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?

Sleep eluded me every night now. The image of Liam wrapped around that wretched Isabella Clairemont while simultaneously begging for my forgiveness haunted my dreams. I would cry myself into exhaustion, waking up feeling drained and hollow, barely able to function.


The morning dragged on as I sat at my desk, half-listening to Scarlett's animated conversation with Morris about her brother's nightclub.


"Boss, your wife is going to absolutely adore my brother's place. You absolutely have to take her there this weekend," Scarlett gushed, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.


Morris chuckled warmly. "From the way you describe it, I have a feeling it might become her new favorite hangout spot."


Chloe appeared suddenly, weaving between our desks with an urgency that immediately caught our attention. Her face was flushed, and she looked like she was bursting with important news.


Chapter 81 - Chapter 81 - Lunch Ambush Setup