When two unyielding souls collide, sparks are inevitable... Isabella Reyes, the strongest soldier in the military, has spent her life wrapped in discipline, strategy, and a heart hardened by loss. Her world has no room for weakness-or love. But when a mission intertwines her fate with that of Alexander Steele, a cold, calculating CEO with a reputation as ruthless as her own, everything changes. Alexander thrives in the corporate battlefield, where emotions are a liability and trust is a rare commodity. He's built walls no one has dared to climb-until Isabella steps into his life, shattering the barriers he's spent years reinforcing. Forced to work together against a common enemy, their icy exteriors begin to crack. Amid danger, betrayal, and a mission that could destroy everything they stand for, they discover something they never expected-each other. But when the fire between them ignites, can two hearts forged in steel learn to bend without breaking? Two Cold Steels is a heart-pounding romance of two strong-willed individuals navigating the complexities of trust, passion, and the fight for a love worth risking everything. Perfect for fans of slow-burn romance, fiery chemistry, and characters who fight as hard for love as they do for survival. Prepare to be captivated by this story of resilience, redemption, and an unyielding connection that proves even the coldest steel can melt.
Chapter 1 PROLOGUE – A GLIMPSE OF THEIR PAST WOUNDS AND EMOTIONAL WALLS
The rain pelted the black SUV's tinted windows in unrelenting torrents, a continuous rhythm. The city outside dissolved into neon streaks and shadows, reflecting the harsh, merciless world he had created for himself. Alexander Steele sat still in the backseat, his face's angular lines illuminated by the light from his phone. The message remained unsent while his fingers lingered over the screen.
"I'm proud of you, Dad."
The remarks seemed strange, even hollow, as though they were coming from a guy he had lost sight of. As he had done a dozen times before, he erased them. Pride? To a man who had come to understand that silence was a sign of strength, what was that? To a man forged in the merciless furnace of abandonment and treachery? No, Alexander Steele avoided using sentimental language. If his heart was still there, it was a fortress, impenetrable, protected by walls he had long since ceased to doubt. He was fashioned by the walls.
It was the ninth anniversary of his father's passing tonight. A man who had insisted on complete perfection but never on love. He left behind wealth, influence, and an uncompromising ideal that Alexander both despised and aspired to. It was in his blood, cold steel.
However, for some reason, the silence felt more oppressive and a little stifling tonight.
Another storm was brewing across the Atlantic.
The smell of rain mixed with gun oil and wet ground as Captain Isabella "Ice" Reyes stood at the edge of the tarmac of the military base. Her thoughts were elsewhere, transported back to a long-forgotten memory, even as the noise of distant helicopters reverberated across the bleak sky. One that now characterized her existence.
It was twelve years ago. The funeral.
The folded flag was pushed into her hands, which were shaking.
Her mom's tears.
"You have to be strong now, Bella."
So she had been. Her armor was strength. She was the strongest soldier in her unit because of her cold accuracy, discipline, and control. The woman who never felt or flinched. Never let anyone know there were cracks beneath the ice, much less go close enough to notice them.
But occasionally, in the quiet between missions, late at night, she sensed it-the pain. The defeat. The crushing burden of being completely alone and indestructible.
It was one of those evenings tonight.
In her locker was an unopened letter. from her father, with whom she had not communicated for years. The man who had left long before she had mastered the art of deadly grace with a weapon. He had made an effort to connect, to clarify. He had gone unnoticed.
Forgiveness was a sign of weakness. And she wasn't feeble at all.
Two spirits. Two steel fortresses.
Despite being in different worlds, they are united by the same unwavering coldness.
Neither was aware that fate was already slipping between their armor's cracks.
Sparks would fly when they collided, and neither could predict when it would happen.
However, steel is difficult to bend once it has been forged.
And affection? The last thing either of them was ready to fight over was love.
Chapter 1 PROLOGUE – A GLIMPSE OF THEIR PAST WOUNDS AND EMOTIONAL WALLS
23/02/2025
Chapter 2 STEEL MEETS STEEL– THE CEO AND THE SOLDIER CROSS PATHS
23/02/2025
Chapter 3 UNYIELDING FRONTS – TENSION BUILDS AS THEIR PERSONALITIES CLASH
23/02/2025
Chapter 4 A BATTLE OF WILLS
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Chapter 5 CRACKS IN THE ARMOR – SMALL MOMENTS OF VULNERABILITY EMERGE
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Chapter 6 THE FIRST SPARK – A HINT OF CHEMISTRY DESPITE THEIR COLD FACADES
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Chapter 7 SHADOWS OF THE PAST – THEIR BACKSTORIES AND EMOTIONAL SCARS SURFACE
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Chapter 8 A FRAGILE TRUCE – A TEMPORARY ALLIANCE OR COLLABORATION FORMS
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Chapter 9 TRUST, TENSION, AND TEMPTATION
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Chapter 10 THE STORM WITHIN- INTERNAL STRUGGLES WITH VULNERABILITY AND DESIRE
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Chapter 11 BREAKING POINT– AN INTENSE EVENT FORCES THEM TO CONFRONT THEIR FEARS
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Chapter 12 HEARTS ON THE LINE – ONE OF THEM MAKES A BOLD EMOTIONAL MOVE
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Chapter 13 RETREAT AND REGRET–MISUNDERSTANDING OR CONFLICT DRIVES THEM APART
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Chapter 14 THE FINAL CONFRONTATION
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Chapter 15 STEEL SOFTENS – HEALING AND RENCONCILIATION
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Chapter 16 EVERLASTING FLAME – A HOPEFUL, ROMANTIC RESOLUTION.
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Chapter 17 PERSISTENT FIRE
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Chapter 18 EPILOGUE: FOLLOWING THE FIRE
23/02/2025
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