Heart's secret

Angelina Johnson has always known the value of hard work. Raised in a modest home by a father who poured everything into keeping his small business alive, she learned early on to stand on her own. But while he hoped she’d take over someday, Angelina had dreams that reached beyond their quiet life.



Landing a job at Aurum Scents felt like a step in the right direction. The role wasn’t glamorous, but it came with stability, promise—and Carter Hayes. Her boss. Polished, kind, and effortlessly magnetic, he was everything she admired from afar. It started as a harmless crush, something she shared only with her best friend. A small secret that kept her heart occupied and her focus sharp.



But life has a strange way of testing what you think you know.



When Daniel Viggo enters her world, everything shifts.



He’s nothing like Carter. In fact, he’s nothing like anyone she’s ever met. Cold, unreadable, and intimidating in every possible way, Daniel is the kind of man people talk about in hushed tones. He’s powerful, unapproachable—and for some reason, impossibly drawn to her. Wherever she turns, he’s there. Watching. Pushing. Unsettling everything she thought she had under control.



As tensions rise and lines blur, Angelina finds herself caught between two forces she can’t escape. One feels like safety. The other feels like chaos. But the deeper she’s pulled in, the harder it becomes to tell the difference.



Some choices are easy. Others change everything.



And sometimes, the person you should stay away from is the one you can’t stop thinking about.