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?

Morning light filtered through my office window, but it did nothing to brighten my mood. I stared blankly at my computer screen, the words blurring together. Sleep had evaded me last night, my mind replaying Isabella's smug face as she described her night with Liam.


"Earth to Hazel," Chloe waved her hand in front of my face. "Your coffee's getting cold."


I blinked, noticing the steaming cup she'd placed on my desk. "Thanks."


Scarlett perched on the edge of my desk, concern evident in her eyes. "You look like hell."


"Feel like it too," I admitted, taking a sip of coffee. The bitter liquid did little to energize me.


"At least the morning's been quiet," Scarlett said. "No unwanted calls or visits from certain lying CEOs."


The mention of Liam sent a fresh wave of pain through my chest. I'd finally opened myself up again after Claude's betrayal, only to face the same outcome.


Chapter 81 - The Counter-Ambush