The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife

Liam's POV

After dropping Hazel at Apex Galaxy, I drove straight to my office building, my mind still replaying every moment from our incredible weekend. Meeting her parents had been everything I hoped for and more. The warmth they showed me, the way they welcomed me into their home like I belonged there, it meant more than they could ever know. For someone who lost his parents years ago, that acceptance felt like coming home.

Sure, we had dealt with that irritating situation with her ex-boyfriend, and her cousin's jealousy had been obvious and uncomfortable. But none of that mattered now. Hazel was back in my life, and Leo had completely stolen my heart. The kid was amazing, smart and funny, with Hazel's eyes and spirit. If my parents were still alive, I knew they would have adored both Hazel and Leo. They would have spoiled that boy rotten and treated Hazel like the daughter they never had.

The familiar ache hit my chest when I thought about my parents. The pain never really went away, but lately it had been sharper, more intense. Learning that their car accident might not have been an accident at all, that someone might have deliberately taken them from me, it was like reopening a wound that had never properly healed. Allen was handling the investigation, digging deeper into what really happened that night. Until he found something concrete, all I could do was wait and try not to let the rage consume me.

Walking into my office building, an idea started forming in my mind. I needed Hazel back here, working beside me, but she had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with this place. Too many bad memories, she said. Too many reminders of how everything fell apart between us. Maybe I could change that.

I called Stella into my office and shut the door behind her. She looked curious, probably wondering why I seemed so energized this morning.

"Stella, you know Hazel and I worked things out this weekend. We're back together." I started pacing behind my desk, the idea gaining momentum in my head.

"That's wonderful, Liam. I'm so happy for you both." Her smile was genuine, which I appreciated.

"The problem is, she refuses to come back to work here. She says being in this office would bring back all the painful memories of what happened between us."

Stella's eyes drifted to the leather couch against the wall, and I saw her expression shift slightly. "Well, I can understand that. Especially with that couch sitting right there like some kind of monument to your mistakes."

"Do you think if I completely renovated this place, changed everything, she might feel differently about working here again?" The question came out more anxious than I intended.

"Honestly? I think we should burn that couch in the parking lot and livestream it," Stella said with a straight face.

"Stella, I'm being serious here. I need your opinion on the bigger picture, not just your vendetta against my furniture." I tried to look stern, but she was grinning now.

"Look, Liam, completely changing the environment is definitely a good start. It won't erase what happened, but it might help her feel more comfortable being here. Fresh surroundings, fresh start, no constant reminders of the past."

"Excellent. I want you to handle the entire renovation project. Are you up for that?" I watched her face carefully.

"Me? Liam, shouldn't you hire a professional interior designer for something this important?" She looked genuinely surprised.

"You have incredible taste, and more importantly, I trust you completely. The budget is unlimited, spend whatever you need to make this place perfect. I'll need you to arrange a temporary office for me somewhere else on this floor, and I want your desk moved closer to wherever I end up so you can assist me directly while you're managing the renovation. How long do you think you'll need?"

Stella's eyes lit up with excitement. "Give me a week. I want to repaint everything, maybe change the lighting, definitely get new furniture. I already have so many ideas running through my head."

"Perfect. Now walk me through today's schedule so I can clear out and let you get started. I'll camp out in Damian's office until you have my temporary space ready." I opened my laptop to check my calendar.

After reviewing my appointments with Stella, I packed up my laptop and grabbed the folders I'd need for the day. Walking back to the reception area, I made a point of handing Stella my office key in front of Bianca.

"Only you have access to my office during this project. You and whatever contractors or designers you bring in. Don't ask Bianca for any help since she needs to stay focused on reception duties while you're busy with this." I kept my voice professional, but Stella understood perfectly. The last thing I needed was Bianca snooping around and interfering.

As I headed toward Damian's office, I could hear Bianca practically vibrating with curiosity, pestering Stella about what project I had assigned her. Stella's sharp response of "none of your damn business" made me smile. That woman could handle herself.

"Hey brother, mind if I invade your space for a few hours?" I knocked on Damian's door frame.

"Liam, you know you're always welcome. We could share an office permanently if you wanted." Damian looked up from his computer with genuine enthusiasm.

"If we shared an office full-time, neither of us would get any work done. We'd spend all day talking and joking around like we did in college." The memory of those days made me grin.

"True, but those were some of the best times. So what brings you to my humble corner of the building?" Damian leaned back in his chair, clearly ready for a story.

"I'm having my office completely renovated. Hazel won't come back to work because she says this place reminds her of everything that went wrong between us. I put Stella in charge of redesigning both my office and Hazel's."

"Man, that's brilliant! Now you're making me want to redecorate my space too." Damian's excitement was infectious.

Owen looked up from his desk in the corner. "We should throw Bianca out and redo the entire reception area while we're at it."

"Actually, that's not a terrible idea, Owen. We need to figure out how to get Hazel back here anyway. How has Stella been performing in her role?" I was genuinely curious about Stella's progress.

"She's been incredible. Smart, efficient, learns fast, and she's great with clients. Even Mr. Nobrega likes her, and that guy complains about everything. She actually made him smile last week." Owen's praise was high coming from him.

"I don't think we need Bianca anymore," Damian added. "Stella could handle twice the workload and still do a better job."

"I agree, but I'll keep Bianca on for this week while Stella focuses on the renovation. After that, I need to figure out how to let her go without making it obvious why." The real reason being that Bianca couldn't keep her hands to herself and had made multiple inappropriate advances.

"Enough about office politics. Tell us about your weekend with Hazel," Damian said, settling in like he was about to hear his favorite story.

"I'll give you all the details at lunch. Adrian's joining us, so I can tell everyone at once." I couldn't keep the stupid grin off my face thinking about Hazel and Leo.

My friends knew we had reconciled because I'd been texting updates all weekend, but they wanted the full story. I was happier than I'd been in months. Now I just needed to create the perfect environment to bring my Hazel back where she belonged, working beside me.