Isla Fox

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?

The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife

Chapter 40 - Comfort Food and Midnight Tears


The sound of hushed voices pulled me from the darkness of sleep. I had collapsed into bed hours ago, emotionally drained, and missed Miranda's arrival with Leo entirely. When I finally opened my eyes, only one soft lamp illuminated the room, and Chl sat perched on the edge of my bed like a guardian angel, watching me with concern etched across her features.


I struggled to sit up, my body heavy with exhaustion and heartbreak. The sight of my best friend's worried expression made the crushing weight in my chest even heavier.


"What happened, sweetheart? Miranda told me you were already in bed when she got here with Leo. She wanted to check on you, but you were out cold. She could tell you'd been crying though." Chl's voice carried that soothing quality that always managed to calm my storms. "Did you and Liam have your first real fight? These things happen, but they pass."
