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?

The casino's ambient noise washed over me as I stared at my cards without really seeing them. My mind kept replaying the same scene: Hazel and that architect, sitting together at Havana, laughing.


"Sterling, it's your bet," Adrian prompted, nudging my elbow.


I tossed in my chips mechanically. "Call."


Damian exchanged glances with Jackson across the poker table. We'd been at our club's private gaming room for over an hour, and I'd barely said ten words.


"Maybe we should get you something stronger than club soda," Jackson suggested, gesturing to my untouched glass.


I shook my head. "I need a clear head tonight."


"For what? More brooding?" Damian quipped, arranging his cards. "Because you've perfected that already."


Before I could respond, a commotion at the door caught our attention. My stomach dropped when I recognized the shrill voice cutting through the low murmur of conversation.


Chapter 121 - A Vicious Confrontation and a Reckless Escape