Jotaro Laugh

"In the kitchen, she's a firestorm. In love, she's about to burn." Youngest Perez. Billionaire. CEO. Head-turner. Maxine Avrielle Griego Perez has it all-beauty, brains, and billions. With multiple successful businesses under her name, she's unstoppable. But behind the glam life, may isang pangarap siyang matagal nang hindi natutupad: To become a certified chef. As her final requirement, she's sent to train at Moonlight Kitchenette, a cozy restaurant owned by her tito-but managed by Chef Timothy Hayden Sanders, a perfectionist known for being cold, demanding, and insanely hot. At first, clash sila. She's used to being in control. He's used to obedience. But in between the yelling, stolen glances, and late-night cooking sessions, something starts to simmer. Timothy falls-for her strength, her sass, and that laugh she tries to hide. And Maxine? She falls harder. For the first time, she lets herself feel. Then comes Cassandra. The manager who's always wanted more than professionalism. One drunken night. One betrayal. Maxine leaves-broken, silent... and pregnant. Five years later, Maxine returns as a world-class chef and single mom. Fierce, focused, and definitely not here to rekindle anything. But fate isn't done with them yet. Timothy is back, full of regret-and still in love. He wants answers. He wants her back. What he doesn't know is... he already has a piece of her. Secrets will be exposed. Old wounds reopened. And somewhere between revenge, forgiveness, and five-star meals... a second chance might be served.

Catalina Ramirez has always been the subject of gossip on campus—labeled a playgirl not for what she did, but because of what people think they saw. When her long-distance boyfriend left for the Philippines, rumors flew that she cheated with her boy best friend, Aiden. What no one knew was that Aiden was simply protective of her, always by her side, never crossing the line. But to others, closeness easily looked like something more. With striking blue eyes as calm and deep as the ocean, Catalina doesn’t need to lift a finger to catch anyone’s attention. Her beauty is effortless, her voice captivating. As a member of a rising campus band, she sings with a passion that defies the quiet disapproval of her mother. Who has always tried to pull her away from music. Catalina feels it deep in her bones: her mother is hiding something from her, something about her past, something she’s not ready to confront. Then came Logan Axel Tyndall. At first, Catalina thought it was nothing but a harmless crush, an infatuation she’d get over in a week or two. She tried to laugh it off, but soon found herself stalking him, chasing after the way he walked, talked, and carried the world like he knew more than he let on. Before she knew it, she wasn’t just falling... she was drowning in him. But Logan wasn’t just another boy. He held the missing pieces of a puzzle she never knew she was trying to solve. Through him, secrets begin to unravel. Questions long buried rise to the surface.