The rain fell in steady sheets outside the towering glass skyscraper, casting a silvery sheen over the city streets below. Inside his vast office on the top floor, Christopher Valeriev—CEO of Valeriev Enterprises—leaned back in his chair, his sharp, composed features illuminated by the faint glow of city lights. At 29, Christopher had built an empire on sheer intellect and unyielding discipline, a man respected and feared in equal measure. Cold and impenetrable, he had no patience for frivolity, much less for the coy advances of women drawn to his power and wealth. Flirting with him was like tossing snowflakes into fire—futile and fleeting.

She hadn’t expected her life to lead here, skating on the thin ice of a life reshaped by heartbreak. Just months ago, she’d been caught in the tangled remnants of a toxic relationship with his nephew, a brash 20-year-old who’d shattered her trust. But she was determined to rise from the ashes, carving a path for herself in a world where second chances rarely came easily.

It was the sting of winter that brought them face-to-face. Under the glowing lights of the ice skating park, the crisp night air carried the sounds of laughter and skates scraping ice. She was there for solace, gliding through the cold to clear her mind. Christopher, the man who never indulged in trivialities, had reluctantly allowed himself a rare moment away from the pressure of the boardroom.

Their eyes met across the frozen expanse, her breath catching in her chest as she recognized him from fleeting headlines. His gaze, sharp and assessing, lingered just a moment longer than it should have before he turned away. But something in the air had shifted—an invisible thread now tied between them. Neither knew just how deeply it would pull them together.