[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

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT | R-18 | COMPLETED | S T A N D A L O N E N O V E L | All she ever wanted was to be happy. Hindi siya ang tipo ng taong mapaghangad ng mga bagay na hindi niya maaabot o mayayakap. Kaya naman halos takasan siya ng bait nang dumating ang araw na kinailangan niyang unahin ang sarili bago ang iba. Alam niyang hindi magtatapos ang lahat sa paghingi lang ng kapatawaran sa mga naapektuhan dahil kahit saang anggulo mang tingnan, malaki ang kasalanan niya at walang ibang maaaring sisihin kundi siya lamang. Nang hilingin ng taong pinagkakautangan niya ang pagsuko niya ng kanyang sarili dito upang mabayaran ang napakalaking pagkakautang, wala siyang ibang nagawa kundi isuko na lamang ang sarili. Hindi na siya umaasang magiging maayos pa ang pagtrato nito sa kanya lalo pa't terible ang atraso niya rito. Ngunit may kakaiba sa paraan ng pakikitungo nito sa kanya na ayaw niyang bigyan ng pangalan. Naroon lang siya upang magbayad ng malaking pagkakautang. Ayaw niyang umasa, at mas lalong ayaw niyang masaktan. Hanggang kailan niya kayang manindigan na tanging paniningil lamang sa kaniya ang pakay nito kung habang tumatagal ay lalo lang siyang hindi makawala rito? Hanggang kailan tatagal ang pagbabayad niya kung wala rin itong balak na pakawalan siya kahit na kailan? -- THIS IS A STAND ALONE NOVEL! This has NOTHING to do with Freezell Series.

11:11 series, book 1. can love survive the weight of buried truth...and blood-soaked loyalty?

anxious boys series #2

Jackson Ramirez has always followed the rules-his family's, society's, everyone's but his own. Trapped in a life dictated by expectations, he buried his passion and silenced the voice that once made him feel alive. So when Kenzo Adachi walked into his class-blunt, intense, and always acting like he owned the room. Jackson couldn't help but feel . . . annoyed. Annoyed by his confidence. Annoyed by how he said whatever he wanted. Annoyed by how free he was. But Kenzo? He saw something else. He saw a bird trying to breathe through its cage. And Kenzo, the kind of man who lives by his own rules, was ready to go beyond the boundary-just to help Jackson learn how to fly.

Santiago Alverio is torn between family expectations and his own internalized fears from homophobic relatives. As he enters a casual fling with Diablo Delgado, he discovers that love, patience, and acceptance might be the blueprint to healing and embracing his true self. *** Santiago Alverio has always lived by the rules of his family, peers, and a silent world that tells him who he should be. As a civil engineering student, he hides behind toxic masculinity and the fear of being noticed because of expectations and a homophobic upbringing. Then comes Diablo Delgado--fearless, affectionate, and unapologetically himself. What begins as a no-strings "friends with benefits" arrangement slowly converts into something deeper. With every touch, every unguarded smile, Diablo breaks the walls Santi has built around his heart. But love is never simple. Santi is caught between family pressures, societal judgment, and his own insecurities. Will he ever realize that happiness was never about meeting expectations but about choosing the person who makes him feel whole? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Rayne Mariano ILLUSTRATOR: Ri Ot

ejdw

You cannot read this as a standalone story! Read "Addicted Damien" and "Abused Diablos" first! Sartori #3 "I abandoned Drugo. . ." . . . Mature Content Warning: R18+

For the most part, everything was perfect. After all the years they had spent fooling around each other they manage to settle thing and step on to the next chapter of their lives. Married life. Creating a family of their own. Having their own little Giants and Dwarf. It was perfect. For the most part.ni

Everything turned out just fine and right. Everything was Perfect for the both of them. But what will happen to them when suddenly someone shows up? Would it be the beginning of a perfect love story they have? Can they both hold on to the promises and dreams they created? Can they hold on to their Perfectly Imperfect relationship?