Thorns Before Roses (Lavender Hearts Series Book #1)

Lavender Hearts Series | Book 1

Xylia Denise De La Fuente × Julian Rafael De Leon

Dual POV

Some people come into your life like a storm.

Xylia Denise De La Fuente is one of them.

After years away, the actress returns to the Philippines with a reputation for being cold, difficult, and impossible to read. She doesn't want new friends, new attachments, or anyone asking questions she has no intention of answering.

Especially not Julian Rafael De Leon.

Still bitter from a betrayal he hasn't learned to let go of, Julian wants nothing to do with the sharp-tongued woman who seems determined to get under his skin.

Their first encounter is a disaster.

Their second isn't much better.

And unfortunately for both of them, it won't be their last.

Forced into each other's lives, Xylia and Julian quickly discover that some people are easier to hate from a distance.

But the closer they get, the harder it becomes to tell where the hatred ends and something else begins.

Because behind every sharp word is a story left untold.

Behind every smile is something hidden.

And sometimes, the person you least expected to understand you is the one who sees you the clearest.

Maybe some hearts aren't meant to be healed.

Maybe they're meant to be understood.

Started Writing: 08/14/26