The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife

Hazel's POV

The morning after another sleepless night, I surprisingly felt lighter than I had in days. Walking into the office, Stella practically bounced toward me with arms wide open.

"There's my girl! I've been counting down the minutes until our coffee date. Look what I snagged from that little French bakery on Fifth Street." She held up a paper bag. "Fresh chocolate chip muffins, still warm."

"You know exactly how to make my day better," I said, managing my first genuine smile in what felt like forever. "Let me just dump my stuff."

I slipped into my office, stashed my purse in the drawer, and powered up my computer. Before I could even settle in, Damian appeared in my doorway, reaching for my hand with theatrical flair.

"How is the most stunning assistant this city has ever seen?"

"Much better, Damian. Really. And I owe you an apology for commandeering your couch yesterday like some kind of office vagrant." The corners of my mouth lifted slightly.

"Are you kidding me? Having such gorgeous scenery while I worked was the highlight of my week," he said with an exaggerated wink. "My couch is available for your napping needs anytime."

"You're absolutely shameless! I'm grabbing coffee with Stella, then I'll dive back into whatever chaos I missed."

"Hazel, breathe. Everything's handled. You're ridiculously efficient when you're functioning, so we're actually ahead of schedule. Take your time with Stella. No emergencies to handle today."

I squeezed his shoulder gratefully and headed to the break room where Stella was already setting up our impromptu breakfast. She filled me in on everything that happened after exhaustion finally claimed me yesterday, including her conversation with Adrian about Liam's impossible situation and how torn apart he was too.

"Hazel, if I were in your shoes, I'd tell the whole world to back off and fight like hell for him. You're both miserable apart. How could facing it together be any worse?"

"Stella, it absolutely could be worse. Liam would never survive being separated from his son, and I couldn't live with myself for causing that. Plus, that woman would make our lives a living nightmare, doing everything possible to destroy us. Trust me, this is the only way."

"Oh honey, you do look better today," Fiona interrupted, entering the break room and pulling me into one of her motherly embraces.

"Fiona, I have no idea what magical ingredients were in that tea, but I actually slept. Thank you for taking care of me."

"Always, sweetheart. You know we're here for whatever you need," Fiona patted my hand before heading toward the coffee machine.

My phone buzzed against the table, drawing my attention. I unlocked the screen and read the incoming message.

"Gorgeous Hazel, word on the street is you've been having some rough days. How about letting me have the honor of taking you to lunch today? Good food, better conversation, and who knows, maybe I can coax out one of those killer smiles."

I found myself grinning at the screen, already composing my response in my head.

"Who's making you look like that?" Stella asked, propping her chin on her palm with obvious curiosity.

"Levi. He wants to take me to lunch."

"Obviously you're saying yes."

"I'm not sure, Stella. The last thing I want is to give him the wrong idea or hurt him."

"He's a grown man who can make his own decisions. You've never led him on or lied about where you stand. If he wants to take this chance, let him. Worst case scenario, you get a few hours with a gorgeous guy who makes you laugh and forget your troubles."

"You really think that's okay?"

"I'm positive."

"Maybe I should check with Scarlett first. He is her brother after all."

I opened our group chat and sent a quick message explaining Levi's invitation and asking for Scarlett's thoughts. Her response came back within minutes.

"My brother knows you're head over heels for Liam. If he wants to roll those dice, he has my complete blessing. He's a big boy who can handle himself. Plus, you should absolutely go and actually enjoy yourself for once. Levi's incredible company and won't push you for anything you're not ready to give."

Chloe jumped in immediately, making everyone burst into laughter with her typical boldness.

"Girl, I would climb that gorgeous redhead like a tree and bite those perfect lips until he begged for mercy."

"Chloe's not wrong. Sorry Scarlett, but your brother is absolutely stunning, and that backside deserves its own appreciation society," Thea added.

"Even I would take a shot at Scarlett's brother. Ladies, that man probably knows exactly what he's doing in the bedroom," Felix chimed in, adding fuel to the fire.

With my friends' enthusiastic endorsement of Levi's appeal and potential as a distraction, I decided to accept his invitation.

"Levi, lunch sounds perfect. I have no doubt you'll manage to make me smile."

His response appeared almost instantly.

"You just turned my entire day around. I'll be there at noon sharp. Fair warning, I'm as jittery as a teenager before prom right now."

I forwarded his sweet message to the group chat, which sparked another round of comments about how adorable and charming he was. Returning to my desk, I managed to focus completely on work for the first time in days. At eleven forty-five, Stella appeared in my doorway.

"Move it, sister. Grab your purse, hit the bathroom, fix your lipstick, and get downstairs. That gorgeous man should be pulling up any minute."

Her excitement was contagious, and I decided to follow orders without argument. I let Damian know I was heading out and did exactly what Stella suggested. The moment I stepped outside the building entrance, Levi's sleek sports car pulled up to the curb. He climbed out and walked toward me with that confident stride that made heads turn.