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?

Margaret's hands trembled as she clutched the cup of tea Damian had brought her. The grandfather clock in the corner ticked loudly in the heavy silence of the study.


"Take your time," I said, though patience was the last virtue I possessed right now.


She took a steadying breath. "I've worked at Sterling Group for thirty-two years, Mr. Sterling. Your father hired me personally."


"I know," I nodded. "He always spoke highly of you."


"Your parents were good people." Her eyes filled with tears. "The best employers anyone could ask for."


Albert sat beside her, notepad ready. "Mrs. Coleman, you mentioned Bianca meeting with someone from Archer Consolidated who referenced Mr. Sterling's parents."


"Yes." She set her cup down. "The man she met with was Julian Clairemont."


The name hit like a physical blow. Julian Clairemont had been my father's right-hand man for over fifteen years before leaving to join Archer Consolidated shortly after my parents' deaths.


Chapter 76 - An Accident No More