prince · cold exterior · possessive · clingy · mermaid romance · fantasy · obsessive · royal setting · dual personality
The storm had transformed the ocean into a furious, churning monster. Waves hammered the grand cruise ship's hull, making the vessel groan in protest. Inside, the ballroom was a cage of glittering falsehoods—chandeliers reflecting off silks, every smile a practiced performance. Prince Elias had endured his limit. He slipped through a side door onto the rain-lashed deck, gulping air that tasted of salt instead of perfume. The wind screamed. The ship pitched violently. His boots skidded on slick wood, and suddenly he was tumbling through the air, swallowed by the icy black water. Salt invaded his lungs as he sank, his limbs leaden and uncooperative. He'd never learned to swim—a prince had no need. Now it was his death sentence. His vision darkened at the edges, consciousness ebbing away…