How To Make Him Fall In Love In 10 Easy Steps

Izikiella Naomi Eriz Castro entered university carrying nothing but quiet dreams, a stubborn heart, and a notebook full of silly little steps about love she never truly believed would happen to her. Freshman life was supposed to be simple-survive classes, avoid embarrassment, and maybe finally learn how to stop feeling invisible in a world filled with people brighter than her.
Then Salem Vasilievich Monterey noticed her.
A senior Political Science student feared and admired across campus, Salem was known for two things: his terrifying intelligence and his impossibly cold exterior. Untouchable. Controlled. Calculating. The kind of man who never wasted his attention on anyone unless they served a purpose.
And Izikiella was supposed to be nothing more than that-a purpose.
Because long before they met, their families were already tied together by something ugly.
Years ago, Salem's father destroyed the life Izikiella's father once had, stealing everything from him until he disappeared completely, leaving behind bitterness, hatred, and unfinished revenge. And when Izikiella's estranged father suddenly returns after years of absence, he tells her the truth she was never meant to know:
Salem Monterey approached her because of the feud.
Because he was sent to ruin her. Possessiveness. Obsession. Love.
And the more Salem falls for Izikiella, the more dangerous everything becomes.
Because now he stands between two impossible choices: the father who raised him...
or the girl he was never supposed to care about.
But love born from manipulation cannot stay hidden forever.
Especially when the truth arrives too late, after feelings have already rooted themselves too deeply inside both of them.
Now Izikiella must face the horrifying reality that every sweet moment, every protective gesture, every soft look from Salem Monterey may have started from a lie.