Chapter 1: Treading Thin Ice

Allie Brooks was only five minutes late, but she ended up in the CEO’s office, facing his cold stare.

He gave her a full hour of hell.

When she finally stepped out, her cheeks were red, her eyes glossy and swollen, as if she’d been crushed.

She looked like she’d been crying.

Her coworkers at the office glanced at her with pity.

Allie was just an intern, assigned the usual grunt work—filing, proofreading reports, even arranging meeting schedules.

But for some reason, the CEO, Liam Hart, seemed to have it out for her.

Every chance he got, he’d find a reason to summon her, to tear her down, to make her feel small.

And every single time, Allie walked out of his office looking just like this.

Allie collapsed into her chair, drained.

Across the desk, her fellow intern, Jess, rolled over in her chair, shooting her a sympathetic look. “Liam’s too much.

He’s acting like he owns your life.”

Jess huffed, shaking her head. “So, spill. Did you do something to piss him off? The first thing he did after getting back from that conference was call you in.”

Allie tried to shake the image of Liam’s cold, unyielding gaze from her mind, but his words still echoed.

“You need to be better, Allie. A lot better.”

She clenched her jaw. Just one more week. Just one week until her internship ended.

Jess gave her shoulder a supportive squeeze. “Tonight’s the department dinner, remember? We’ll all be there to back you up. You coming?”

Allie’s head snapped up. “Do I have to?”

Jess leaned in, whispering, “Yeah. Rachel's buying. She’s got connections with the higher-ups, so pretty much everyone will be there. It’s a free meal, at least.”

Rachel Hillman. The star intern. Rumor had it, her family had ties to the company’s board.

Allie sighed, trying to push away her dread. After Liam’s remarks today, she was sure he’d dismiss her right after work.

The hours dragged on. When evening finally rolled around, she decided to go with Jess. Anything to avoid heading straight home to think about today’s humiliation.

At the dinner, Allie tried to blend in, but it was useless.

The questions started coming from every corner.

“So, what did you do to tick off Mr. Hart?”

“Does he have it out for you or something?”

Allie shrugged, keeping her expression blank. “I honestly don’t know.”

Midway through the evening, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen.

It was him.

Her stomach tightened as she answered. His voice, low and commanding, spilled through the line.

“Where are you?”

 

* * * * * * * *

 

“Allie, where are you?”

“Downtown at Sam’s Diner,” Allie said quietly, holding her phone tightly.

Liam’s voice was cold, laced with irritation. “Come home. Now.”

The line went dead.

Allie stared at her phone, stunned, before standing up. “Sorry, everyone, something came up. I have to go.”

She grabbed her bag, ignored her coworkers’ curious glances, and rushed outside to catch a cab back to Lakeview Heights.

Their house sat on the edge of the hills, like a modern castle—beautiful, but distant, like Liam himself.

When she arrived, the butler opened the door. “Miss Brooks, welcome home.”

“Where’s Mr. Hart?”

“He’s upstairs, in the bedroom.”

Allie’s heart pounded as she went up, pausing outside the bedroom door, unsure why she felt so nervous.

Finally, she stepped inside. The room was empty, but the sound of running water from the bathroom told her Liam was

showering. She sighed, setting her purse down on the sofa.

Staring at the bathroom door, Allie’s mind spun. Everything felt surreal—this marriage, her life in this house. Just yesterday, she was a nobody, and now… Mrs. Liam Hart, wife of the CEO of Hart Industries. The idea was as baffling as it was intimidating. Why her? What did he see in her that he didn’t see in any of those other women?

The bathroom door creaked open, and Liam stepped out, dripping wet, a towel slung low around his hips. Allie’s eyes wandered, involuntarily taking in his lean, chiseled frame.

Liam raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his lips. “Like what you see?”

Her face turned red, and she looked away quickly. “I’ve seen better,” she muttered, instantly regretting it.

“Oh, really?” His voice was low, challenging. He took a step closer. “Why don’t you come over here and take a closer

look?”

Allie’s heart raced as he closed the distance between them. She could feel the heat radiating from him, his intensity as unsettling as it was thrilling. Her hand reached out, almost as if on its own, brushing his chest.

Before she could pull away, he caught her wrist, pulling her closer. “Allie,” he whispered, his voice rough, sending a shiver down her spine.

She closed her eyes, surrendering to the inevitable.

When she opened them again, it was morning, sunlight streaming through the curtains.