Guarded

⚠️ Content Warning ⚠️ This book includes themes of homophobia, including discriminatory language and behavior. These elements are included to reflect certain real-world attitudes and experiences, but they do not reflect the views of the author. Reader discretion is advised. If you find such content distressing, please take care as you proceed. — Gunner took the job thinking it would be easy: keep an eye on the Floros’ only son while his parents were out of the country for a business trip. Follow and carry out the rules the Floros' had given him—watch the kid, keep him out of trouble, and collect a generous paycheck. But Layland Floros is anything but a kid. Beautiful, bold, and entirely too provocative for his own good, Layland isn’t interested in being watched. With a bratty attitude that dares Gunner to break every boundary he’s set for himself when he's on the job, Layland turns a simple assignment into something far more dangerous. Gunner's never been with a man. Never even thought about it—until Layland. Now, every moment in that house is thick with tension, with heat that hums just beneath the surface. The more Gunner tries to keep things professional, the harder it becomes to ignore what he was really feeling towards the young man. Soon, duty gives way to desire, and Gunner finds himself crossing lines he swore he wouldn’t. But when the chemistry between them explodes into something real and raw, he’ll have to face the truth: babysitting Layland and carrying out the young man's parents' rules was never the hard part. Staying away from him is. And if Layland's parents find out what really happened behind the closed doors of their home, Gunner could lose more than just the job.

Life wasn't what Elayna thought once she married her nouveau riche husband. She has found out the hard way that all that glitters isn't gold. Nick is hired to protect Elayna. He thought from rival business owners and paparazzi, but soon finds out it's someone even more dangerous...Her husband.

WARNING ⚠️ READ AT YOU OWN RISK..!! SOME SCENES CONTAINS WORDS THAT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS..!! Nagising ka sa katotohanan na hindi lahat ng nakikita ng mga mata mo ay totoo. Paano kung sa pagdaan ng mga panahon ay may makikilala kang isang tao na naging parte ng nakaraan mo? Paano kung ikaw ang nakatalagang magbantay sa kan'ya? Paano mo gagawin iyon kung ang sarili mo ngang puso ay hindi mo nababantayan at nagising ka na lang na hulog na hulog ka na sa kan'ya?

Ang kuwentong ito ay hindi angKop sa mga batang mambabasa.*** Since childhood, Astin Kier Hernandez has loved Laura Miller. But it was a one-sided love. Laura never had feelings for him. Still, he didn’t give up; he guarded her closely all through college. Out of gratitude to his family, Laura agreed when he proposed in front of her parents. He knew she wouldn’t refuse because of gratitude to their family. He thought he was the happiest man that day. He was wrong. Laura admitted she already had a boyfriend, Gael. But Astin didn’t allow the wedding plans to be canceled. Learning this, he rushed to set the wedding date. On their wedding day, Laura didn’t show up, and that was his first heartbreak. One-sided love is torture. For months, he disappeared from everyone’s radar, leaving behind his comfortable life. To forget, he joined the military, spending four years in training. After that, his team was deployed abroad on their first mission, which lasted longer than expected. Eight years is a long time, so he returned to the Philippines. He and Laura crossed paths once again. But he was no longer the Astin who was hopelessly in love with her. How many women had he left heartbroken whenever he was reassigned to a different place? But how could he now avoid the woman who did nothing but apologise and try to win him over every day? And how long could she endure his cold treatment?

A doctor too cold to love. A nurse too guarded to trust. A past too dangerous to forget. When Alyana Mendoza, a strong-willed nurse, is assigned to care for the ailing mother of the cold, powerful CEO-slash-surgeon Dr. Sebastian “Bash” De Almonte, sparks fly—but not the romantic kind. Their clashes are brutal, their tension electric. Until one stolen kiss in the dark changes everything. Just as their hearts begin to thaw, secrets erupt from the past: An ex-lover. A hidden child. A paternity war. And a betrayal so deep it threatens to tear them all apart. As Alyana fights to protect her son from people she once trusted, Bash is forced to risk everything—his name, his empire, even his life—to protect the family he never knew he needed. But when blood isn't enough, and love is tangled in lies... How far would you go for a child who may not even be yours?

When struggling artist Elira Virel signs a secret marriage contract with billionaire CEO Kael Thorne, it’s supposed to be simple: no love, no expectations, no real commitment. Just six months of pretending to be his wife in exchange for saving her father’s collapsing company. But things stop being simple the moment she steps into his world — a world of power, cold stares, unspoken pain, and rules she’s not allowed to break. Kael is mysterious, guarded, and dangerously unreadable. Elira knows she’s just a pawn in his bigger game… but why does he look at her like she’s the only truth he wants to believe in? As secrets from his past begin to resurface — including the return of a woman who claims to be his former fiancée — Elira finds herself tangled in a web of lies, revenge, and emotions she swore she wouldn’t feel. She was never meant to fall for him. But in a world of lies, love was never part of the plan… Until it was.

Kaella Ponce has always been the sales manager everyone relies on—palaging on time, mahusay sa numbers, at hindi basta-basta natitinag. Sa mundo ng Roque Corporation kung saan bawat deal ay critical, she’s the woman who keeps the department running smoothly. Kaya nang ma-assign sa kanya ang isang tila clueless na trainee, she’s ready to roll her eyes and move on. Pero hindi ordinaryong newbie si Jerome. Sa likod ng kanyang simpleng trainee facade, siya pala ang Jerome Roque, ang tanging tagapagmana ng snack empire na pinagtatrabahuhan nila. Sa utos ng kanyang ama, nagkunwari siyang baguhan para maintindihan ang kumpanya at makita kung sino ang tunay na loyal. Nang kailangan niyang biglang umalis dahil sa family business crisis abroad, hindi na niya naipaliwanag ang buong katotohanan. Naiwan si Kaella—brokenhearted at feeling betrayed—at nangakong hindi na muling magpapaloko. Pagkalipas ng ilang taon, matagumpay at kilala na sa industriya si Kaella—mas strong, mas guarded, pero may mga sugat pa ring hindi tuluyang naghilom. Sa isang malaking business conference, nakasalubong niya ulit ang isang ngiti na matagal na niyang gustong kalimutan. Si Jerome Roque, ngayon ay isang charismatic CEO, bumalik para patunayan na hindi nagbago ang feelings niya. Muling nagbabalik ang kilig, ang sakit, at ang mga alaala. Pero handa pa bang buksan ni Kaella ang puso niya? Kaya ba niyang muling mahulog—this time sa billionaire boss na minsan na siyang iniwan? O hahayaan niyang manatili ang distansya sa pagitan nila kahit na malinaw na may spark pa rin?

Alana Mendoza, a sunbeam in a world of shadows, had her life meticulously planned: a dream job, independence, and the loving embrace of her family. But when her parents shatter her reality with an arranged marriage to a powerful Italian billionaire stranger, her bright future dims. Ricardo Romero, a single father hardened by loss and ruthless in his pursuits, wants nothing to do with the cheerful woman thrust into his life. He's a fortress of icy arrogance, a man who lives solely for his son. Yet, beneath the cold exterior lies a burning intensity, a dangerous allure that threatens to ignite a forbidden passion. Haunted by his past, he views Alana as nothing more than an inconvenient obligation. He's a man of sharp edges and sharper words, a fortress guarded by ice and grief. But beneath the surface, a fierce passion simmers, a desire that threatens to shatter his carefully constructed walls. Can Alana melt the ice around his heart, or will their forced union become a battleground of pride and hidden desires? In a world where wealth breeds danger and love is a dangerous game, will they find solace in each other's arms or be consumed by the flames of their forbidden attraction?

Olivia Morgan’s world is turned upside down when she walks in on her boyfriend betraying her with her friend. Devastated and drowning in debt, she’s thrust into an unlikely arrangement with Alexander Carter, the cold and calculating CEO of Carter Enterprises. In exchange for a year-long marriage of convenience, Olivia receives the money she desperately needs—and a promotion she never expected. But as their fake relationship blurs the lines between business and pleasure, Olivia finds herself torn between the man who offers her everything and the business rival who wants her heart. In a world where betrayal is just a step away and desire burns hot, Olivia must navigate her emotions, her career, and a dangerous game of power, passion, and secrets. Can she keep her heart guarded while falling deeper into a billionaire’s web of lust and love? Or will Alexander’s cold heart melt in the heat of their undeniable chemistry?

Emily had plans, plans that didn't involve moving in with her elder brother and having to share an entwined room with his best friend. Being born into a rich family,her only intentions were to attend college and fulfill her dreams of becoming an artist but her world turns upside down when trouble comes knocking in the form of Tyler,her brother's undeniably gorgeous and irresistible best friend. However,Emily and Tyler's relationship kicks off to a rocky start and her guarded world opens up as she is between her feelings for Tyler and his unyielding demeanor towards her, constantly reminding her that he has no interest in her and only sees her as his best friend's obnoxious little sister. Will a sheltered naive girl like Emily be able to break through Tyler's caged heart or will his cold and unyielding demeanor be too strong for her to handle?