2 Chapter 12 – Violet Eyes and Hidden Connections
“Hazel, you are absolutely screwed.” I whispered to myself, burying my face in my hands.
“Please don’t worry about it, Bianca, Mr. Sterling was absolutely furious, but his anger was directed entirely at that woman, not us. From what I gathered, she’s Mr. Clairemont’s daughter, correct?”
“Yes, they certainly are. I’ve only ever known Liam and his father to have eyes that particular color. Now I’m dying to meet your son. Who did he inherit those eyes from?” She seemed genuinely surprised by this revelation.
“Hazel, I am so incredibly sorry about what happened. That spoiled brat always causes chaos whenever she shows up here. Please tell me you didn’t get into trouble with Mr. Sterling because of my mistake, Bianca said, wringing her hands with genuine distress.
“Well, my son has these amazing violet–blue eyes, exactly the same shade as Mr. Sterling’s. They’re absolutely beautiful and extremely rare,” I explained, watching her carefully.
“Because you’re an incorrigible flirt who hits on every woman within a fifty–mile radius, and she wouldn’t survive two days around you. Hazel isn’t like you usual conquests, so I expect you to show some respect and keep your hands to yourself,” Evelyn replied warmly but with steel in her voice.
I collapsed into my office chair, my knees trembling beneath me. Somehow I had managed to maintain my professional facade during that entire disaster, but now the reality was hitting me like a freight train. Isabella Clairemont was absolutely vicious, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. When Liam wrapped his strong arm around my waist to steady me, pulling me flush against his solid chest, every rational thought fled my mind. The unmistakable hardness pressed against my lower back sent shockwaves through my entire body, awakening sensations I had forgotten existed. When his breath tickled my car as he commanded me not to move, liquid fire coursed through my veins, pooling between my thighs in a way that left me breathless and aching. This hadn’t happened since that night we danced together, and now my boss was rock solid against me, making it impossible to think straight.
“He has his father’s eyes, the same deep, gorgeous violet–blue shade. You should come
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have dinner with us tonight, Chl is desperate to meet you, and Leo is such a little angel, I said enthusiastically, already feeling like she was family.
My desk phone rang, Liam calling me into his office. I grabbed my tablet and walked in. then froze completely. He was smiling, a brilliant smile that transformed his entire face, making him so devastatingly handsome I could barely breathe. I was in serious trouble because he looked absolutely incredible when he smiled. He looked directly at me and his smile grew even wider, like he knew exactly how his smile affected me. “Please, just call me Damlan. 1 want us to be genuine friends, he said with surprising sincerity. “Now excuse me while I go check on my friend after you literally fell into his arms.” I turned crimson watching him saunter toward Liam’s office and walk right in without bothering to knock.
I felt a chill at his warning, but my eyes widened when Liam said with intense focus directly on me, “Don’t worry about it, Damian. From now on, I’m the only one allowed to touch Hazel’s behind.” The way he said my name without the formal Miss and looked at me with such intensity made something deep inside me clench with desire, leaving me breathless and burning with need again. Working with this man was going to require incredible self–control.
Hazel’s POV
Chapter 12 – Violet Eyes and Hidden Connections.
Watching me turn redder by the second, Evelyn came to my rescue. “Boys, don’t make Hazel quit on her first day because I’m moving up my Boston departure and 1 absolutely refuse to find you another assistant, Liam,” she said with amusement, making them laugh even harder.
“Hazel, sweetheart, I heard you’ve officially met your boss now. And apparently in quite the memorable fashion.” Damian clearly couldn’t keep his mouth shut about anything, and now my face was burning with embarrassment again, but I managed to smile back
at them.
Liam added with mischief sparkling in his violet eyes, “Maybe I should get some chamomile tea, and winked at me seductively.
Damian looked absolutely delighted by the entire situation, clearly enjoying every second of my discomfort,
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“Miss Hazel, come in and close the door behind you. Join us to hear what Damian did to that insufferable woman,” he said, gesturing to the empty chair across from his desk.
How long has Mr. Clairemont been with the the better of me.
company?” I asked, my curiosity getting
“The boss already made it crystal clear that she’s completely off limits, so I’ll behave myself. But we can definitely be friends, he replied with a charming grin and winked at me. “You really are stunning though, Hazel. You’re going to make a lot of women around here very jealous.
“Yes Evelyn, I definitely wasn’t expecting my boss to be so young and incredibly handsome. And he has the exact same eye color as Leo,” I said, almost thinking out loud.
I nodded sympathetically, understanding the impossible position that put him in.
“Hazel, there’s no way my best friend would ever let that miserable woman touch even one hair on your gorgeous head,” Damian said with obvious affection, then turned to Evelyn with an exaggerated pout. “Evelyn, why didn’t you stick Owen with Mr. Grumpy and let me work with this beautiful Hazel instead?”
“Three decades. He was here before Mr. Sterling even joined, started as a junior financial analyst and climbed his way up to director under the previous leadership. His daughter and Liam grew up together, and she’s been obsessed with him since childhood, always finding excuses to hang around the office. Her father constantly pushes the narrative that she’s perfect for Mr. Sterling, his ideal match.” Bianca dropped her voice to barely above a whisper. “Ever since Mr. Sterling’s parents died, Mr. Clairemont has been telling anyone who will listen that both families always dreamed of them marrying. But it makes Liam absolutely livid.”
Damian was genuinely wonderful, the kind of person who made everyone around him. feel special and valued. Working with him was going to be an absolute pleasure.
“That sounds incredibly complicated. But don’t stress about today, Bianca. Mr. Sterling wasn’t upset with either of us. Actually, I doubt we’ll deal with this situation again. since he specifically ordered security to permanently ban her from the building”
“I know all that. I want to know what you think of him as a man. He’s absolutely gorgeous, isn’t he?” Evelyn’s smile grew wider as she watched my face flush. “Don’t even try to deny it, you were completely blown away by him.”
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I couldn’t suppress my laughter as I confirmed his suspicions with a nod. He burst into delighted laughter, with Evelyn joining in immediately. When they finally composed Themselves, she turned to me with sparkling eyes.
“Well Evelyn, despite that horrible incident that set him off, he was completely professional and courteous. I think we’ll work together just fine.” Complete lie. I was in serious trouble because that man was devastatingly attractive and had already made me wet without even trying.
1 fumbled for my phone and fired off a quick text to Chl about finally meeting my mysterious boss. Her response came back lightning fast asking if he had grabbed me in his office yet. I couldn’t help but smille as I typed back that he actually had, and I would spill everything over dinner tonight. Just as I tucked my phone away, Bianca appeared in my doorway looking mortified.
1 grabbed my phone to let Chl know Evelyn would be joining us for dinner, but first I saw her message asking for all the juicy details. I smiled and confirmed I would tell her absolutely everything tonight.
“So Hazel, what’s your honest opinion of Liam?” Evelyn asked with obvious curiosity dancing in her eyes.
“Alright Evelyn, I’ll control myself. Let’s leave Hazel’s lovely behind alone and discuss the contract we finalized during our trip,” Liam said, looking directly into my eyes, making my face burn all over again.
I did exactly as he asked. Damian was in full performance mode, dramatically reenacting how he escorted Isabella Clairemont out of the building, complete with her tantrum, foot stomping, and threats. We were all laughing hysterically as Damian perfectly mimicked her voice and mannerisms. When he finished his show, his expression turned serious.
“Unfortunately, yes. She’s been stalking Mr. Sterling for years, constantly showing up here uninvited, and he despises every second of it.”
“Thank you, Damian, that’s incredibly sweet, but I’m really hoping to avoid any more drama,” I replied, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach.
“I would absolutely love that. I’d love to meet both Leo and Chl after hearing so much about them. It’s settled then. Now I need to go check on Liam. That boy is like my own son, I even changed his diapers when he was little,” she said with maternal affection
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before heading into hits office.
“No way, did Liam really have Isabella Clairemont permanently banned from the premises? His face was lit up with barely contained glee, like he had just heard the best news of his entire year.
“Mr. Knight, where’s your compassion? I genuinely thought I was going to be murdered in that room today. I don’t know whether to laugh or have a complete breakdown, Evelyn.”
Bianca ran this entire floor with military precision. Nothing happened without her knowledge, and her position at the front desk meant she saw everyone who came and went. She was stunning in that sophisticated way, probably mid–thirties with rich brown hair always swept into an elegant twist, intelligent dark eyes behind designer frames that made her look even more authoritative. My office connected directly to Liam’s, while the mirror setup on the other side led to Damian’s domain. This entire floor was their kingdom, complete with a full kitchen, multiple conference rooms, and exclusive access to the gorgeous rooftop garden that overlooked the city.
But Damian had absolutely no filter and never missed an opportunity for entertainment. Seeing my obvious embarrassment, he burst out laughing. “Hazel, I think your behind is definitely in trouble.”
Bianca’s eyes went wide before her face broke into the biggest grin I had ever seen. She practically skipped back to her desk, calling out triumphantly, “Thank God, finally!”
“What do you mean by that?” Evelyn asked, suddenly very interested.
Before I could process her reaction, Evelyn and Damian strolled in arm in arm, both wearing matching expressions of pure delight. Damian immediately pounced on the gossip.
“But honestly man, we need to be careful. That psycho woman promised she won’t rest until she gets your assistant fired and thrown out of here.” Then he turned to me with genuine concern. “Hazel, you need to watch your back, not just with Clairemont but with her father too. They’re vindictive people who hold grudges.”
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