Three years ago, Hazel Vance made a choice that changed everything. One night of passion with a mysterious stranger at a masquerade ball left her with more than just memories—it left her with a son whose rare violet-blue eyes are a constant reminder of the father she'll never find.

Now a struggling single mother, Hazel desperately needs the executive assistant position at Sterling Group. The salary could finally give her two-year-old Leo the life he deserves. But her new boss, CEO Liam Sterling, is nothing like she expected.

Demanding, brilliant, and devastatingly handsome, Liam has a reputation for being impossible to work for. Most assistants don't last a week. When Hazel refuses to be intimidated by his cold demeanor and sharp tongue, something shifts between them. The attraction is immediate and electric, crackling through every professional interaction.

But it's his eyes that stop her cold. The same striking violet-blue shade that stares back at her every morning when she looks at her son.

As the tension between them builds and the lines between professional and personal begin to blur, Hazel finds herself caught between her desperate need for this job and her growing attraction to the one man who could destroy everything she's worked for.

She doesn't know that Liam has been searching for the mysterious woman from the masquerade ball ever since that night changed him forever. And he has no idea that the composed, fiery assistant who challenges him at every turn is the same woman who haunts his dreams.

When the truth finally comes to light, will it bring them together or tear apart the fragile new life Hazel has built for herself and her son?

Chapter 102 - Paternity Questions and Morning Confessions


The morning sun streamed through our apartment windows as Liam insisted once again on handling both Leo's daycare drop-off and my commute to work. His determination to maximize every moment with us had become his morning ritual.


"I want to soak up every second I can get with my family," he murmured against my ear as we gathered Leo's things.


At Tiny Steps Daycare, Mrs. Henderson greeted us with her usual warm smile. Her eyes moved between Liam and Leo, and that familiar look of recognition crossed her face.


"What a handsome father and son duo," she commented, studying their profiles. "Leo has your strong jawline, Mr. Blackwood. The resemblance is really quite striking."


Before I could open my mouth to clarify the situation, Liam stepped forward with that confident smile of his.


"Thank you, Mrs. Henderson. I see it too," he replied smoothly, his hand finding the small of my back in a possessive gesture.


Chapter 102 - Chapter 102 - Paternity Questions and Morning Confessions