Gentle ripples passed over her, a watery caress that contrasted with her growing unease. Blinking slowly, Eliza tried to make sense of her situation. She found herself submerged, an unexpected aquatic world unfolding around her. Panic crept in as her ankles remained bound, immobilized as if by an unseen force. An attempt to move her arms yielded no results - they were ensnared in an unyielding grip. Seaweed, sinuous and trailing, wrapped itself around her legs with an almost possessive hold. Every movement was thwarted by the constricting tendrils, her struggles mirrored by the rippling sea plants. An urgency to breathe set in, her chest tightening in a desperate plea for air. But the very element that should sustain her had become a stifling barrier. A strand of slimy seaweed clung to her lips, smothering her mouth and nose. It seemed as if the water itself had turned against her, a sinister transformation that threatened to consume her.

Warning: MATURE CONTENT | R-18 | COMPLETED To Aiyell, being forced to marry your best friend doesn't sound so bad. They just have to fake it, problem solved. But why is her husband, Claw, so possessive when their marriage isn't even real... or so she thinks. *** Looks, money, freedom-you really can't have it all. Aiyell Lyanne Freezell's world comes crashing down when she's forced to give up her freedom and marry her best friend, Claw Mondragon, and the only way to solve the problem is to fake it. But why does Aiyell find herself falling for him and wishing for an ending truer than their fake beginning? Can their love overcome temptation and money and anyone who gets in their way-even if it's a dear childhood friend, and fight for a marriage Aiyell initially didn't want? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Louise De Ramos Freezell Series #1