The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife

Hazel's POV

When I felt familiar fingers brush against my skin, electricity shot through my entire body. Liam's touch always had this effect on me, setting every nerve on fire. Behind us, Owen's voice cut through the club's noise.

"Seriously, Thea? Every single time I find you women, you're practically glued to these guys." Owen's complaint sent us into fits of laughter.

"Playing innocent now, are we?" Liam's hand found my shoulder, his grip possessive and warm. "You planned this whole thing, didn't you?"

"Last I checked, nobody sent you an invitation," Chl shot back without even glancing at Noah's increasingly annoyed expression.

"Oh really? So my loving wife just happened to mention exactly where she'd be and when, purely for conversation's sake?" Owen's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I was saving you the effort of stalking me again, but that doesn't mean I wanted you or your little gang here," Thea fired back, her tone sharp enough to cut glass.

Levi and his crew were clearly enjoying watching the others squirm. That's when Vera decided to play peacemaker with her trademark charm.

"Look, we're all stuck with each other now. Why don't we make the best of it? Blackjack, drinks, good conversation. What do you say, boys?"

"If you want us to tolerate your presence, you'd better say yes, because we're not going anywhere," Stella declared, watching them exchange uncertain glances.

The guys had no choice but to agree. Sharing tables with Levi's group was becoming our new normal, whether they liked it or not. They settled in and flagged down the waitress for drinks.

"So what's the wager tonight?" Damian asked, rubbing his hands together with obvious excitement.

"Keep your mouth shut, Damian," Adrian snapped, clearly trying to prevent another disaster like last time. But it was already too late.

"Well, since we all have similar interests, let's make this interesting," Gavin suggested with a sly grin.

"Nobody's betting on us, Gavin. Absolutely not," Chloe warned immediately, her voice deadly serious.

"We could always head to my place for strip poker," Vera said casually, as if she were suggesting coffee. I watched Liam's jaw clench.

"Nobody here is getting naked in front of everyone," Liam growled, his protective instincts in full swing.

"I'm with Liam on this one," Levi agreed quickly. "Let's stick to chips and see where the night takes us."

We all nodded our agreement, and the game began. The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed, even pleasant. The guys were actually getting along, which was practically a miracle.

But Chloe had other plans. I caught her typing furiously on her phone, sending messages to our group chat.

"This is way too civilized. They're practically becoming best friends. We need to shake things up."

A few minutes later, I noticed Scarlett's smile growing more mischievous by the second. Her eyes were practically sparkling with whatever scheme she'd cooked up.

"What if we changed the stakes completely? Started betting kisses instead?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Stella responded instantly, her voice pitched higher than usual.

"Think about it. Whoever wins gets to choose someone to kiss," Scarlett explained as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

"I love where your head's at, but we can't pull that off here. Management would throw us out before we could blink," Chloe said, though her eyes were already gleaming with possibility.

"Damian's got that incredible game room at his house. If everyone's game, I bet I could get Damian to extend an invitation," Thea suggested, already plotting.

We were all in. Time for Thea to work her magic without letting them catch on to our real agenda.

"Damian, you should invite everyone back to your place. It's getting way too packed in here, and the air's getting thick. Plus, you've got that amazing game room just sitting there empty."

"You know what, Thea? That's brilliant. This place is definitely overcrowded tonight," Damian agreed readily.

"Perfect. Let's move this party, ladies," Adrian said, standing and offering his hand to Stella with a gentleman's flourish.

"We're only going if the guys come too," Chloe announced, staying firmly planted in her seat.

"What, we have to drag those losers along too?" Noah complained, his face twisting with annoyance.

"Watch your mouth, Noah. Show some respect. They're our friends and they were here first. If we're changing venues, they're coming with us," Chloe scolded him sharply.

"Unless they'd rather not come, in which case we're staying right here," I added firmly, my tone leaving no room for argument.

"Come on, Hazel," Liam protested, clearly frustrated.

"What's wrong, gentlemen? Worried we might be too much competition for you?" Cameron asked with a smile that was pure trouble.

"Not even close. It would be my absolute pleasure to host all of you at my home. Shall we make our exit?" Damian responded with exaggerated politeness.

"Alright, we accept your gracious invitation. You're right about this place being too crowded," Levi agreed smoothly.

As we prepared to leave the club, the inevitable question of transportation arose. Chloe jumped in before anyone could start organizing carpools.

"Nobody's riding with anybody. I've got my car, and all the girls are coming with me. End of discussion."

"God, you're even more stunning when you're taking charge like that. I'm absolutely crazy about a woman who knows what she wants," Vera said with a ridiculous grin, his eyes fixed on Chl with obvious admiration.