The Merger

A masked stranger. A ruthless CEO. A secret with his eyes.

Elena Vance is a survivor. As a top-tier junior executive, she relies on hard data and zero distractions. But three years ago, she broke her own rules during a humid, masked night in New Orleans. The man was a mystery, the passion was electric, and the consequence was life-changing: her son, Leo.

Julian Blackwood deals in acquisitions, not emotions. Known as the "Iceman" of the corporate world, he has a strict zero-tolerance policy for office romance—the result of a past betrayal that nearly cost him his empire. When he acquires Elena's firm, he intends to strip it for parts.

But then he hears her voice.

He recognizes the smoky tone instantly. It belongs to the woman who ghosted him in New Orleans. Now, Julian is on the warpath, determined to uncover why she ran. Elena is desperate to keep her professional mask in place, knowing one slip-up will cost her career.

But secrets have a way of coming out. When a company picnic reveals a toddler with heterochromia and a scowl that mirrors the CEO's, the boardroom battle becomes a custody war. Julian demands a marriage of convenience to protect the company image, but Elena won't be a pawn in his merger.

To win her independence, she'll have to beat him at his own game. To win her heart, he'll have to learn that a family isn't a business deal.