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ICE & EMBER....

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Damian Blackwood — The Male LeadDamian Blackwood was born into the kind of wealth people spent their entire lives dreaming about.His family name opened doors.His money closed mouths.And his presence made even powerful men reconsider the words they were about to say.At thirty-one, Damian was the CEO of Blackwood Holdings, one of the largest companies in the country. He was the only son of his late parents and the sole heir to a generational empire built over decades.He was cold.Arrogant.Overconfident.And dangerously used to getting what he wanted.Damian barely smiled. He barely spoke unless there was something important to say. He hated unnecessary conversations, unnecessary emotions, and, most importantly, unnecessary people.He had an aura that made rooms go silent when he entered.Women wanted him.Business rivals feared him.Employees respected him.And Damian cared about none of it.After losing his parents years earlier, he built walls around himself so high that nobody could climb over them. The only people allowed close enough were his grandparents.To everyone else, Damian Blackwood was a red flag in an expensive suit.He did not believe in love.He believed in ownership.Control.Power.And winning.Then Amara Cole walked into his office.And suddenly, for the first time in his life, Damian Blackwood wanted something he could not simply buy.Amara Cole — The Female LeadAmara Cole came from a completely different world.She was twenty-five, middle class, ambitious, intelligent, and determined to build a life that belonged to her.She was fun.Friendly.Warm.The kind of woman who smiled at strangers and remembered people's birthdays.She had lost both her parents and had spent years doing everything possible to provide for her younger brother, Noah.Amara had dreams.Big ones.She did not want to become rich because she married a rich man.She wanted to work.To build something.To become successful with her own name attached to her achievements.Her dream was simple:She wanted to become a powerful working-class woman.She wanted her brother to have a future.And she wanted to prove that being an orphan did not mean her story had to end in tragedy.Amara was mildly confident, sometimes stubborn, sometimes impulsive, and completely incapable of keeping quiet when she believed something was unfair.Unfortunately for her, she became the personal assistant of the most difficult man in the country.Damian Blackwood.And unfortunately for Damian—Amara Cole was not afraid of him.Elias Hart — The Second Male LeadElias Hart was everything Damian Blackwood was not.Calm.Kind.Patient.Emotionally available.Rich but humble.A hardworking CEO who had built a successful manufacturing company rather than inheriting an empire.His parents were alive, loving, and deeply involved in his life.And most importantly—He had known Amara almost her entire life.Elias was her childhood sweetheart.The boy who had walked her home.The man who still remembered her favorite food.The person who understood the pain she carried without demanding that she explain it.He was the green flag.The safe choice.The easy choice.And he loved Amara.Perhaps he always had.But unfortunately for Elias, Amara's heart had started wandering toward a man who represented everything she should have stayed away from.

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THE GIRL WHO SMILED AT THE DEVIL...
Amara Cole was late. Not terribly late. Just late enough to make her question every decision that had led her to this exact moment. She stood outside the enormous glass building of Blackwood Holdings, clutching her bag tightly while staring at the company name displayed across the front. Her interview had been scheduled for nine o'clock. It was now eight fifty-seven. “Three minutes,” she whispered to herself. “Three minutes is enough time to save your future.” She rushed toward the entrance. Behind her, a black luxury car stopped. The building security guards immediately straightened. A group of employees entering the building suddenly moved aside. Amara noticed none of it. She was too busy trying to stop herself from falling. Her heel slipped slightly against the smooth marble floor. “Oh!” A strong hand caught her elbow before she could hit the ground. Amara blinked. Then looked up. The first thing she noticed was the suit. Dark. Perfectly tailored. Expensive enough to probably pay her brother's university fees for several years. Then she noticed the watch. Then the face. And suddenly, Amara forgot how to breathe. The man standing in front of her was painfully attractive. Not in the friendly, approachable way. No. His face was sharp and cold. His expression looked permanently irritated. His dark eyes held absolutely no warmth. He looked at her as if she were an inconvenience. “Watch where you're going,” he said. Amara immediately frowned. Excuse me? She pulled her arm away. “You were the one standing in my path.” His eyes narrowed. “Was I?” “Yes.” A silence followed. Amara stared at him. He stared back. The people around them looked as though the entire world had stopped spinning. Nobody spoke to Damian Blackwood that way. Nobody. Amara, however, had absolutely no idea who he was. She crossed her arms. “And thank you for catching me.” Damian raised one eyebrow. “You're welcome.” “Although,” she added, “you could have been nicer about it.” His expression became even colder. “I wasn't aware I was required to be nice.” “Well, now you know.” And with that, Amara walked away. Damian Blackwood stood completely still. For several seconds. His assistant slowly approached him. “Sir?” Damian looked toward the direction the woman had disappeared. “Who was that?” His assistant looked confused. “I'll find out.” “Do that.” Amara arrived at the interview room exactly one minute before nine. She sat among six other candidates, all dressed perfectly. One woman wore an expensive designer suit. Another had years of experience working for a major company. Amara suddenly felt underqualified. Maybe this had been a mistake. She needed a job desperately, but working for Blackwood Holdings had always seemed like an impossible dream. The salary alone could change her life. Noah needed school fees. Their apartment rent was approaching. She had bills. Dreams. Responsibilities. Failure was not an option. One by one, the candidates were called inside. Eventually, Amara's name was announced. She stood. Smiled. And walked inside. Then stopped. Because sitting at the end of the conference table was the man from downstairs. The rude man. The cold man. The man who had acted as if smiling would personally destroy him. Amara slowly turned toward the interviewer. Then back toward him. “You.” Damian looked equally unimpressed. “You.” The interviewer looked between them. “You two know each other?” “No,” they both answered. At the same time. Amara narrowed her eyes. Damian leaned back in his chair. “Miss Cole,” one interviewer said, “this is Mr. Damian Blackwood.” Amara froze. Oh. Oh no. She looked at him again. CEO....? That was the CEO. The CEO she had just insulted downstairs. The CEO whose company she desperately needed to work for. Her smile became slightly forced. “Mr. Blackwood." “Miss Cole.” “I didn't realize—” “I know.” She inhaled. For the first time that morning, Amara was speechless. The interview continued. And somehow, despite Damian's intimidating presence, Amara did well. She answered every question. She spoke about her ambitions. Her experience. Her ability to work under pressure. At one point, Damian asked, “What do you think is the most important quality an assistant should have?” Amara looked directly at him. “Honesty.” His eyes remained on her. “Why?” “Because if my employer is wrong, I should be able to tell them.” One interviewer nearly choked. Damian's face remained expressionless. “You would tell your employer he was wrong?” “If he was wrong, yes.” “And if your employer didn't like it?” “Then I suppose he'd have to learn how to deal with disappointment.” Silence. Again. Amara wondered if she had just destroyed her chances. But then— Damian smiled. It was barely there. A small movement. Almost nothing. But it changed his entire face. And Amara stared. Because somehow, that small smile was more dangerous than his anger. “Congratulations, Miss Cole,” Damian said. She blinked. “What?” “You're hired.” The other interviewers stared at him. “Sir, we haven't—” “I've made my decision.” Amara stared at him. “You're serious?” “No. I often hire people as a joke.” She frowned. “There it is again.” “What?” “Your personality problem.” Damian's eyes darkened. “Be in my office at eight tomorrow morning.” Amara smiled sweetly. “Yes, boss.” And for some reason, Damian hated how much he liked hearing that.

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