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?

Liam swept me up into his arms with effortless strength. Cradled against his chest, I felt weightless as he carried me across the living room, up the sweeping staircase, and down the long hallway until we stopped before the master bedroom door.


"Would you mind opening the door for me, angel?" His voice was soft, almost reverent.


I stretched out my hand to grasp the brass doorknob, turning it slowly before pushing the heavy door open. Liam stepped inside with me still in his arms, then gently lowered me to my feet before turning to secure the door behind us.


My breath caught in my throat. The room had been completely transformed, and I could tell Stella had orchestrated every detail. Floor-to-ceiling windows dominated one wall, with French doors that opened onto a private terrace overlooking the moonlit gardens below. The space glowed with warm, intimate lighting from countless candles nestled inside wrought iron lanterns positioned throughout the room.


Chapter 185 - Chapter 185 - Masquerade Memories and Romanti