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 left Maya's apartment, but she remained firmly lodged in my thoughts. I spent most of the night tossing and turning, my mind racing with images of her smile, her laugh, the way her eyes lit up when she spoke passionately about something. When exhaustion finally claimed me, my dreams were filled with her—dreams where she was mine completely.


The hours we spent together at Liam and Hazel's wedding only deepened my fascination with her. Maya wasn't just physically stunning; she possessed a sharp intellect, witty humor, and clever observations that caught me off guard. She made me laugh with ease—something rare in my life—and around her, my perpetual tension seemed to melt away. That initial spark I felt upon first seeing her had grown into something more intense, more consuming.


Chapter 411 - S3 Chapter 7 - Intense Protection Begins