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?

I paced the length of my kitchen while my team settled around the dining table. The gentle hum of voices mixed with the clinking of coffee cups provided a strange backdrop to the high-stakes meeting we were about to have.


My eyes kept drifting to Hazel. She looked tired, dark circles visible under her eyes despite her attempts to hide them with makeup. Her skin seemed paler than usual. I'd been watching her carefully since she arrived, noting how she winced slightly when she thought no one was looking.


"Are you feeling alright?" I asked quietly, placing a cup of herbal tea in front of her while the others arranged their papers.


She looked startled by my concern. "I'm fine."


"Just a headache," she admitted reluctantly. "It's nothing."


I frowned. "There's pain medication in the bathroom cabinet if you need it."


Chapter 131 - From Corporate Fraud to a Painful Past