tagalog and English) ₱₱₱ Writing: June 6, 2023 - July 9, 2023 Published: July 1, 2023 - July 15, 2023 daddy, i need your money ™ athena folder: file no.1 NEKO

Men of Crown 13 | R-18 • Mature | COMPLETED With the tragedy of almost losing his sister right before his eyes when he was young, Lucius shoulders the burden of making sure his sister will never again be in danger. In doing so, he ensured everyone who got close to his sister was scrutinized. May it be a family or a total stranger- even the things she receives. No one and nothing has come through his decisive way of protecting her. But everything started to crumble when he let a woman into his sister's life. He knew his decision could result in chaos. Nonetheless, he let her in, not only into his sister's life but into his. They started to gamble with each other's emotions because they were both dared and challenged to prove their confidence. A gamble that turns into something special... even jovial... Something he could live every day- with her beside him. That's what he thought and imagined every time he was with her. However, he never imagined his life would turn dark, and living would be hard when the end of the love he thought was real ended up being a sham. ⚠️ This is a Filipino-English story.

Men Of Crown 12 | R-18 • Mature | COMPLETED Scorched by his last relationship that began with a rather dull impression but ended up spiraling awfully outrageous, Prius has decided to give his complicated love life a rest. With his parents dead, a restaurant to manage, and an organization to serve, plus a sister who married a creep, he got full hands. Yeah... Full hand... Well, being single is not fun but appalled by his last relationship-- man... The last thing on his mind is to dally again with women so his hand will do... That was his plan. However, life is full of fucking but... His hand will do has added for now... Why? After everything he had planned came a woman that stubborn like her cat. How long could he keep up with his plans when her smiles are the sunrise to his life? ⚠️ This is a Filipino-English story.

As a psychiatrist and psychologist, Grant Crown strives to avoid complications, such as relationships and love. But when he crosses paths with Sussex Eindenborough, Grant finds himself embracing all the complexities related to her, eventually making him break his rules. *** Initially arranged to marry his older brother Kreston, getting interested in Sussex Eindenborough is a big no-no for Grant Crown. As someone who avoids complications, entangling himself with someone like Sussex is too complicated for his liking. He then pushes the thought aside, but he always finds himself thinking about her and wanting to be near her. With Grant willing to break his own rules just to have her by his side, and Sussex striving for her freedom and dreams, can they set aside the complexities and build the relationship they both long for? Or will the secrets and challenges surrounding them crumble what they have and drive them further apart? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Rayne Mariano

Decided to seek revenge for the demise of his mom, Lorch Crown chooses to hurt the daughter of his dad and his mistress. But when fake feelings suddenly turn real, can Lorch stop everything before his plans backfire on him? *** Moving on from his traumatic past, Lorch Crown does his best to forget the horrible experiences and start anew. With a promise he made to his deceased mother, he's decided to seek revenge on his father for leaving them behind. The plan is simple-make their business fail, make his daughter fall for him, and then hurt them with the truth. Lorch knows he shouldn't truly fall for Saskia. She is off-limits, and loving her is downright wrong. But when feelings win and deeper secrets are revealed, what should be a simple plan turns into a chaotic situation. Now torn between fighting for his love and pushing through with his revenge, can Lorch choose to do what's right? Or will more issues arise, making him lose everything in the end? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Rayne Mariano

The second book of the Persephone series. Story of Slater and Euris. Slow updates. Faster updates in my VIP group.

Still haunted by her traumatic past, Kalisz Roman finds it hard to trust the people around her. But when her heart starts to beat for someone she just met, can she finally overcome her fears and start anew? *** Running away from her traumatic past, Kalisz Roman tries her best to live normally by working as an editor. She often secludes herself and dresses up like a grandma to take away others' attention. But when the need to leave the place she's staying in arises, Kalisz contacts her friend, who offers her a place to live. There, she meets Kronack Crown, the guy who suddenly makes her heart beat fast. Kalisz knows she's not supposed to fall for him, let alone trust him, but she keeps finding herself drawn to him. When she thinks she's finally living happily, her past suddenly crawls back, scaring her to the core. Afraid to trust again, can Kalisz finally choose to face her fears and fight the demons clouding her thoughts? Or will she leave everything behind again and hide, even if it means breaking her heart? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Rayne Mariano

When a private night unexpectedly becomes public due to a scandal, Mirrow Crown does his best to remove the videos and track down the girl he was with. However, when they finally meet again, misunderstandings arise, straining Mirrow's relationship with her, his family, and his friends. *** After meeting in a bar and spending a steamy night together, Mirrow Crown believes that he has finally found the girl for him. She is innocent and captivating, completely capturing his interest. However, when their encounter unexpectedly turns into a public scandal, Mirrow is frustrated to the core. With Silence disappearing and their reputations at stake, he does everything he can to erase any evidence of that video, even traveling around the world just to find her. When they finally meet again, misunderstandings come between them, leaving Mirrow angry and confused. Despite the undeniable connection they share, will Mirrow choose to let go for the sake of his friendship with Luc? Or will he fight for his love for Silence and break all the rules? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Rayne Mariano

Warning: 🔞 (This is not suitable for young readers.) Milk, undercover and disguised, infiltrates the world of ruthless billionaire Lucian Velorca, aiming to bring him down. But Lucian, a man known for his ruthlessness and lack of compassion, captures Milk and turns her into a pawn in his game of revenge. As he seduces her, Milk finds herself falling for him, only to discover his affection is a carefully orchestrated facade. Now trapped in his web of deceit, Milk must find a way to escape before his wrath consumes her. Will she be able to escape the fierce wrath of this demonic man? DW1 | jayewel