“Leonard Cross has built an empire on precision, ruthlessness, and control. As the CEO of Cross Industries, his name commands fear as much as respect. To his board, he's a visionary; to the world, he's a self-made billionaire; but behind the sleek offices and power suits lies a man hollowed out by secrets - and guilt. Years ago, a hostile takeover of a smaller tech company ended in tragedy when the owner, a man named Daniel Hart, lost everything... and then his life. Leonard buried the incident and his conscience along with it, telling himself it was just business. Now, years later, Leonard runs his company like a fortress - until she walks in. Stephanie Reed arrives one morning as his newly appointed executive assistant, recommended by an elite agency. She's efficient, poised, and impossibly capable. She anticipates his every need before he even voices it. Coffee exactly the way he likes it. Meeting notes already summarized. Calls screened before he even asks. Leonard, who's fired three assistants in a month, finds himself begrudgingly impressed - and unsettled. From the very first day, there's something about her that feels too familiar. The curve of her handwriting. The way she watches him when she thinks he isn't looking. Her calm, unreadable expression when his temper flares. She never flinches - even when others do.”