Temporary Tagalog

Living with my aunt and her family was meant to be a temporary, quiet arrangement just helping out and keeping to myself. On the first day of the new year, while everyone else was out celebrating, I stayed home, enjoying the rare silence and catching up on sleep. But when we ran out of water, I reluctantly stepped outside to fetch some, and that’s when I saw him. He stood by the gate of the house next door, effortlessly commanding attention with just a glance. A smirk played on his lips, and a flicker of amusement danced in his eyes behind his blue-ray glasses. At that moment, he was impossible to ignore. Meanwhile, I felt disheveled and barely awake, my hair was a mess and still shaking off sleep. But he didn’t seem to mind. There was something about him an air of mystery that made me wonder who he was and why he was there. Before I could look away, he spoke, “Hi.” Caught off guard, I managed a quick, “Hi,” while trying to pull myself together. “Can I know your name?” he asked. I hesitated but replied, “I’m Clara,” and kept walking. “Can I have your number?” he called after me. “Just as friends.” I almost refused but reluctantly agreed, entering my number into his phone. “There,” I said, handing it back. “I’ll call you,” he promised with a smile, as I turned to leave. What began as a chance encounter soon became an inexplicable connection. He had secrets, but there was something about him that saw through me, understanding things no one else did. The man I met next door wasn’t just a fleeting stranger,he became the reason I started questioning everything I thought I wanted.

“You kissed me like it meant something,” Samantha whispered. “Then disappeared like I never existed.” Anthony stared at her, jaw tight. “You heard half a sentence and ran. I spent years thinking you regretted me.” One rink. Two enemies. A past that won’t stay buried. Samantha Meadows just got the chance of a lifetime, skating at Nationals with Anthony Vale, the golden boy of the rink in figure skating… and the most insufferable man she’s ever met. He’s arrogant, untouchable, and still technically partnered with his injured and possibly returning teammate, while She’s picking the broken pieces of her career after her ex dumped her for a flashier and better partner. Now forced into a temporary pairing, they have days to master trust, chemistry, and choreography, or crash hard under the spotlight. But the ice isn’t the only thing cracked. Anthony’s hiding a secret that could end his career… and hers. And when Samantha discovers the truth, she realizes she’s not just fighting for a medal… she’s fighting for her heart. In a world where one mistake can cost everything, how do you trust the person who never lets you in… and still holds the pieces of your past?

By day, I'm just another quiet IT analyst. By night, I'm the deadliest assassin in the underground. No one at the office suspects a thing, except Isabella Moretti. She's the flawless manager, always with sharp heels and effortless confidence, who everyone dreams of working with. And the last person they'd ever suspect of being a mafia princess… who also happens to be my sworn enemy. Every night, the game begins. The rules are simple: kill each other before we get killed. No feelings. No mercy. No mistakes. For a month, we've been locked in a deadly game, with each of us attempting to outsmart the other. Still, neither of us has managed to emerge victorious. But one night, everything changes. On my doorstep lies a baby, wrapped in a blanket. Alone. No note. No explanation. And before we can come up with a reason, a group of armed men appears, targeting neither one of us, but the baby. Men neither of us recognize. Men who don't belong to my world or hers. So, we call a temporary truce. Because even monsters like us aren't heartless enough to let an innocent die. Since then, mornings have been spent as coworkers, pretending we don't want to tear each other apart. Nights are spent trading threats between bottle feedings and fighting off enemies who won't quit. Every other mission I’ve ever taken was easy. One clean kill and done. But nothing has ever prepared me for the most dangerous and unexpected thing I've ever faced… Falling for the woman I swore to destroy.