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?

Friday evening arrived with blessed relief when Chloe finally released me from my corporate prison at seven sharp.


"Seriously? You're cutting me loose early again?" I couldn't hide my amazement as I watched her pack up her desk.


"Don't get too excited. I could easily bury you under a mountain of reports, but I have plans tonight. This week has been absolutely draining, and frankly, you've been a complete nightmare to manage."


"Please, no extra assignments. I'm running on fumes here. But I owe you something important."


Chloe's eyebrows shot up as she settled back into her chair, wearing that predatory smile I'd grown to recognize. "Oh, this should be interesting."


"I might hate myself for admitting this, but you saved my ass this week. I was letting everything slide, making reckless decisions with my own company. You forced me to get my act together. So thank you."


Chapter 225 - S2 Chapter 9 - Weekend Freedom and Second Cha